<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Ice was building daily in the Adirondacks, said Luke at <b>FISH307.com</b> in Lake George. Four to 7 inches covered Brant Lake, where anglers were landing yellow perch, crappie and trout on fatheads, rosy reds, shiners and such baits. Lake Eaton also offered fishable ice, and landlocked salmon and trout were taken there on live shiners in the top 10 feet of the water column. Loon Lake, Eagle Lake and the north end of Schroon Lake were also options and were giving up perch, landlocked salmon and trout. Skim ice covered South Bay on Lake Champlain so far.

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river was running at 335 CFS, and with the recent warm front, steelhead trout were on the feed, said Eric at <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Anglers were averaging four to six fish from 8 to 12 pounds on a day out, and blue, pink and white egg sacks worked well. The stretch from Altmar to the Black Hole was the most productive, and most of the action took place in the mornings, though the fishing should last through the afternoons, Eric said.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Walleye should be feeding in the upper stretches of the Delaware River near Washington’s Crossing, and try tossing jigs tipped with shiners or fatheads, said Bruce at <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. Look for panfish and largemouth bass at Dredge Harbor, but for the bass, work crank baits slowly, because the bucketmouths are sluggish in the colder weather. Crappie were also swimming along Dredge Harbor and inhaling mealworms on small, 1/16-ounce hair jigs.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Ice on Budd Lake was reportedly fishable, said Adrian at <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville. Anglers on the safe sections there were supposedly pulling up pickerel and yellow perch, and fishable ice also reportedly formed on the coves on Lake Hopatcong.

Ice anglers were out and about on Budd Lake, where 3 to 4 inches covered some of the coves, said Kevin at <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. Sunfish and yellow perch were nibbling on small jigs, and northern pike to 25 inches were hunting down live shiners. The key was to fish the sheltered coves, away from the sun, where the ice was more likely to be safe. Lake Waywayanda also held ice that was thick enough to fish, and perch were the quarry there. Ice anglers should exercise extreme caution right now, and any ice less than 5 inches is dicey at best, Kevin said.

Ice-fishing season got off to a great start, said Laurie at <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Four to 5 inches formed on the Woodport section of the lake and on the state park cove. Lou Marcucci said the hard water was about 3 1/2 inches of black ice and 1 1/2 inches of hard-packed snow and ice-rain. He fished the Lake Forest Yacht Club area to chase down 14 flags in 5 hours, catching eight fish that were a mix of perch, pickerel and walleye. Ed Mackin drilled a small muskie near the River Styx Bridge. Look for the ice to keep building overnight, and hope for cold weather, Laurie said.

Lake Hopatcong offered a solid 5 inches of ice in the Woodport section, said Rich from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield, and ice anglers there were scoring chain pickerel to 2 pounds on live shiners. Word also had it that Green Turtle Pond held fishable ice and pickerel. Ice on the lakes should become more stable, because colder nighttime temps were predicted in the near future. But always be safe, not sorry, and don’t take any chances, Rich said.

Tip-ups were beginning to fly off the shelves, said Chris at <b>Lebanon Bait & Tackle</b>. Hard-water anglers were excited to know that fishable ice was available at Lake Hopatcong and that the ice should become stronger by this weekend. Live shiners will attract chain pickerel, and small grub jigs tipped with mousies or spikes will fool yellow perch in the shallower sections. If you could find safe ice off a drop-off, try dropping down jigheads tipped with yellow or white grub tails to score walleye.

Trout anglers were hooking rainbows and brownies in the South Branch of the Raritan River, said Ron from <b>Ray’s Sport Shop</b> in North Plainfield. Most fly rodders were casting size-12 soft-hackled flies. Ice was forming around the edges of Round Valley, so shore casters needed to cast out far to effectively trout fish. Now’s the time to take your reels to the shop to be cleaned and lubed and to get Ray’s to repair any gear in preparation for spring.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

The Pequest River was a best bet for trout fishing, said Ron at <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Small midge flies in sizes 16 to 18 were doing the trick just downstream from the hatchery. Some of the ‘bows were big, reaching up to 5 pounds, and that action should last into January.

A large majority of customers were getting excited for the impending ice-fishing season, loading up on tip-ups, Dacron line and such, said Roy at <b> L&H Woods & Water</b> in Wall. In the meantime, trout anglers were connecting in the Manasquan River’s upper stretches on both Power Baits and Roostertails.

Trout fishing was still going strong in the Toms River, said Dennis at <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. Best spots were near Riverwood Park, where one customer was having fun with 1- to 2-pound rainbows on a daily basis. Nightcrawlers were the best bet for a hook-up Pickerel anglers were finding the toothy critters eating up live shiners at both the Trilco section of the Toms River and the Presidential Lakes off Route 70.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Fairly wild crappie fishing was going on at Gropp’s Lake, said Sean at <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Most of the slabs were going after small grub tails on small, pink jigs. An all-out pickerel bonanza was the story on the South Jersey lakes and ponds, including at the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area lakes and at Prospertown Lake. Cast out CP Swings or live shiners for a tussle with a pickerel.

The Delaware River was producing good action with walleyes around Lambertville, said Bob at <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The marble-eyes were pouncing on jigs tipped with live shiners bounced near the river bottom. Muskellunge were also on the prowl, and the monsters to 40 inches slashed up big, wooden Pikie swimmers and large live shiners. Trout anglers needed to get out more, Bob said, because spots such as the Ken Lockwood Gorge and the Pequest River were holding nice rainbows in the trophy areas, and the fish were chasing size-16 midge patterns.

Local lakes continued their pattern of forming skim ice in the mornings but being freed up by early afternoons, said Jeff at <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. When the ice disappears later in the day, anglers should throw crank baits for the ever-hungry chain pickerel at this time of year. Anglers looking for consistent action can hit the Maurice River for catfish, because stink baits and dead herring were pulling catties to 3 pounds off the river bottom.

If you could get out between the rainstorms last week, there were plenty of white perch to reel in from the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Bloodworms and frozen grass shrimp drifted underneath a float took the bites, and greater numbers of the fish seemed to be moving in. Catfishers on the river were dropping down dead baits to bring up the whiskerfaces to 4 pounds both day and night.

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