<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Ice fishing began on smaller lakes and ponds, said Tony from <b>FISH307.com</b> in Lake George. Lake George and Lake Champlain were yet to lock up, but the smaller waters held 2 to 10 inches of ice. December was warmer than ice anglers preferred, but a cold snap was under way this week, and another happened two weeks ago. Temperature was only supposed to reach double-digits on Tuesday, when he gave this report. Anglers hooked panfish like yellow perch, crappies and bluegills through the ice. Lake trout waters were yet to freeze enough to fish, really. Most ice baits are stocked, including shiners, hunts, fatheads and suckers. Icicles are supposed to arrive this week.

<b>Salmon River and Western N.Y. Rivers</b>

Anglers fished for steelheads on Salmon River two hours on Monday with <b>Dreamcatcher Guide Service</b>, until they became too cold, Capt. Rick Miick said. Then he told his other anglers this week not to come steelheading, because of the cold snap. Plenty of snow was also falling. Two feet fell on Monday night, and another two was forecast for Tuesday night, and another two is predicted for Friday. No matter the cold and snow, steelhead fishing is good, and fewer anglers are on the water. The lower river is somewhat slushy, so anglers want to fish farther upstream. Beyond Pineville is pretty clear after 9 a.m. Just before this week’s cold, weather was relatively warm, and rain fell. The rain caused the river to run high, at 1,800 cubic feet per second. That was great for Rick’s steelheading from the drift boat with conventional tackle. Trout beads were the tackle to fish. When rain affected the river, chartreuse eggs caught, because of the brighter color in darker water, because of creek runoff into the river. The fishing adjusts to changes this time of year. The snow, instead of rain, meant the river shouldn’t become higher, and will probably drop, because of no runoff. Forecasts are calling for daytime temperatures no higher than the low 20 degrees, sometimes lower high temperatures, in the next days, but somewhat warmer weather, more seasonable to fish, by Monday.

“We’re frozen,” said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b>. Daytime temperatures only reached the teens early this week, and weather probably won’t be practical to fish until the weekend. Temperatures are supposed to begin climbing then. The cold only arrived on Sunday into Monday, and rain fell from Saturday to Sunday. The rain was enough to raise creeks he’s fly-rodding for large brown trout in western New York, around Rochester. That will probably also raise rivers he’s fishing for the trout in the area, like Oak Orchard River. The creeks are affected by rain first and the most. All the waters had been low, and still gave up good trouting then, but higher water would be good for the angling. The higher water should also draw a fresh shot of steelheads to migrate into the rivers, from Lake Ontario, and Jay also fishes for them. He also fishes for steelheads on Salmon River, farther east in the state. Though plenty of snow fell along Salmon River this week, no snow fell along the creeks and rivers around Rochester in past days. Weather was just cold there. Jay fished for the trout mostly with streamer flies. The fish fed aggressively, willing to attack streamers, and streamer fishing is fun. The trout grow large, because they summer in the lake. They winter in the creeks and rivers, where forage is best then. Jay also fished with streamers for Salmon River’s steelheads. The Salmon had dropped to 750 CFS last week, and later became higher, a little high for fly-fishing, because of the rain. The current cold will prevent rain, so the Salmon’s level should drop again. Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch and release on the western New York creeks and rivers and Salmon River. But his other guides fish with conventional tackle on the Salmon. Jay expected to take a break from fishing in the cold a few days but resume afterward in higher temperatures.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

Ice began to form on lakes, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Might’ve been reason for ice anglers to be optimistic. Trout fishing was kind of slow along Pequest River’s fly-fishing zone, he heard. But fly-fishing for trout picked up at Ken Lockwood Gorge, supposedly. Trout anglers this time of year fish nymphs, midges or maybe small streamers or, during a warm spell, small blue-winged olives, the dry fly. On the Pequest, water was somewhat low, and some anglers said the river’s trout were small. The water seemed to be getting fished out. Lakes fished fine for walleyes, and probably northern pike.

Anglers kept whaling walleyes at Greenwood Lake whom Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield mentioned in past reports, he said. But they landed three big hybrid striped bass on the lake this past week. The bass were surprising, because Nick didn’t think hybrids were stocked in Greenwood. They’re stocked in Lake Hopatcong, he knew, but the bass got into Greenwood somehow, and the largest of the three weighed more than 10 pounds. The other two were somewhat smaller, and the fish likely lived in the lake a long time, to grow that large. The anglers jigged eight to 10 walleyes per trip, great catches, but fished all day, not just a few hours. They jigged Rapala Jigging Raps and a ¾-ounce ball jig with a swim bait in 40 feet – deep water. Nick doubted they fished the lake in the cold this week. Nobody mentioned fishing Hopatcong. The lake was down 2 feet, but not lower, like the 5 feet or so the lake is lowered every 5 years for dock repairs. Hopatcong is always lowered a couple of feet in winter to help prevent flooding in spring. If impending flooding seems dangerous, the impoundment is lowered even more. A few customers fished for trout at Barbour’s Pond. A buddy there reeled up a good-sized, breeder trout on a spinner and a couple of largemouth bass on a Rapala lure. The buddy saw trout in the water, and part of the pond was frozen. Maybe a few ice-fishing reports will roll in, after this week’s cold.

Good catches of walleyes were jigged from Greenwood Lake, anglers said, said Joe from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Passaic River produced northern pike, fishing that was a little slow, but still good. Spinner baits, spinners and swim baits caught. Trout, pretty good catches, actually, were plucked from Verona Park Lake. The lake was included in the winter trout stocking, and trout fishing seemed slow on rivers like the Rockaway and Ramapo. The fish seemed almost nonexistent there, and if any were hooked there, the fish were small. That size was apparently what was stocked, and those two rivers were included in the fall trout stocking. Those are big waters, and the trout seem to become dispersed. A smaller place like Verona Park Lake seems to help. In saltwater, fishing sort of slowed. Generally, blackfish were targeted. Anglers had ling fished in saltwater, but the angling didn’t sound good now, according to any reports heard.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Trout fishing was slow, said Scott from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Customers trouted at Ken Lockwood Gorge on Monday with nymphs, saying they didn’t fare well, and the water was a little high and off-color. Fly-rodders for trout fish this time of year with a pattern like a bead-headed nymph or a pheasant-tail nymph with a smaller dropper like a zebra midge, an RS2, a WD-40 or a caddis pupa. Nothing was heard about fishing at lakes like Round Valley Reservoir or Spruce Run Reservoir. Ice-fishing tackle is arriving, and the full array of ice gear and bait, like mousies, will be on hand. In saltwater, Scott joined a trip that sea bassed offshore, before sea bass season was closed on January 1, and limited out. Porgies, some 5- to 7-pound blues and a triggerfish were also boated on the trip. No cod or pollock were.

The Trenton power plant hadn’t been pumping warm water into Delaware River, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. But he expects the plant to pump in this week’s cold, he said. If it does, walleyes or maybe catfish should bite along bottom, like on a big worm, or smallmouth bass should hit shiners under floats. Sometimes walleyes are eased from the river at places like the wing dam at Lambertville in winter. But this week is awfully cold.

No customers really fished during the past week, said Jeff from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Minnows even stopped being stocked, and will be carried again, when demand picks up. That depends on weather. The past week was even a warmer one, and this week was frigid, and snow fell on Tuesday. Jeff didn’t want to guess whether skim ice will form on lakes. In last week’s report, Steve from the shop said that largemouth bass fishing already wasn’t good. Chain pickerel and crappie fishing was okay at lakes, he said. Cast inline spinners or minnows for the picks, and small jigs or minnows for the crappies.

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