<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river, flowing at 500 CFS, was full of steelheads, and great catches of them were blasted Monday and Tuesday with <b>Salmon River Guide</b> from Pulaski, Capt. Shane Thomas said. Trips drift-boated the upper river, avoiding slush in the lower river, and anglers aboard nabbed the steelies on floated beads. Winds blew, and the days were cold, tough weather in the past days. But the weather is supposed to warm this week. Not much snow fell in the last week, but lots of snow blanketed the area this season. The snow, though, was surprisingly beaten down along the river’s banks, and anglers on foot had definite access to the fishing. Not a lot of anglers fished the river, but more turned up during the past couple of days, as the weather began to improve.

Customers picked away at decent steelheading on the river, said Dave from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. They mostly fished on the upper river, because of slush in the lower river. They dealt with the difficulties of snow a little when fishing from the banks, but the access was good. Anglers who spin fished mostly cast egg sacks, and those who fly fished mostly threw stoneflies. Ice anglers plied Sandy Pond, rounding up yellow perch, bluegills and a few northern pike.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

“If you’re an ice fisherman, this is your time,” said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. Ice anglers at the Poconos last week found up to 6 inches of ice at Shohola Lake and up to 8 inches at Pecks Pond. Several customers fished at Shohola, pulling in chain pickerel, yellow perch and a few largemouth bass. One customer fished at Pecks, tugging in 11 pickerel. Farther north in Pennsylvania near New York State, more than 8 inches of ice covered Lower Woods Pond, and the waters turned out good numbers of yellow perch, crappies, pickerel and golden shiners. Closer to the shop, Lake Luxembourg at Core Creek Park held 3 inches of ice at the back end. One angler hung crappies and white perch there. Bill would think Levittown Lake held fishable ice, and ice fishing there offers a chance to catch trout that are out of casting range from shore. Several customers said the lakes at the Penn Warner Club offered fishable ice, giving up terrific catches of crappies, yellow perch, pickerel and northern pike. One angler showed off a photo of a 15-pound pike he clobbered there. South Jersey’s lakes were covered with ice, but Bill heard about none that was thick enough to fish. But the open waters at the spillways could be fished, and very good catches of pickerel and yellow perch came from the spillways at Batsto Lake and Lake Lenape. Minnows, spinners and spoons worked best. A handful of customers fished the Delaware River for catfish around Philadelphia, including at Linden Avenue, Station Avenue and the Frankford Arsenal. One totaled five cats to 5 pounds in a trip, and most others picked one of the whiskerfaces here and there. Nightcrawlers, chicken livers, herring, bits of bagels and chunks of steak were the baits they dunked. The river at Dredge Harbor, a popular place for largemouth bass fishing in the warmer season, was mostly frozen. The warm waters at the Trenton power plant was the only nearby place where anglers found the river open enough to launch a boat, but not much was caught there yet. Farther upriver around Point Pleasant, many anglers tried for walleyes. The river ran high there, but that helped boaters get around better. Customers picked a few walleyes per trip there on minnows, nightcrawlers and jigs. One scored best on walleyes downstream from the Stockton Bridge, trolling Storm Wiggle Warts and Speed Traps, saying the brighter the color, the better. In three trips he landed a total of nine walleyes 18 to 24 inches. An angler who fished for walleyes farther upstream at Narrowsburg never got a single hit in two consecutive days. Anglers on the Susquehanna River dealt with high waters and chunks of ice, but walloped 3- to 5-pound smallmouth bass when they managed to fish in the conditions. Reminder: If anglers fish during the new year, remember to grab a new fishing license! Game wardens often check at the beginning of the year.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Ice anglers were out and about, said Todd from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood. Budd Lake was frozen all the way across and fishable, and the coves at Lake Hopatcong were frozen and able to be fished. He saw open waters in the middle of Hopatcong on Saturday. Budd Lake is known for lots of northern pike, and most customers who headed there targeted them. Lots of yellow perch and a few walleyes are usually the targets at Hopatcong. But occasional muskies are usually taken at both lakes. Meal worms and salted minnows are stocked for bait, and mousies are supposed to arrive any day. All the ice-fishing tackle from Swedish Pimple Jigs to tip-ups to augers is stocked. 

All the lake’s coves probably held 5 to 7 inches of ice, and anglers fished them, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. But winds kept the main lake open. Probably 6 to 7 inches of snow fell during the blizzard Sunday to Monday, but much of the snow blew off the ice. Not a lot of anglers fished, because of the weather, like the blizzard, and Christmas during the weekend. But the few who got out talked about catching yellow perch from the hard waters. More anglers should show up after New Year’s this weekend. The shop is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and all the ice bait and tackle is stocked.

Ice anglers rapped phenomenal fishing, including at the Pompton Lakes and Lake Hopatcong, said Mark from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Catches of lots of yellow perch were heard about, and meal worms on jigs bailed many, worked well. Two small tiger muskies were reported creamed through the ice at Greenwood Lake. Meal worms are stocked, and mousies ran out, and more will arrive next week. The full array of ice tackle is on hand.

Mostly panfish and a few walleyes were reeled through the ice at Lake Hopatcong, said Mark from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Mostly the coves, the shallower waters, were frozen. Budd Lake, only 15 feet at the deepest, was frozen all the way across, and ice fishers there tangled with mostly panfish and a few largemouth bass. Two feet of snow walloped the local area during the blizzard, and no customers probably fished Sunday to Monday because of the storm. All the ice-fishing tackle is carried, and meal worms and mousies ran out. More should be stocked next week. The shop’s annual fly-tying sale will kick off Sunday through January, featuring a 20-percent discount on all tying items, from vices to hooks and everything between.

<b>South Jersey</b>

One angler located an open patch of waters at Lake Riviera, rustling up a few chain pickerel and an oddball largemouth bass on shiners he bought from the shop, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Trout could probably be angled from the Toms River that never freezes. Live bait or worms will probably catch them best, and the fish won’t be super aggressive in the cold. White perch fishing in the brackish Toms River is one of the best options for anglers in winter. Worms or grass shrimp will cop nibbles, and live grass shrimp are probably unavailable, so frozen shrimp will have to be fished. All other waters were mostly covered with ice not thick enough to fish. The shop will be open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Thursday, and afterward the doors will be open periodically during no set hours, until reopening during regular hours probably at the beginning of March. Until then, if the staff happens to be at the shop, mostly working on inventory, the doors will be open. If their trucks are there, the store will be open.

All the lakes were frozen, but none of the ice was thick enough to fish, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. That was the problem: anglers couldn’t fish from the ice, and they had no open waters to cast to from shore. But if open waters could be found, like at the spillways, chain pickerel and yellow perch, both willing to attack in the cold, might’ve been possible to hook. The weather is supposed to become warmer this week. No fishable ice likely formed at Collins Cove on the Mullica River. The cove is the popular spot for ice fishing for white perch in brackish waters. Probably 8 to 10 inches of snow fell during the blizzard Sunday to Monday.

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