<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river ran at 335 CFS, low, but normal for the time of year, said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guides</b>. Anglers waited for the first real run of salmon to migrate up the river, but the migration is due. Trips currently with Jay, who guides fly fishing for the salmon, but also accepts trips with conventional tackle that his other guides run, currently fished the lower river in mornings. His trips fished the upper river, at the fly-fishing stretch, later in the day, after shadows disappeared off the water, warming the river. The river was cold, in the upper 50 degrees to lower 60s, ideal for the salmon migration. The fishing currently was about landing a few salmon a day. A few Chinook or king salmon, not many, swam the river, and so did a few steelheads. The angling was better on some days than others. Crowds were light, so fishing pressure was low. Boating for salmon on Lake Ontario was good close to shore, including around the harbor. The fish were staging to push up the river. Trips with Jay currently fished sizes-6 and -8 wooly buggers and size-4 hair-winged streamers. The flies were swung across the river to cover ground. When the run arrives, trips will concentrate on the lower river, sometimes fishing holding or pocket water, but sometimes still swinging flies to cover water. That depends on the fish that day. This summer was wet with rain along the river. Then weather became a little dry in late summer. Rain sometimes fell in recent days. Salmon migrate up the river to spawn in late summer and fall, and die in the river afterward. Steelheads migrate up afterward in fall, spend winter in the river, spawn there in spring, and return to the lake for summer. The river’s fishing is world-class for both. Watch a short video on the river from Jay Peck Guides’ Facebook page. Visit Jay Peck Guides website. Call: 585-233-0436.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

One angler talked about good fishing for hybrid striped bass at Lake Hopatcong on top-water lures, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. The angler also mentioned good fishing for walleyes there, and Brian was unsure about the tackle the angler fished for the walleyes. Not a lot was heard about smallmouth bass. But if smallmouths were beaten anywhere, they probably were fought on Delaware River. The river’s been running low, like trout streams have. Deep water, like pools, should be fished, probably. Any trout caught on the streams probably came from spring-fed places that cooled water. But trout anglers will become active soon, when weather cools, especially for the fall stocking in October. One lake angler hit largemouth bass on rubber frogs. Top-waters like that and Jitterbugs seemed to catch in evenings. But that’ll probably change soon in cooler weather. Nighttime already chilled off.

Hybrid striped bass, some larger than 8 pounds, were plowed from the lake, on chicken livers or live or dead herring, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. Sometimes walleyes and white and yellow perch were hung. Chain pickerel smacked spinners cast along weed lines. Smallmouth and largemouth bass were hooked on live bait or lures. The Knee Deep Club will hold a walleye tournament on the lake this weekend. For info, anglers can see the club’s website or call Dow’s at 973-663-3826.

Fishing was tremendous on Passaic River above the falls from Fairlawn to Elmwood Park, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Smallmouth bass bit like nuts, and bait busted. Lots of northern pike also attacked. A largemouth bass tournament fished well on Lake Hopatcong. Fourteen pounds was the winning bag, and a 5-pound 4- or 5-ouncer was the lunker. Most of the bass were jigged or drop-shotted at weeds, but some were snatched from along docks, like on Senkos. Also at Hopatcong, Nick knew someone who was trolling and live-baiting walleyes in evenings and at night in deep water off points. None of the fish was large, but there were numbers. Largemouthing sounded a little slow at Pompton Lake. But a buddy hooked the fish at the river there on Senkos. Smallmouth bass were jigged and wormed at Greenwood Lake along the shore. Nothing was reported about trout, but fall trout stocking will take place in October.

Passaic River ran low, but northern pike were wrestled from the water, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Catfish and carp were probably also eased from the river. In saltwater, bonito were boated surprisingly close to shore, just off Monmouth Beach, on the ocean on metal like Crippled Herring.

Northern pike, good catches, were drilled on Passaic River, especially from kayaks, “to get out and away,” said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Large, flashy spinners and big, weedless Johnson spoons with trailers, or tackle like that, caught them. Many anglers targeted carp on Raritan and Delaware rivers, the lower Delaware. Many customers bought crawfish and shiners for smallmouth bass fishing on the north and south branches of the Raritan. A photo of probably a 3-pounder was seen that was released on the North Branch. Not much was talked about trout, but anglers will get after trout when weather cools and fall trout stocking, set for October, begins. Nothing was mentioned about trout fishing from shore on Round Valley Reservoir that picks up when weather cools. Of all things reported from the impoundment, a 3-1/2-pound rainbow trout was mentioned that was landed on a dead peanut bunker, when the angler tried for catfish. Anglers were yet to buy bait like small shiners for the shore trout fishing, really. More bought large shiners for largemouth bass fishing at farm ponds.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Catfishing was good on Delaware River in the Trenton and Bordentown areas, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Gulp catfish nuggets and worms nabbed them. Nobody reported smallmouth bass fishing on the river. The lakes at Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area gave up lots of largemouth bass and chain pickerel on small spinners and popper lures. Crappies, healthy catches, came from Rising Sun and Stone Tavern lakes, at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. Small jigs or shiners under floats clobbered them at the submerged trees in the middle of the lakes.

Things were mostly slow, but largemouth bass were cranked from Puppyland Lake on shiners, minnows and even nightcrawlers, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Grenloch Lake and Oak Pond will be local lakes included in the fall trout stocking in October.

Fishing for largemouth bass will probably pick up in two or three weeks at lakes, said Jeff from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. That’s when he’d fish for them, and lakes were low and warm still. They needed to turn over to amp up the catches, and customers didn’t show much interest in the meantime. Anglers could always play crappies and chain pickerel on minnows at lakes.

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