<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Salmon fishing was about the same as before on the river, said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guides</b>. Small pods of Chinook or king salmon migrated up the river, a dribble. However, the population of the fish that now held in the river started to build up, because of those dribbles, and the migration will break open entirely some time or another, and will be abrupt. Anglers along the estuary reported greater numbers of salmon in past days, and so did anglers along other Lake Ontario tributaries nearby. The run was late, but that was nothing unusual, or has happened in the past. The Salmon River ran low and warm, the same flow and temperatures as before. Jay wasn’t asked what the flow and temperatures were now, but in previous reports said the flow was 335 CFS, and the water was in the upper 50 to lower 60 degrees. Salmon preferred the colder Lake Ontario. The migration up the river is for spawning. Salmon, mostly Chinooks, but also a few Cohos, spawn in the river, arriving from the lake, a few weeks in autumn, and then die in the river. Steelheads migrate up afterward in autumn, spend winter in the river, spawn there in spring, and return to the lake for summer. Steelheads don’t die after spawning. Jay on his Facebook page posted a photo of a Coho yesterday, saying a few were making a break up the river. He posted a photo of a brown trout, his first of the season from the river, that day. Big browns also swim the river. Jay posted a shot of a steelhead from the river a few days ago, and the caption said more steelheads swam the water than salmon, unusual for the time of year. But that will change. Jay specializes in fly-fishing for the river’s salmon and steelheads, catching and releasing them, but also books trips that fish with conventional tackle for the both with his other guides. Jay currently fished the river the same as he did before. He fished the lower river in mornings, looking for fresh salmon that just entered the river from the lake. Fishing for them diminishes after morning, and then he targets upriver, fishing for salmon that have been holding in the river some time. His anglers are fishing with wooly buggers in black, brown or olive and black stoneflies. They swing the flies across the river to cover ground. When more salmon migrate to the river, the trips might target specific holding water. Rainfall could be used to raise the river, inspiring the fish to shoot up. Weather’s been dry, including this past week. Fall foliage looked good.

Small groups of king salmon, five or 10 of the fish per group, no big groups, migrated up the river in mornings and late afternoons, said Capt. Rick Miick from <b>Dreamcatcher Guide Service</b>. But a large population will migrate up soon, and he marked many of the fish in Lake Ontario, near the river, at night on the drift boat. But the population in the river was starting to build up, because of the small groups migrating. He recommends that anglers fish upstream of, or in, any deep holes with usual tackle like egg sacks. He and other guides currently trolled spoons in the lake at night on drift boats. His trips, oaring the boat on the lake near the river, from 2 miles north to 2 miles south, averaged 10 bites a night that way. Fishing the river at night is prohibited. During daytime, his trips caught a few of the salmon in the river on salmon plugs. Rick heard about a few steelheads landed from the river, and saw one checked-in at the cleaning station, while he gave this report in a phone call on Tuesday afternoon. Plenty of steelheads reached the hatchery, all the way upstream, already. So they were swimming up. Rick heard about three brown trout taken from the river the past couple of days. Though the salmon migration will bust open any moment, rain would help, because the river remained low, like before, flowing at 335 CFS. The water was somewhat cooler than before, and that was good for the migration.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Nothing was really heard about trout fishing on streams yet, said Don from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. But fall trout stocking will begin on Tuesday. Some reports talked about low water on the streams. But Burt lives near Rockaway River, and that stream looked a little low, maybe 6 inches, and based on that, low water seemed no problem for stocking. Customers who trout fish are usually excited this time of year. But more seemed to gear up to fish the salmon migration on upstate New York’s rivers like the Salmon River. Maybe 60 or 70 percent of the shop’s anglers did that. A warden and customers said most salmon were yet to migrate up the rivers. Anglers talked about the Knee Deep Club’s King of the Lake Tournament that’s slated to be held on Lake Hopatcong on the weekend of October 11 and 12. That’s a contest for a variety of species. Nothing was heard about smallmouth bass fishing, like on rivers like the Delaware, or largemouth bass fishing on lakes. Don fishes for largemouths, but bow-hunted instead lately. That seemed the case for some anglers.

 In the Knee Deep Club’s walleye tournament, on the lake two weekends ago, walleye fishing was somewhat slow, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. But angling was better for other species. In the tournament, Tom Sarnacki, among 51 entrants, won first place with a 4-pound 3-ounce walleye. First through third places won cash, and fourth through sixth won $20 gift certificates apiece to Dow’s. The winning walleyes ranged from 2 pounds 12 ounces to Sarnacki’s 4-pound 3-ouncer. The club will hold its King of the Lake Tournament, for a variety of species, on the weekend of October 11 and 12. In other news, Dan Mazza and Brian Zavistoski on a trip clubbed a 7-pound 3-ounce walleye, a 5-pounder, several smaller ones and some hybrid striped bass to a 6-pound 15-ouncer. Ronald Rosa and son on a trip beat a 5-pound 7-ounce walleye. Anthony D’Acosta and daughter on a trip cracked a walleye the same size. Lots of white perch were snatched up on chicken livers. Chain pickerel hit Mepps spinners along weed lines.

Good walleye fishing was reported from Lake Hopatcong late in the day into night on trolled lures like Rapala Shad Raps, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Largemouth bass were cranked from Pompton Lake, but anglers had to work for the fish, because of so many weeds. Tackle like rubber frogs was fished to deal with the weeds. Nick will compete in a largemouth tournament at Greenwood Lake this weekend, and will see whether his streak of wins will continue. He’s come in first place in several in a row, covered in previous reports. In Passaic River, smallmouth bass and northern pike were fought. Below the falls, anglers put in time, searching for pools that held the fish in low water.  Pike were wrestled at Twin Bridges on the river on big spinners or blade baits. Kayakers worked the shoreline for them. A buddy eased in carp, not a lot, but some good-sized, on the river behind Kennedy High School in Paterson, on garlic bagels. Fall trout stocking will begin on Tuesday. One angler banked native brown trout on Pequannock River. Nick was unsure about location, but the angler seemed to sneak into spots on the river through the woods.

Water was low everywhere, including in Passaic River, and even in lakes and reservoirs, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Customers fish the river for northern pike, smallmouth bass, catfish and carp. Saltwater anglers waited for the migration of striped bass, including in the surf. Water wasn’t cold enough for that yet. But bluefish, decent-sized, not large, were yanked from the surf. One customer bagged yellowfin tuna on a 30-hour, party-boat trip.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Daytime largemouth bass fishing picked up, from small ponds, like farm ponds, to large reservoirs, like Spruce Run Reservoir, said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. The fishing wasn’t just best at dawn and dusk, like in summer, anymore, and probably 15 anglers bought large shiners yesterday for the bassing. One showed a photo of a 6-1/2-pound largemouth caught. A few hybrid striped bass were boated at Spruce Run, not just on trolled herring that are difficult to obtain this time of year, but also on trolled shiners on planers. Good carp fishing was had on Raritan River. Anglers still fished for smallmouth bass on the river, on both the north and south branches. But the catches always slow down, somewhat, this time of year, probably because of fishing pressure. The smallmouths seem to become wary, after anglers keep fishing for them at the holes. But some could still be caught, including on crawfish or crawfish imitations. One angler even hooked them on buzz baits, drawing reaction strikes. Anglers waited to trout fish, and trout streams ran super low. But fall trout stocking will start on Tuesday.

A mess of small striped bass, and smallmouth bass, were heard about from Delaware River in the Trenton area, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. That was because shad and herring now migrated downstream that hatched upstream earlier this year, and the stripers and smallmouths foraged on them. The fish were hooked on small popper lures or small, 4-inch Fin-S Fish in pearl white or alewife colors, on small jigheads, probably ¼ ounce. Largemouth bass fishing was slow on lakes, but some anglers hunted them down. Crappie fishing was pretty good at Stone Tavern Lake, around the wood, on shiners under bobbers.

Freshwater fishing was spotty at best, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. It was kind of getting into the fall turnover, he said, and largemouth bass were sluggish. Chain pickerel were especially cooperative in lakes, though. Spinner baits or minnows will clock them. If anglers fish for largemouths, spinner baits should also grab them. Jigs could be flipped for the bucketmouths, and shallow-running crank baits could catch them. More will start to be heard about Rat-L-Traps landing the bass, but the season was early for that. Crappie fishing will improve as water cools. Nothing was reported about them yet, but should be in a couple of weeks. Fall trout stocking will begin on Tuesday, and South Jersey’s waters are slated to be stocked starting on the following Tuesday, October 14. See the <a href=" http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/flstk14.htm" target="_blank">fall trout stocking schedule</a> online.

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