<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

A mix of fish – king and Coho salmon, steelheads and brown trout – swam throughout the river, said Tess from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Are kings predominant? she was asked. It’s a mix, she said. Fewer fresh salmon, or salmon that just migrated from Lake Ontario, held in the river than before. But lots of fish flooded the river. Quite a few steelheads were now around. Salmon migrate to the river, spawn and die there in autumn, and steelheads migrate in autumn to the river, spend winter there, spawn in the waters in spring, and return to the lake for summer. They don’t die after spawning. The river ran at 335 CFS, like most of the season. Egg sacks and flies like sponges caught the salmon, like usual. Orange sponges worked well on the steelheads. Little was heard about boaters fishing for salmon on the lake anymore this season. Anglers concentrated on the river.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

The federal government shutdown closed some of the trout streams and some of Delaware River, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. Fall trout stocking never took place on federal waters, because of the shutdown. Probably one-quarter of the trout streams were open and stocked, and a few customers fished there, reporting fairly decent catches. Stocking took place on the waters two weeks ago, and the fishing seemed best a week ago. Customers mostly trout fish on Big Flatbrook and sometimes Paulinskill River. When Delaware River is reopened, anglers will hit the waters for walleyes. Anglers looked forward to winter trout stocking at lakes in November and ice fishing in winter. 

Weather forecasts were stiff, so a charter cancelled that was going to fish for muskies aboard this weekend, said Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale. But Dave fished Greenwood Lake with a friend Saturday instead. Weather was breezy, but winds weren’t 25 m.p.h. like forecast, and they landed crappies, perch and a 2-1/2-pound smallmouth bass. They tried trolling for muskies with no takers. The crappies and perch were drop-shotted on Gulp minnows, and the smallie bit during the musky trolling. Dave fished solo on Greenwood on Thursday, a brisk, breezy day. This was while the nor’easter pounded the state’s coast for days.  Results were the same: some panfish were caught, and trolling for muskies was tried, but none bit. So, fish were caught on the trips, “but nothing to write home about,” Dave said, and weather was somewhat rough. The lake was 64 degrees, and fishing will slow a moment when lakes turn over, at least three or four days, maybe a week. That happens when lakes dip into the 50s sometime. Cooling air causes lake surface temperatures to drop, and bottom waters, previously colder than the surface, flip to the top. Lakes become stirred up and smell like sulfur. But fishing can be good afterward, and fish seem to feed up, preparing for winter. Autumn foliage colors will probably peak this weekend around local lakes, and another charter is supposed to fish aboard then. Dave’s friend Paul Schmidt, a tournament largemouth bass angler, held the Northeast Bassmasters’ final tournament of the season, the Fall Classic, on Lake Hopatcong two weekends ago. He heads the club, and won the event, with a five-fish bag weighing 12 or 13 pounds, Dave thought. That was only a few ounces heavier than second place, Dave thought. That wasn’t heavy weight, but the largemouthing was reportedly good there then. Now Hopatcong was being lowered, like annually, for dock repairs, and boats could no longer be launched, Dave thought. Live to Fish Guide Service guides trips for muskies, walleyes, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, panfish, trout, carp and more. Lakes fished include Greenwood, Lake Hopatcong, Monksville Reservoir, Echo, Mountain and Furnace. Rivers fished include the Flatbrook, Pequest, Paulinskill and Ramapo.

Mixed reviews were heard about trout fishing, since the fall stocking, said Don from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Many talked about difficulty catching, for unknown reasons. Low waters seemed the biggest challenge, and anglers searched for the deeper places to catch. Power Baits were popular sellers for the angling. A few trouters bought spinners like Mepps, the smallest ones. Newly stocked Gulp waxies in different colors looked promising for the fishing. Lake Hopatcong was drained low for dock repairs, like every year, probably preventing boats from fishing. Previous boating there for walleyes and hybrid striped bass might’ve been finished. 

Passaic River ran low, but catfish and northern pike were tugged from the waters, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. The cats were fished for with nearly any baits like kidneys from the supermarket. Gulp Catfish Dough worked. The pike were picked up on soft-plastic lures including Storm shads and Zoom fluke. Anglers were excited to fish for trout, because of fall stocking. The fish were wormed at Rockaway River. But the stocking schedule was changed a couple of times, once because of a trout virus at the hatchery, and another because of low, warm waters, and some stocking never happened in federal land. That was because of the federal government shutdown. People were confused about when waters were stocked or even if they were. See the revised <a href="http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/flstk13.htm" target="_blank">fall trout stocking schedule</a> online. Lake Hopatcong could probably no longer be boated, because of annual partial draining for dock repairs. Cheryl lives on the lake. “It’s <i>drained</i>,” she said.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Though Lake Hopatcong was drawn down and low, those who fished the lake, braving winds this past week, landed largemouth bass off rocky points, said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. They also cranked in hybrid striped bass on herring fished deep. The lake is lowered each year for dock repairs. Trout fishing was good on streams. The waters ran low, and anglers were known about who caught on North Branch of Raritan River, who were stealthy, because of the skinny waters. Anglers had hoped last week’s nor’easter would dump rains, raising trout streams. The storm brought winds to the area, but not much rains. Musconetcong River flowed higher than other places last week, the last Braden heard, because of water released from the reservoir. The estuary is connected to Hopatcong. One angler who fished the South Branch reported success on trout. Another on Tuesday talked about Power-Baiting trout on Big Flatbrook. Butterworms and baby nightrcrawlers were popular baits for trout on different waters. Braden knew that flies caught trout, and Angelo from the shop, a trout fly-rod sharpie, would know details. Smallmouth bass were socked on Raritan River, from about where the north and south branches meet to Bound Brook. The fish swiped livelined crawfish and soft-plastic swim baits.

Few fished because of the nor’easter, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Tuesday was the first day the weather really cleared enough. Nobody was heard about who trout fished the fall stocking since the storm. Customers trout on the Toms, Metedeconk and Manasquan rivers. A couple of anglers geared up to fish Manasquan Reservoir, but results weren’t heard. A woman and kid fished Ocean County College Pond, banking bluegills on nightcrawlers. Shiners ran out but will be re-stocked Friday. Killies, nightcrawlers and garden worms are stocked.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Delaware River became somewhat off-colored, but not blown out, like anglers thought the rains would cause, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown.  But nobody seemed to fish the river, because they seemed to assume the storm would affect it. Anglers fished Lake Assunpink, though. Crappies, good catches, were hung there on small, 1/16-ounce hair jigs under a bobber or fathead minnows under a bobber. Largemouth bass were Rat-L-Trapped from the lake along the submerged road bed. Trout were stocked at Colonial and Rosedale lakes on Friday, and a few of the fish caught were heard about during the weekend on meal worms and Roostertails. Chain pickerel fishing was good at the Pine Barrens ponds on shiners and Johnson Silver Minnows.

Anglers just started to catch trout from the fall stocking, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Local lakes were stocked Thursday, but only four trout hooked were known about around then. The fishing seemed slow at first. But a customer bagged four trout in 20 minutes on minnows in the past day. Another creeled two at Oak Pond on meal worms then. A customer nailed several largemouth bass at Alcyon Lake in Pitman on shiners. He’s been taking largemouths on the bait, bought at the shop, at different lakes this season, covered in previous reports. Sunfish were angled from the spillway across the road from Blackwood Lake. Something happened to the dam, and the lake was drained for repair and refilled. So the sunnies were the fish to catch after that.

Largemouth bass were tackled here and there, but the fishing was still sporadic, said Andrew  from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. The good fall fishing for them that’s expected was yet to take off, and the fishing was still sort of in-between seasons or between warmer and cooler weather. Anglers hoped cooler weather that’s forecast will help. But the fish began to bite a little during the storm and rains, and they’ll eat during low pressure like that. Afterward, high pressure returned this week, and largemouthing becomes tougher then. Largemouths were reported caught at Parvin Lake on Rat-L-Traps. A few of the bass, like three or five a trip, were lifted from Rainbow Lake, Andrew thought. But catches during the storm were the only really heard about. Trout were slated to be stocked last week, including at Maurice River, Giampetro Park Pond and Iona Lake.

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