<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

King salmon packed the river top to bottom, and so did anglers, said Ben from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The fishing was good, and no stretch fished better than another. A few Coho salmon, steelheads and brown trout swam the waters. But salmon still schooled Lake Ontario, and even pushed out to deeper water recently. Many had swum the lake at 90-foot depths, but now they moved back to 150 feet, farther from shore. That seemed to mean the river’s migration would be prolonged. The river ran at 335 CFS, and that probably won’t change soon. Not much rain fell, and none of the fish swam the tributaries, because lack of rain kept the streams from holding much water. Egg sacks and flies hooked the salmon in the river. Chartreuse, pink and blue were popular colors.

The river ran at 335 CFS, said Capt. Jim Weiser from <b>Fins and Feathers Outfitters</b> in West Leyden. A flow of 250 would be very low, and would be easy to wade while fishing for salmon, but would discourage the fish from migrating up the river from Lake Ontario. Any flow at 500 or 600 or lower is very manageable for wading. Sometimes the river will be raised at night to 700 or 800 to encourage the fish to migrate up. Plenty of salmon currently swam the river. Jim’s customers fish for them from his <a href="http://www.sjlodge.net/" target="_blank">S.J. Lodge</a> in West Leyden. He can accompany them to help them catch, or can recommend guides for them to hire. Sometimes the guests prefer to fish on their own, and sometimes Jim shows them how to fish, and afterward, the guests angle on their own. He likes to fish with yarn egg flies in chartreuse or pearl this time of year. Large stoneflies – Jim ties them in size 8 – can catch steelheads and brown trout well. Fins and Feathers offers a variety of adventures, including salmon and steelhead fishing on Salmon River, fly-fishing for trout on Pennsylvania’s streams like the Yellow Breeches, duck and goose hunting from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and saltwater fishing from New Jersey on Delaware Bay and the ocean from Avalon. Visit the <a href="http://www.finsandfeather.com/index.php/fishing-trips" target="_blank">Fins and Feathers Outfitters Web site</a>. Call:  612-802-8619.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

An 18- to 20-pound musky was trolled and released from Greenwood Lake on a trip that Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale took solo on Saturday, he said. On Sunday, Tom Muffucci and son aboard drop-shotted and released good-sized crappies, other panfish including white perch and sunnies, and smallmouth bass on Gulps. The lake was 66 to 68 degrees, compared with 73 a couple of weeks before. Dave hopes to keep fishing into December, including currently for muskies, walleyes and whatever species anglers would like, such as largemouth bass. He landed a musky two days after Christmas last year.  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.

Fall trout stocking began this week, a week earlier than scheduled, and Musconetcong River probably flowed higher than other streams, because of waters released from the lake, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. The Musky, slated to be stocked today, probably flowed at a level that was normal or higher. Most other streams flowed low, typical in autumn and late summer. <a href="http://www.fishingreportsnow.com/Fisheries.Watch.2013/Trout.Stocking.Moved.Up.cfm" target="_blank">Trout stocking began a week early</a> because of a virus at the hatchery. Hybrid striped bass and largemouth bass were fought at Lake Hopatcong. Tackle like Keitech jigs hooked the hybrids, and nothing was heard about top-water lures catching them. A customer landed the fish during the weekend.

Great fishing all week, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an e-mail. Great weather, and less boat traffic than in summer, “(made) it just that much better,” she said. Lots of hybrid striped bass 5 to 8 pounds and some walleyes were checked in, caught from 20- to 25-foot depths off any of the points on worms and herring. Good catches of smallmouth bass to 3 pounds were had. Martin Dogewicz weighed in a 1-pound 5-ounce crappie. The lake started to be drawn down 5 feet like annually, for dock repairs. But Dow’s will remain open until November sometime, including for boat rentals and bait sales. “Make plans to get out there soon,” Laurie said.

From <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield, Nick competed in a largemouth bass tournament at Monksville Reservoir on Sunday, he said. The fishing was tough, but pretty good catches came in. Nick won second place by about 12 ounces, and no heavy weights were entered. He and his partner caught in the small space of open water between weeds and rocky shoreline. Entrants also fought lots of chain pickerel, and the lake was 66 to 67 degrees. Passaic River’s fishing was very good for smallmouth bass and northern pike on large shiners bought from the shop. The fish bit from downstream from the falls to Rutherford and upstream from the falls at Totowa and Lincoln Park. A friend’s son boated walleyes at Swartswood Lake and Monksville Reservoir from late in the day into dark on Rapala ice-fishing jigs. One angler nailed a 35-pound musky and a smaller one at Greenwood Lake at the creek on the southern end on a trip.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Fall trout stocking began a week earlier than scheduled, starting on Tuesday, including on North Branch of Raritan River, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. That was because a virus began to spread in the fish at the hatchery, and the state was trying to prevent that from spreading more. Angelo fished the North Branch a short time on Tuesday, landing a trout within 10 minutes on a zebra midge. He felt concerned, though, because trout were seen that looked ill or dying, swimming on their sides, some of them with white spots on their sides. They almost looked like spawned-out salmon. Unconfirmed rumors said the fish had the virus. Angelo was concerned whether the virus would spread to wild fish. As other waters are stocked in the next days, anglers should see whether the virus seems an issue. But some of the trout looked healthy during Angelo’s trip. He also tried fishing with egg flies, because trout will key-in on eggs during spawning later this fall. Two trout rose to the eggs but refused them, but Angelo considered that a good sign. A sucker bit one of the eggs and was released. Brook trout, healthy looking, were seen. Lots of small trout were seen that looked like browns. Trout all gathered where they were stocked, like usual. They’d take a couple of days to spread out. Bait fishers were seen catching lots. For fly anglers, any midges will catch, including zebras, WD40’s and any biots. Those were all good patterns.  Small pheasant-tail nymphs will work. But a few dry flies remained, including slate drakes, light Cahills and caddis. Another caddis will hatch this month, and that will be about the final opportunity for dry fly fishing until February. Streamers like a wooly bugger will also connect well. Trout streams ran low, and that can be challenging for fishing. Stocked trout will take a week or two to become wary, but wild trout are wary in the low waters. Both fly and spin-rod anglers need to fish stealthy, like with small hooks and the lightest line possible. In other news, smallmouth bass will continue to bite in waters like Raritan River. This is the time of year when they feed aggressively, preparing for winter. Little was heard about largemouth bass from lakes, but largemouths feed this time of year, too. Musky fishing was picking up at lakes, and this season was prime time to fish for them. In saltwater, striped bass began to be landed somewhat more than before. The migration was some time off, maybe starting in a couple of weeks. But small stripers were taken at places like Shrewsbury Rocks in the ocean.

Fall trout stocking began Tuesday, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. The rivers that customers fish for trout – the Toms, Metedeconk and Manasquan – were some of those slated to be stocked that first day, and the rivers were in good condition for the fishing. Levels and temperatures were “on the money,” Dennis said. Trout supplies including garden worms, night crawlers and Power Baits are stocked. Farther downstream on the Toms, chain pickerel could be nailed at Trilco, like usual. Trilco is a closed building supply, and no sign identifies the building, but anglers know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Pickerel always put up catches there. Nothing was heard about Manasquan Reservoir, but this is usually the time of year for good fishing for hybrid striped bass and largemouth bass there. Customers began to buy shiners more than before to fish different ponds and lakes. Some headed to Collier’s Mills Wildlife Management Area, fishing the first lake for largemouths and pickerel. Weeds filled the lake, tough to fish, but some of the weeds began to die for the season. One customer canoed a few white perch at the back of Forge Pond on Roosetertails. Those were some of the first white perch that Dennis heard about this season.  

<b>South Jersey</b>

Largemouth bass were tackled at Manasquan Reservoir, outside the wood, on ¼-ounce or 3/8-ounce jigs with trailers, in blue-and-black or all-black, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen Center</b> in Bordentown. Smallmouth bass pounced on Senkos at the dam and rocks. At Assunpink and Rising Sun lakes, in Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, good-sized crappies to 14 and 15 inches swiped tiny jigs, at submerged brush piles. Catfishing was good along Delaware River, for up to 20-pounders, from Bordentown to Trenton, on nightcrawlers, chicken livers or small chunks of eel. Fall trout stocking began this week, starting farther north in the state, before moving south.

One angler kept hooking largemouth bass at Puppyland Pond and Clementon and Haddon lakes on shiners, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. Chain pickerel were latched into at New Brooklyn Lake on minnows. Fall trout stocking began this week in North Jersey, and will arrive locally next week, including at Oak Pond and Grenloch Lake. Those are waters that customers fish for trout, and they also fish for them at Haddon Lake and Rowand’s Pond in Clementon. Those two are usually scheduled for the winter stocking in November.

Warmer weather or high pressure this week seemed to slow largemouth bass fishing somewhat on lakes, said Andrew at <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Live bait seemed to catch better in the conditions, like when a buddy competed in a largemouth tournament with artificials. He reeled-in none, but bait anglers caught. But if anglers using artificials fish with finesse, they should score okay. Shaky heads and smaller lures like crank baits or spinners should work. Andrew would fish the “secondary points,” he said, and deeper grass lines, if grass could still be found this season. Bait will gather there. Largemouths were swung from Parvin Lake toward the middle on live bait and Rat-L-Traps. A few anglers caught on top-water lures at grass at different lakes. Senko worms drew strikes in the grass.

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