<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river’s flow was fluctuated a lot in the past few days, said Ben from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The waters ran at 1,200 CFS on Tuesday afternoon, and were going to be dropped to 900 CFS. They ran as high as 1,800 earlier this week, and the weather changed a lot, too. Air temps reached the 70s last week, and plummeted to freezing this week. That all affected the river’s steelhead fishing, but catches were fairly good.  The angling was better on the upper river, but that area was also crowded. The fish bit “a little of everything,” Ben said. That included artificial, pink worms, artificial eggs, natural egg sacks, trout beads, stoneflies and flesh flies. Brown trout fishing was good on Lake Ontario in the shallows close to shore, though nobody reported fishing for them since Sunday, because of cold weather.

Lots of steelheads were drift-boated with <b>Salmon River Guide</b> from Pulaski, Capt. Shane Thomas said. Tons were drop-backs, fish that spawned and were returning to Lake Ontario for summer. The annual blitz of drop-backs was on, and should last weeks. But a few of the steelheads were fresh from the lake. The river ran at 1,200 CFS on Monday, and probably won’t run higher again this season, unless lots of rains fall. Snow runoff was scarce this year. Trips aboard caught steelheads on egg sacks and trout beads under floats. Some drift-boaters caught on back-trolled lures. Lake Ontario’s fishing for brown trout, some of them good-sized or 6 to 10 pounds, was hopping, in the 6- to 10-foot shallows close to shore. Some of Salmon River Guide’s trips nailed both steelheads on the river and browns on the lake in one day. The browns were trolled on stick baits and spoons, and fishing for them will become a focus for Shane once steelheads depart the river for the season. But several weeks were probably left of the river’s steelheading. The angling usually lasts until May, and might end early this year because of warmth. But the hatchery only just began to collect eggs from steelheads last week, and the river’s steelheading usually lasts a few weeks afterward. After the hatchery is finished collecting eggs, those steelheads will be released back into the river. Two or three thousand of those fish will then flood the river, giving up another push of the catches. Fishing for steelheads was productive this season, and the fish were sizeable. The hatchery was doing a good job of maintaining the fishery.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

The cold snap failed to slow down the Delaware River’s striped bass catches through early this week, <b>Brinkman Bait & Tackle</b> from Philadelphia’s Facebook page said. Lots of small stripers and occasional larger ones bit, both for shore anglers and boaters. Some anglers landed 10 to 20, mostly on bloodworms, but clams and bunker began to catch. The fish were hooked at places including Station and Linden avenues. Some could be grabbed farther downstream at Princeton Avenue. But the better-sized stripers swam the other side of the river, downstream from Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. A few herring were caught among shad in the river. Little was mentioned about shad lately on the Facebook page. But last week’s Facebook postings, covered in the previous report here, talked about tons of shad flooding the river, early in the year for that.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Most trout streams were closed to fishing for stocking, said Greg from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. The waters will reopen on opening day of trout season on Saturday, April 7. But some conservation stretches were open to fishing, including the Pequest River at the hatchery and the Musconetcong River at Route 57. A customer on the Musky there saw one of the state’s best dry-fly hatches he’d seen in a while. The hatch appeared to be small blue-winged olives, and the angler scored good dry-fly fishing then. Trout streams and rivers reportedly ran low but clear and fishable. The Delaware River ran similar, and that was good for shad fishing. The Delaware usually runs high and dirty from snow melt in spring. John Punola – “Mr. Shad,” Greg said – stopped at the store, reportedly saying shad were caught on the river from Dingman’s Ferry to past Port Jervis. Shad fishing was apparently going off, and that was early in the year. Greg fished a lake, tackling lots of big crappies and some bluegills and smallmouth bass. The crappies began to settle onto spawning beds. Greg reeled in all three fish on size-6 Husky Jerks in Tennessee Shad color, but the lures had to be fished slowly. He socked some of the smallies on Keitechs.

Boats were being rented early this spring at <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong, because of the warm year and mostly ice-free winter, Laurie from the shop said in an e-mail. Customers rustled up yellow and white perch, crappies, largemouth bass and chain pickerel from the shallow waters on fathead minnows, Rufus Juniors, Cubby Mini Mites under weighted bobbers and small Husky Jerks. Tyler Lamantia whaled a largemouth bass bigger than 5 pounds from a dock at Prospect Point. Harvey Commancia clocked several pickerel and largemouths to 4 ¼ pounds. Fred Nitek jigged a 4-pound 6-ounce pick from the dock at Nolan’s Point. But some anglers boated hybrid striped bass from deeper waters off Chestnut Point on Rapala ice-fishing jigs. Prices were lowered on boat rentals. “Figuring every little bit helps in this economy,” Laurie said. The shop is open 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily.

A couple of the crew, Al and Mark, from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield fished for crappies at a lake where they and Nick from the store bailed 120 previously, Nick said. The 120 were covered in last week’s report. But Al and Mark on this trip totaled only 10, apparently because of cold weather. Nick fished a pond he frequents, landing five largemouth bass on 3-inch Keitechs on 32-ounce jigheads. His buddy angled 10 on the trip, and all the fish were 7 or 8 inches. The pond, a small one, was 64 degrees last week, warming quickly. Another buddy slammed chain pickerel, probably 20 or 30, at Cranberry Lake. The fish swam everywhere, but that was during warm weather last week. Cold weather this week might’ve affected the fishing. Another buddy won a largemouth bass tournament at Lake Hopatcong on Thursday with five fish weighing more than 15 pounds, catching them on Keitechs. Greenwood Lake remained low and unfishable, since the waters were lowered for dock repairs this winter. Another friend and his son banged out seven or eight largemouths, mostly 12 or 13 inches, but a couple of sizeable ones, at Pompton Lakes, mostly on Rapala X-Raps, and a couple on Senkos. A bunch of smallmouth bass were angled on Passaic River on small shiners bought at the store. No striped bass were reported picked up from the river yet this season, and low waters didn’t help. Hardly any waters flowed over the falls.

One angler, Steve Welgoss, trout fished on the Musconetcong River two Sundays ago, banking four browns to 4.61 pounds and four rainbows, said Jody from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport</b> in an e-mail. That was before waters were closed for trout stocking, and Jody herself fished the Musky that day. She put the brakes on three rainbows, three browns, a brook trout and a tiger trout. A 3-1/4-pound rainbow was the biggest trout. Stephen Herasymchuck took his season’s first trip on Round Valley Reservoir that day. Waters were 45 to 47.5 degrees, and air temps were in the 70s. He landed an 18-inch brown, lost a sizeable rainbow and tugged in some lake trout. Most of the lakers were found between Camper’s Beach and the Deep V. Most of the fish were caught on three to four colors of leadcore, and a couple of the lakers came on 5 ½ colors.  Dan Kryzkowski and Alan Dilly canoed Spruce Run Pond one morning, and the catch included 101 crappies, 24 bluegills and some other fish. Many of the crappies were medium-sized, but some were large. Kryszkowski also fished Chimney Rock Reservoir from shore, tagging a catch including 25 crappies. That was his best-ever catch there. Dennis Haggarty cracked an 8-pound 30-inch northern pike, his first, at Spruce Run Reservoir on a live shiner.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Customers fished downstream from Route 206, below where trout were stocked, finding breeders that washed down, said Josh from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Fishing was closed for stocking upstream and on many trout waters. Boaters and shore anglers fished for trout on Round Valley Reservoir, catching browns, rainbows and lakers. Anglers searched for shad on the Raritan River below the fish ladder, finding none yet this season. But shad swam the Delaware River, including at the Delaware Water Gap.

If anglers wanted white and yellow perch, many schooled Forge Pond, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Small killies, grass shrimp or worms could snatch them up. Lots of anglers was the challenge there. The place could be mobbed, including from small boats and kayaks. A few largemouth bass began to be picked at Lake Riviera, and a mix of fish came from there, including the bass, crappies and chain pickerel. Pickerel as always chewed in the Toms River at Trilco, the closed building supply that no sign identifies, but it’s located at the Garden State Parkway. Crappies swam there and usually do in late March and early April, before disappearing. More yellow perch than white perch roamed the river at Trilco. Shiners, killies and all the different worms are stocked. Many customers geared up for the opening of trout season on Saturday, April 7.

<b>South Jersey</b>

The local Delaware River gave up “one or two stripers here and there,” said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. “It’s not going yet,” he said. Lots of catfish nipped in the river. A few walleyes, but small ones, bit in the river at night. Eric landed some while trying for stripers. Fairly good numbers of shad schooled the river at Lambertville and Scudder’s Falls. No customers really fished for smallmouth bass on the river, but surely smallies were there. Lake fishing was on fire for largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappies and yellow perch. Shiners could be fished for largemouths, but the fish began to move to spawning beds. So some anglers jigged for them there, trying for a reaction strike. One customer knocked down a few largemouths on rubber frogs, because he saw frogs along the waters.

Shad swam Delaware River all the way past the Delaware Water Gap to Callicoon, said outdoor radio personality and writer Tom Pagliaroli, at <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Probably 90 percent swiped flutter spoons. Fish the spoons on 12 to 14 inches of 4-pound fluorocarbon leader, using a small Spro swivel to attach to the main line. Smallmouth bass and walleyes could also be whacked there. Lots of big crappies went wild on the lakes like Carnegie. But check the regs to avoid fishing on lakes that are prohibited to fishing during trout stocking. Farrington Lake is one of a handful that can be fished during stocking, though trout must still be released. But Farrington shoveled up good angling for largemouth bass and northern pike. Shiners will catch largemouths, and Keitech Sexy Shads in Ayu color will beat them well. Keitechs in squid scent, strangely enough, were pounding largemouths. Northern pike to 30 inches went nuts on the Millstone River on big spinner baits. The Millstone is one of the most underrated rivers, Tom said. Channel catfish shuffled around the river, sniffing out mostly chicken livers, but a dead shiner hooked in the middle could get them to chomp.

A few large striped bass were heard about that were bagged on the local Delaware River during the weekend, said Bob from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Some, including a 28-pounder, came from areas like National Park and Penns Grove. But lots of shorts were the main catch on the river, and anglers waited for the migration of large stripers. Bloodworms were best bait in the early season. A few were caught on clams, and clams will work better as waters warm. The lakes put out lots of crappies on small minnows. Quite a few largemouth bass were dragged from the lakes, often on shiners or jerk baits. Bloodworms, fresh clams, shiners, minnows and all baits are fully loaded at the shop. Big Timber stocks bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

Largemouth bass and chain pickerel, lots, were slugged at Wilson Lake during the weekend, said Vince from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Rat-L-Traps and jerk baits rocked the largemouths, and the picks would also pounce on them. But nothing catches pickerel like a minnow. One customer reported clocking crappies, a mess, at South Vineland Park Pond on minnows, before the pond was closed for trout stocking. Trout-stocked waters were closed to fishing and will be reopened Saturday, April 7, opening day of trout season. Striped bass, mostly small, occasionally large, were wrangled from Delaware Bay and Delaware River. Big, mature, migrating ones began to appear, but the main migration seemed yet to come in. On the river bloodworms were best bait this time of year. Bloods also worked well for stripers in the surf this time of season. Reportedly something like 25 anglers fished Delaware Bay’s surf at Fortescue for stripers one day during the weekend, finding slow angling.

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