<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

A few salmon were fought on the river, but the migration wasn’t even close to taking off, said Simon from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Lack of rains kept king salmon from remaining in the river, flowing at 335 CFS. Kings that did come up mostly dropped back down to the lake. But the upper river was loaded with Coho salmon at the hatchery. Sponges, egg sacks and the usual baits grabbed strikes. Northeast winds warmed Lake Ontario, slowing salmon fishing there the last two weeks.

Salmon swam up the river in several strong runs in the past week, said Capt. Shane Thomas from <b>Salmon River Guide</b> from Pulaski. Fishing for the kings and Cohos was tough on Lake Ontario, because winds warmed the waters. So the river offered the only fishing for them. Back-trolling plugs from a drift boat was effective, and trips with Shane often troll in the first hours in the mornings. Then the anglers cast for the fish. Some anglers fly-rodded the fish, and Salmon River Guide also offers fly fishing. When salmon bite in the lake, trips troll them. A few brown trout and steelheads showed up in the river, but the season was early for them. The salmon migration, currently just beginning, usually lasts until mid or late October. Then fishing for the browns and steelheads kicks in, lasting through winter until May. Steelheads winter in the river until spawning in spring. Salmon shoot up the river and spawn during a much shorter time in fall. The river ran at 335 CFS or low, but not extremely.

<b>Oswego River</b>

Fishing for salmon was just starting on the Oswego, and more and more of the fish migrated from Lake Ontario each day, said Larry from <b>Larry’s Oswego Salmon Shop</b> in the town of Oswego. Mostly king salmon, not many Cohos, come up the river, and the run usually peaks around Columbus Day, falling on October 10 this year. The Oswego, running at 1,500 CFS, low for the wide river, could use rains to help the migration kick in. Waters were 68 degrees, and 55 to 62 is ideal for salmon fishing. Temps will drop fast, because nights were turning cold, dipping into the 40s daily.  Some brown trout, a few rainbow trout and occasional steelhead trickled up the river so far. Anglers fished with egg sacks or skein or with flies including wooly buggers, egg sucking leeches and estaz flies. They also cast floating, deep-diving crank baits. Salmon fishing was slow on Lake Ontario, because winds turned over the waters, warming them. Salmon filled the waters but were stunned. Winds were forecast to blow from a different direction since Monday, and that should cool the waters, but the fishing takes several days to rebound afterward. Catch the shop’s 20-percent sale on all tackle for the lake fishing, from flashers to flies to rods and reels. The shop features a motel for anglers, and many of the rooms will be booked soon.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

The Delaware River ran at the lowest level of the season, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. But on the river at New Hope he reeled in 20 smallmouth bass, 11 catfish and a walleye on a trip. Most of the smallies were big, 14 to 17 inches, and all, even the small ones, were fat and full of fight. Minnows worked best, but watermelon Zoom grubs hooked a few, late in the day. A customer who fished the same stretch scored better: 70 smallmouths on one day and 65 on another, many of the fish 14 to 17 inches, like Bill’s. But Bill fished on a day with strong winds whipping up the center of the river. The customer landed most on the same grubs and a few on minnows, the opposite from Bill. Other locales where customers fished for smallmouths on the river included Point Pleasant. One who fished there picked up 20 to 30 per trip. A few who fished the Delaware at the Water Gap and Shawnee waxed 50 apiece per trip, lots of fish. Good smallmouth fishing was also claimed from Perkiomen Creek, and the fish there were smaller than in the Delaware. The Schuylkill River served up 10 to 20 smallmouths, fish to 13 inches, good catches, per trip for one angler. News was scarce about fishing on the lower Delaware River around Philadelphia, but fish could be caught. An angler who fished the lower D at Station Avenue mugged plenty of catfish to 3 pounds and striped bass to 15 inches. Another who tried the river farther downstream at Linden Avenue socked a few catfish and white perch, none of the fish big. One who fished for largemouth bass on the lower river found slow catches, picking three to five small ones per trip, seeing no baitfish lately. In still waters, Lake Luxembourg at Core Creek Park turned out lots of yellow perch, bluegills and crappies. One angler there nabbed largemouths to 5 pounds all summer long, finding that plastic worms worked best. But spinner baits, Jitterbugs and Rapala lures also hooked up for him. A customer at Lake Nockamixon cleaned up on 22 largemouths on two trips, saying the fish moved to deeper waters in 12 to 25 feet from the shallows. Plastic worms, jigs and spoons grabbed them best for him. Trout will begin to be stocked on various dates in October at waters including Lake Luxembourg, Levittown Lake and Pennypack and Wissahickon creeks.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale was busy traveling, but took a shot at muskies on one of the lakes on Saturday, and the fishing was dead, he said. Not one musky bit or even followed a lure. The reason couldn’t be known, but flat, entirely calm waters and a recent cold front might’ve been culprits. Musky fishing with top-water lures can be productive in calm waters, but not too calm. A little chop seems to help. The beginning of cold fronts can also put off fish, Dave has noticed. Fishing for anything on the lake seemed stifled. Musky fishing is challenging to begin with. Catching the fish is far from guaranteed. But whatever the reasons, the conditions on the lake that day kept the fish from cooperating. Dave on his previous musky trip, covered in the last report, landed one musky snagged in the tail and lost another that was hooked. The fish appeared to become more aggressive on that trip, after the heat of summer had slowed them down. Dave on this current trip cast various big lures. He works hard when musky fishing, and on this outing he also put in the effort. So there was something that kept the fish from chasing lures. Though musky fishing never guarantees a catch, anglers fish for them because a catch can be the biggest an angler ever lands. Dave will keep musky fishing, his favorite angling, and he’ll also keep walleye fishing on the lakes like he’s been doing. This summer has not been the easiest for fishing, though Dave’s trips usually mopped up on plenty of walleyes. Angling for fish like largemouth bass has been difficult for many anglers. Reasons couldn’t be known, but the exceptionally hot summer could be a cause. Dave is optimistic that autumn’s cooler waters, and the changing of the seasons that triggers fish to feed up before winter, should equal good fishing. Anglers will see. Live to Fish Guide Service guides trips for trout, muskies, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleyes, crappies, chain pickerel, panfish, yellow perch, white perch, carp and more. Lakes fished include Greenwood Lake, Lake Hopatcong, Monksville Reservoir, Echo Lake, Mountain Lake and Furnace Lake. Rivers fished include the Flatbrook, Pequest, Paulinskill and Ramapo.

Most customers bought tackle to prepare for salmon fishing on upstate New York’s rivers, said Don from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood. They planned to make the trip around the first of October. Otherwise anglers hardly stopped by the store. Nothing was heard about largemouth bass fishing, and Don himself did no fishing for the bucketmouths, though he probably will in the next days. The trout streams seemed to run low. Don saw the Rockaway River, and the stream was not flowing. Waters had risen, but not enough. Business from anglers was in a holding pattern until fall weather perked up the catches.

Walleyes cooperated during the Knee Deep Club’s walleye tournament on the lake over the weekend, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. The winners were:  1st place, Jacek Dziduch, 5-pound 6-ouncer, $360; 2nd place, Mark Sudia, 5-pounder, $270; and 3rd place, Roman Pera, 4-pound 3-ouncer, $144. Gift certificates from Dow’s went to Bill Haase for a 4-pound 1-ouncer, Carl Plavoet for a 4-pounder and Paul Grel for a 2-pound 14-ouncer. Hunter Good won a rod-and-reel combo for junior anglers for a 2-pound 4-ounce walleye. Hybrid striped bass to 7 pounds smacked herring fished at Davis Cove, off the yacht club and off the points. Smallmouth bass, chain pickerel and a few crappies bit, and fishing should keep improving in the cooler weather.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Fishing for smallmouth bass was slow on the South Branch of the Raritan River on a trip for Burt from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook, he said. However, his purpose was to scout out the fishing more than concentrating on catching this time. He fished a well-known hole that’s deep, and thought his wooly bugger fly, though the fly was bead-headed, was too light to fish deep enough. Low waters made largemouth bass fishing sluggish at the lakes and ponds. Customers talked about landing one or two here or there. Little was heard about trout fishing on the streams. One angler said rainbow trout began swimming closer to shore at Round Valley Reservoir. Over all not a lot of angling was going on so far this season, and the doldrums of summer fishing weren’t quite finished. But the weather was cooling, and the season was changing. Heads up anglers: Be sure to catch the shop’s 30-percent sale on waders and wading shoes and 40-percent sale on Orvis waders and wading shoes through the month.

Lake Riviera’s anglers banked chain pickerel and a few largemouth bass from the dirt road on killies and shiners, said Jeff at <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Sunnies there gave up good action on worms. Pickerel, sunnies, yellow perch and a few largemouths were taken at the Winding River. On the Toms River at Trilco, pickerel and white perch were picked up. Trilco is a former building supply store, and no sign identifies the store anymore, but locals still call the building Trilco. The stretch of the river is located toward the Garden State Parkway. Pickerel and sunnies could be played at Lester’s Lake. Customers kept asking about Manasquan Reservoir, but waters there were way low, slowing the fishing.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Waters were low on the Delaware River, but smallmouth bass bit well there during the evenings, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Eric, who guides trips for his company On a Mission Fishing Adventures, put customers on the catches at Frenchtown and Bull’s Island on popper lures. Walleyes were knocked around at night on the river on minnows, rubber grubs and Rapala lures. Decent catches of catfish were clocked on the river at places like Bordentown and Florence on cut baits or big nightcrawlers. The <a href="http://www.drfishermen.com/
" target="_blank">Delaware River Fisherman Association</a>’s Big Cat Shootout will take place on the river September 25 at Lightening Jack’s Marina. Fishing was slow on the lakes, including at Lake Assunpink, Stone Tavern Lake, Mercer Lake and the waters at the Collier’s Mills Wildlife Management Area. Low waters, lack of oxygen and lots of weeds choked the angling. A few largemouth bass could be scared up at night on the waters on popper lures, Jitterbugs and buzz baits.

Kids fishing for sunnies made up the bulk of the action, landing the fish mainly at Puppyland Pond, the spillway across the road from Blackwood Lake, and Grenloch Lake, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. A meal worm under a bobber is always a top bait. Wilson Lake was a place to pound pickerel on minnows. Largemouth bass were coaxed to bite in the pond at the vocational school on Cross Keys Road. Anglers latched into them on just about everything from shiners and nightcrawlers to lures.

Somewhat cooler waters turned on crappies and yellow perch, said Lou from <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Franklinville and Malaga lakes shoveled up the crappies on small minnows and little jigs. Franklinville Lake dished up a few yellow perch. Chain pickerel stole minnows at nearly all the lakes, including Franklinville, Wilson and Malaga. Largemouth bass fishing seemed slow since the heat of summer. Customers kept asking if any word was heard about a bite. But the weather was ideal for good catches of white perch on the Maurice River from the Union Lake dam to Delaware Bay. Small minnows and grass shrimp nabbed them.

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