<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

The best ice-fishing conditions of the season were happening right now on the lake, and the fishing was good, said Jeff from <b>FISH307.com</b> in Lake George. Anglers tend to look forward to spring fishing this time of year, but anglers shouldn’t hesitate to come ice fishing if they want. Nighttimes were frigid, like minus 4-degree temps that were forecast for Tuesday night, so nights actually built ice. Daytimes began to become a bit warmer than before. Big yellow perch began to go on a tear, because March is when they get ready to spawn, going on the feed. Jeff in the previous report said the big perch hovered along weed beds in 20 to 30 feet, and smaller perch gathered in the shallows. Lake trout fishing was good, and Jeff in that previous report said they collected in 60 to 100 feet, mostly at mid lake, or at drop offs where bays met the main lake. A bunch of 8- to 9-pound lakers were weighed in during a tournament this weekend. Another ice-fishing tournament will be held at Schroon Lake this coming weekend. Ice-fishing baits are fully stocked, though a limited number of suckers will begin to be left, because suppliers began to stop supplying them for the season. The shop started to stock up for spring fishing. Some old items, including some ice tackle, were put on sale in FISH307.com’s <a href=" http://www.fish307.com/onsale.aspx" target="_blank">Bargain Basement</a>. Check it out.

<b>Salmon River</b>

The winter weather began to break, and that helped with steelhead fishing on the river, and the river was raised, at long last, to 500 CFS on Monday night, and that will also help, said Capt. Shane Thomas from <b>Salmon River Guide</b> in Pulaski. A trip on Friday fared okay on the steelies, and another on Saturday picked the fish pretty well, somewhat improved catches compared with the height of winter. The angling will only get better, will become awesome, until the fish spawn and return to Lake Ontario in early spring. Previously the river ran low at 285 CFS for a couple of months, a long time. Periods of thaws and rains are usually mixed in during most winters, but that never really happened this year, keeping the flow low. Fresh steelheads, “enough of them,” Shane said, swam up the river from the lake each day, and “dark” ones, steelheads that held in the river a while, also swam the waters. Ice fishing was great for Shane’s trips, and he also guides on the hard waters. One ice trip scored a good day on yellow perch on Oneida Lake, and another hung a good pull of perch and crappies on Sandy Pond.

Steelheading went well on the river, and the flow was raised to 500 CFS, said Dave from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Customers talked about catching throughout the whole length of the Salmon, often on stoneflies, pink worms and egg sacks. Though the worst of the winter weather seemed to end, ice fishing was still going down. One customer on Tuesday said he’d been putting a beating on yellow perch and bluegills through the ice at Sandy Pond. Guffins Bay on Lake Ontario, a popular spot for walleye fishing through the ice, remained frozen, giving up the marble eyes. The shop carries all the ice gear along with the full supplies for steelheads.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

A few places were ice-fishable, but ice-fishing was nearly finished for the season, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Ledgewood. The lake he lives on was breaking up. Reports about yellow perch plucked from opens waters should begin in the next week from places like Lake Hopatcong. If anglers can locate open waters, the perch usually go wild on Mister Twisters this time of year. Anglers sometimes trout fished, and trouting conditions seemed better at Ken Lockwood Gorge and the Big Flatbrook than at other waters like the Pequest River that ran high and dirty from snowmelt. A few early black stoneflies, not many, were seen at the Gorge. A Fly Fishing Day will be held at the shop on Saturday, March 12, a free event featuring: four speakers on topics from fishing the Catskills to stream restoration; fly tyers; and coupons for tackle discounts.

Plenty of ice, up to 15 inches or so, covered the lake, but strong winds, heavy rains and warmer, longer days lately will start to hamper shoreline access, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. “Really can’t complain, though,” she said. The ice season was long. Quality catches of crappies were jigged through the ice. Bernie Yocius yanked in a 1-pound 8-ouncer and a 1-pound 2-ouncer. Michael Accetta slapped a 1-pound 2-ounc crappie on the hard waters. Sizeable yellow perch were lifted in off the state park on jigs with spikes. Sometimes chain pickerel were snatched up there. Several muskies were pounded on the lake. Hybrid striped bass, mostly 5- to 8-pounders, were jigged at night in deeper waters on Rapalas and Northland Puppet Minnows. Walter Lesiak cranked in a 25-incher, and Stanley Malinowsi put up an 8-pound 11-ouncer. Their friend Tom axed some 25-inchers. 

The ice broke up on Round Valley Reservoir, and the boat ramps were opened, said Steve from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Shoreline anglers landed brown trout on shiners. No customers fished the trout streams, because the waters ran high and muddy from snow run-off. When they trout fished previously, they socked alright catches at Ken Lockwood Gorge, always a stream that can serve up a few of the fish in winter, when other streams might not fish as well. Large, medium and small shiners are stocked, and so are meal worms, garden worms, baby nightcrawlers and other baits. Herring will be stocked after herring season opens on May 1.

One customer fished the South Branch of the Raritan River, knuckling in plenty of trout on dark Hendrickson nymphs, said Burt from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Customers had been ice fishing last week, but nobody mentioned going since then. Burt guessed the ice season was almost finished. He believed no fishable ice remained at Round Valley Reservoir, but saw ice on local ponds. Catch the shop’s annual pre-season sale March 10 to 20. Discounts will include Gamma line from 2 to 20 pounds for 2 cents per yard, Power Pro braid at 20 percent off for 150-, 300- and 500-yard spools, fly lines at 30 percent off, some hard lures at 30 percent, Z-Man ChatterBaits at up to 50 percent, soft-plastic lures at 30 percent, Orvis fly rods at 30 percent, Orvis fly reels at 20 percent, Fin Strike saltwater fishing rigs at 25 percent, salmon eggs at 20 percent, Quantum Optic reels at 2-for-1, deck boots at 40 percent, and more.

<b>South Jersey</b>

The lakes at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area held areas of fishable ice early in the week, but probably no longer, said Frank from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Anglers then were already fishing areas of open waters on the lakes, picking up pickerel on shiners. Many local lakes were high and dirty because of weather. On the Delaware River the Trenton power plant was shut down, not pumping warm waters into the river that attract smallmouth bass, walleyes, striped bass and catfish in winter. The shop was being readied for a big sale from March 24 to April 1 to kick off the fishing season. Rods, reels, tackle and all kinds of items will be on special.

Striped bass season opened Tuesday in the bays and rivers, and anglers this weekend had already reported catching and releasing the bass on the Delaware River at the DOD, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. The shop began to stock bloodworms, a favorite bait for the fish, already selling five boxes. That seemed a good sign about the angling. Fishing looked promising in general. Most lakes began to shovel up largemouth bass. Bells Lake, a private lake in Turnersville, became a hot spot. The bigmouths there jumped mostly on small crank baits and Bitsy Bugs with trailers. Newton Lake turned out catches. Some of the Bridgeton lakes, including Mary Elmer Lake, were go-to spots. Maskills Mill Pond produced. Lakes closer to the shop also gave up bites. Those included trout catches at Haddon Lake and Audubon Lake. Crappies began to be reported caught. The slabs were clocked on the Cooper River on small jigs and small minnows. Saltwater anglers did a job on cod on party boats from Cape May on up the coast. Some said they joined a trip from Cape May, filling a 44-quart cooler with the fish, couldn’t even close the lid. Big Timber opened full-time this weekend for the season. The hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays. The shop carries tackle and bait for fishing in all waters from freshwater to offshore.

Anglers fished, got back on the waters, and not a lot was heard about results, and lots of winds, sometimes rains, muddied many of the lakes, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. But reports rolled in about chain pickerel, healthy catches, getting plowed at Union Lake, hitting minnows well. So that was a positive, he said. Word was heard about decent crappie catches coming from Union and Malaga Lake. Minnows and small jigs with rubber grubs or tubes can be used for them. Largemouth bass fishing sounded spotty in cold waters. No much was heard smallmouth bass, the cold-water fish. A few were drummed up from Union, and nobody talked about landing them at Lake Audrey, the two waters that harbor the bronzebacks in South Jersey. But that should change soon. Striped bass season opened Tuesday in the lakes and rivers, and customers said they’d head out for them, but none reported back yet. Bloodworms, a bait to soak for the linesiders, will probably be stocked in a week or so. Nightcrawlers, trout worms, meal worms and minnows are carried. Lots of reel and tackle repairs were brought in, as anglers prepared for the fishing season.

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