<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river’s steelhead fishing was “technical,” said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b>. If anglers knew what they were doing, and knew the water, the fishing was good. Otherwise, it could be difficult. But the angling was great, in his opinion. Trips scored lots of hook ups, and the steelheads were “hot.”  They jumped 3 feet in the air when hooked. That affected the landing ratio. The fish were that aggressive because the river’s temperature, in the mid-50 degrees, “was their metabolic rate,” he said. The temperature was ideal. The fishing with Jay on Monday probably hooked 18 to 20 steelheads, landing five. Though landing a steelhead was challenging, the aggressiveness was fun. Some spots in the river held salmon, some of them fresh from Lake Ontario, others that migrated to the river some time ago. Fishing for the salmon was spotty. For the steelheads, egg flies caught best on the upper river for Jay’s trips. He specializes in fly fishing, and catch and release, but books trips with conventional tackle with his other guides. Orange, pink and “Oregon cheese” were best egg colors. “Oregon cheese” is a sort of creamy yellow, and size-8 eggs seemed to keep the fish hooked best, though more bit on sizes 10 and 12. On the lower river, Jay’s trips swung flies, including leeches, 2-1/2- or 3-inch Intruders that worked well, and sometimes wooly buggers. The flies were slowly swung near bottom. Rain fell in a few passing showers in the past week, but the river remained low, running at 335 CFS. The rain maintained the flow, but didn’t raise the river. He expects to start fishing rivers farther west in New York this week, but his other guides will continue fishing the Salmon River. Farther west in New York, Jay will fish the Genesee and Oak Orchard rivers, and creeks in the area. The rivers are Lake Ontario tributaries, like the Salmon is. Those western rivers are holding steelheads, salmon and brown trout, and the creeks in the area are holding some steelheads, not as many as the rivers are, but more browns than the rivers are. All those waters are also running low, but the fishing can be good.

Fishing for steelheads was good on the river with <b>Dreamcatcher Guide Service</b>, Capt. Rick Miick said. Lot of fish, he said, and the angling with him on Tuesday fought them on 8-milimeter beads with strike indicators on fly rods. Smaller beads like that caught better than larger did, and green, cheese and scrambled egg were best colors. But other trips with him fished conventional tackle and center-pin rods, and all the different tackle worked for anglers. Center-pinning is one of Rick’s specialties. Steelheads swam the entire length of the river, and fishing for them was best from daybreak until 9 or 9:30 a.m. and from 4 p.m. until dark, because of low water. The river ran at 350 CFS, and rain fell a little, but not enough to raise the river. The steelheads averaged 6 or 8 pounds, and bigger ones occasionally bit. A few 10- or 12-pounders were fought with Dreamcatcher. A few salmon remained in the river, but most were dead, after spawning.  Salmon hit occasionally, and Rick saw an angler land two, one of them fresh, the other nasty, Rick said. Salmon migrate up the river, from Lake Ontario, to spawn there in fall, and they die in the river after spawning. Steelheads migrate to the river, from the lake, a little later in fall than salmon do. But the steelheads winter in the river, spawn there in spring, and return to the lake for summer. Steelheads don’t die after spawning. The river’s steelheading is world-class straight through winter and part of spring. The river’s salmon population was considerably smaller this year than usual, and Rick some weeks ago explained the possible reasons. The river massively flooded two years ago, at an unprecedented level in recent history, during salmon spawning. Salmon that hatched that year were the year class returning to the river this year. Some anglers believe the flood washed out most of the salmon eggs, the reason fewer salmon returned to the river this year. Some anglers believed low water this year affected the run, and some thought the river’s warmth earlier this season affected the migration. When this year’s salmon run is finished, the reason for the smaller population will be determined, Rick said. The river currently was 57 or 58 degrees, a good temperature for fishing. Weather was warm this week, reaching 72 degrees on Tuesday, and the 60s on Monday. But a mix of snow and rain and colder days are forecast for later this week.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Trout streams ran low, but higher than before, and plenty of the fish swam the waters, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Salmon eggs probably caught best. Small lures connected, but the water was somewhat low for lure fishing. Lures like tiny Phoebes could be worked in the deeper pools. The current warmer days, with calmer weather, were probably great for lake fishing. Big chain pickerel cruised lakes all around, and Kevin beat a couple of them recently. Fish for the picks later in the day, giving time for the water to warm, with lures like large Husky Jerks or big, white buzz baits or spinner baits. Weather is supposed to become colder later this week. Customers traveled to upstate New York to fish for steelheads, salmon and brown trout on the Salmon River and other Lake Ontario tributaries. The fishing was good, and the store stocks all the rods, reels and tackle for the fishing, including lead split shot. The lead is prohibited to be sold along those rivers, but is permitted to be fished there. In saltwater, striped bass fishing began to kick off. That’s the next hot thing, Kevin said.

Anglers managed to pick away at fish on the lake, between weather, even if not much happened with the fishing, because of weather, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. “We are starting to see some nice walleye, along with some hybrid stripers, white and yellow perch, along with some crappie and pickerel,” she said. Bruce Litton and son reeled in two walleyes 4 pounds 9 ounces and 3 pounds 9 ounces and a 5-pound 1-ounce hybrid, “using the small herring,” Laurie said. “The fall jigging is also starting,” she said. Rapala ice-fishing jigs, Got-Cha lures and different blade baits were fished. Dow’s will be open, including for boat rentals and bait, until November sometime. Then the shop will be closed a moment, but opened back up for ice-fishing, including for ice bait and tackle.

One customer and grandkid reported socking smallmouth bass, including a couple of sizable, nearly 2 pounds, good fishing, on Passaic River, near the marina at Elmwood Park, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Northern pike were fought from the river at Wallington, farther downstream, on live bait. On the river even farther downstream, striped bass were eeled in the brackish water at Nutley and Belleville. Nick plans to fish for stripers on Hackensack River next week, and knows the bass started to be picked up there. Stripers also started to come from Hudson River near the Crab House restaurant in Edgewater and the Chart House restaurant in Weehawkin. There the fish bit clams, bunker and Ava A17 jigs. A few, not many, were plugged on top-water lures at night on the Hudson. At Greenwood Lake, Nick’s son’s friend boated walleyes on Rapala ice-fishing jigs and worms on jigheads in 30 to 35 feet of water, fairly deep, off points. A few anglers fished for muskies on Greenwood, not often tackling them, but getting some. Yellow perch and now crappies were plucked from the creek at Greenwood on Lindy jigs. Nick found the perch there some weeks ago, while largemouth bass fishing. A few trout were reported yanked from Ramapo River on Powerbait, and that was all that was heard about trout, since the fall trout stocking earlier this month.

Passaic River’s fishing was pretty strong, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. That was for northern pike, catfish, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass – all of them. A few yellow perch were eased from the river. The river ran lower than usual, but not as low as a few weeks ago. This was a fairly good week for fishing, because of weather. The temperature reached nearly 70 degrees on Tuesday. But anglers know that colder weather is coming this year. Some anglers might’ve trout fished, since the fall trout stocking earlier this month, but none reported about the fishing in past days. In saltwater, striped bass fishing started to pick up from Atlantic Highlands.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Large brown and rainbow trout began to cruise along the shoreline at Round Valley Reservoir, said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. The few that were banked were hooked on shiners or M&M’s, the combination of marshmallow and meal worms.  Hybrid striped bass were actually banked from shore at Spruce Run Reservoir at night while anglers catfished. Anglers who could locate herring to buy to liveline boated hybrids and walleyes at Lake Hopatcong that started to bite in deep water 30 or 35 feet. If herring couldn’t be found, any vertical jigs, like a Binsky blade bait, that could be fished deep could work. Trout anglers bought lots of hares ear nymphs and, the other day, some pheasant-tail nymphs. Not much was heard about the fishing, but Braden suspected that the trouters often fished Musconetcong River at Point Mountain and Ken Lockwood Gorge. In saltwater, striped bass fishing exploded in past days, and sea bass fishing was good, since sea bass season was opened two weekends ago. Someone else from the shop mentioned, in the store’s report some weeks ago, that Braden was on a party boat tuna trip then. So Braden was asked how that went, for this report. He boated a couple of sizable mahi mahi, and his dad boated a couple, but tuna fishing was slow that night, thought the angling’s generally been good. One tuna was bagged aboard, he thought, and a good-sized swordfish was. One in five of the boats in the area ran into good tuna fishing. But Braden was pleased with the mahi, he said.

Delaware River gave up good smallmouth bass fishing in the Lambertville and New Hope area, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The fish swiped small, black hair jigs in 1/8- or 3/16-ounce weights with small twisters tails. Black or olive twisters did the job. A few walleyes bit in the same area on Rapala X-Rap lures in perch color. The river ran a little low, but almost perfect for fishing, and the color was good. Crappies, good catches, were tied into at Assunpink Lake on small marabou jigs, like 1/16- or 1/32-ouncers, or shiners, both under floats. Nothing was heard about trout.

Just a few trout were reported cranked from Grenloch Lake, since the fall trout stocking this month, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Local lakes stocked included Oak Pond, but nobody mentioned trout from there. Largemouth bass were grabbed at Puppyland Lake, here and there, on minnows.

Fishing was tough in wind, said Rick from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Wind blew 30 m.p.h. throughout much of last week. But largemouth bass were angled on live bait, like on minnows at Malaga Lake, in the conditions. Lots of minnows were sold for the fishing on lakes like that. A bunch of trout were bagged after the fall trout stocking this month at Maurice River and Iona Lake on Powerbait. But meal worms and Roostertails were also sold for the fishing. Saltwater anglers waited for the migration of striped bass. They bought tackle for stripers, like to make rigs, and colder weather is coming, and maybe that will trigger the striper migration to slide south to local waters.

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