<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Melting snow caused the river to be raised high to 1,600 CFS, said Mike from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Snow remained around the reservoir, so as it melts, runoff will keep the river high. The water level prevented shore anglers from reaching certain places to fish for the river’s steelheads. But the fishing was still okay for them, and drift boaters reached areas to fish that shore anglers couldn’t. Steelheads were hooked on egg sacks, pink worms, marabou jigs and trout beads, and began to settle on spawning beds. Brown trout began to be caught from the lower river.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

A photo of a sizeable striped bass banked from Delaware River was shared Monday on Bill Brinkman from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia’s Facebook page. The shot showed the angler on the New Jersey side of the river across from the Philadelphia ship yard. But otherwise the posts on Bill’s page seemed like the river’s striper fishing was slow so far this season. Bill himself posted about a trip he took Tuesday on the river, never scoring a hit, but winds kicked up 3- to 4-foot, rolling seas at mid-river, nasty conditions, so he only fished 2 hours. He planned to fish the waters again early today.  An angler who posted on Bill’s page said two throwback stripers were landed among three boats near Rancocas during the angler’s trip Monday on the river, and the river was 44 degrees. “Cold, cold, cold,” he said. “Soon, though!” Another angler’s post said he reeled-in one 17-inch striper while fishing the river Sunday a half-mile upstream from Tacony-Palmyra Bridge with bloodworms.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale plugged 18 rainbow trout on Pequest River on Sunday on Rapala Countdown Lures in size CD3, he wrote in an email. That was the second day of trout season, and the fish included “some real nice ones,” he said. Dave concentrates on stream trouting at the beginning of the fishing season each year. He likes to throw lures during the fishing for fun and because lures attract big trout. Plenty of water usually fills rivers in spring, good conditions for the plugging to avoid snags, like on logs. He expects to begin fishing on lakes on the boat in two or three weeks. Fishing for crappies will be a top bet then. But muskies, smallmouth bass and walleyes will be possible catches. Largemouth bass will start bedding to spawn in late April into May, a good time to latch into them. In late May through June, Dave’s nighttime walleye trips can be explosive on lakes. Muskies will start biting better then, after the spawn. Book dates for any of this fishing while the calendar is open now. Large sheets of ice 1 to 2 inches thick floated on Lake Hopatcong last week, and the water was lowered so residents could attend to docks. That prevented boat launching. Dave was unsure about conditions on Greenwood Lake, but ice was probably similar there last week. His boat trips often fish Greenwood and Hopatcong.

Though trout streams ran high from rains at some places when trout season was opened Saturday, Big Flatbrook did not, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. The Delaware River tributary ran at about a perfect level, maybe a tad stained, but that was typical for the time of year. But the water was cold – 45 degrees on Thursday, and 40 on Friday – keeping most trout from hitting until afternoons. Most anglers who caught the fish cast salmon eggs or bright-colored PowerBait, but nearly anything connected. Flatbrook’s angle and length make the river rise and fall quickly, and the freestone bottom keeps the water cleaner than the murky bottom in limestone rivers. Most customers who trout fish work the Flatbrook, but some fish Paulinskill River. The Paulinskill was high and murky. A few anglers still fished for walleyes on Delaware River, and the angling improved a little. One nailed a 7-1/2-pound walleye. A greater number of sizeable smallmouth bass than before began to bite in the river, and the river’s smallmouthing should pick up in the next two or three weeks. The fishing will taper off once smallmouths spawn, and should be slow in June. Then the fishing picks up for smaller smallmouths. Lakes were somewhat cold, and fishing on them wasn’t phenomenal, but was decent. Yellow perch and chain pickerel can always be clubbed this time of year at lakes. A few anglers targeted largemouth bass on lakes, pasting a few. Suspending jerk baits or jigs fished slowly on the bottom are usually used for them now.

Trout streams locally ran high but clear after the past week’s rains, said Don from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna, and he was surprised the waters weren’t dirty. Trout were landed since trout season was opened Saturday. But the high levels and sometimes uncomfortable or windy and cool weather seemed to keep some trouters from fishing. Not a lot of customers reported the angling. But when they did go, they fished with a variety of tackle. Salmon eggs and PowerBait were popular. Lots of meal worms and garden worms were sold. Spinners in brown or dark colors moved. Nobody mentioned fly fishing for trout, maybe because of high waters. Nothing was heard about fishing at lakes. But Don looks forward to panfishing on lakes when weather becomes warmer. That angling can be good this season, and the fish can taste better before vegetation begins to fill lakes and the waters become warm and still. Customers also looked forward to smallmouth bass fishing soon.

Wasn’t much of an opening day of trout season on the lake Saturday, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. Ice remained on the lake through Friday morning, and winds blew strongly. That probably discouraged anglers from fishing Saturday. But people began to fish the lake Sunday in good weather. New Jersey only stocked 2,000 trout in the lake, because of the trout disease at the hatchery. But the Knee Deep Club asked the Lake Hopatcong Foundation for help, and the foundation offered to make a matching grant if the club raises $5,000 for stocking by April 26. The club was already scheduled to stock some trout then. Dow’s is asking the club members, local businesses and other supporters of the lake’s community to help. “Our heartfelt thanks go out to them for their generous support,” Laurie said. People can telephone the shop at 973-663-3826 or visit the club’s website for info. Perch, crappies, a few bass and some chain pickerel were lifted from shallower waters in the lake. Fish fathead minnows, Rufus Jr. lures, small plastic jigs or Rapala Husky Jerks in size 6 for them. Dan Lehr’s catch included several largemouth bass and pickerel 2 ½ to 3 pounds and some good-sized perch and crappies. Michael Attanasio socked a 4-pound 9-ounce pickerel.

Trout season was opened Saturday, but not a lot of customers fished, because weather wasn’t great, said Joe from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. But the angling was okay, and customers sometimes fished for them at places like Big Flatbrook, Pequest River and different ponds. Passaic River was flooded over the banks after the rains, so nobody fished for northern pike there.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

High waters on streams hampered trout fishing since trout season was opened Saturday, said Darrel from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Fewer of the fish were reported taken than usual, and no big ones were. But some anglers caught well, and more was heard about the fishing Sunday and Monday, when streams started to subside. Then rains poured Tuesday night. Strictly bait was fished for the trout, because of the dirty waters. PowerBait, fathead minnows and meal worms worked well. But colorful bait did the job best in the off-colored waters.

A few white perch nibbled in Forge Pond, but the fishing was slow, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. The reason wasn’t known, but the catches should’ve been better. A 5-pound trout was weighed-in from Spring Lake, once trout season was opened Saturday. Trout, not a ton, were picked up from Lake Shenandoah, mostly near the dam. Nobody mentioned trout fishing on local streams like the Toms and Metedeconk rivers. Customers seemed to travel north for trout. A few chain pickerel and some white and yellow perch were yanked from the Toms at Trilco, not great fishing, but catches. Trilco is a closed building supply, and no sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, recently bought <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> in Toms River on Fischer Boulevard, and is running both shops now. Baits stocked at Murph’s include trout worms, meal worms, garden worms, baby nightcrawlers, larger nights, killies and shiners. All those baits except shiners are carried at Go Fish. But shiners will be stocked there as soon as a new tank is installed.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Fishing for trout was good at the canal at Route 28, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Silver Blue Fox Spinners, white, yellow and chartreuse Roostertail Spinners and worms beat them. Lots of trout were creeled at Assunpink Creek on fathead minnows. Anglers limited out quickly there. The season’s first few shad were fought from Delaware River around Trenton on flutter spoons. The year’s first few striped bass were tugged from the river at night around Trenton on plugs. Largemouth bass fishing produced well at local ponds on ¼-ounce spinner baits in various colors, including white and chartreuse, and on Rat-L-Traps and XCalibur Rattle Baits in red, silver with a black back or gold with a black back.

Many anglers limited out on trout at Grenloch Lake once trout season was opened Saturday, said Ed Jr. from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Nine-hundred-fifty trout were supposed to be stocked there, according to the state, and all customers who fished the waters said a ton were hooked. Wax worms and PowerBait  worked well on the fish. All waters heard about that were stocked, including Rowan’s Pond and Oak Pond, gave up good trout fishing. One customer tackled a 2-1/2- to 3-pound breeder. Another hung a couple of largemouth bass at Blackwood Lake’s spillway on a crank bait the week before last. But nothing was heard about largemouths since. Delaware River’s striped bass fishing seemed yet to take off, and the shop stopped stocking bloodworms for the fishing, because of demand. But the worms will be carried when demand begins. 

Trout fishing was definitely off to a good start, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Bordentown. Sizeable trout were weighed-in since trout season was opened Saturday. Pretty much all stocked waters seemed to produce, and customers fished for trout at spots including Maurice River, Giampietro Park Pond, South Vineland Park Pond and Iona Lake. Largemouth bass fishing was spotty or hit and miss but improving in sort of erratic weather. All kinds of tackle was fished for them, and anglers tried to lock in something that worked consistently. But lots of chatter baits were sold, so they seemed to work. In saltwater, striped bass fishing wasn’t great or was spotty, but picking up. Some were slid from shore at Fortescue on Delaware Bay and Elsinboro Point on Delaware River. White perch fishing was turned on at brackish rivers including the Maurice and the Conansey.

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