<b>NEW YORK</b>

Weather had been cold, and snow had fallen, said Capt. Rick Miick from <b>Dreamcatcher Guide Service</b>. Then weather warmed, and runoff from melting snow dropped Salmon River’s temperature 4 degrees, slowing steelhead fishing a little. But the runoff raised the water level, and that was fantastic for the fishing. Plenty of steelheads already swam the river, and the higher water is a great level to draw more steelheads to migrate to the river from Lake Ontario. Fishing should be good. The river on Tuesday ran at 750 cubic feet per second (CFS) from Altmar, near the reservoir dam, to Pineville. From Pineville to farther downstream, it ran at 1,200 CFS, because of runoff from creeks. Those are especially good levels for steelheading, and the water color was great, perfect, for the angling. Higher water makes it easier for steelheads to migrate up the river. A short trip with Rick, because the anglers wanted to leave early, on Tuesday hooked seven steelheads, landing five, and that was when fishing was still a little slow because of the water becoming colder. Dreamcatcher’s been drift-boating the river from Pineville to the Ball Park, and seeing lots of steelheads fresh from the lake. The trips fished 10-milimeter trout beads in cheese and scrambled-eggs color, and blue egg sacks. Steelheads held in deeper holes, no longer in the fast water, because the water became colder. Rick saw no fly-rodders hook steelheads in a week, he said. If anglers travel to the river to fish from the bank, he recommends fishing egg patterns like those he’s using. Weather on Tuesday was 43 degrees, and is supposed to become cooler in the next days. The area won’t get snow or precipitation from the storm currently hitting New Jersey, but is forecast to get lake-effect snow during the weekend. But weather is supposed to reach the 50 degrees by Sunday or Monday along the river. What the river’s level will be in the next days wasn’t announced. But Rick would foresee 750 CFS for at least the next few days, he said. That should draw in more steelheads.

Only 1 to 3 inches of snow fell along western New York’s trout streams, said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b>. He’s concentrating on fly-rodding and releasing the big brown trout and the steelheads swimming those rivers, like the Genesee and Oak Orchard, and creeks in the area, around Rochester. But his other guides are fishing farther east in New York for steelheads on Salmon River with conventional and fly rods. That 1 to 3 inches wasn’t the severe snow, up to 6 feet, at Buffalo, a little farther west from Rochester, this past week. The river temperatures fluctuated between especially cold and not so cold, affecting angling, and that’s typical for the time of year. This season is a time of transition. Sometimes the water will chill, slowing the fishing a moment, and sometimes the water will warm, picking up the angling again. The big thing was that the creeks rose to a decent level, because the canal system was drained, after the snow, and that was good for fishing. The waters had been low. Jay’s trips on the western New York rivers and creeks fly-rodded about an equal mix of browns and steelheads, so that was nice. The browns averaged 5 pounds, somewhat smaller than before, because most of the trout spawned. A few larger bit, and the steelheads averaged 8 pounds. Browns spawn in autumn in the rivers and creeks, and steelheads spawn in spring there. Because most of the trout spawned, they started to swipe streamer flies, minnow imitations, that were swung, instead of egg patterns they preferred before. Jay’s trips targeted both fish in the buckets in pools, where the fish escaped colder water. Previously, fast, shallow water at the ripples were targeted, when the fish cooled themselves there. The fishing was “hot and cold,” depending on the weather. When weather was frigid a moment recently, the angling slowed sharply. By Tuesday, it seemed to improve, as waters rose. Around the Salmon River, up to 7 or 8 inches of snow fell, and the river’s flow increased to 750 CFS, probably 1,000 or 1,200 farther downstream. Once the snow around Salmon River began to melt, the runoff started to fill the reservoir, and the water was released, increasing the river’s flow. Salmon River’s current level looked great for steelheading, and was much needed, after low water this season. The river’s steelheading was good but technically demanding during the low water, and the higher water now should be good for the angling. When the steelheads were fly-rodded, egg flies worked well, but swinging streamers like small Intruders or wooly buggers seemed to start catching better than eggs. That seemed because fewer eggs filled the water, after most salmon already spawned in the river this season. The increased water flow will wash around eggs, increasing the number of eggs that the fish feed on, and Jay would expect egg flies to produce well again. Weather was 70 degrees on Monday along the western New York waters, after the temperature was much lower in previous days. The weather in the next days is supposed to be seasonal in the high 30s to low 40s.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

About a 25-pound musky was trolled and released on Greenwood Lake on a trip with a client Saturday, said Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale. The fish was hooked on a silver John Bales JB2 lure, trolled down 25 feet. Bales suggests fishing deep for muskies during this colder time of year. The trip kept trolling back and forth in an area, and the line with the lure suddenly stopped and came tight, and the fish was on! The client landed the fish, and after the trip, said he was hooked on muskies, Dave said. Another client is supposed to fish aboard Saturday, and fishing time is limited this season, and weather is closing in. The lake was 42 or 43 degrees, and weather was cold and raw. Seas included white caps and some large rollers. Greenwood’s southern end held skim ice, and Dave will keep fishing as long as possible this season. “I’ve got to say, it’s been a great season,” he said.

Ice formed on some of the lakes last week, but wasn’t frozen long, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Some waters, like smaller lakes, still held skim ice. But largemouth bass and chain pickerel were yanked from lakes. Lures like Husky Jerks or suspending jerk baits could clock them. As long as weather generally hovers in the 40 degrees, pickerel fishing can be good in the shallows. Snow was forecast for today, but the rest of the week was supposed to be in the 40s, and anglers can fish all day in that, he said. Jigging nabbed walleyes at lakes like Hopatcong. Trout streams somewhat rose, after low water this season, and trout were caught, and the winter trout stocking was scheduled for this week. Even more of the fish should swim now. Flies like small bead-headed nymphs, eggs and San Juan worms should work well on trout through Christmas. In saltwater, surf-fishing for striped bass became spotty or slow, but some were still banked. On upstate New York’s rivers, the cold snap slowed steelheading this past week. But the steelheading’s been good, and weather became warmer. Looking ahead: Ice-fishing tackle is being stocked this week at Ramsey.

Customers bought shiners to fish for northern pike on Passaic River, though nobody reported results, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Everybody fished the live bait, and no longer threw lures this season, for the pike. Customers fish for the northerns from Garfield to Little Falls or Lincoln Park. Surely, pike, crappies and perch could be angled from Pompton River, if anglers put in the time. Customers bought meal worms to fish for trout, but nobody reported results, including about trouting on Ramapo River that Nick reported in previous weeks, or about on Barbour’s Pond that was supposed to be stocked on Monday for the winter trout stocking. See the  <a href=" http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/wintrstk14.htm#changes " target="_blank">winter trout stocking schedule</a> online, including for info about stocking moved to Tuesday this week instead of today, because of today’s storm. Previously, Nick reported small trout, not keepers, but catches, from Ramapo River. Nobody mentioned walleye fishing, though Nick in previous reports talked about a friend who kept jigging walleyes at Lake Hopatcong. Fishing for walleyes on lakes like that will continue, even throughout winter, though participation will drop drastically in the weather. Diehards will keep after the walleyes, but are unlikely be heard from. Maybe ice-fishing will be one of the next big draws, this writer said to Nick. Ice fishing won’t happen for some time, Nick said.

Around the season’s coldest weather so far this past week, not much was mentioned about fishing, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Weather warmed this week, but that didn’t make a difference, really. Definitely nothing was reported from Passaic River the last few days. Northern pike and catfish were hooked there before, the shop reported previously. A few customers headed for blackfish on the ocean, some catching well, some not.

<b>South Jersey</b>

A little trout action was had from Ken Lockwood Gorge, mainly on nymphs and eggs, said Scott from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Trout streams like there ran low, but somewhat higher than before. Rain helped somewhat, and once today’s forecast snow melts, that should also help. The winter trout stocking was slated for this week, and that stocks lakes and ponds, instead of rivers and streams, and features fewer and smaller trout than the fall stocking. The fall stocking happen on rivers, streams, lakes and ponds, and includes large brood stock, and some of the fall’s fish should remain in the waters this winter, according to New Jersey Fish and Wildlife. Fish from both stockings should be around. Trout continued to cruise near the shoreline at Round Valley Reservoir. Scott fished for them from shore a couple of times, seeing the fish, but they refused to bite, because the water was too calm. Some ripples are needed.  In saltwater, surf fishing for striped bass became spotty. The fish bit -- hit and miss fishing -- mostly at night, at places like Ortley Beach and Island Beach State Park. But boaters trolled stripers on the ocean.

Crappies were swung in from Rising Sun Lake, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. That’s in the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, and one customer beat the crappies on shiners under a float and also a few sizable, 3- and 4-pound largemouth bass on the shiners, under a float. Chain pickerel and a few crappies were axed from Carnegie Lake the other day.  The pickerel smacked chrome and blue Rat-L-Traps, and the crappies pounced on 1/16-ounce, white hair jigs under floats. Nothing was heard about walleye fishing on Delaware River. But the river flowed perfectly for fishing.

Three or four trout, all larger than 3 pounds, were weighed-in from Grenloch Lake, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Trout from the fall stocking seemed to start being checked-in during the last couple of weeks, and now the winter stocking was supposed to happen this week. Local waters scheduled to be stocked included Rowand’s Pond and Haddon Lake on Tuesday this week. A few customers chased largemouth bass with shiners, scoring the fish here and there. Puppyland Lake and Rainbow Lake gave up some.

Largemouth bassing was fair, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Suspending jerk baits and Rat-L-Traps began to be bought for the fishing, and the angling was okay at Union Lake. It was alright at Parvin Lake, and a couple of customers got into the bass alright at Malaga Lake. A few anglers still fished for trout from the fall stocking, landing some decent-sized.  Waters that were supposed to be included in the winter trout stocking, taking place this week, included South Vineland Park Pond. In saltwater, boaters smashed good catches of striped bass on the ocean on the troll off South Jersey. Delaware Bay’s striper fishing was slow, not good, and anglers felt a little concerned.

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