<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondack Mountains</b>

Plenty of ice was fished in the Adirondacks, but not on Lake George, said Jeff from <b>FISH307.com</b> in the village of Lake George. Waters including Trout Lake, Glen Lake, Lake Champlain and Lake Adirondack were all ice fished. A few fished the ice on Harris Bay on Lake George, but Jeff wouldn’t recommend it. Lake George doesn’t usually freeze-over until the second or third week of January, so the open water was nothing unusual. In fact, conditions for ice weren’t in bad shape so far this season. Temperatures were lower than news forecasted. This morning was supposed to be 26 degrees, but Jeff read 12 degrees. Ice was forming overnight, not melting. Daytimes were below freezing, though the next week was supposed to reach the mid 30s. Fish seen that were caught included rainbow trout, yellow perch and a few sizeable northern pike. Usual baits were fished including fathead minnows, icicles or emerald shiners, hunts or blunt-nosed shiners, and regular shiners. All baits, including grubs and mousies, are fully stocked. Replacement batteries for flashers, difficult to find, are also stocked.

Ice was 5 to 7 inches thick on Great Sacandaga Lake, and good catches of walleyes, brown trout and yellow perch were yanked through the hard water, said Louie from <b>Fuel-n-Food</b> in Mayfield. Mostly fathead minnows or small shiners caught, and smaller bait seemed better. But jigged spikes worked well on the perch at Sacandaga and some of the smaller lakes and ponds. Sacandaga’s ice was safe for walking, but Louie would be cautious about driving snow mobiles or four-wheelers on the water yet, he said. The water level was normal but lower than during the past three seasons. Fuel-n-Food offers the area’s largest selection of ice fishing bait and tackle. 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>

Steelhead fishing on the river, running at 285 CFS, was so-so, said Eric from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Morning slush, and shelf-ice along the river’s edges, weren’t much of an issue in the fishing in past days, like they were last week on the middle and lower stretches. That was because weather was warmer this week. Tuesday was 40 degrees, and rain was predicted for the next days. Still, fishing was better after a day warmed a bit. No reason to fish early. No stretch of the river fished better than another consistently. Egg sacks, trout beads and small black nymphs caught the steelheads. Not a lot of ice fishing happened on lakes yet this season, and recent warmth kept ice from building much. All ice gear is stocked.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Some of the lakes and ponds were ice-fished, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Mostly yellow perch were probably caught, and the ice included on Budd Lake. But several children fell through the ice there this week. Lakes Hopatcong and Musconetcong probably held fishable ice in spots. Trout anglers landed the fish on streams like Pequest River. Many fly-fished with small midges. But customer Steve Rospond, Hopatcong, banked a 24-inch rainbow trout on a nightcrawler on the South Branch of the Raritan River.

Ice was fished at some places, not many, on the lake, said Jim from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong.  The lake at Woodport and the state park were ice angled, and probably panfish and chain pickerel were tugged in. Wouldn’t be a lot of news until more ice froze.

Ice anglers fished on Lake Hopatcong, but the ice sounded thin, said Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Several kids fell through the ice at Budd Lake. Hopatcong might’ve only held a couple of inches. Lake Marcia supposedly held 5 inches, and mostly perch and pickerel seemed to be caught from the different lakes with ice. But perch seemed “the ticket,” Nick said. One angler reeled in lots of perch at Lake Musconetcong through the ice, saying it was 3 ½ or 4 inches thick. Ice anglers mostly seemed to fish shiners, and a few worked Rapala ice-fishing jigs. In open water, a few fished Passaic River, and only a few northern pike caught there were heard about. Nick hooked largemouth bass, “little dinks,” he said, at the small lake he fishes in Garfield, on 3-inch Keitechs. All the bass are up the creeks in winter, he said. Nobody mentioned trout fishing.

<b>South Jersey</b>

One customer trout fished on Ken Lockwood Gorge during the weekend, “but didn’t do too well,” said Darrel from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. The angler saw nobody catch well, but saw midges flying. Customers bought minnows for walleye and northern pike fishing on lakes. More about fishing will probably be heard because of warmer weather in the next days.

A few walleyes were yanked from Delaware River at Scudders Falls, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Nightcrawlers or 3- or 5-inch Gulp leeches caught them on 3/16- to ¼-ounce jigheads, however much weight was needed to feel bottom. A few anglers shinered chain pickerel at the Pine Barrens ponds, like at the cranberry bogs. Trout fishing was good on rivers like the Pequest and the Musconetcong on small flies like size-22 tricos. On the bait stretches, garlic eggs or Power Bait hatchery pellets worked.

Skim ice covered lakes in mornings in past days, said Vince from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. The ice formed during the cold nights, melting by 10 or 11 a.m. When ice was formed, anglers could fish open waters at the spillways or dams. Minnows, worms or Roostertails could grab chain pickerel, crappies or maybe bluegills. But warmer weather in the next days could keep ice from forming, and also trigger better fishing. “It should fire up, I think,” Vince said.

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