<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Ice covered the entire Great Sacandaga Lake by Friday, and currently only 4 inches covered the main lake, but 6 inches lay on the bays, and anglers fished on them, said Louie from <b>Fuel-n-Food</b> in Mayfield.  Smaller lakes held more ice, such as the 8 inches on Mayfield Lake. So the ice, including at the bays on the big lake, became fishable, but use caution. Perch bit well, and some anglers scored walleyes, including a few decent marble eyes to 22 inches and a few limits. Icicles and small shiners seemed to rack up the most success. Splake fishing turned out good catches, including limits, at Caroga Lake on the same baits. Anglers used temporary ice shanties on the fishable waters, and the ice wasn’t stable enough for permanent ones so far. Snowmobiles began to be driven on the thicker ice. No snow covered the hard waters, and the cover was simply pure, black ice that allowed anglers to see the catches being reeled up. People ice skated, and be sure to use creepers. All the baits mentioned and more are stocked, and Fuel-n-Food carries a full supply of ice-fishing tackle and gear, probably the largest selection in stock in the area. Plus the shop is a convenience store, serves breakfast and lunch and sells all types of fuel, and is located near plenty of accommodations, not to mention fishing.

<b>Salmon River</b>

Another foot of snow fell, and the weather was cold, but the river’s steelhead fishing was turning out to be a banner season, said Victor from Altmar’s <b>Fish and Ride NY</b>, a rental rancher for anglers. The best reports about catches came from the upper river from Altmar to Pineville. That’s where guides like to float, but don’t be afraid to try fishing through the entire river, because you could hit a sweet spot all to yourself. The fish seemed willing to wallop any of the usual baits, but egg sacks, trout beads, pink worms and assorted flies were top choices. Fish and Ride NY offers a rental rancher with all the amenities for anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Stay the weekend or a week, and the staff can recommend fishing guides and other services.

The upriver stretches at Altmar and Pineville held the best steelheading, said Simon from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The fish averaged 3 to 5 pounds, but a few 8- to 10-pounders occasionally came up, and a good day would give up a half-dozen fish. Wax worms now started being used for bait, and simply float them downriver with a single BB split shot. The river ran at a very fishable 750 CFS.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Two feet of snow fell on the area, making fishing difficult, said Carl from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. But anglers should be out on the Delaware River this week, casting shiners to largemouth bass around Dredge Harbor, or dropping down fathead minnows north of Trenton and around Bulls Island for walleyes.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Trout fishing was the best game around, and the Big Flatbrook and smaller, feeder creeks were the places to grab rainbows on the feed, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Roostertails or drifted, pink Power Baits got hook ups.

Good news: Skim ice formed on the main part of the lake, and 1 to 2 inches even covered the Woodport and state park sections, said Laurie at <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. If winds die down this week, fishable ice could be possible by the weekend. The store is fully loaded with ice-fishing gear and live bait, and anglers eagerly waited.

Ice-fishing season officially kicked off! said Mark from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Barry Lake, a few of the Vernon lakes and the coves of Upper Greenwood Lake all held 3 to 5 inches, and some anglers got out on them. Always use particular caution on the first ice of the year, and as a rule of thumb, don’t tread on anything less than 5 inches. Another big freeze could really lock up those spots. The shop’s offering 10 percent off all waders and fishing rods in stock. So stop on in!

Round Valley Reservoir was the most happening fishing locale, said Steve from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Waters at the boat launch and along the shore of Ranger’s Cove attracted plenty of rainbows and browns. Cast out marshmallow and meal worm combos for a tug from the rainbows and shiners or even nightcrawlers to target the browns.

Trips fished before the blizzard with <b>Skylands Anglers</b> from Clinton, Bill Hoffman said. Snow melt probably now made the trout streams run high, but the fishing with Skylands before the storm found a couple of midge hatches to fish toward the end of the day. That will be the dry fly action during the cold months, but smaller nymphs will often do the trick otherwise. Fish them low and slow in the deeper pools where the fish gather at this time of year. Skylands also gave surf fishing a shot at Sandy Hook just before the snowstorm, but no striped bass showed up, and that fishing was probably finished for the year at long last. Skylands Angler guides fly-fishing trips for trout on the Musconetcong and Pequest rivers and Ken Lockwood Gorge. Bill aims to teach anglers, whether beginners or advanced, how to fish the rivers, even so they can come back and catch on their own. That includes fly selection, how to fish the flies, casting lessons and all aspects. He also offers fly trips for other freshwater fish, like pike, hybrid striped bass, carp and largemouth bass. Plus he guides trips in the ocean and bay surf during the spring and fall migrations at Sandy Hook and Island Beach State Park with both conventional and fly tackle.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Trout fishing was the most consistent angling, said Amy from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Mike from the shop fished the Pequest River with small nymphs, pulling on a steady supply of rainbows to 16 inches. Ken Lockwood Gorge should also be a hot spot for trout, and pheasant-tail nymphs, hare’s ear nymphs and caddis larvae patterns should work. Be sure to catch the shop’s fly-tying demo on January 2.

Chain pickerel kept customers busy, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. The Trilco stretch of the Toms River and Lake Riviera were top producers, and shiners or fathead minnows got the job done. A few reports rolled in about trout hitting Power Baits in the Manasquan and Toms rivers.

Before skim ice prevented fishing on Lake Assunpink and Gropp’s Lake, crappies and yellow perch chewed on shiners there, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. If anglers could find a hole in the fringe ice and thread the needle with a smart cast, they could still get both fish to slam a shiner on a float. Chain pickerel were active in the Pine Barrens ponds, and shiners can always fit the bill to get them to strike. On the Delaware River, target the warm-water discharges to find striped bass, walleyes or smallmouth bass willing to chase down Yozuri Emperor Minnows and Rapala Countdowns.

If anglers could get up to the northern streams, they’d load up on trout, said Bob at the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The Pequest River, Paulinskill River and the South Branch of the Raritan River offered them up, and rainbows to 3 pounds inhaled wooly buggers, egg patterns and WD-40 patterns. A formidable crappie bite was on the take at Carnegie Lake, and hair jigs tipped with yellow or black grub tails or Gulp maggots put up double digits of the fish for lucky anglers.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Winter trout fishing kept anglers catching, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Haddon Lake, Grenwich Lake and Mullica Hill Pond doled out good numbers of the fish on nightcrawlers and Power Baits. Chain pickerel could be wrestled at most of the Pine Barrens ponds, and shiners were best baits. Rumors said striped bass were still caught around the piers on the Delaware River on bloodworms.

Anglers who wanted to pull on pickerel could head to spots such as Malaga Lake or Iona Lake, said Lou from the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Wing out a shiner or a fathead minnow to dead-stick. Or cast a Rapala Countdown for a more active approach.

Everything was locked up with an inch of ice, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Fishing the open waters at the spillways at places such as Parvin Lake or Rainbow Lake was about the only option. Largemouth bass, pickerel or yellow perch were the possible catches, and a minnow under a float or a nightcrawler fished on the bottom were some ways to go. But anglers could also fish the moving, open waters of the non-tidal, upper Maurice River for trout or pickerel with minnows or the tidal, lower river for white perch on baits like grass shrimp or bloodworms.

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