New Jersey Fishing Reports

Not a bit of snow lay on the ground, said Hank from Fuel-n-Food in Mayfield. That was unusual, and ice on the lakes remained clear of the white stuff. Maybe that was the reason walleye fishing was slower than usual on Great Sacandaga Lake: The fish might’ve avoided the sunlight. Fishing at night is typically best for them anyway. But northern pike fishing kept anglers catching on the lake, and Hank heard about no big pike clobbered this past week, but previously anglers showed off monsters in the 40-inch class. Mayfield Lake is always a place to yank up plenty of yellow perch, pickerel, and a few crappies and northerns. A few lake trout could be scared up from Piseco and Ostego lakes. Splake fishing had been hopping on Caroga Lake, and the brook trout/lake trout hybrids were still available, but the early ice season is always the best for that angling. Shiners and icicles were the popular baits on all the waters, but sometimes other choices such as smelts jigged through Caroga are used. The weather had been cold but was supposed to reach the 30’s later this week. The Mayfield Grill’s ice-fishing tournament will take place Saturday. Hank’s dad’s shop, Ross’s Bait and Tackle, will hold an ice-angling contest February 20. The Mariaville tournament is on the books for February 27 and 28. Fuel-n-Food’s 11th Annual Weekend Long Ice Fishing Tournament is set for March 5 to 7. Baits stocked at Fuel-n-Food include shiners, suckers, fatheads and icicles, and the store carries a full supply of ice-fishing tackle and gear, probably the largest selection 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.

Salmon River

A new push of steelheads moved up the Salmon River, said Don at All Seasons Sports in Pulaski. The lower part of the river at Douglaston and the Black Hole served up 6- to 12-pound steelies, and egg sacks or stoneflies worked well for a fight. The river ran at a manageable 750 CFS. Ice fishing was on fire at Sandy Pond, mainly for yellow perch and northern pike. On Lake Ontario, Henderson Cove was the top hangout for northerns and monster-sized perch that inhaled fathead minnows and buckeyes through the ice.

PENNSYLVANIA

The Delaware River at the Trenton power plant held plenty of fish, said Bill from Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle in Philadelphia. Striped bass from 28 to 30 inches, walleyes from 3 to 5 pounds and a few catfish and gizzard shads all chased down Rapala crank baits and shiners there. The river at the New Hope wing dam offered a few walleyes willing to hit minnows, nightcrawlers, Rapala crank baits and twister tails on jigs. Customers reported scoring at least one fish between 16 and 20 inches per trip. Farther down the river, catfish were claimed from the banks at Linden, Station and Princeton avenues on nightcrawlers, chicken livers and herring. Dredge Harbor on the river gave up a good show of largemouth bass and crappies, and fathead minnows on a float caught best.

NEW JERSEY

North Jersey

Most customers focused on fishing the streams for rainbow trout, said Don from Ramsey Outdoor in Succasunna. The Pequest River was a productive spot, and nymphs and streamers did the deed

A good 10 inches of ice covered most of lake, and cold weather was predicted for the near future, said Laurie from Dow’s Boat Rentals in Lake Hopatcong. Pickerel and yellow perch were reeled up in healthy numbers at Great Cove, and both plus crappies were angled from off Woodport on jigs and tip-ups baited with shiners. Largemouth bass were sometimes nabbed off the Windlass Restaurant. A few 3-pound walleyes were walloped off Chestnut Point and off the ridge at Mount Arlington. Shiners on tip ups and Rapala ice-fishing jigs gained their attention The Knee Deep Club’s second ice-fishing contest of the season is slated for Sunday, February 21. Anglers can call the shop for info: 973-663-3826.

Ice fishing drew most of the attention, said Nick from Meltzer’s Sporting Goods in Garfield. Lake Hopatcong produced large numbers of yellow perch, pickerel and crappies for ice hounds, especially toward the state park. Monksville Reservoir turned out smallmouth bass to 3-1/2 pounds on shiners through the hard waters. At Greenwood Lake one lucky angler slammed a 44-inch muskie on a shiner dropped down through a hole. All the northern lakes were spared by the last blizzard, and slick, black ice covered them, so anglers were sure to wear corkers for firm footing. But check forecasts about the current snowstorm.

Shoreline anglers at Round Valley Reservoir did a job on rainbow trout at Ranger’s Cove, said Steve from Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop. Nightcrawlers, meal worms and shiners were gobbled up, and a busy morning out could mean a half-dozen trout. Lake trout to 24 inches were hooked from the 55- to 60-foot depths on trolled Sutton Spoons, Meat Head Rigs and Binsky Lures.

Trout fishing on the streams was tough to do because of the snow and cold, and Skylands Angler from Clinton took a break from the angling, Bill Hoffman said. But he was antsy to fish the waters again as soon as the weather cleared. If anglers wanted to try the fishing, they should probably drift nymphs slowly in the deeper holes. The streams probably ran high because of the snow, and they usually run high in winter in the first place. But bigger bugs like nymphs are the choice to fish when waters are higher, and smaller bugs or midges begin to work when waters are lower and slower, promoting midge hatches. Anglers in winter can also take advantage of fishing for lake, rainbow or brown trout on Round Valley Reservoir. Lakers love this weather, and the colder season moves the fish-holding thermoclines closer to the surface. Trolled lures or shiners can get strikes, but flies that imitate baitfish, such as Deceivers, can connect when the browns and rainbows hang in depths like 15 feet. Lakers could be as deep as 50 to 80 feet, out of range for flies. Bill was on his way to fish at Mosquito Lagoon in Orlando in the next days, probably for redfish. The reds and black drum likely escaped the huge fish kills from Florida’s record cold snap earlier this winter. The cold apparently decimated populations of fish such as snook and baby tarpon. 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.

Ice anglers fished Lake Musconetcong hard, hoisting in chain pickerel and yellow perch, said Bert from Efinger Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. Shiners took both, but anglers specifically targeting perch used wax worms on jigs. On Round Valley Reservoir boaters trolled the 15-foot depths with tandem streamer flies to hang a few rainbow and brown trout. Use a 2-ounce egg sinker to get the flies down to the right depth.

South Jersey

Fishing on the Delaware River could be very productive right now if anglers picked their spots, said Eric at Harry’s Army and Navy in Robbinsville. The river at the Trenton power plant attracted smallmouth bass and striped bass that swiped crank baits. The Lambertville stretch harbored walleyes that grabbed jigs tipped with shiners bounced along the bottom. Trouters ran up to the Pequest and Musconetcong rivers, casting nymphs for a tug. Work the nymphs slowly along the bottom of the rivers, because cold snow runoff made the fish sluggish. Anglers really needed to keep the fly in front of them for a while.

When the Trenton power plant discharged warm waters in the Delaware River, that was a decent area to fish, said Carl from the Sportsmen’s Center in Bordentown. Smallmouth bass, walleyes and striped bass chomped on small shiners. At the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area ponds, pickerel pounced on shiners or crank baits during the early afternoons.

The cold weather put the freeze on ponds and lakes, said Steve from Blackwater Sports Center in Vineland. Most were locked up with thin ice, but anglers could find open waters near the spillways, including at Blackwood Lake, to cast to largemouth bass, panfish or yellow perch. Try swimming a shiner under a bobber. White perch could be gathered from the Maurice River if anglers could find an unfrozen spot. Toss out grass shrimp or fathead minnows.