<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Ice-fishing was finished for the season, pretty much, said Mike from <b>FISH307.com</b> in Lake George. The shop was recommending that ice was no longer safe to fish. At this time of year, ice might be harder in mornings, but soft later in the day. Fishing was in transition. Anglers trout fished on streams, since trout season opened recently. Anglers also looked forward to the openings of walleye and northern pike seasons in May.

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

Weather became warmer, and steelhead fishing began to pick up somewhat on the Salmon River, said Capt. Rick Miick from <b>Dreamcatcher Guide Service</b>. The river flowed at 1,800 cubic feet per second on Tuesday, because of snow melt, compared with 385 to 580 CFS last week. Snow was expected this morning, but Thursday is supposed to be in the 60 degrees, and Friday is supposed to be 55, so Rick is excited. Wintry weather seemed finished, and that’s good for steelheading. His trips caught on 10-millimeter trout beads. Honeydew, orange and peach worked well. Pink artificial worms also connected. Steelheads swam throughout the river, and the mid to lower river held lots of fresh ones from Lake Ontario, now that the ice cleared. Those fish are less “educated” or easier to catch, if anglers prefer that, like anglers who fish on their own, without a guide. In winter, the lower river freezes, preventing the fish from entering from the lake. The upper river remains open year-round, because of fast water from the reservoir dam. Steelhead fishing is about to peak on the river, and Rick is booked the next 10 days. However, this coming Wednesday is open, if anglers want to grab the date, before it’s booked.  

Weather, and fishing, were actually becoming like spring, said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b>. Rivers he fishes in western New York, around Rochester, like Oak Orchard River, for big brown trout, ran high and off-color, typical in spring, because of snow melt. But he loves those conditions. The trout are less wary than during low water, and are aggressive. High water also discourages some anglers to fish, so the waters are less crowded. Streamers like small Intruders are catching, and streamer fishing is some of the most fun. Egg flies could work, but Jay prefers the fun of the streamers, while that angling is doing the job. The browns are large because they summer in Lake Ontario. They spawn in the rivers and creeks in fall, and spend fall to spring in those waters, because forage is more abundant. For those interested, trout fishing is also available in the Finger Lakes tributaries. Rainbow trout are entering the tribs to spawn, and are swiping egg flies and small Wooly Buggers. They enter, spawn and depart quickly, so the fishing just needs to keep moving to find the tributaries that hold them. Jay’s also fishing for steelheads on Salmon River. The Salmon finally rose, from snow melt, running at 1,250 CFS near the reservoir dam, and 1,610 at Pineville, farther downstream, on Monday. The water was in the mid-30 degrees, not as cold as it could be, during the runoff. Steelheads were beginning to spawn, and the river ran high and cold. But if soft seams and pools were fished, anglers should find steelheads, and the fish should be willing to “grab.” Jay is fishing stoneflies for them, but might also fish small Wooly Buggers, swinging them across the river like streamers. He hopes the high water continues another two or three weeks. A good surge of fresh steelheads from Lake Ontario entered the river, because ice melted that previously blocked them. All fishing was basically entering the peak. “Yeah, we have fishing,” he said. The angling was somewhat late, because of a cold season. The Great Lakes were 35 percent ice, and Lake Ontario was 11 percent, and that was more than usual. That keeps air temperatures low. Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch-and-release, and his other guides fish with conventional tackle.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Someone posted <a href=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhc5aTnmcVA" target="_blank">this video</a> on Bill Brinkman from Philadelphia’s <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b>’s Facebook page. These were big striped bass hooked from Delaware River near Philadelphia, the person wrote in the post. Nobody else posted about catching stripers on the page. Bill hadn’t had time to be on the river recently, and gave a report about the river’s striper fishing on Friday, in an email from the shop. The fishing hadn’t changed much that week, he wrote. Plenty of customers bought bloodworms and bunker to fish for the migration of stripers up the river. But the migration seemed yet to arrive. No stripers landed from the river were heard about that week, and the water was 41 degrees. One angler fished the river near Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, waiting to hook his year’s first. Another group fished the river at National Park four afternoons that week, reeling in two catfish and an eel. Three different anglers fished the river near the UPS building, scoring nothing. Lots of anglers fished the river at Philly’s Station and Linden avenues, catching no stripers. Small stripers were fought from the Schuylkill River near the art museum. Anglers, but only those in the know, began to manage some walleyes from the upper Delaware River. One angler averaged 1 to 3 walleyes per trip at Point Pleasant. One of the fish weighed 7 pounds. A few anglers winged 16- to 18-inch walleyes at New Hope, at the wing dam. <b>***Update, Thursday, 4/9:***</b> Finally, some good striper reports from the river, Bill wrote in an email. Most larger stripers were reported caught from the Delaware at National Park and Red Bank. One angler had a 34-incher and a 31-incher in that area, one on bloodworm, the other on chunked ocean herring. Another in that stretch lost a good-sized striper and landed a 24-incher and a 5-pound catfish. Farther downstream, an angler at Marcus Hook bloodwormed 20 to 30 stripers 15 to 24 inches, and, when he fished bunker chunks and chicken livers, hooked lots of 3- to 5-pound catfish mixed in. Farther downstream yet, a few 28- to 32-inch stripers came from the river at Salem. So did big white perch, and catfish.  The river at the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge was the farthest upstream that customers ran into stripers. One bloodwormed two or three small ones there.  Shad fishing had been good much farther upstream, at Trenton, Washington’s Crossing and Lambertville, until recent days, once the ice dam broke upriver, raising the Delaware 3 to 4 feet, cooling it off and muddying it, and causing “lots of junk floating down,” Bill said. “This should all be gone by the weekend,” he guessed.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> took his season’s first trip for trout Monday, he said. He nailed 19 of the fish, releasing them, from Paulinskill River on Rapala Countdown lures. The trout were all rainbows, except one was a brown trout, and the state only stocked rainbows this spring, because of the trout virus at the hatchery this past year. Rainbows resist the disease. The brown was obviously a holdover from a previous stocking, and one of the rainbows was also a sizable holdover. Dave specializes in fishing for trout with lures in spring. The plugs are fun to fish and attract large trout, and river conditions are right for the fishing in spring. The plugs require enough water to cover debris like logs that the plugs would otherwise hang up on. The Paulinskill ran perfectly, cranking pretty good, he said, but at a normal flow. Dave fished mostly silver with blue Countdowns, but also threw silver with black, catching just as well. He usually casts the plugs downstream, twitching the lures as he reels in, for erratic movement. But the trout also smacked the lures when Dave simply let the current give action to them. The fish really hammered the lures, and plenty were also missed. Dave possibly planned to fish Pequest River for trout today. A friend fished the Paulinskill on Saturday, opening day of trout season. But the fishing seemed slow for everybody that day, the friend said. That day was windy and cold. Weather was beautiful and in the 60 degrees on Dave’s trip. Dave’s boat is in the shop for seasonal maintenance and should be ready to fish next week. Then he’ll also fish lakes for crappies and maybe early season muskies. Crappies are aggressive early in the year. Dave saw Monksville Reservoir this week, and ice was clearing from the impoundment, but pockets of skim ice still lay on top. Greenwood Lake was probably the same, he figured.

Ice remained on many lakes, so nothing was really heard about fishing on them, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Anglers still ice-fished on Lake Hopatcong last week. But if waters are open at some lakes, yellow perch fishing could be good. The perch bite during this time of year, before spawning, and will attack hair jigs and Mister Twisters. They’ll spawn soon. Trout streams fished well, including Musconetcong, Pequest and Rockaway rivers, and trout season was opened beginning Saturday. Streams ran a little high last week. Water was cold, like 39 degrees, so fly-fishing for trout seemed a little slow. But butterworms seemed to catch, including for a friend who banked a pile of trout at Black River on butters. Lots of early black stoneflies hatched on Musconetcong River yesterday, but trout really didn’t come up on them, because of cold water.

Trout fishing seemed good, said Joe from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Trout season was opened starting Saturday, and he heard no specific reports about the angling. But customers fishing for trout headed to waters from Ramapo and Rockaway rivers to Big Flatbrook, Pequest River near the hatchery and local ponds. They mostly bought spinners, lots, for the fishing, including Swiss Swings, a C.P. Swing “knock off.” All different Mepps spinners were bought, and everybody had a preference. Many lakes still held ice, including Lake Hopatcong, where boat ramps were closed, because of ice. The lakes at the Newark Watershed were also closed to boating, because of ice. Passaic River near the shop ran somewhat lower than before but quite high. The river was too high for larger boats to be launched, but car-topper boats could be used.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Trout season that opened Saturday was off to a much better start than last year, said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. He mostly fished stocked brooks, catching trout, none huge, best on butterworms. Many anglers preferred Mike’s salmon eggs. A few big, breeder trout were caught at stocked ponds and lakes, like Colonial Lake, that were heard about. Braden knew about one breeder taken on PowerBait, and another on a large shiner. Some streams fished for trout best with spinners or Rapala lures, like the north and south branches of Raritan River. Silver blades worked best on the spinners, because of clear water. Delaware and Raritan Canal, near the store, and local ponds began to come alive with mostly chain pickerel. A few largemouth bass were mixed in, and mostly shiners caught.

Spring Lake kicked butt for trout fishing, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Saturday was opening day of trout season, and some anglers at Spring Lake caught no trout. But some landed all they wanted. Photos of big trout from the lake were posted on the shop’s Facebook page. That included shots of a youngster who limited out on the fish to 5 pounds. The Toms, Metedeconk and Manasquan rivers gave up just a pick of trout. All anglers seemed to catch some, but the waters seemed full of trout that didn’t feed a lot. Other freshwater fishing was mostly slow, except for catches like chain pickerel and crappies that thrive in cold water. Largemouth bass were made off with here and there. All baits are stocked, including shiners, killies and the different worms for trout. Murphy’s, open daily, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River. Go Fish is open Thursdays through Mondays.

<b>South Jersey</b>

The shad migration showed up in Delaware River, and fishing for them was good on Friday night, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Then the river became blown out with high water, because reservoir water was released into it from New York. Rain was supposed to fall this week, and that will probably keep the water high. A few striped bass began to be played on the river, until the high water. Most customers fished for trout, since trout season was opened starting Saturday. Trout were yanked from Delaware and Raritan Canal on yellow PowerBait and white or brown Roostertails. Trouting was good at Crystal Lake, on nightcrawlers and shiners. Some big breeders swam there.  Those who fished for largemouth bass, at local lakes and farm ponds, scored pretty well on Mann’s Baby-1-Minus crank baits in bluegill color.

Trout fishing was good at Grenloch Lake, Rowan’s Pond and Oak Pond, since opening day of trout season Saturday, said Joanie from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Green PowerBait and spinners clocked them. Striped bass were heard about from Delaware River near the DOD Ponds.

Things are heating up, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. White perch gave up good angling from Maurice and Cohansey rivers. Striped bass fishing began to improve along Delaware River, at usual haunts where shore anglers can access the fishing from shore, all on bloodworms. A few keepers were mixed in. On lakes, largemouth bass fishing was a little spotty, but seemed to pick up every day. Usual places like Union, Parvin and Rainbow lakes turned them out. The opening of trout season, since Saturday, seemed to fish well. Customers fished for them at places including Maurice River, South Vineland Park Pond and Iona Lake.

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