<b>NEW YORK</b>

</b>Salmon River</b>

Finally! Replenishing rains raised stream levels at the Salmon River, said Suzanne from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The river was running at a better but still meager 185 CFS, and salmon hot spots included the Compactor Pool, Black Hole, the Ballpark and the Trestle Hole. The closer to the Douglaston Run, the better. Best bets included Bugeyes, egg sacks with blue mesh and flashy types of flies. The kings for the most part were finished feeding, but steelheads moved in full force. Average catches for an angler in a day could be at least a dozen hook ups, and the trout averaged 3 to 8 pounds, topped off by a few 12-pound bruisers.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Smallmouth bass fishing carried plenty of momentum in the upper stretches of the Delaware River, said Bill at <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. Frenchtown, Bull Island and areas north of Trenton were all giving up tens of fish every day, and Rapalas and Senkos worked well. Largemouth bassing at Dredge Harbor, Tullytown Cove, Warner's Cove and the power plant picked up nicely with the relatively cooler weather, and the bucketmouths were hitting Rat-L-Traps, spinner baits, plastic worms, plastic lizards and jigs. One customer at Dredge fished with hair jigs tipped with live minnows and bailed 19 largemouths, three crappies and a whole bunch of white perch, and chartreuse and brown were the better colors. Another angler over the weekend fished with slider worms and spinner baits to hammer eight largemouths to 3 pounds.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Welcome rains filled the Passaic River, bringing nutrients back to get fish interested once again, said Adrian at <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville. Anglers livelined shiners for a pick of pike from 5 to 8 pounds and sometimes came up with smallmouths and largemouths. Trout anglers were dredging the deeper holes of the Pequest and Paulinskill rivers to pull in a catch.

Lake Hopatcong was the ticket, said Anthony from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. The lake’s anglers found hybrid stripers feeding at Davis Cove, and live herring was key. Some largemouth bass and pickerel were also biting in the cove. The Musconetcong River was carrying plenty of trout, and anglers were giving visual reports of fish hanging in the pools and under the banks. The Big Flatbrook was a good hit for trout on small nymphs drifted down current.

Walleye fishing was explosive at the lake, said Laurie at <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Live herring drifted with a small split shot off the points in 20 feet were hanging ‘eyes from 4 to 7 pounds with consistency. Lou Marcucci bagged a brace weighing 8 pounds and 7 pounds. A few yellow perch and pickerel were grabbing shiners off the points. The hybrid striper fishery just started to go into overdrive after the lake turned over. The 40-foot depths were the place to jig them up on Rapalas and Gotchas, and Pickerel Point and Sharp’s Rock were good areas.

Trout fishing in the Ramapo River kept anglers happy, and 3-pounders were standard fare, said Al from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield, and customer T.P. banked eight fish to 3 pounds using salmon eggs. The Paulinskill River was phenomenal on trout fishing so long as you worked over the deeper pools. Berk Peters scored excellent walleye fishing at Lake Hopatcong as he drifted live herring. Two muskies to 38 inches were drilled in Monksville Reservoir when they chased down top-water plugs, and that action might just be starting strong for the fall.

Round Valley fishers were talking about decent catches of 18-inch rainbow trout from the shores on Power Baits and Roostertails, said Chris at <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Spruce Run Reservoir in the meantime continued to lose water, but anglers there were pulling away at bass in the morning hours, and they were also reeling in a few trout where Spruce Run Creek empties into the reservoir. The South Branch of the Raritan was hopping for trout, and the Clinton stretch was a good place to work small, bead-headed nymphs.

Trout were actively feeding along the shore at Round Valley Reservoir, said Ron at <b>Ray’s Sport Shop</b> in North Plainfield, and the rainbows from 16 to 18 inches were smacking size-10 hare’s ear nymphs. The Musconetcong River was also a trout haven, and one customer fished there and caught six trout from 12 to 17 inches on size-16 pheasantail nymphs. The Delaware River was a continual largemouth and smallmouth hotbed, especially around the Frenchtown area.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Some nice trout came in, said Ron at <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Roger Wahler showed up at the store with a 5-pound 3-ounce rainbow from the South Branch of the Raritan, and Bill Ritchik plopped a 5-pound 2-ounce ‘bow on the scale that came from Pohatcong Creek. Lake Mohawk produced a hefty, 6-pound largemouth bass that attacked a shiner for Doug Thomas

Better trout fishing could be had at the Manasquan River, especially near the Squankum Falls area, said Eric at <b>L&H Woods & Water</b> in Wall. With recent rains, the local rivers were more fishable than earlier, so anglers could cast spinners and small Yozuri Pin’s Minnows. Spring Lake offered up a mix of bass, sunfish and trout.

Most freshwater anglers were trying for largemouth bass, said Jim at <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Johnson’s Pond at the Seacourt Pavilion and the Ocean County College pond were good spots to find the bucketmouths on live shiners. The Trilco stretch of the Toms River put out pickerel on live shiners and occasional trout on nightcrawlers. Trout fishers were targeting the Manasquan River for fights on Power Baits, sometimes hanging up to six fish a day, if they put their time in.

Smallmouth bass were still all the rage at the Delaware River, said Bill from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. The stretch from Bull Island down to Frenchtown was the top area, and small crank baits were the way to go. Big rainbow trout were swimming the Pequest River, and lots of rains filled up the banks. One customer caught ten trout all over 18 inches using Roostertails and Mepps spinners, and he almost tackled a 24-inch brown trout that shook the hook at the bank and gained its freedom. Gropp’s Lake was the scene of a nice surge in crappie fishing on small fatheads and curly grubs on jigheads.

Largemouth bass fishing picked up at Lake Assunpink and Gropp’s Lake, said Carl at the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. But Stone Tavern Lake gave up the highest spark from bucketmouths, and they were attracted to the coves now. Shallow running Bandit or Bomber crank baits drew the strikes in the morning hours.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Largemouth bass were teeming at Lake Worth, said Ed at <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood, and live shiners were the meal for the lunkers from 1 to 3 pounds during the mornings and evenings. The local sandwash pits were also excellent largemouth bass hangouts. Live shiners or chartreuse buzz baits ripped across the surface were getting steady attention from chain pickerel at Blackwood Lake.

Parvin Lake and Malaga Lake were the focus for anglers looking for bucketmouth bass, said Lou at <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Live shiners would work just fine, though anglers could start to throw jerk baits and small crank baits, because the largemouths should be getting into a late fall feeding pattern any day.

Largemouth bass fishing was a bit slow as anglers waited for local lakes to turn over, said Steve at <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. No doubt the unusually warm fall was delaying things, but at least a cold spell was on the way. Parvin Lake seemed to be the best bet to catch the fish, and because the bass were still in summertime habits, rubber worms were working better than jerk baits. The Maurice River was holding a mess of white perch, and trout anglers were fishing the upper stretches of the river for creels of the stocked fish.

White perch fishing in the Maurice River was the main game in town, said Ki of <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Anglers were waiting for stripers to show up, and surely the warm weather during the past week might’ve been causing somewhat of a delay. But the whiteys were keeping customers busy, and they could fill up a bucket of quality-sized slabs or just have a ball catching and releasing. Bits of bloodworms or frozen or fresh grass shrimp were the baits, and try floating them 3 feet under a bobber, and wait for a pull down.

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