<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

A few Chinook salmon, not a lot, but more than before, a couple of hundred a day, pushed into the river from the lake Sunday and Monday, said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b> on Monday evening in a phone call. When he left the river that day, all the better pools held the fish. A shot of coho salmon migrated into the river early last week, when rain fell a night and a morning. Most of the river’s salmon are Chinooks, also called king salmon, that enter to spawn each autumn. But cohos also migrate to the river to spawn this season in bursts that can last 20 minutes to half a day. Cohos currently migrated upstream enough for fishing for them to be actually fairly decent on the upper river, including the fly-fishing zone. Salmon fishing was most consistent in the fly zone. Cohos probably outnumbered Chinooks in the upper river at the moment. More rain could be used to trigger more salmon to enter the river. The river flowed at 335 cubic feet per second. That night and morning of rain was the only rain that fell in the past week. Forecasts had potentially called for 6 inches of rain from the nor’easter along the Northeast Coast this past week, and the coast’s potential hurricane that ended up passing offshore this week. But that much rain never happened along the river. Six inches of rain “would’ve made all the difference” in the fishing, Jay said. Weather became cooler in past days, and the river’s temperature was in the mid to upper 50 degrees, a good temp for the angling. Before the somewhat better number of Chinooks showed up Sunday and Monday, the river’s salmon fishing was mostly slow. Jay’s trips covered lots of water to catch. But his trip Monday was able to stay in one place more than before. His trips recently fished large, 3-inch streamer flies, and wooly buggers, swung slowly across the river. Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch-and-release, and books trips that fish with conventional tackle for the salmon with his other guides. A few steelheads currently migrated into the river, and fishing for the steelheads usually becomes good two weeks from now. Jay and his guides will also fish for them on the river. Jay will also begin to fish for huge brown trout in November that migrate into different rivers and creeks from the lake. The trout grow large because they spend summer in the lake. They enter the rivers and creeks to spawn, then spend winter there, because forage is most abundant in those waters in the cold. Jay will fish for the trout until the rivers and creeks freeze. But he’ll fish for the steelheads all winter on the Salmon River, a larger river that never completely freezes. After salmon migrate to the river and spawn each fall, they die in the river. Steelheads migrate to the river in fall after the salmon, spend winter in the river, spawn there in spring, and return to the lake for summer. Steelheads don’t die after spawning, and neither do the brown trout. The trout also return to the lake for summer.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Water levels rose, because of the nor’easter, and trout streams should be in better shape for fishing than before, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. They had been low and warm. No reports about the fishing were heard yet, but customers geared up for the angling this weekend to fish this week. The storm was still happening during the weekend. Flies they bought for the angling, like blue-winged olives, were mostly small. Anglers also hoped the higher water would be good for fall trout stocking that’s set to begin Tuesday. Previously, they were concerned that the low water might postpone stocking. Stocking will probably take place as scheduled, they figured now. Even if just a little rain fell each week now, that might maintain decent water levels, anglers hoped. On Lake Hopatcong, largemouth bass fishing was still “going,” Brian said. That was often on top-water lures, like Hula Poppers, Jitterbugs and Zara Spooks. The lake’s hybrid striped bass fishing was picking up. Hybrids also bit at Spruce Run Reservoir.

The lake’s fishing had been on the slower side, because of the storm and wind, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email this morning. But now that sun shined a couple of days, and the lake was turning over, the fishing began to pick up. Catches seen included hybrid striped bass, a couple of walleyes, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, white perch and crappies. Live bait, chicken livers, nightcrawlers and lures will connect this time of year. Jigging in deep water should begin to hook up.  This was a nice time of year on the lake, with good fishing, pleasant weather and less boat traffic. Dow’s will remain open, including for boat rentals and bait, until sometime in November. Then the store is closed a moment, until reopening for ice-fishing. The Knee Deep Club will hold a walleye tournament Saturday and Sunday on the lake.

Passaic River ran somewhat high and fast, and needed to settle a bit for fishing, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. But anglers were excited, itching to fish for northern pike on the river by today or so. They were excited to fish all different waters, after the storm that seemed to usher in good conditions. “It’s time,” she said. “It’s fall. It’s all good.” Reports about angling would probably roll in now. Anglers were also excited to fish saltwater after the storm. Seas would probably begin to calm and clear enough starting about today.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Nothing was heard yet about trout fishing, but anglers surely began the fishing now, after the storm, said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Water levels surely shot up in trout streams, and the fish should feed aggressively. This was after low, warm water since summer. The only fishing reported since the weather was for carp and hybrid striped bass. Anglers had been catching northern pike well on Passaic River, before the weather. But the river ran too high to fish for the pike early this week, because of the storm’s rain, so customers fished for carp there and on Raritan River instead, landing the fish. Hybrids were boated at Spruce Run Reservoir through Thursday, when the storm began, and they were reeled in again now. That was in afternoons, not even at dusk, on any lures or bait fished 4 to 12 feet down. None bit along the surface. But hybrids fed in almost blitz-like conditions during the storm a couple of times. Seagulls even fed on herring along the water surface during those moments.

A couple of customers who fish Manasquan Reservoir each week showed up Tuesday morning to head to the impoundment, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. They were the first customers who were going to fish freshwater after the storm. They last fished the reservoir last week on Tuesday, hooking a few largemouth bass and yellow perch on killies. Fall trout stocking will begin Tuesday, after Columbus Day on Monday. All trout supplies like PowerBaits are already carried, and all baits like trout worms will be on hand for the stocking. The Toms, Metedeconk and Manasquan rivers are slated to be stocked Tuesday, and see the  <a href=" http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/flstk15.htm" target="_blank">trout stocking schedule</a> online. Five or six dozen shiners are stocked, and no more will be carried this season after they run out, because of demand. Killies, nightcrawlers and garden worms are in supply. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

One angler was snatching chain pickerel from New Brooklyn Lake on shiners, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. That was about the only report since the storm, and the shop was closed early during the weekend, because of the weather. Grenloch Lake and Oak Pond will be local waters included in the fall trout stocking. Both are slated to be stocked on Tuesday, October 20. Waters stocked a little farther away will include Hammonton Lake, also on that day.

Lakes were a little high and dirty after the storm, but fishing picked up a bit, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. A couple of reports said largemouth bass fishing was decent. Lots of shallow-running crank baits began to be sold for the angling. Spinner baits started to catch them well. Jigs are always a good bet now for the bass. Some big chain pickerel began to be heard about that were nailed. Fishing minnows is the No. 1 way to get a bite. A few customers talked about looking forward to trout fishing, because of the fall trout stocking that will begin Tuesday. Some of the places stocked locally will be Giampetro Park Pond, Maurice River and Iona Lake. Those are scheduled to be stocked during the second week of the stocking.

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