<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Six to 18 inches of ice remained on the lake, and fishing through the hard water should be possible another four weeks, said Ron from <b>FISH307.com</b> at Lake George. Some of the areas around docks and shoreline sections were open water, and anglers needed a plank to get out on the ice. Yellow perch began to move to the beds in the coves, and Harris Bay and Veterans Park were solid for a steady pull of the fish on small jigs tipped with mousies or spikes. Lake trout were tough to catch lately, but 5- to 6-pound landlocked salmon eagerly sucked down shiners toward Pilot Knob and Crown Island. A few ice-fishing tournaments will take place this weekend.

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river’s steelhead fishing impressed anglers, said Eric at <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Mid-river and downstream at areas like the Sportsman’s Hole and the Paper Mill were best. The flow ran at 500 CFS, and 15 to 25 hook-ups per trip was average. The steelies weighed 8 to 12 pounds, but a few were 14 pounds or larger, and the fish gobbled up trout beads in Glow Roe and Berkley 3-inch trout worms in bubble gum. A few brown trout inhaled the trout beads.

A new drift boat arrived, and Paul Auguscinski from <b>SAS Guide Service</b> from Pulaski spent most of the weekend drifting the river to check it out, but a few steelheads managed to be caught from the vessel, he said. The fish were spread throughout the river, and deeper holes like at the Schoolhouse and at the Wires held lots, and the Altmar area got lots of pressure. On colder days slush was a factor on the lower river.  SAS Guide Service spin fishes for salmon, steelheads and trophy trout on wade and drift-boat trips, and enjoys teaching anglers the techniques that will help them learn how to hook up themselves, so they can even return to catch on their own. Time is running out: A special rate of two anglers for the price of one is available until March 15.

No trips fished the river, and frankly the economy kept business a little slow. But Bill Ferman from <b>High Hook Guide Service</b> from Pulaski drove across the short bridge, and an angler was hooked up, he said. Steelheads filled the river, and rates for guided trips, lodging and services like meals are actually some of the most economical, hands down. Water levels and fishing conditions were fine, and daytimes were about 29 or 30 degrees and were in the single digits or low teens in the mornings. The lower river often slushed up in the mornings, grabbing fishing lines, making it difficult to reach the bottom, and also potentially slowing down the fish until the day warmed up. But otherwise the river was completely fishable. Egg sacks in different colors, stoneflies and estez flies will get bites, and matching the hatch isn’t the key, but trying different flies until one works is. Steelheading usually lasts until the end of April but during some years continues during part of May, if waters stay cool. Few anglers usually fish for them in May, becoming busy with other things, like turkey hunting. High Hook both wades and drift-boats for salmon, steelheads and trophy brown and rainbow trout with both spinning gear and fly rods. Ask about winter steelhead rates!

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Ice became out at Levittown Lake and Lake Luxemborg, said Bruce from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. Trout anglers now cast Power Bait from the shorelines of the lakes to connect. Ponds farther north in the Poconos still held plenty of ice, if anglers were Jonesing to hit the hard water. Ice flows disappeared from the Delaware River, and the river at Dredge Harbor should give up yellow perch on fathead minnows and small jigs. Pickerel pursuers headed to the ponds around Batsto, dunking shiners.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

The ice became a bit softer on ponds and lakes, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. But anglers pulled a good show of perch and largemouth bass through the holes at Longwood Lake. Solid ice still covered Lake Hopatcong, and pickerel and perch were on tap there. The Sussex County ponds were ice-fishable. Trout anglers hit the Pequest and Musconetcong rivers for catches on black stoneflies.

Loss of ice around some of the lake’s shoreline caused the Knee Deep Club to postpone its ice-fishing tournament during the weekend, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong.  The contest is rescheduled for Sunday, March 1. The Woodport area of the lake was the safest spot to fish, and other areas off the main lake were accessible if a plank was used to get there, and the ice was about 8 inches. Pickerel and perch were taken out of Great Cove, and small walleyes were tricked-up off Nolan’s Point. Justin McCarthy weighed in a 3-pound 14-ounce pickerel, and his brother Daniel scored a 4.2-pound chainsider, and both were caught at Davis Cove on shiners.

Greenwood Lake was slamming for ice fishing on 8 inches of cover, said Al from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Al and Mark from the shop fished the lake, jigging 66 yellow perch on Kastmasters in blue and chrome, tackling four pickerel that pounced shiners on tip-ups to boot. Green Turtle Pond put out a smattering of perch and pickerel, and Lake Musconetcong dished up perch and crappies. The River Styx section of Lake Hopatcong also shoveled out plenty of perch and crappies.

Spruce Run Reservoir and Round Valley Reservoir no longer held safe ice, said Chris from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b> in Lebanon. But that meant shoreline anglers at Round Valley could target trout easier with Power Bait and shiners. Most ice hounds focused on Lake Hopatcong, trying out Great Cove and the Woodport section for pickerel and perch that fed on wax worms on small Mud-Bug jigs. Look for trout fishing to pick up on the South Branch of the Raritan River this week, and throw small, size-16, beadheaded nymphs.

Bill Hoffman from <b>Skylands Angler</b> from Clinton fly-rodded brown trout at Ken Lockwood Gorge on Sunday, he said. The water level was a little high but was coming down, getting back to normal, and fishing seemed to be picking up with the warmer weather than before. If no adverse conditions like too much rains come through, catches should be good until trout fishing closes a moment starting on March 23 for stocking. Size-16 pheasant-tail nymphs and size-18 midges worked well, and the fishing was dependant on slowing down the drift as much as possible, so the flies swam naturally along the bottom of the river that flows less rapidly than the top. More anglers than before seemed to be fishing, probably tired of cabin fever, a good thing. This time of the year is probably one of the better ones for trouting. Compare now with the summer like in late July and in August, when warm, shallow waters make fishing tough for the cold-water trout.  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’s also available for trips for other fish like largemouth bass, if anglers want to fly rod for them. Skylands Angler fishes all year long, including for trout in winter. Winter can be a prime time for the cold-water fish, and the streams can be less pressured by anglers, making the trout less wary.

Trouters played plenty of the fish at the Pequest and Musconetcong rivers, said Mike from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Average trips nabbed three to five trout, and small, size-20 stoneflies worked. The North Branch of the Raritan River was also a solid bet for trouting. The ice at Round Valley Reservoir’s swimming area became unsafe to fish, but could re-freeze enough for the weekend with chilly weather forecast.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Walleye fishing gained steam on the Delaware River, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville, and from Lambertville northward was the place to grab the strikes on twister tails and fathead minnows on jigs. The Assunpink Wildlife Management Area Lakes no longer provided safe ice, but shore-based anglers cast shiners at Lake Assunpink itself to pick out largemouth bass, yellow perch and pickerel. Heads up: Catch Capt. Bill Veldof’s seminar on shad fishing at the shop today.

Ice was out on the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area lakes, said Bob at the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. But anglers plied the Fort Dix ponds and Levittown Lake for trout, largemouth bass and yellow perch. Walleye fishing improved on the Delaware River, and try for them from Scudder’s Falls to Lambertville with fathead minnows on jigs.

Now that ice was gone from the lakes, fishing really picked up, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Cedarville Lake, Mary Elmer Lake and Sunset Lake were prime locations to latch into a largemouth bass on a Rat-L-Trap or a Redeye Shad. Or head to the Maurice River, Cumberland Pond or the Menantico Ponds to punch a pickerel on a shiner or a crank bait. Crappies smacked small fathead minnows and 2-inch tubes at Lake Lenape and the Salem Canal. White perch finally opened their mouths at both the Maurice and the Great Egg Harbor rivers, and yellow perch could be creamed at Sunset Lake. Both species were willing to chomp small shiners or nightcrawlers.

The Maurice River got an injection of white perch activity, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. The slabs feasted on frozen grass shrimp and nightcrawlers underneath bobbers, and higher tides were most productive.

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