<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Steelheads were shoveled up from the river, running low at 335 CFS, said Ben from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Lots of rains could help fishing, causing the river to be raised. The upper river held most steelheads, but the fish swam throughout the Salmon, and steelheads fresh from Lake Ontario kept migrating up the river. Egg sacks, trout beads, egg flies and other patterns like stoneflies and San Juan worms caught the fish. Few brown trout, one here, there, were hooked.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Big crappies were nailed Sunday on a trip on Greenwood Lake with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, Capt. Dave Vollenweider said. The fish were drop-shotted 27 feet down on shiners. Now that crappies held deep, a venting tool was needed to release air from the bladder of the fish that were reeled to the surface, if the fish were going to be released. Otherwise the fish became full of air and couldn’t swim back down to the depths upon release. The fish from this trip were kept, though. Saltwater fish that are often reeled from depths like 30 feet must be better able to regulate their bladders, Dave guessed. Those fish are often pumped in from depths like that with no full bladders. Greenwood was 50 degrees and was 49 degrees on the shallower south end. The lake is being lowered for dock repairs, and this week might be the last that boats will be able to be launched, before waters become too shallow. Then Dave will probably fish Monksville Reservoir, home of big muskies, maybe Lake Hopatcong, though he guessed that lake might also be lowered, and other waters like Furnace Lake and Mountain Lake. Muskies will be some of the fish that Dave targets, and he’ll troll for them. Some anglers troll for them slower this time of year, because of cool waters, but others troll at a normal speed. This time of year is one of the best for catching large muskies, and many of the largest were walloped around now in the past. Anglers might go a longer time before grabbing a musky bite during this season, because of the fish’s slower metabolism, but if they put in the time, they can be rewarded with a monster. Cool waters are a reason Dave’s trips have been fishing live bait for crappies. Crappies were currently active, but the action, smell and feel of live bait helps in cool waters. 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.

The Rockaway River at Denville ran somewhat high, maybe a few inches, but clear and clean when Burt from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood saw the waters the other day, he said. He wouldn’t hesitate to wade the river, he said. One customer reported banking a brown trout on the Pequest River. Lots of customers traveled for steelhead fishing to upstate New York’s Salmon River.

Trout were reeled in from the Ramapo and Pequest rivers, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. The winter trout stocking was supposed to drop fish in Barbour’s Pond on Tuesday. That was about all that was heard about fishing.

Fishing for lake trout went well on Merrill Creek Reservoir, said Jody from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Reportedly a 23-pounder was plowed last week, and a 13-pounder was plundered the week before. At Round Valley Reservoir one angler trolled a 7-1/2-pound brown trout on a Rapala, and another boater released a 4-1/2-pound golden trout that was tagged. One shore angler at the Valley banked a 3-3/4-pound 22-inch rainbow trout, a 17-incher and a 16-1/2-incher on rainbow Power Bait. At Spruce Run Reservoir another angler pulled in six hybrid striped bass from 25 feet down in 50-foot depths while anchored at a ridge. He also swung in 15 crappies and two catfish from 13 feet down in 40 feet of waters. All his fish were taken on shiners.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Rainbow trout, good catches, were trolled on Round Valley Reservoir down 15 to 20 feet on small Rapalas or streamer flies, said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Rainbows were also tugged from shore at the reservoir on shiners. A few rainbows were landed on the Raritan River at Duke Island Park on spinners.

Chain pickerel will chomp in the Toms River at Trilco probably throughout winter, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. White perch can probably also be nabbed there now. Trilco is a closed-down building supply near the Parkway, and no sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch of river by the name. Lake Riviera should give up picks and largemouth bass. No customers mentioned trout fishing, but trout swam the Metedeconk, Toms and Manasquan rivers. 

<b>South Jersey</b>

Muskies were mauled at Lake Mercer, said Chris from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Not much was heard about the Delaware River, like about smallmouth bass fishing that can be happening there now. Trouting was good on the rivers in the northern state.

The Delaware River’s coves like at Tullytown and Dredge Harbor turned out largemouth bass on small, 1/8-ounce hair jigs with twister tails, said Carl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The bucketmouths were beaten at Rising Sun and Stone Tavern lakes at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area on 1/16-ounce jigheads with fathead minnows. At Manasquan Reservoir crappies were copped on Rat-L-Traps in silver with black or blue backs along the dam.

Customers mostly honed in on largemouth bass and crappies, and the weather was mild, keeping fish biting, said Dom from <b>Barracuda’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Riverside. The largemouths were mostly belted on Lake Lonnie and Olympia Lakes, but Lonnie was an especially hopping place for the catches this year. Shiners were usually fished for them, and the largemouths are active or aggressive enough for the bait this time of year. The crappies were mostly plucked from Olympia Lakes, usually on minnows, but sometimes on spinner baits or artificials like that. Little talk was heard about the Delaware River, and a striped bass run never developed on the river this fall that sometimes can. Not even catfish were heard about from the river. Anglers on the river this season do fish for smallmouth bass downstream at spots like the nature preserves that used to be refinery islands. Sunoco Island at Pennsauken is one of those places that usually holds good fishing for smallies. Lures or spinner baits are usually fished for them. Shiners can be tried but can be less effective.  

Largemouth bass were active, and many of the small ponds were a best place to clock them, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. But lots of waters including Bell’s Lake, Wilson Lake, Blackwood Lake and Greenwich Lake produced the fish. Shiners and light-colored crank baits began to nab them best. Stick baits could also work. But if anglers could fish shiners, they’d catch. Not a lot was heard about the Delaware River. A few striped bass were reported socked from the river, but most striper anglers headed to Delaware Bay for big ones that currently swam there. Lots of big catfish could be found on the river. The state’s winter trout stocking was happening at some of the local lakes this week. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from lakes to bays to offshore.

Iona Lake was stocked with 2-year-old trout, said Jim from <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. So some sizeable ones were creeled there. Chain pickerel and crappies should give up action on the local lakes. Both fish well in cooler waters.

Vince from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland competed in his club’s largemouth bass tournament at Davis Mill Pond on Sunday, he said. Senkos and jigs were effective on the bigmouths there. In one of the club’s tournaments at Parvin Lake two weeks ago, jerk baits got the nod. Union Lake put up good catches of largemouth and smallmouth bass. Little was heard about trout, except a couple of customers said fishing for trout was slow.

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