<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Hard-water hounds had a blast on the lake’s ice, said Ron at <b>FISH307.com</b> in Lake George. Fourteen inches of snow covered the ice, so it became best to stay on worn down paths to get to the holes. Yellow perch hit super-small offerings, including Rat Finkie and Northland Mud Bug jigs tipped with mousies, spikes and wax worms. Huddle Bay and the surrounding coves were better spots for the slabs. Landlocked salmon inhaled icicles off the beach areas on the south end, including Paulist Fathers beach and near Phelps Island. Lake trout hung in 70- to 90-foot depths, and suckers or sizes 7 to 9 Swedish Pimples worked well to trick them up. One angler jigged a 14-pound northern pike from Basin Bay.

<b>Salmon River</b>

Steelhead fishing held up, said Suzanne at <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Most anglers worked the river’s upper stretches to snatch two to six fish a day that weighed 6 to 12 pounds. The Town Pool was a fairly hot spot. When a day was relatively warm, mornings produced best, and when the weather was frigid, mid afternoons, when the sun heated the day the most, were key. Egg sacks, pink bubblegum worms and nightcrawlers fished on float rigs got the most strikes. Ice anglers headed to Sandy Pond, pulling up all sorts of panfish and pike. Walleye anglers drilled holes at Lake Oneida to put a stringer together.

Fishing remained exceptional on the river, with a flow of 750 CFS and warm weather in the 30s, said Paul Auguscinski from <b>SAS Guide Service</b> from Pulaski. He hoped anglers would take advantage while the bite was on. The higher waters kept steelheads swimming up the Salmon from Lake Ontario, and fresh ones to 13 pounds gathered in the middle part of the river. Blue and purple eggs worked especially well to grab hits in the past couple of days. Brown trout fishing was unusually outstanding, and 18 browns were landed on a trip Monday, “and it’s February – go figure,” he said. Most browns usually migrate up the river in fall, but some remain through winter. But this was a lot of browns for winter. Anglers with SAS usually hooked the browns around gravelly areas and in the deeper spots, and trout beads and egg sacks connected. Ice fishing at Sandy Pond was steady for perch, pike and occasionally walleyes during the weekend. <b><i>*** Heads up: ***</b> Two trips for the price of one, at the single-angler rate, are available until March 15, so bring a buddy for trophy steelhead fishing. What a deal!</i> 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.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

The Delaware River was virtually unfishable, because large pieces of chunk ice choked up the waters, said Bruce from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. But once the moves through, Dredge Harbor should be ripe with yellow perch action. It’s been an ice thing on angler’s minds lately, Bruce said. Ice angling at Lake Luxemborg offered plenty of yellow perch, crappies, bluegills and trout that ate up meal worms and shiners. Levittown Lake’s ice fishing produced mainly trout, and the hard water at Marsh Creek Lake was alive with crappie and bluegills. More adventurous anglers traveled to the Poconos to fish waters such as Sir Francis Walter Lake for big pickerel and yellow perch. Pocono-area lakes were thick with ice covering.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Lake Hopatcong and Budd Lake were the two main ice-fishing playgrounds, said Dom from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. At Hopatcong walleyes were sometimes brought up off the deeper points, and yellow perch and chain pickerel stayed in the 5- to 14-foot shallows, and shiners took all species. Budd Lake sacrificed a steady catch of northern pike hitting shiners. Use heavier, 20-pound leader or even stronger when specifically targeting the toothy critters.

Several large channel catfish were caught in deeper waters, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Jim Archambault whacked a monster, fat cat of 18 pounds 1 ounce on a jig, and Tony Alaurio hammered an 8-pound 13-ouncer on a shiner. Another channel close to 10 pounds was also taken on a jig. A smorgasbord of bass, pickerel, perch and crappies smacked jigs and live bait in the Woodport section, and a slower, but consistent pick of larger fish could be found at spots such as Great Cove and near Nolan’s Point. Mark the calendar for the Knee Deep Club’s second ice-fishing tournament of the season on Sunday, February 15. Sign ups can be taken at Dow’s until 8 a.m. that same day. For more info, anglers can call the shop at 973-663-3826, or check Knee Deep’s web site.

Take your pick of ice-fishing spots, said Al from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Lake Hopatcong turned up perch and pickerel in the River Styx area and across from Dow’s Boat Rentals. Greenwood Lake served up large yellow perch in the deeper, 30-foot waters near the New York side. At Lake Musconetcong shallow waters shoveled out a steady selection of perch, crappies and pickerel. At Cranbury Lake anglers found a pickerel fiesta, and shiners didn’t stand a chance. Highland Lake was a grand perch hangout, with big numbers coming up on mousies impaled on blue and chrome Kastmaster jigs. Al and a friend jigged there, bailing 40 perch.

Although the main part of Round Valley Reservoir was open waters, anglers stood on the ice at the swimming area to tangle with largemouth bass and pickerel, said John from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Shiners got both to feed. Spruce Run Reservoir produced a few 8- to 10-pound northern pike for ice anglers who dropped down shiners in the coves. Not much action might be scored on a day out, but when a flag did pop, the fish was usually sizeable. 

Trout streams ran a little high and dirty from precipitation and snow melt, and the weather like this week’s snowstorm wasn’t the most inviting for angling, said Bill Hoffman from <b>Skylands Angler</b> from Clifton. But trout fishing was still possible, and the smaller streams and creeks were probably a better bet, simply because of wading safety, because of factors like ice forming. Bill took advantage of weather that kept most trouters indoors by tying flies for later this year. He actually tied streamers for saltwater fishing, including the Puglisi baitfish, one of his favorites, because he also guides in the surf at places including Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook and Island Beach State Park. He looked forward to striped bass fishing in the wash in spring. See the fly-tying page on Skylands’ web site to check out the Puglisi. Although fly fishing for trout was mostly at a standstill in the week’s weather, at least warmer days than before seemed a trend, and March was right around the corner. 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’s a prime time for the cold-water fish, and the streams are less pressured by anglers, making the trout less wary.

While many anglers headed to Round Valley to play with perch and pickerel through the ice at the swimming area, trout could be caught at some of the local streams, said Mike from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. The South Branch of the Raritan River ran clear and flowed well, and yellow egg flies, green Caddis imitations and zebra midges in sizes 18 to 20 hooked fish to 3 pounds plus. Pete Pepperoni flung a wooly bugger along the Califon stretch of the South Branch, coming up with a 23-1/2-inch, 4-3/4-pound brook trout.

<b>South Jersey</b>

The Assunpink Wildlife Management Area Lakes were a main focus for ice fishing for largemouth bass, pickerel and perch, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. But be careful, because warmer weather might’ve especially thinned out the ice on the smaller Rising Sun and Stone Tavern lakes. Trout anglers ran to Ken Lockwood Gorge to pluck out quality rainbows, brooks and brownies that chased down Roostertails and Yozuri Pins Minnows. Catches ranged from one to five fish per outing.

All three Assunpink lakes dished out ice action, said Tony from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Lake Assunpink gave up more largemouths, while Stone Tavern and Rising Sun lakes produced a mess of yellow perch and crappies. Shiners and Mud Bug jigs tipped with wax worms were happening baits for all. Lake Mercer was a go-to place for crappies, and Carnegie Lake was a fairly consistent hangout for largemouth bass, all through the ice.

The windows were open Monday at <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Mystic Island, the report on the shop’s web site said. Despite the snowstorm on Tuesday, temperatures that reached the high 50s before then sealed the fate of ice fishing for white perch on Collins Cove on the Mullica River for now. One small clump of ice was left on the cove during the weekend. Temps would need to drop to the teens to form enough ice for the fishing again. But if the waters stay clear, boating for the perch or fishing from the banks for them will be an option. Live grass shrimp, the best bait for the whiteys and a scarce one in winter, are stocked, and Scott catches them himself. Bloodworms are also carried, and minnows are usually on hand, and both could also attract perch.

Any ice that was mildly safe thinned out in the warmer weather, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Anglers might have to wait for it to melt completely to fish the lakes again. In the meantime anglers could focus on the Maurice River for white perch fishing, and the area below the Union Lake Dam should hold enough to keep busy. Try throwing out frozen grass shrimp or livelining small minnows to get a take.

If you’ve got cabin fever and want to pull on just anything, catfish were willing to bend a rod along the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Stink baits and dough baits fished on the bottom scored catfish during the daytime. Anglers waited for a good show of white perch to move in, and that could happen any day.

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