<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

The flow on the Salmon River finally dropped to a manageable 1,800 CFS, said Eric at <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Bank anglers fishing with nightcrawlers or stoneflies scored plenty of steelheads around Pineville, and drift-boaters along Altmar to the Two-Way Bridge averaged two to four of the fish per outing. The steelies weighed 4 to 6 pounds, and were occasionally larger. Decent brown trouting also went down, and the 5-pounders were willing to inhale nightcrawlers.

With the river dropping to 1,800 CFS, half the flow of before, conditions for fishing were a lot better, said Bill Ferman from <b>High Hook Guide Service</b> from Pulaski. A trip Saturday banked two steelheads and lost a couple, and also fished one of the creeks, landing two small rainbow trout and a 5-pound brown. The creeks also dropped to a reasonable level. Oodles of steelheads swam the river, and the fishing should last a bit, lingering behind usual, if anything. April is usually the peak. Many steelies hovered around the upper river at the hatchery, and they’ve got to drop back down at some point. Bill’s a fan of egg sacks when spin-fishing, and he also uses nightcrawlers at this time of year. His fly anglers throw patterns like estaz flies and stoneflies in spring.  High Hook both wades and drift-boats for salmon, steelheads and trophy brown and rainbow trout with both spinning gear and fly rods.

High waters and steelhead spawning somewhat slowed the river’s fishing, but drop-back steelies, fish that spawned then headed back toward Lake Ontario, were caught, said Paul Auguscinski from <b>SAS Guide Service</b> from Pulaski. Once the flow eases and water temps rise to the 40s, very good catches should turn on. The river was supposed to remain at 1,800 CFS until this Friday. A spey-rod trip with friend and Orvis guide  Walt Geryk on Monday produced two solid hook-ups that were lost and a couple of pulls on flies on the river’s upper fly zone. Anglers who fished with egg flies and sucker-spawn patterns had the best success. Paul fished a Catskill stream during the weekend. 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>

Striped bass made a monstrous push up the Delaware River, and reports about catches rolled in from all over, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. One customer stuck 70 of the linesiders from 18 to 29 inches on bloodworms and clams. Another landed a 36-inch 22-pounder that bit a bloodworm. Larger linesiders were sometimes taken off Station Avenue, and 18 to 38 inches was the average length. Other go-to locales included Camac Street, Linden Avenue and Princeton Avenue. A good number of slot-caliber fish around 20 to 26 inches seemed to hang out. The river at Rancocas Creek in the 8- to 15-foot depths was stacked with bass to 28 inches, and chunked herring worked better there. Shad fishing was under way at a steady clip, with an average of four to eight fish per outing at spots such as Washington’s Crossing, Yardley and up to Easton. The majority still seemed to be smaller bucks, but Capt. Deiter Scheel copped a pull of roe fish to 5 pounds in the Lambertville area. Pink and orange spoons worked best. Walleye anglers found their fare at the wing dam in New Hope on an assortment of twister tails, Rapalas, bucktails, minnows and nightcrawlers. Walleye fishing is catch-and-release only through April 30. A few smallmouth bass were mixed in.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Small buck shad were scattered throughout the Delaware River at Easton, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. Channel catfish scarfed up dead baits in the Phillipsburg section. Bushkill Creek turned up a mess of trout. Mike Cassidy grabbed a 4-pound palomino trout, and Tony Thomas creeled a 3-pound 12-ounce rainbow. Ron Keyser drilled a 3-pound palomino, and John Rasley pummeled a 3.8-pound ‘bow.

Trout season started with a bang, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. The Rockaway River was home to larger trout that ate up salted minnows. Lake Musconetcong was a place to sock stockers on Power Bait and small spinners. Russia Brook held good numbers of trout that nibbled garden worms. On another front, chain pickerel were really hungry at Lake Hopatcong. Kevin slammed a 28 incher on a grub-tailed jig.

Crappie fishing was going strong on the lake, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. The Brady Bridge area attracted the specks that nipped small jigs tipped with fathead minnows. Boaters worked deeper waters with Rapala ice-fishing jigs to hammer crappies and smallmouth bass. Kevin Scanlon caught, weighed and released a 4-pound 12-ounce smallmouth. Remember that largemouth and smallmouth bass seasons close today through June 15, but catch-and-release fishing is legal. Fred Nitek released a quality catch of walleyes, although that season is closed. The opening of trout season produced a 3-pound brownie on a small spinner for A.J. Lambert. Eddie Mackin tangled with a 2-1/2-pound brownie that smacked a small, blue-and-silver, floating Rapala. Most trout were taken from Great Cove.

Big, breeder trout 4 to 6 pounds greeted anglers at Barber’s Pond on opening day of the season on Saturday, said Al from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Other decent first-day producers included the Walkill River, where Al landed a stringer-full on Power Bait and nightcrawlers, and the Pequannock River, where John Panici limited out.

Downpours made opening morning of trout season a little sluggish, said Chris from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. But by the afternoon participation picked up. The Clinton Falls section of the South Branch of the Raritan River turned out four rainbows for Tom Peck, and there were plenty of anglers with trout on the stringers below the falls. Small, bead-headed nymphs out-fished Power Baits and worms. Spruce Run Creek served up a pick of trout through the afternoon hours.

Bill Hoffman from <b>Skylands Angler</b> from Clinton fished all day on the opening of trout season, despite rains, and also went after the fish the next day, he said. The rains actually kept crowds from building, unusual for the opener. He and friends that day probably reeled in 40 trout apiece, all rainbows, from Manny’s Pond at Hoffman Park in Union Township in Hunterdon County. Bill tossed a little of everything from spinners to Wooly Buggers, and a couple of bass also attacked. On the next day he fished the Musconetcong River, especially to duck out of strong winds, with spinners and Wooly Buggers on a dead drift with a strike indicator. The method just worked, was great, he said. Brook trout were the catch there. Apparently the state stocked the cold-water rainbows and brookies in the pond and river, holding off on stocking brown trout that are more resilient in warmer waters. Bill explained that brookies thrive best in cold waters, have less tolerance for warmth, and rainbows are somewhat more resilient in warmer waters, and browns are most resilient. The river’s water level wasn’t bad, was better than Bill expected, and the waters ran clear. He thinks trout anglers are in for good fishing, especially because of the stockers. Bill’s also anticipating surf fishing for striped bass and bluefish soon, and also guides those trips. When the migration is passing through, he’ll fish the suds almost daily. Besides surf fishing, 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 trips for other freshwater fish, like pike, hybrids, carp and largemouth bass, if anglers want to fly rod for them.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Some quality trout hit the scales, said Mike from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Nicole Kolodziej checked in a 2.3-pound brookie she bagged on the Black River. Another customer showed off a 2.2-pound brook that came from the North Branch of the Raritan on a Roostertail. The South Branch of the Raritan produced a limit of rainbows to 16 inches for one customer, who tossed out butterworms. Shad and walleye action amped up on the Delaware River, and darts and flutter spoons hung both in the New Hope section.

First day trouters scored well on the Metedonk River on Panther Martin lures, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Spring Lake dished out a few larger trout on Power Bait. Perch, pickerel and crappie fishing heated up on the Toms River at Trilco, Lester’s Lake, the Winding River and Lake Riviera. Killies clobbered the crappies and perch, and medium-sized Mepps bucktails tempted the pickerel to strike.

Striped bass swiped live herring on the Delaware River from Tacony to Trenton, said Frank from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. The linesiders followed herring schools up the river, so a live herring was almost a guaranteed lock for a hook-up. Shad pounced flutter spoons around the Trenton power plant area. Lake Assunpink and Gropp’s Lake were safe bets for a few largemouth bass, and trout catches were steady in the D&R Canal. Power Baits and gold meal worms were the ticket for plenty of the trout.

Striped bass were on the prowl in the Delaware River from Burlington to Trenton, said Carl from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Live herring and bloodworms connected, and some of the fish taped out to 42 inches. Trout chased down Phoebe and Roostertail lures in the Pequest River, Musconetcong River and the D&R Canal.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Striped bass fishing exploded in the Delaware River, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Anglers at stretches such as at National Park, the DOD, the mouth of Big Timber Creek and the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge whacked up to 10 catches per day, linesiders to 45 inches, on bloodworms. Nighttimes seemed best for the larger fish or 20-plus-pounders. Trouters picked away at the fish at Mullica Hill Pond and Haddon Lake, and crappie anglers played the specks on grubs on the Cooper River.

Trout fishing was pretty good, considering all the rains, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood. Joe Vasquez mugged a 1-pound 13-ounce rainbow that attacked a spinner at Grenloch Lake. A healthy show of 4- to 6-pound breeders came from Rowan Pond. Lots of breeders were allocated to Rowan. Greenwich Lake was the scene of serious trouting, with the stockers pounding wax worms and spinners.

Opening day of trout season was a success, said Lou from <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Limits of the fish were nabbed at spots such as Oak Pond, Grenloch Lake and Rowan Pond, and Rowan offered up hefty breeders to 5 pounds. Meal worms and Power Baits did most of the work. Lake Lenape held a sustained herring and crappie fishery. The herring chased after small, gold jigs, and the crappies drilled small, chartreuse hair jigs.

Bank anglers bagged striped bass from the Delaware River at Elsinboro Point, said Matt from <b>Shag’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Salem. The regs allow bass to be kept at Elsinboro, because it’s below the cutoff line at Salem. On some days 15 to 20 keepers were tackled, and on other days only shorts bit. Bloodworms were best bait, and white perch and catfish started to be in the mix.

Most local rivers ran high and muddy for the opening day of trout season, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. But lots of anglers had luck on the Maurice River on nightcrawlers and meal worms. The Maurice also gave up striped bass, and bloodworms were the bait of choice. Head to Union Lake for quality smallmouth bass fishing, but remember the fishing is catch and release for now.

Striped bass kept moving up the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. They followed herring schools that made an even bigger push upstream than before. Bring Sabiki rigs to catch the herring, then liveline them back to the waiting bass.

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