<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Rains were needed, and salmon fishing was slow on the Salmon River, running low, at 335 CFS, and warm, said Ben from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Salmon, mostly Cohos, and a few brown trout could be found in the pools throughout the river, but were scattered, and anglers had to hunt for them. The usual egg sacks and flies caught them. Most king salmon remained in Lake Ontario. Still, mostly Cohos and browns were taken from the lake locally. Not a lot of catches, just a few, were made on the lake. The river’s salmon fishing was off to a later start than in some years, but that could mean the angling will last later. Anglers will see.

Salmon fishing wasn’t easy pickings on the Salmon River, and the waters were low and warm, a report on <b>Salmon River Guide</b> from Pulaski’s Web site said. But that should mean the salmon run should last later into October. Cooler weather and rains are forecast, so the angling is expected to improve gradually in the next week. Small numbers of king salmon and Cohos moved up the river, but fewer than usual for late September. But trolling for salmon at night clobbered good catches at the mouth of the river on glow spoons along the break walls. Salmon also seemed active in Lake Ontario. A few dates remain available for salmon trips on the river in October, and plenty of dates are left for steelhead fishing on the river that will begin in fall, toward the end of the salmon run, lasting through winter. Steelheading is world class on the river through winter, and the drift boat is heated for comfort and safety.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Skies was overcast and dark, and rains fell, on Saturday, but Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale decided to run a trip on Greenwood Lake, and he’s glad he did, he said. The low-light conditions could be right for walleye fishing, and were. A big, monster, 9- to 10-pound  walleye was hooked and got off near the boat within 10 minutes, and the trip proceeded to land three walleyes to 6 pounds, good fishing for them. All the fish were trolled on plugs swum 25 feet down around the thermocline on planer boards. A big crappie and a white perch were also smacked. A friend, Paul Schmidt, a largemouth bass angler, won a bass tournament on the lake that day, also pulling in an 8-pound walleye. Other anglers in the tournament also axed walleyes. A trip aboard Sunday on Greenwood with Live to Fish met opposite weather, sunny skies, not so good for daytime walleye fishing. Walleye angling was slow, but a beautiful tiger musky, 30 to 40 inches, was hammered and released. The musky jumped on a plug trolled in the prop wash on a rod with 10-pound line meant for walleyes.  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.

Remember that the Knee Deep Club’s King of the Lake Contest, a multi-species tournament open to everyone, will be held on the lake on the weekend of October 15 and 16, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. The event is lots of fun, she said. The few who fished the lake this past week reeled in lots of hybrid striped bass and some walleyes, smallmouth bass, crappies and catfish. Most fished with herring, but as waters cool, the lake’s anglers will begin to jig in deeper waters. The shop will be open into November sometime, including for bait and boat rentals. Afterward the store is usually closed until reopening when ice fishing begins.

Lots of baby largemouth bass were hooked on 3-inch Senkos on a trip that Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield took to Dahnerts Lake, he said. The fish were small, but fun. Anglers who competed in a largemouth tournament at Lake Hopatcong during the weekend said the five-fish, winning total weighed 11 pounds, and most of the contest’s bigmouths were jigged off the docks. Anglers caught big largemouths at Haledon Reservoir on swim baits. But a buddy beat them on a Spit’n Image top-water lure. Nothing was heard about trout fishing, but fall trout stocking will begin on October 11. A few fished the Passaic River, drilling lots of smallmouth bass, saying the river’s northern pike fishing was slowly improving. Waters weren’t quite cool enough for the pike but were slowly cooling. Both fish were cranked in on shiners fished without weight. The currents and flow were good, perfect for the weightless fishing. 

<b>Central Jersey</b>

The trout streams like the South Branch of the Raritan River, Ken Lockwood Gorge and the Big Flatbrook began to flow somewhat better, and the fishing somewhat improved, after flooding from earlier rains, said Josh from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Rains still fell, but not like the deluge previously. Anglers hoped the stream conditions and trouting kept improving, including because fall trout stocking will begin on October 11. Water levels were even better on the canals, lakes and ponds for catches like smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and panfish. The reservoirs were fishing even better, and many anglers hit them for walleyes that were cooperating.  

Pinelands Park Lake in Manchester turned out a few largemouth bass and chain pickerel, said Dennis from <b> Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. The lake is actually a nice one for fishing, he said, and anglers score well there. Anglers fishing at Lake Riviera from the dirt road clocked crappies, mostly on killies, and more largemouths than pickerel. Spinners and spinner baits hung them, and so did shiners. More anglers would probably have fished with shiners, but didn’t realize the shop was stocking them again for the season. Shiners, killies and nightcrawlers are on hand. The Trilco section of the Toms River, located at the Parkway, named for the Trilco building supply that shut down, kept doling out pickerel like always. Bait was a better choice for the angling, because the waters were weed-choked. Carp were aggressive at Trilco.

<b>South Jersey</b>

The Delaware River ran dirty and nasty, so anglers who wanted to fish moving waters headed north to the South Branch of the Raritan River for trout and smallmouth bass, and the Musconetcong River for trout, said Chris from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. But the <a href=" http://www.rossmarineservice.com/" target="_blank">Delaware River Roundup Charity Catfish Tournament</a> at Ross Marine will be held on the river Saturday, and the captain’s meeting will take place Friday at Harry’s. Most local lakes served up good largemouth bassing. Chris favors rubber worms for the bucketmouths, but the bass will probably swipe anything this time of year, and they were feeding to prepare for winter. Anything from tubes to lures like Rapalas or Yozuri Pins Minnows could work.

Largemouth bass were mainly targeted, and Lake Lonnie seemed to put up good catches, said Dom from <b>Barracuda’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Riverside. Shiners were the bait of choice, but otherwise spinners were popular. A bunch fished for crappies with success, mostly on minnows, but also on Beetle Spins or grubs on jigheads, in bright colors like chartreuse. Olympia Lakes hold a ton of crappies, and big ones. The Delaware River was probably dirty and filled with debris. But huge catfish were reported angled from the mouth of Rancocas Creek. A few reports also talked about bowfins fought. Bowfins can be caught on the Delaware, but Rancocas often gives them up. The fish will munch baits like for catfish, such as clam. But lures can supposedly work on the bowfins in cooler weather.

Few fished this time of year, and customers shopping for hunting supplies were more common, said Jim from <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. So fishing news was scarce, but largemouth bass and chain pickerel should cooperate. Iona Lake was drained, because the dam blew out in the recent storms. Many customers fish there, so that didn’t help with news. But Wilson Lake near the shop was in good shape, so conditions should be improved for fishing on the local lakes after the previous flooding. The time was right for angling, if anglers would go.

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