<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Are the river’s angler’s catching steelheads? Mike from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski was asked. “Oh yeah,” he said. It’s like bluegill fishing, he said: Steelheads were hooked on nearly anything cast to them. But trout beads, egg sacks, pink worms and stick baits were mostly tossed to them, and most were landed on the upper river. The river ran at 1,500 CFS, somewhat high. Steelhead fishing will only last a short time longer, because the fish will migrate to Lake Ontario for summer, returning to the river in autumn. Steelheads winter in the river, spawn there in spring, and return to the lake for summer. Brown trout fishing was good in the lake close to shore, in 6- to 15-foot depths. Both boaters and shore anglers clubbed them.

<b>Pennsylvania</b>

Delaware River was a “mess,” Bill Brinkman from Philadelphia’s <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote on his Facebook page. That was because of last week’s rains, but striped bass fishing sure turned on during the weekend. Lots of the bass 14 to 30 inches bit in the river at Station Avenue on bunker, clams and bloodworms then. One angler landed 54 of the fish on Saturday and 35 on Sunday there. His stripers measured up to 35 inches. The angling was a bit slower at the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge then, but 24- to 32-inchers were caught from shore on bunker and clams. Be sure to follow regulations for striper fishing on the river, including where and when the fish must be released, and types of hooks required. Catfish also gave up good angling on the river, and no news was posted on Bill’s page after the weekend, at press time.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Anglers on Delaware River started to fight shad again, after the river started to drop, after flooding from last week’s rains, said Brian from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. The water was still a little high, but fishable. Big Flatbrook actually flowed at an optimal level now, pretty perfect for trout fishing. A few dry flies, mostly Quill Gordons and blue-winged olives, started to hatch. March brown nymphs caught well. Hendrickson and pheasant-tail nymphs worked. Customers who trout fish mostly work the Flatbrook. Fishing on lakes was slower, for unknown reasons. Anglers thought crappie fishing would’ve be better than currently on lakes.

Trout fishing wasn’t great, because streams ran high from last week’s rains, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. But those who fished for trout anyway banked the fish, including on nymphs and other flies like Wooly Buggers. Dry flies came off at times. That included Hendricksons before the flooding, including at South Branch of the Raritan River and Musconetcong River. Shad ran in Delaware River, and the migration reached as far upstream as Milford, as far as Brian knew. Flutter spoons and shad darts nabbed them. Fishing was okay on lakes and ponds, including for largemouth bass, required to be released through April 15 by law. That’s for spawning, and Keitechs, Senkos and sometimes top-water lures hooked them. Largemouths came from places including Lake Hopatcong, and hybrid striped bass also began to hit there.

Hybrid striped bass began to bite in the lake, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. They smashed livelined herring and stick baits, and Eddie Mackin reeled in an 8-pound 14-ouncer. Several 7-pounders were also tackled. Walleyes to 4 or 5 pounds began to be axed. Lou Marcucci checked in a 5-pounder. Rob Piotrowski and friend hung two 3-pound walleyes from their dock on live herring. They also picked up several sizeable catfish and some hefty yellow perch. The Knee Deep Club will hold a walleye tournament on the weekend of May 17 and 18 on the lake. The club held a trout and chain pickerel contest at the lake this weekend. Bob Smith entered the largest trout, a 2-pound 7-ounce rainbow, winning $700. Hunter Good entered the biggest pick, winning $650. Both anglers won that much because they joined the bonus plan. In the children’s division, Travis Coughlin won with a 2-pound 9-ounce rainbow, and Connor Dempsey won with a 2-pound 6-ounce pickerel. Weather was windy and sometimes cool during the contest, but 70 anglers entered nonetheless.

Rivers including the Passaic were flooded after last week’s rains, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Waters spilled into driveways, so there was no news about the Passaic’s northern pike fishing. Lakes were even high, but stocked trout were still tugged from them, including at Verona Lake. Lake Hopatcong was under a no-wake restriction because of high water.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

South Branch of Raritan River ran very high when Darrel from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook fished the stream during the weekend, he said. But the water was fishable, and he beaned a couple of trout on the trip on pheasant-tail and prince nymphs. A customer hooked trout on the South Branch on small, probably size-22, olive WD40s, and sucker spawns. These were flies that worked in the high water. Angelo from the shop fished small streams like the South Branch for trout during the high waters, he said. Hatches of Hendricksons tapered off because of cooler waters while streams flowed high. But stoneflies popped, and so did plenty of midges. Worm flies caught, including for Angelo, and worm patterns really do work during high waters. The theory is that the high streams knock worms into the waters, and trout home in on them. Worms in green apple color or earthworm imitations will catch. So will grannom caddis. Walleyes were winged from Raritan River, Angelo said. Burt from the shop saw a 24-inch walleye plugged on the Raritan at the fish ladder, Burt said. The plug looked like a Rapala, maybe a Husky Jerk, in yellow perch color. Shad migrated in Delaware River, Angelo said. On lakes, crappie fishing lit up, he said. Plenty of catfish chewed in lakes, and anglers who targeted largemouth bass scored alright. Largemouths must be released through June 15.

Trout were banked from South Branch of Metedeconk River on PowerBait and spinners, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. But mostly bait caught trout from different waters. A couple of customers cracked small trout 10 or 12 inches from Spring Lake, seeing larger trout that even jumped from the water. But they couldn’t get the large trout to bite. A husband and wife picked away at crappies and a few chain pickerel, no largemouth bass, at Lake Riviera on killies. Largemouths must be let go through June 15. Customers who fished Ocean County College pond saw largemouths that wouldn’t come off spawning beds. Spawning is the reason the angling’s catch and release. But they fought crappies and pickerel at the pond. Forge Pond’s white perch fishing was very slow, occasionally giving up one. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, recently bought <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River, and is running both shops now.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Delaware River began to clean up, after last week’s rains, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Anglers hope striped bass will bite in the river at night like before. Walleyes had been lifted from the river at the Lambertville wing dam and Scudder’s Falls before the rains. The river’s smallmouth bass are probably bedded for spawning, and probably shouldn’t be fished for. They’re too easy to catch, grabbing anything invasive in the beds. Smallmouths and largemouth bass must currently be released by law. At lakes, largemouths were getting ready to spawn. One angler released them on Assunpink Lake on a green-pumpkin swim jig with a Zoom Ultravibe trailer. Plenty of trout filled Delaware and Raritan Canal. Fish yellow PowerBait or pumpkin-seed or chartreuse Roostertails for them.

Stocked trout were still cranked from Rowan’s Pond, Grenloch Lake and Oak Pond, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Some of the fish weighed 6 and 7 pounds, and trout anglers fished a variety of bait, including PowerBait, meal worms and wax worms, and Roostertails. Chain pickerel were wrestled from New Brooklyn Lake, known for them. Largemouth bass, required to be released through June 15, were played at Atco Lake on shiners. Sunfish were angled from Blackwood Lake’s spillway and Puppyland Lake. Anglers on Delaware River bloodwormed striped bass. Make sure to follow regulations for fishing for stripers on the river, including where and when the bass must be released, and the hooks required.

Lakes were muddy because of last week’s rains, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. If anglers could find clean water, largemouth bass fishing was okay at lakes. Some began to spawn, so lures like rubber lizards, Senko worms or jigs could be fished for a reaction strike. The fish will attack the lures to try to rid them from the bed. Largemouths are required to be released through June 15, because of spawning. Angling for stocked trout was probably the best fishing. Trout were still whacked, including at Iona Lake, Shaw’s Mill Pond and South Vineland Park Pond.

Back to Top