<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondack Mountains</b>

Water covered ice on most lakes during a few warmer days through the weekend, but now temps were dropping, and the ice became solid, said Jeff from <b>FISH307.com</b> in Lake George. Ice averaged 5 inches thick, and was fished on lakes including Brant Lake, Trout Lake, Lake Eaton, Eagle Lake, Loon Lake and Paradox Lake. Schroon Lake was entirely iced over, and that was news. One of the crew from the shop limited out on both crappies – to a 16-inch, 2-pound, 3-1/2-ouncer – and yellow perch at Brant Lake. He fished Northland Tungsten Fire Ball Jigs with Maki plastic crappie baits. Lake George was yet to freeze, and that was usual. It usually freezes during the third week of January. Skim ice, not fishable, covered Harris Bay on Lake George during the warm spell. Previously, a few anglers began to ice fish on the bay, but safety was questionable. During the warmth, some anglers boated and canoed open water. One of them checked in an 8-pound 28-inch landlocked salmon he caught from Lake George on a Plazma 44 hammered silver and copper jig.  All baits are stocked, including: fathead minnows; hunts or blunt-nosed minnows; shiners; icicles, also known as buckeyes, or emerald shiners; mousies; and more. Replacement batteries for flashers, difficult to find, are on hand.

Ice on local lakes was 5 to 7 inches thick, said Lou from <b>Fuel-n-Food</b> in Mayfield. They neither gained nor lost ice in past days, and were fishable, though driving four-wheelers atop wasn’t recommended. Anglers on foot stayed away from areas like creek mouths and inlets with thin ice because of moving water.  But ice fishing on Great Sacandaga Lake was good for walleyes and brown trout. The lake’s fishing for northern pike and yellow perch seemed to slow a little. Lots of crappies were jigged at West Lake, and splake gave up healthy catches at Caroga Lake. Not much was heard about catches from Lake Pleasant. Anglers were scarcer during the warm spell toward the weekend. But weather started to become colder on Monday, and is supposed to become very cold next week. The outlook seemed good. . A large selection of live baits is stocked, including fatheads, shiners, suckers, spikes and more. Tackle and gear includes everything from tip-ups, a variety of jigs and all the terminal tackle to augers and more. The shop also features a convenience store, fuel, breakfast and lunch. Great Sacandaga Lake and plenty of other nearby waters can be fished. The shop can point anglers in the right direction.

<b>Salmon River</b>

Anglers worked to tie into steelheads on the river, said Eric from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Weather became warm, and rain fell, during the weekend, and the river had risen to 500 CFS. But it was supposed to be dropped to 285 on Tuesday night. Snow on the ground melted away, but the next days were supposed to become cold. No stretch of the river fished better than another that Eric heard about. Trout beads, egg sacks and small, black stoneflies catch well this time of year. Sandy Pond had been ice fished a few days, but the warmth and rain melted the ice too thin by the weekend. Mostly yellow perch and a few northern pike get yanked through the ice there. All ice-fishing gear is stocked.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Much of the fishable ice seemed to melt away in warm weather, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. No customers talked about fishing open water on lakes either. Weather will become cold next week. Customers trout fished including at Pequest River, Big Flatbrook and Musconetcong and Rockaway rivers. Most caught with midges or small nymphs, usual patterns like hares ears. Mayflies, probably blue winged olives this time of year, might’ve hatched in the warmth.

Anglers fished Passaic River with shiners, banking “a pike here, a pike there,” said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Not much action. A buddy’s son ice-fished on Musconetcong Lake on reportedly almost 4 inches, pasting lots of perch and some crappies, mostly on size-5 Rapala ice-fishing jigs, but some on bait. Anglers kept reporting ice catches from Sterling Lake in Sussex on supposedly 3 to 4 inches. Lots of perch were jigged and tip-upped, they said. Nick found it hard to believe 3 or 4 inches formed anyplace, but that’s what anglers said. Open water remained in the main lakes at Greenwood Lake and Lake Hopatcong, and when boaters managed to fish the waters, they nailed walleyes and muskies on size-9 Rapala ice jigs, late in the day toward dusk. A few customers trout fished on Pequest River, grabbing a handful, like small rainbows, on nightcrawlers and meal worms. Similar catches were reported from Paulinskill and Ramapo rivers. A customer angled better-sized rainbows from Barbour’s Pond on nights and meals. Barbour’s was part of the winter stocking, known for large trout.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Many talked about trout fishing at Pequest River, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Midges and other small flies caught best. But Pumpkin Heads, eggs, stoneflies and streamers, “prospecting patterns,” Angelo said, are also choices in winter. Blue winged olives would be the only mayflies now. Trout in streams school together during this season. Where one is found, all will be. Look for them at places like pools, holes or deep runs, preferably after rain. Somewhat dirtier water helps the angling, because streams are cold and clear, and trout are spooky. Cloudy days are better. Fish mid-days for warmth, and days in the 40s or higher are best. Trout, 95 percent browns, but occasional rainbows, were boated and shore angled at Round Valley Reservoir. Trout still cruised the shoreline. From land, the browns were busted on shiners, and the rainbows were socked on marshmallow-and-meal-worm combos. Nothing was heard about ice fishing. Except there is no ice, Angelo said.

Trout were tugged from Lake Carasaljo, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. So were a few crappies, and chain pickerel were swiped from Lake Riviera on spinners. Jeff landed two picks at Winding River, and saw no other fish like sunnies, he said. White perch were plucked from the Toms River at Trilco, the closed building supply, and a little farther upstream. No sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Farther downstream, a few striped bass and perch were lifted from the Toms at Island Heights. Stripers must be released, because the season for them is closed in rivers and bays through February.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Fishing for trout at Ken Lockwood Gorge’s and Pequest River’s Trout Conservation Areas drew most customers, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. They fished small nymphs like Rainbow Warriors. One who fished at the Pequest scored well on sucker spawns. Another who fished the rivers reportedly caught on larger, size-14 bead-headed nymphs. Another customer talked about landing a few walleyes on Delaware River at Frenchtown on crank baits. But that was unconfirmed, and the customer was looking for the crank baits at the shop, was never seen before or since, and nobody else really fished the river. Another angler smashed good-sized chain pickerel to 24 or 25 inches at a place called “the bogs” near Browns Mills on Rebel lures. Many customers geared up for saltwater fishing for sea bass offshore or ling closer to the coast. For ling, Gulps, the artificial baits, out-fished clams.

In the warmer weather, trout were reported reeled from South Vineland Park Pond, said Vince from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Lakes were open, free of ice, in the warmth, after skim ice had formed at night through morning previously. One angler coaxed a few bites from trout at Maurice River, seeing the fish, but hooking none, on wacky worms. Chain pickerel were played on lakes, and minnows are stocked that can catch them. One angler bought four dozen on Monday, and minnows will be carried as long as possible this season.

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