<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Plenty was going on along the Salmon River, said Don from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The stretch from the Two-Way Bridge to Altmar held 8- to 16-pound cohos and 19- to 30-pound kings that inhaled sponges and rubber eggs. From the Two-Way down to the lake was a better spot to hang steelheads and brown trout, and the steelies ran 6 to 12 pounds, and the browns were big: in the 8 to 14-pound range. Both ate up pink and blue egg sacks, wooly buggers and egg-sucking leech patterns. The river flowed at a manageable 500 CFS.

King salmon fishing was fair to good, better than it had been, on the Douglaston stretch of the river during the past days for <b>High Hook Guide Service</b>, owner Bill Ferman said. He’s only been fishing at Douglaston this week, and lately his clients were hooking only kings, though Bill saw a few steelheads and brown trout landed. A couple of hefty runs of coho salmon pushed up the river a couple of weeks ago, and more should arrive this season. Kings, the larger of the salmon, linger longer on the migration up the river from Lake Ontario. But cohos, smaller but stronger fighters and better tasting, usually zip upstream quicker. Different bodies of the fish move up at different times. The runs started late this year, and plenty of both fish should still move in. The salmon migration usually lasts through October and sometimes into early November. Steelheads usually start migrating up the river by mid October and stay through the winter. Brown and rainbow trout, huge ones from the lake, are mixed in at different times. Some anglers like to target the trout specifically because of their sizes and their bright, spawning colors. The fishing can change dramatically at this time of year, and salmon can suddenly fill the waters bank to bank one day, and on another they might become scarcer, and on another steelheads could suddenly become abundant, and so on. High Hook both wades and drift-boats for all the fish with both spinning gear and fly rods.  

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Largemouth bass fishing bounced back on the Delaware River, after smallmouth fishing previously held the spotlight, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. One customer bailed more than 50 largemouths—mostly 10- to 16-inchers—in two days at Dredge Harbor while fishing with crank baits and plastic lizards on a Carolina rig. Another picked up 11 largemouths to 14 inches while tossing nightcrawlers at the rock pile at the Neshaminy Marina. The Trenton power plant area and Tullytown Cove attracted a bunch of smaller largemouths, small striped bass and catfish. Trout were stocked at Wissahickon Creek on Wednesday and at Pennypack Creek on Monday. All the fish reported caught were 10- or 11-inch rainbows, and most got attracted to wax worms, Power Baits and spinners. Levittown Lake will be stocked Monday, and Core Creek will get a fresh batch next week on Friday.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

The only real action came from the Delaware River, where Mike Riffert banked a 6-pound channel cat, James Regemann nailed a 9-pound walleye and Paul Montgomery took down a 20-pound 9-ounce striped bass, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. The week was slower at Merrell Creek Reservoir.

Everybody was honing in on the trout stocking, said Adrian at <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville. Hot spots will be the Big Flatbrook, the Pequest and the Rockaway River, and pink Power Baits will work best to fool the hatchery fish. One of the dams at the Musconetcong River was removed, allowing trout to swim freely upstream.

Trout anglers hit the Pequest with streamers and egg patterns to play rainbows to 18 inches, said Kevin at <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. The Rockaway River, Black River and Musconetcong River were also good bets, and try fishing fathead minnows and Rapalas in sizes 5 and 7 to catch the bigger breeders. Largemouth bass began to be more cooperative at the small quarry ponds, and the fish moved to deeper waters in 10 to 12 feet. Use suspending crank baits such as Husky Jerks, now that the weeds were mostly gone.

Trollers were rewarded with walleyes to 6 pounds and hybrid striped bass, quality catches, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. The ridge was the most productive place to drag Rapala Shad Raps in 16-foot depths for a hook-up. Pickerel and occasional muskellunge could be drilled off the weed lines on shiners or Mepps bucktail spinners. Waters were 62 degrees, and when they drop to 60, the lake should start to flip over, launching jig fishing in the deep for walleyes and hybrids. November 2 will be the last day for boat rentals at Dow’s.

Culver’s Lake was a go-to locale for hybrid striped bass, smallmouth bass and pickerel, said Tom at <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. He hooked all of them on herring and fathead minnows in the evening. The Paulinskill and North Branch of the Raritan rivers were the prime trout streams, and Power Baits and phoebes were hard to beat.

Round Valley Reservoir seemed to give up the best shot at trout, namely rainbows and browns that sucked up shiners in 35-foot depths, said Frank from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Merrill Creek Reservoir also offered trout, and a 6-pound brown and 4- to 5-pound lakers were weighed in from the impoundment. Persistent anglers still located hybrid striped bass that chased down live herring at Spruce Run Reservoir, especially during the evenings. The state’s fall trout stocking began yesterday and will be made up of 20,000 brooks, browns and rainbows averaging 14 to 16 inches, weighing 1½  to 2 pounds, that will be distributed at 16 streams and 16 lakes and ponds statewide. Approximately 1,000 exceptionally large rainbow broodstock, measuring 17 to 20 inches and weighing 3 to 5 pounds, will be mixed in with each truckload.

Trout fishers were ready to rumble with the stocking, said Ron at <b>Ray’s Sport Shop</b> in North Plainfield. At Ken Lockwood Gorge size-8 brook trout streamers will hang brown trout, and size-18 Griffith’s gnats will do a number on rainbows at the Pequest. Also look for the Musconetcong River to be a top producer.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

The South Branch of the Raritan River put out a mix of rainbow trout and smallmouth bass, said Bert from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Small, size-18 bead-headed nymphs stuck both, and Dean Dempsey fished the South Branch with a Panther Martin spinner to battle a 6.8-pound, 32-inch northern pike. The shop is holding a 20-percent-discount sale on all Orvis fly rods. Stop on in for a great deal!

Lake Riviera was probably the most reliable spot, said Jeff at <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Largemouth bass to 2 1/2 pounds, yellow perch and chain pickerel hammered shiners and nightcrawlers. The Dump Pond off Church Road in Toms River held a good show of large pickerel to 2 pounds eager to feed on shiners.

Although the Delaware River’s smallmouth bass fishing was slowing down a bit, the bronzebacks still actively attacked, said Sean from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. The Lambertville area seemed to hold the largest concentration, and the smallies whacked tubes and Senkos. Largemouth bass fought feisty at Lake Assunpink and Rising Sun Lake, and drop-shotted Senkos worked best in the afternoons, while buzz baits drew more attention in the mornings.

Smallmouth bass were streaking lines on the Delaware River from Trenton to the Water Gap, said Carl from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Offerings ranged from Zara Spooks and Zara Puppies to 4-inch rainbow trout Fin-S fished Texas-style and black, brown or white wooly buggers in size 10. The bite was aggressive in the mornings, but the chew lasted all day long.

<b>South Jersey</b>

The creek mouths were home to plenty of smallmouth bass, said Rick at <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Big Timber Creek, Woodbury Creek and Mantua Creek were all productive for smallies to 18 inches that smacked lipless crank baits, jig-n-pig combos and Spro shads. A few largemouth bass were mixed in, but better largemouth fishing went down at Grenwich Lake. Top-waters worked around the edges did the deed. Wilson Lake doled out decent crappie fishing on small, curly tailed grubs.

Collins Lakes were the one real solid largemouth bet, said Joe from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood. One customer dusted up a half-dozen bigmouths to 3 1/2 pounds and some big chain pickerel to 3 pounds on shiners. Blackwood Lake was a happening place to pull out one sunfish after another, especially to get the kids on the action. Use garden worms for a sure-fire strike.

Bass anglers picked away at bigmouths at Oak Pond and Wilson Lake, and shiners were a top bait, said Lou from the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Trout anglers eagerly anticipated the stocking set for this coming Tuesday at Hammonton Lake, Giampetro Park Pond and Mary Elmer Lake.

Most lakes were yet to turn over, said Jeff from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. But once they do, largemouth bass will feed in the deeper waters of impoundments such as Blackwood Lake, Wilson Lake and Grenloch Lake. Load up with Rat-L-Traps, Senkos and deep-diving crank baits such as Husky Jerks to reach the depths.

Striped bass fishing was really heating up on the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Customers cast live peanut bunker on high tides to bank plenty of shorts but sometimes keepers to 32 inches. This could really be the start of something good, and next week should be a peak time, as water temps drop by the night, and the full moon arrives, Ki said.

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