<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Weather became warmer, and today was supposed to be warmest this week, said Anthony from <b>FISH307.com</b> in Lake George. But probably 10 to 12 inches of ice remained on the lake, and the snow melted on top. That’ll turn into ice, and the lake’s ice will be black ice soon. The ice was very wet, and anglers definitely needed rubber boots. Yellow perch bit well, and lake trout fishing was slower than earlier this season, but still caught. A 20-inch landlocked salmon was taken through the ice near Anthony’s Nose. A 14-pound 36-inch northern pike was nailed on Harris Bay, on a shiner on a tip-up, simply. Only fathead minnows and hunts are stocked, and grubs ran out.

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

A 10-pound steelhead was just landed from Salmon River with Capt. Rick Miick from <b>Dreamcatcher Guide Service</b>, when he gave this report in a cell-phone call at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, he said. A couple of others were on during the trip previously that morning. His phone was breaking up, or reception was rough on the river. So not everything he said could be heard for the report. But the air temperature was in the high 30 degrees along the river during the phone call, and was supposed to reach the 40s this week. These were the first temperatures above freezing in some time, and the past month was drastically colder. Rick expects to spend lots more time on the river now. The fishing for steelheads wasn’t on fire, he said, and the water level remained low, like usual in winter, when precipitation is snow, not rain. But steelheads were around to be caught. The warmer weather now will begin to melt the snow, and the river’s level will begin to creep up. The 10-pounder grabbed an 8-millimeter trout bead. One of the other steelheads swiped a pink artificial worm. The beads caught best, but sometimes the fish turned on to the worms now. Two swiped the worms the previous day with Rick. He could still ice-fish on lakes currently, but lots of trips are booked to fish the river for steelheads. Steelheads swim the river from fall to spring, returning to Lake Ontario for summer.

It’s getting warmer, Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b> said. Monday reached 42 degrees, and temperatures are supposed to be above freezing all week. We might’ve turned a corner, he said. He had thought that Salmon River’s steelhead fishing might pick up later than usual, because of the colder winter than normal. But a fly that he calls the winter stonefly began hatching, right on schedule, last week. He was unsure about the scientific name for the bug, but the stones hatched in good numbers that week, and he calls that the first sign of spring. Jay had already been landing steelheads well on the river on stoneflies, though the fishes’ metabolism seemed to slow recently, finally succumbing to the cold. He expected to fish the winter stones on the river today, and see how the river was icing out. As of Monday, the river hadn’t changed much, but the warmer weather had just begun. The river ran at 350 cubic feet per second then. That was low, but higher than 285 previously. Because winter weather seemed to break, watching the flow will be day-to-day, this time of year. He could give a report on one day, and the river’s conditions could be completely different on another, affected by melting, or rain. Lots of steelheads remained in the upper river, where open water exists all winter, because of the fast flow from the reservoir dam. Not a lot of steelheads fresh from Lake Ontario seemed to swim the river recently, probably because the lower river was choked with ice. That should change. When the snow and ice melts, steelheads will take a moment to acclimate, because that will cool the water. But some of the year’s best steelheading is coming on the river. Jay also fishes for the big brown trout in the rivers and creeks farther west in New York, around Rochester. Those waters remained iced over, but Jay suspects they should start opening next week. Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch-and-release, and his other guides fish with conventional tackle.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Ice was still fished, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Places like Lake Hopatcong, Budd Lake and local lakes were fished on the ice, and might still be able to be through the weekend. Catfish, sizable, 6, 7 or 8 pounds, had been whaled on Delaware River through the ice, but that probably won’t be safe now, because of warmer weather, rain and the river’s rising flow. Plenty of ice remained along trout streams, but they might clear and become good for fishing this weekend. Early black stoneflies might hatch. If so, toss sizes 16 to 18 to the trout. If none of the stones are around, dun caddis should catch. Those are the first real hatches of the year. The shop’s crew is psyched for spring fishing, and the store is loaded with the gear. 

Ice fishing’s coming to an end, but might last through the weekend on the lake, “before the shorelines start to break up,” Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. Perch, crappies and pickerel were reported from the ice last weekend. Max Hughen weighed-in a 2-pound 13-ounce pickerel. Gary Klapacz checked-in a 4-pound 13-ounce largemouth bass. The shop will be stocked for spring fishing, and the rental boats will be splashed soon, “providing the 24 inches of ice out there ever disappears!” she wrote.

A bunch of customers Tuesday were headed to fish the ice at Lake Hopatcong, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. He didn’t hear a lot about fishing, because he worked the shop’s exhibit at the World Fishing & Hunting Exposition through the weekend. Passaic River began to thaw, as far as he knew. Plenty of meal worms, wax worms, other worms and shiners were stocked. Ice-fishing tackle began to run low, but there was enough for anglers to gear up. Some lures and two tip-ups were stocked, for example. The store will exhibit at the Saltwater Fishing Expo on March 20 to 22.  Nick’s largemouth bass fishing club is looking for new members, and email him if interested, at Daiwa710@aol.com.

The main Passaic River probably became clear of ice, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Customers became anxious to begin fishing, now that weather was warming. Anglers probably ice-fished recently, but nobody reported the angling in past days.

<b>South Jersey</b>

From <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook, Braden fished Musconetcong Lake from the ice Monday, he said. He reeled up a decent pick of yellow perch, mixed sizes, including some jumbos, but lots of small mixed in, on small, tear-drop jigs with mousies. Ice-fishing for lake trout was good at Round Valley Reservoir this past week. The 20- to 22-inchers were mostly caught on small, silver jigs with chunks of shiners or whole shiners. A few were tip-upped. Two muskies were crushed from the ice at Lake Hopatcong during the weekend that were known about. Both bit small baits, and the anglers weren’t trying for muskies. Yellow perch, sunfish and a few crappies were jigged from Hopatcong in 5 to 8 feet. Trout streams began to clear of ice, but nobody fished them who was heard about.

A few ice-fished, but catches really slowed, for unknown reasons, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Assunpink Lake, Stone Tavern Lake and Rising Sun Lake gave up largemouth bass, chain pickerel and crappies from the ice. Those are all located in Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. A rumor Monday said crappies were taken at Pemberton Lake though the ice during the weekend. Karl didn’t know whether the lake was frozen or partly open. Nothing was caught at the Trenton power plant on Delaware River, because the plant was turned off, stopped pumping warm water, and the river froze there. Previously, smallmouth bass were socked at the plant’s warm water.

Lakes were yet to thaw, but were “getting there,” said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Anglers began to stir around, so Steve hoped the waters would thaw, and fishing would begin to be reported again next week. The ice shut down fishing locally in past weeks, and ice-fishing isn’t popular this far south in the state. Lakes usually don’t freeze a long enough time. Bloodworms were just stocked, for anglers who will try for white perch and striped bass. Nightcrawlers are carried, and minnows are trying to be stocked. 

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