<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

One angler was seen banking a salmon Wednesday at noon on the river at the Staircase, said Brian from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. A scattered few salmon probably swam the waters, but the river was low, running at 185 CFS, the required minimum. The flow had been scheduled to be increased this coming Saturday, but that was postponed, because of lower than normal reservoir waters and lack of forecast rains, according to an Associated Press article in the Wall Street Journal today. The hydroelectric company that controls the level delayed the decision until Sept. 15 about whether to raise the river. “The goal is to make sure there’s enough water to support the fall salmon spawning season,” it said. Choppy seas prevented boating on Lake Ontario recently, Brian said. But boating for king and Coho salmon was good previously in 80 feet on the lake off the mouth of Salmon River. 

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

A 45-inch 25-pound musky was caught and released Monday on a lake with <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale, Capt. Dave Vollenweider said. A 6-pound walleye, a largemouth bass and four or five sizeable white and yellow perch were also reeled in. A trip aboard Saturday with Dave’s nephew released a 36-inch musky and landed an 8-pound walleye on Greenwood Lake. On Thursday a trip on a lake hooked no fish, apparently because of high barometric pressure. Nothing was biting. But fishing’s been great for Live to Fish. Trips weren’t catching large numbers of fish, but were catching big fish – muskies and walleyes – that were targeted. Dave’s had an awesome season of musky fishing, using a new technique that’s worked. Trips this season probably landed 12 or 13 muskies. Greenwood Lake was 78 degrees, warm, but starting to cool. Someone hauled in a 51-inch musky, probably 40 pounds, at the lake this past week, according to a marina. Musky fishing should only improve as water temps drop, and Dave hopes to fish into December. Last year’s final musky aboard was tugged in during early December. Check out videos from Live to Fish: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Es9Rwwm4g&feature=plcp" target="_blank">the musky released Thursday</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOE63a7NtmQ&feature=plcp" target="_blank">a walleye wrangled from Greenwood</a>. In other news, a friend forwarded to Dave the results of the season’s final Gone Fishing Bass Tournament on Greenwood, held last week on Tuesday. The winning weight was 13 ¼ pounds for an eight-bass total. Look for the circuit, held every Tuesday, new this year, to take place again next year, maybe with additional dates on weekends or nights. See <a href="http://www.gonefishingbass.com" target="_blank">GoneFishingBass.com</a>. 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.

For Ben at <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna, largemouth bass fishing was good at his local lake, near Hopatcong, on spinner baits in bluegill color or white and chartreuse, he said. But he clocked the bass on jigs where waters ran into the lake from a pipe during rains one day. Ben tried fishing for panfish on Lake Hopatcong on a trip, and only small fish, none big, bit. He did no fishing on Delaware River in recent days, didn’t know how the angling fared, or how the flow of the river was running. A few customers fished for trout in cool, spring-fed waters on Pequest River. But most streams were warm for trouting.

Hybrid striped bass to 8 pounds were zonked off the points of the main lake on livelined herring, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong in an e-mail. Walleyes were sometimes wonked on the herring, and the Knee Deep Club will hold a walleye tournament on the lake the weekend of Sept. 22-23. Lots of crappies were nabbed on small jigs, and smallmouth bass were socked off the rocky points. Off Nolan’s and Chestnut points were good. The shop’s boat rentals will be available until November sometime.

From <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield, Nick competed in a largemouth bass tournament at Monksville Reservoir on Sunday, he said. All entrants caught, mostly on rubber frogs in heavy weeds or on jigs in standing timber. The rez was 77 degrees at the warmest, and lakes began to cool down, slowly, but surely. Nick scored a couple of smallmouth bass on Passaic River at Elmwood Park on Senkos. A few northern pike were heard about that were caught on the river on Mepps No. 3 spinners in gold or silver. But anglers had to locate waters deep enough to fish. Rivers ran very low, including the Passaic. A couple of anglers played and released small striped bass 12 or 13 inches on the river on nightcrawlers and shiners. Hybrid striped bass swiped drifted herring at Lake Hopatcong at night. Walleyes pounced on drifted herring at Swartswood Lake in evenings just into dark.

At Spruce Run Reservoir Brian Russo and grandson scored a great night, catching hybrid striped bass, a few crappies and two catfish pushing 10 pounds apiece, said Jody from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport</b> in an e-mail. Brusan Bussard at Spruce pounded 17 hybrids, a 22-inch channel catfish and a small bullhead cat. Also at Spruce, Steve Mastrian totaled seven hybrids and some channel cats, and George Pylar and Walt Hassinger pulled in a good-sized hybrid, and saw plenty of others catching them. At Round Valley Reservoir Joe Satkawski and Steve Hersymchuck toggled in brown and rainbow trout from 50 feet down. Merrill Creek Reservoir turned up lake trout to 4 pounds and browns to 6 for one angler, Brad, and Richard Holler aced a big rainbow on a large shiner. Don Renne mugged a 32-inch musky from Oxford Furnace Lake from shore on an extra-large shiner. Frank Kurak, who used to work at the shop, until moving to Pa., heaved in a 22-inch channel cat from Evergreen Lake.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Josh from the shop popper-plugged largemouth bass at Delaware and Raritan Canal in early mornings and at dusk, Darrel from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook said. A customer rubber-wormed a several-pound largemouth at Watchung Reservoir at 9 a.m. one day. Waters were warm for trout fishing on streams.

Bluegills and sunnies that families with kids yanked from Ocean County Pond was the main fishing this time of year, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Small striped bass 12 to 14 inches could be caught and released on the Toms River at Trilco, the closed down building supply. No sign identifies the building, but it’s located near Garden State Parkway. Chain pickerel could always be punched at Trilco, and big carp milled around the river there. Pickerel bit in the cedar waters at Lake Horicon on Roostertails or small killies. An oddball variety of fish chewed at Lake Riviera. An angler fishing there from the pier picked up a few crappies on killies. Nothing was heard about Manasquan Reservoir. A customer who frequents the impoundment, a hybrid striped bass angler, had been catching mostly largemouth bass there. Even hybrids seemed reluctant to hit in warm waters. Waters were cooling though, and fishing should pick up. Killies and nightcrawlers are stocked, and shiners will probably begin to be stocked for the season in two Fridays, September 7.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Farm and retaining ponds served up largemouth bass, good catches, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. The fish were Senko-wormed the other day. Chain pickerel were on the bite at the lakes at Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area. Crappies chomped at Gropp’s Lake, and catfish and a few smallmouth bass nipped in Delaware River. But the river’s fishing was slow. The river ran fairly low, even if rains raised the level a moment.

Customers kept reporting big carp caught at Delaware River, Rancocas Creek, Raccoon Creek, Oldmans Creek and Crosswick Creek, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. They fished homemade dough-ball baits created from vanilla or almond extract and sugar. Almond was a secret, but Tom told. These fish weighed up to 30 or 35 pounds. Tom gave the angling a shot, scoring not too badly, wrestling in 12- or 13-pound carp. He fished corn on size-6 hooks. Crappies, dynamite catches of large ones 15 inches, were slugged at Gropp’s Lake on fathead minnows or small shiners. Hybrid striped bass and walleyes got wonked at Lake Hopatcong both day and night.

A substantial storm, not just brief ones already happening, could be used to shake up lakes, said Rick from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Waters were in the 80s for a long time. Still, largemouth bass fishing was decent at lakes including Rainbow and Iona. At Iona Lake, the bass were sometimes top-water-plugged, mostly in mornings and at dusk. But usually bass at lakes were taken on soft plastics like creature baits, often flipped. Largemouths were beaten at Salem Canal, mostly while flipping. Delaware River was actually one of the better spots for bassing, because of moving waters. Catfish fed there.

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