<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

A better number of salmon piled into the river from Lake Ontario starting last Wednesday and Thursday, into the weekend, said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b>. Afterward, squirts of the fish, not many, migrated into the river. But the full migration could blow up anytime. Anglers could show up one morning, expecting few of the fish, and find that the entire migration was under way.  The river ran at 335 cubic feet per second, and rain would be useful, because the season was dry. Rain somewhat fell in the last week. A good aspect currently was that fishing pressure was light. Trips could cover lots of water with ease. The fly-fishing zone held salmon, and less crowds helps with fly-casting. Jay’s trips landed a few salmon from late last week through the weekend. The angling was slow on a trip Monday. Tuesday’s trip had lost one salmon in the morning, so far, when Jay gave this report at lunchtime that day in a phone call during the fishing. Trips currently covered lots of water, fishing prime areas carefully, then moving on, instead of staying at one place. A mix of fish swam the river. A few Chinook or king salmon, and a few coho salmon, did. A few steelheads were actually caught on the river, though the season was early for steelheads. The salmon, when hooked in the river, were “angry” or “hot,” or were fresh from the lake, so they had lots of energy. They looked silvery and healthy, not spent, like they will later in the spawn. Salmon migrate to the river each fall from Lake Ontario to spawn. They die in the river after spawning, and steelheads migrate to the river from the lake in fall, mostly after salmon do. Steelheads then spend winter in the river, spawn there in spring, and return to the lake for summer. Steelheads don’t die after spawning. Fishing for both the salmon and the steelheads is world-class while the fish swim the river. For the steelheads, that includes during winter. Boating for salmon was currently fine on Lake Ontario near the river. That seemed reason for optimism, and the fish were just waiting to shoot up the river. Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch-and-release for these migrations, and books trips that fish the runs with conventional tackle with his other guides.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

Fishing was slow on Lake Hopatcong on a trip Saturday, said Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b>. A few rock bass were reeled in, and all different artificials were cast. That included top-water lures, spinner baits and wacky worms. Dave dropped off the anglers, who had to leave early, at 12:30 p.m., and fished by himself afterward on the lake, throwing a jig. But only a couple of small largemouth bass were hooked. Dave’s friend, largemouth-tournament angler Paul Schmidt, said the lake’s fishing seemed better later in the day, after 3 p.m. Dave saw tournament anglers on the lake that morning. One, on another boat, said to him, while fishing: “Are there any fish here?” That angler had landed one 4-pound largemouth. The lake was 76 degrees, still warm, crystal-clear and good-looking, with beautiful weeds. Greenwood Lake, where Dave also fished lately, was full of algae, brown-looking and ugly. The lakes were yet to turn over, were too warm for that.

Trout streams remained warm for fishing, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. But if a couple of nights become cool, that could begin to change, and nights like that will probably happen in the next week. A few anglers landed trout. Cooler weather will probably amp up all fishing soon. Kevin fished on a trip on Lake Hopatcong that probably reeled in 8 to 10 pounds of largemouth bass. The fishing was picky, but steady, all day, and none of the bass was big. They were mostly hooked on jigs in blue and black, in weeds. But a couple of anglers pulled up on a boat while Kevin’s trip boated at a sandbar, and those anglers hooked two largemouths on spinner baits, right away. The water was 70 to 71 degrees on Kevin’s trip. In saltwater, Kevin surf-fished this past week, banking a couple of throwback striped bass. False albacore sometimes shot into the surf during the outing, and lots of rainfish were seen. The striper fishing had been great, but now strong wind blew, and is supposed to blow at least the next four days. The easterly will rough-up seas and shut down the fishing. Anglers will see how the fishing goes afterward, and if the angling rebounds, that will take a while.

On the lake, Jack Dziduch won the Knee Deep Club’s King of the Lake Contest this weekend for the fourth year in a row, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. That’s a multi-species tournament, and Lou Marcucci won second-place, and Marcin Supinski won third. The club will probably change the contest next year, because of lower turnout. Several good-sized fish were weighed-in at the shop during the event. Jack Volek, who fished with dad, Buck, checked-in smallmouth bass that weighed 3 pounds 4 ounces and 2 pounds 15 ounces. Catches also included Bob Smith’s 2-pound 8-ounce smallmouth and Lou Marcucci’s 2-pound 4-ouncer. Mike Truglio nailed three crappies from 1 pound 4 ounces to 1 pound 10 ounces. Marcin Supinski during the tournament whacked walleyes to a 4-pound 8-ouncer. The contest’s largest hybrid striped bass weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces. Several good-sized perch and bullhead catfish were caught in the event. The club’s next contest will be a walleye tournament on Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11, on the lake.

Passaic River ran low, and rain was needed, but northern pike fishing was good on the water, said Joe from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. An angler whipped a couple of largemouth bass from the river behind the shop yesterday, when Joe gave this report in a phone call. Good largemouth bass fishing was reported from the lakes at Ramapo Reservation. Smallmouth bass caught were talked about from Ramapo River near the New York border.

Fishing picked up a little, now that weather became somewhat cooler, said Scott from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Weeds began to “back down” in waters. Lots of chain pickerel were fought from Delaware and Raritan Canal. The pickerel will bite almost anything, but customers mostly bought shiners to fish for them at the canal. Smallmouth bass fishing was good at Duke Island Park on Raritan River, mostly on shiners. Scott lately scored well on smallmouths on Delaware River on Senkos, tubes and Chigger Craws on a couple of trips.  Round Valley Reservoir was low, but smallmouth fishing was decent there along the dam’s rocks. Trout fishing was kind of dead. The South Branch of the Raritan River ran at 16 cubic feet per second, extremely low. The mean is 75. The fall trout stocking will begin on October 13, and anglers hope rain replenishes trout waters by then.

<b>South Jersey</b>

A customer was headed to Lake Carasaljo yesterday with shiners from the shop, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. The angler had been picking largemouth bass at the lake, here and there. Another customer frequented Assunpink Lake, nailing largemouths, lots, all season, walking the shore, casting small popper lures, tiny swimming plugs and weedless, rubber frogs. Local ponds gave up the usual bluegills and crappies. Nobody set the world on fire, Dennis said. Customers began to talk about the fall trout stocking that will begin on October 13. Stocked waters locally include the Toms, Metedeconk and Manasquan rivers, and see New Jersey’s <a href=" http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/flstk15.htm" target="_blank">fall trout stocking schedule</a> online. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

Largemouth bass were still cracked at lakes and ponds, said Dom from <b>Barracuda’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Riverside. Many customers headed to cedar ponds in Ocean County for the angling, like along Route 206.  Lures like top-waters and shallow-divers were often fished for them, now that weather became cooler. Fishing for crappies is always good at local lakes and ponds, and the fish grow big here. Some of the crappies are bigger than largemouths. Delaware River ran low, and smallmouth bass weren’t really angled from the river. Weather was quirky, Dom explained, and only two seasons seemed to happen: winter and summer. Springtime’s striped bass run wasn’t good this year on the river. Catfish could always be tugged from the river, including now. Fish any bait with odor, like dough baits or clams. Local lakes included in the fall trout stocking will be Crystal and Sylvan. Those are scheduled to be stocked October 20, and in the past, trout stocked in fall were bigger than during the spring stocking. But trout stocked included big this spring, because of the virus in trout at the hatchery previously. Younger trout were killed, and the spring stocking also included only rainbow trout. Rainbows were resistant to the virus.

Not a lot of anglers fished in past days, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. The shop was closed earlier than usual Saturday and Sunday, because of slow business. Customers recently bought frozen bait for saltwater more than freshwater bait. They fished the surf for whatever would bite. But in freshwater, largemouth bass, panfish like sunnies, and chain pickerel should be able to be caught. Surrey Lake near Lakeland was a place talked about for largemouth bass. Puppyland Lake and the spillway across the road from Blackwood Lake are always spots to tangle with sunnies. New Brooklyn Lake is usually a location for pickerel. The fall trout stocking will get under way on October 13. Locally, Grenloch Lake will be stocked on October 20. Waters that will be stocked a little farther away include Oak Pond, Mary Elmer Lake, Maurice River, Giampetro Park Pond and Hammonton Lake on October 20, and Iona Lake, Swedesboro Lake, Greenwich Lake and Schadler’s Sand Wash Pond on October 21.

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