<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river’s steelhead fishing varied day to day, but the fish were banked, said Ben from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. When weather was colder, the fishing was slower, and barometric pressure also affected the bite. Brown and rainbow trout were sometimes landed from the waters. The river was dropped low to 335 CFS on Saturday, after it flowed at 750 previously. Snow fell three or four days this week, and a couple of feet covered the ground. Ice was seen on the lower river Tuesday. But rain is forecast for later in the week. The usual egg sacks, trout beads and different flies hooked the fish. Anglers just started to ice fish on lakes, including some of Oneida Lake’s bays. Sandy Pond was ice-fished, but probably not the entire waters. Farther north, Black Lake, covered with four inches, and Lake of the Isles were fished through the ice. A bunch of other lakes were also ice-fished. Most ice-anglers talked about pulling in northern pike and crappies. Yellow perch and crappies were tugged from Black Lake and Lake of the Isles. The shop carries complete supplies for Salmon River steelhead and trout but also ice fishing.

<b>NORTH JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Four or five inches of snow fell during the weekend, and more was falling Tuesday, when Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston gave this report in a phone call. Not many anglers fished in the weather, but news about fishing should pick up soon, he hopes. Delaware River’s walleye fishing usually peaks in January and February, he said in previous reports. Currently, Big Flatbrook, where customers who trout fish usually go, ran low and clear.  Skim ice began to cover lakes, and some lakes in Pennsylvania held four of five inches. But none of the local lakes held ice that could be fished.

Though weather was tough on fishing in the past week, trout were beaten from Pequest River, despite low waters, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Small, red midges, disco midges and salmon-egg flies socked them. Lakes just started to hold ice, but that probably will melt, because of 50-degree temperatures forecast for later in the week. Steelhead fishing was good in upstate New York’s rivers, including Salmon River. Thirty inches of snow just dumped there, so that will curtail the angling a moment. But the fishing’s been good, including on egg sacks and small stoneflies.

Lakes held skim ice, and access to Passaic River was pretty much snowed-in, or was difficult, because of that, said Joe from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Snow that’s cleared from roads is piled up there. But when anglers can reach the river through winter, northern pike can be fought from the Passaic. So can catfish, and smallmouth bass swam at the confluence of the Passaic and Pompton River. Carp always hold in the Passaic, but aren’t likely to bite in winter.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Trout were clutched from streams on usual flies like midges, tiny patterns in sizes 18 to 24, like isonychias, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. But stoneflies, probably to sizes 6 or 8, caught. So did egg and worm flies that work all winter. Streamer flies were very effective, or lots of good things were heard about them, he said. Weather was cold and snowy, so trout fishing was kind of cold and snowy, he said. But days are supposed to reach the 50-degrees by the weekend. That will be good to fish in, and Angelo figures that the fishing should really amp up by Monday or Tuesday, after the warmer weather has effects. Streams ran low, and any precipitation was frozen in past days. Anglers who fished lakes chased chain pickerel and walleyes, typical fishing before ice fishing around January and February. Nothing was heard about fishing for trout from shore at Round Valley Reservoir that were landed previously. But brown and lake trout still probably bit there. Many anglers traveled to upstate New York for steelhead fishing on rivers.

Smallmouth bass grabbed shiners in Delaware River at the Trenton power plant, when the plant generated warm water, said Karl from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Catfish chewed nightcrawlers at the plant, “were in there pretty regular,” he said. At Tullytown Cove along the river on the Pennsylvania side, largemouth bass jumped on shiners, near the creek, at the tops of tides. A few crappies hit there. Nothing was heard about walleye fishing on the Delaware.

Lakes somewhat froze, then didn’t, or went back and forth, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Weather was unsettled, so few customers fished. Not even minnows really sold this week. But warmer weather is forecast by the weekend, and chatter was sometimes heard about fishing planned for then. When anglers fish, they’ll target chain pickerel, crappies and occasionally largemouth bass. Pickerel and crappies will bite throughout winter, no matter the cold. Largemouths become sluggish or refuse to bite in low temperatures.

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