<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Snow and ice covered the ice on the lake, and that could be a pain for ice-fishing, said Anthony from <b>FISH307.com</b> in Lake George. But fishing through the conditions was worthwhile, “if you have all day,” he said. The angling’s been good for lake trout and yellow perch this season. The lakers roamed almost anywhere, searching for food. But they didn’t swim too deep. They held 80 feet to 110 down. Anthony tried for them in 160 feet, but none bit. Huddle Bay was a good spot for the perching, in shallows with rocky bottom and weeds. Nothing was really heard about the fishing on other lakes. All ice-fishing baits, including hunts and three sizes of shiners, are stocked, except suckers and icicles. The shop will try to stock icicles this weekend, he thought.

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

Salmon River ran low, clear and cold, and weather was cold, said Capt. Rick Miick from <b>Dreamcatcher Guide Service</b>. His steelhead fishing was mostly on hold, because of that, but he ran one of the trips Sunday on the river, and today was supposed to be warmer, maybe in the low 30 degrees. The sustained cold this winter might’ve been changing this week to somewhat warmer for the season. Weather is supposed to be cold again in the next days, but not as extreme as before. The trip Sunday hooked four steelheads, landing two. Once sunlight became brighter in the morning, the fishing needed to downsize to 3-pound leaders. That’s light, and the fish could be easily seen through the clear, low water. Anglers fishing from the bank would only catch early and late in the day, because of the water clarity when the sun was higher. Only drift-boaters, back-trolling plugs like Hot Shots and Rapalas, would catch during the rest of the day. Only the upper river held open water that could be fished. The rest was frozen. Rick is also guiding ice-fishing, and the best is on Oneida Lake and Chaumont Bay. Sandy Pond’s ice-fishing became tough, because its mouth to Lake Ontario froze. The mouth is only 5 feet deep. That practically ended yellow perch fishing there, and northern pike fishing also seemed slow on Sandy. Usually, the pike keep biting. Rick recently tested Elco electric outboards that he’ll begin using on Lake Ontario, and he’s now a dealer for the motors. The tests went great, and the unique engines are available in 5, 7 and 9.9 horsepower. One review said the company plans to introduce two larger ones, “in the 15- to 25-hp range,” it said, this year. Advantages include no pollution from gas, oil and fumes, and the engines can be used on waters where gas motors are prohibited.

Weather was cold last week, so Salmon River’s steelheads were “a little more nippy,” said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b>. But weather this week was supposed to be warmer sometimes, not quite seasonal, but not arctic, like before, he said. He hoped to fish the river today, in temperatures that might break freezing. Cold is supposed to return afterward, but not as cold as before. Previously, the steelheading was surprisingly good for Jay, covered in previous reports. The fish were dialed in on stoneflies, though most anglers fished with trout beads. Jay’s trips threw the stones. The river was supposed to be raised to 350 cubic feet per second on Monday night, up from 285. It ran low at 285 for some time now, typical in winter. The increase would probably affect the fishing, probably knocking away some shelf ice. The higher water wouldn’t hurt the cause, definitely, he said. Jay will keep fishing stoneflies, including in higher water. Fishing with the flies should improve in the next two or three weeks. “It’s March now,” he said. Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch-and-release, and his other guides fish with conventional tackle. Jay also fly-rods for the large brown trout in rivers and creeks farther west in New York, around Rochester. All those waters were too frozen to fish. They’ll take “a good, solid thaw to get going,” he said. He hopes that’ll happen within a couple of weeks or by the end of March. That might not happen, “but I can be hopeful,” he said. But the fishing should begin soon afterward, at least. Jay’s been getting lots of fly-tying done, during the cold. Spring fishing might begin later than some years. Lake Ontario was 60 percent frozen, and the Great Lakes were 85 percent, when Jay last checked. If angling begins late, Jay should be steelhead fishing well into May, not a bad thing. Steelheads migrate to rivers like the Salmon from Lake Ontario in fall, spend winter there, and spawn in the rivers in spring. Then they return to the lake for summer.  

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

Ice-fishing will last another week or two, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. The fishing included on Lake Hopatcong, and photos and reports on the Knee Deep Club’s website site showed catches there included the whole variety from crappies and yellow perch to largemouth and smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, catfish, a small muskie and more. A couple of customers showed up, wind-blown and sunburned, who jigged crappies on Hopatcong on lures like Kastmasters and Phoebes. The fish turned on just before dark. Delaware River reportedly gave up catfish through the ice. Kevin didn’t know whether anglers wanted to fish like that on the river, because of safety. But some anglers were into it. Nobody seemed to fish for trout on streams, because of too much ice. A few mousies and spikes are still stocked for ice-fishing.

“We’re still looking at 24 inches of ice here on the lake,” Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email, “and don’t expect it to be gone anytime soon.” The Knee Deep Club held an ice-fishing tournament on the lake Sunday, the club’s final one for the season. The three largest chain pickerel weighed 4 pounds 5 ounces to 4 pounds 12 ounces. Anthony Accetta tackled several pickerel that weighed more than 3 pounds apiece, while competing, and won two of the contest’s prizes. The event’s biggest largemouth bass weighed 3 pounds 15 ounces and 2 pounds 6 ounces. Perch and crappies weighed 1 pound 5 ounces to 1 pound 15 ounces. Among the 79 entrants, first-place winners were awarded $211, and second place got $126. Third won $84. Rich Maly on the lake released a 46-inch muskie that smacked a shiner on a tip-up.

Most of the fishing staff were setting up the shop’s exhibit for the World Fishing & Outdoor Exposition in Suffern, N.Y., this week, said Bob from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. So not much was available to report, but Bob sold shiners to a couple of customers for ice-fishing. One was headed to Delaware River for walleyes that the angler’s been catching through the ice. Baits stocked included mousies, spikes, wax worms, meal worms and large and small nightcrawlers. Catch the deals at the shop’s exhibit at the show, running Thursday through Sunday. Everything’s on sale.

Ice was fished at Lake Hopatcong, Greenwood Lake and some of the smaller lakes, though not much was reported about the angling, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Passaic River near the shop was frozen, not solid, but all along the sides. The river wasn’t really fishable, and Cheryl wouldn’t recommend trying.

<b>South Jersey</b>

A group ice-fished Spruce Run Reservoir, coming up with a slow pick, but two largemouth bass heavier than 5 pounds apiece, a small northern pike and a 4- or 5-pound brown trout, said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. He hadn’t heard about a catch like the brown in years from the impoundment from the ice. A few lake trout were eased through the ice at Round Valley Reservoir “still,” he said. They mostly swam 150 to 160 feet down, and were caught on shiners on tip ups or on 1/8- to 3/8-ounce, silver jigs tipped with some sort of “meat.” At Lake Hopatcong, the usual panfish, like perch, crappies and sunfish, were pulled through the ice. Mousies, wax worms, meal worms and shiners should be stocked.

Smallmouth bass were socked from Delaware River at the Trenton power plant’s warm water, when the plant was running, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. He saw photos of some good-sized ones. Otherwise, the river was frozen across. Ice-fishing was the same as before. Catches were made at Assunpink and Stone Tavern lakes through the ice on shiners. Bluegills were nabbed on small marabou jigs with mousies or wax worms from the ice.

Did any ice thaw on lakes? Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> was asked. “No!” he said -- as in, no way. Waters were frozen, and nobody mentioned fishing. “Just waiting,” he said. Ice-fishing isn’t popular this far south in the state. But he hopes water will open up to fish next week, in forecasts for warmer weather, possibly. The shop is loaded with gear for spring fishing.     

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