<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Steelheads, quite a few drop-backs, were banked from the river, said Scott from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The fish were returning to Lake Ontario after spawning, and were angled throughout the river, no stretch fishing better than another. Usual egg sacks, trout beads and flies caught, but so did nightcrawlers now. Weather was windy for boating the lake, but when boaters sailed, they began to troll brown trout close to shore. The fishing was just starting.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Though many customers headed out to fish for striped bass Monday on Delaware River, nothing was heard about catches that day, Bill Brinkman from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia wrote on his Facebook page. That was the most recent time he posted news about the fishing, and weather was often windy since then. But striper fishing was great on the river Sunday. Most of the fish caught were small, but some were 24 to 36 inches. The best catch heard about from one person was a 38-inch striper, two “slot” stripers and four large catfish. Those were angled at Burlington-Bristol Bridge. “Slot” stripers are 20- to 26-inchers, and here’s a review of the regs: Two that size are legal to bag per angler from the river from Pennsylvania from the Pennsylvania state line upstream to Calhoun Street Bridge from April 1 to May 31. From Calhoun Street Bridge to upstream in Pennsylvania, two stripers 28 inches or larger are legal to bag year-round. Stripers are illegal to bag from the river in New Jersey from April 1 through May 31. The catches must be released. When fishing with bait on the river from either state during this period, hooks sizes 2 and larger must be non-offset circle ones. This is all for spawning. On Saturday, mostly small stripers were hooked from the river locally, but so were a few better-sized, and lots of 30- to 36-inchers hit farther downstream, from Chester, Pennsylvania, to Delaware Memorial Bridge. One angler cranked in a 38-inch striper and a 36-incher from the river at Petty Island, near Pennsauken. Prior to Saturday, last Wednesday was the last time Bill reported lots of stripers landed from the river. Customers fished for the river’s stripers with fresh clams, fresh bunker and bloodworms.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Shad fishing was good on the local Delaware River, until catches somewhat tapered off starting Monday, because of cold weather that chilled waters, said Joe from <b>Stokes Forest Sport Shop</b> in Sandyston. But the fishing would probably pick back up soon. One angler totaled 20 shad on the river near Big Flatbrook, not phenomenal, but pretty good, Joe said. A few smallmouth bass and an occasional walleye came from the river. One customer reeled in two smallies and a walleye from the river on a trip. Not many fished for smallmouths yet, but fishing for the bass usually picks up soon, when weather becomes slightly warmer, like in the mid 60 degrees. Trout fishing was very good on the Flatbrook, mostly for rainbows and a few sizeable browns, mostly on salmon eggs and spinners. The river might’ve ran a little high this week after rains Friday and Saturday, but was lowering and clearing now. Paulinskill River remained high but would probably come down this week. On lakes, crappie fishing produced well, and a few largemouth bass, required to be released through June 15 for spawning, started to be hooked. 

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> from Montvale motored the boat out on a fishing trip the first time this season, he said. Previously he waded for trout on streams, and still did, but he ran the boat for crappies on Lake Hopatcong on Sunday. The day began brutally cold, feeling like winter, and crappies were caught, but fewer than expected, probably because of the cold snap. Waters were as cold as 52 degrees at a deep cove, and were as warm as 60 at a shallow spot, with dark bottom that absorbed heat. Perch and a couple of chain pickerel were also landed. Dave even trolled for muskies a short time, and none bit. Dave likes to fish for crappies with a drop-shot rig with a crappie jig on bottom and a rubber grub a foot above. Live bait probably would’ve whacked more fish on this cold day, but Dave likes the challenge of artificials. In crappie angling like this, the depth fished is key. Crappies feed “up,” Dave said, so he uses a slip bobber to incrementally raise the rig until a crappie is nabbed. Then he knows the depth to fish. Dave’s friend, tournament largemouth bass angler Paul Schmidt, told Dave about a 6-pound 15-ounce largemouth landed from Hopatcong. That’s a sizeable bass in New Jersey, and largemouths must be released in the state through June 15. Paul beats up on largemouths on Cabin Creek Spider Jigs this time of year. Dave is booked to guide a trout-fishing stream trip this weekend with anglers who walleye fished with him on a lake previously. Dave trout fished with a friend on Paulinskill River last week, and the fishing was tougher than before, and the river had begun to run low. But they plugged 16 trout on Rapala Countdown lures in size CD3. Dave axed six, and the friend, fishing a different stretch, grabbed 10. The Paulinskill ran low at times this season, and rains raised the level back up at times, and maybe will again for the trip this weekend. Dave specializes in trout fishing on streams with lures in springtime. Lures can be an effective way to catch large trout, the size Dave is after. He also just enjoys the plugging, a creative, active way to fish. Anglers are always active when working lures. Lure fishing requires some depth, to avoid snagging bottom or debris like logs. Rivers usually flow higher in spring, one reason Dave plugs them then. Live to Fish Guide Service guides trips for trout, muskies, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleyes, crappies, chain pickerel, panfish, yellow perch, white perch, carp and more. Lakes fished include Greenwood Lake, Lake Hopatcong, Monksville Reservoir, Echo Lake, Mountain Lake and Furnace Lake. Rivers fished include the Flatbrook, Pequest, Paulinskill and Ramapo.

Small black stoneflies and maybe caddis and Hendricksons hatched on trout streams before the cold spell, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Trout fishing had been good, and still was, but the angling probably turned strictly to sub-surface during the cold. Cold might’ve affected largemouth bass fishing on lakes, but Greg from the shop jigged the bigmouths from shallows at Big Swartswood Lake on Keitechs early in the week, maybe because of warmth in the skinny waters. He also jigged largemouths in shallows at Lake Hopatcong last week. Delaware River’s shad migration probably reached Delaware Water Gap. Brian heard about shad fought a little farther downstream at Columbia and Portland.

Nick from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield competed in a largemouth bass tournament at Budd Lake on Sunday, he said. But the day was frigid, and winds blew terribly. Air temperature was 31 degrees when the boat was launched in the morning, and Nick copped no largemouths, limited to catch and release through June 15. But most of the contest’s anglers managed at least one, none big. Mostly suspending jerk baits caught, and a few Senko worms connected. But a bunch of northern pike were slammed, usually on 4-inch white Keitechs and jerk baits. The lake was 51 to 52 degrees when the tournament began, and was 54 later in the day. Anglers said most larger lakes were in the low 50s, and some of the smaller lakes reached the high 50s, but largemouth fishing still wasn’t good there. Warmer weather was needed. A couple of customers fished Pompton Lake, picking up a few largemouths. Nothing crazy, Nick said. Crappie fishing was reportedly good at the bridge at Pompton.  Trout fishing was outstanding at stocked waters, including Ramapo and Pequest rivers. Butter worms caught there, and trout were plucked from Dahnert’s and Barbour’s ponds, even if anglers worked for them. Passaic River ran very cold, but northern pike were punched from the river on shiners. Nothing drastic, but catches here and there, Nick said. Lots of shad were socked at Delaware Water Gap on Delaware River last week. Most were bucks, and whether most were bucks this week, or how the fishing went this week, was unknown. But good numbers, like 10 or 12 per angler, were waxed last week.

<b>CENTRAL JERSEY</b>

Lots of good reports rolled in about trout fishing, said Angelo from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. The fishing was “absolutely phenomenal,” he said, nearly anyplace stocked, especially larger rivers. River levels were about perfect at the moment, though South Branch of Raritan River ran high and muddy Saturday when he was there. But he returned Sunday, and the level had lowered, fishing great. Anglers need to wait a day or two after heavy rains to fish rivers for trout. But then fishing is usually ideal. The fish are active and “moving around,” he said, after high waters. The South Branch this week was down to 108 CFS, so that was good, and Angelo likes 120 best on the river. Musconetcong River fished great for trout. Big Flatbrook and Paulinskill River produced. Grannom caddis and Hendricksons hatched, offering dry-fly fishing at times. But big trout were smacked on Rapala lures and spinners. When waters are higher, but not too high, anglers like to fish them. When waters are lower, they like to fish bait, if they’re not fly fishing. Trout fishing on smaller streams seemed “hit or miss,” Angelo said, and that was his one complaint, he said. Seemed like smaller streams weren’t stocked, including in Hunterdon County where he lives. Largemouth bass, restricted to catch and release through June 15, might’ve been entering pre-spawn, though cold weather this week might’ve affected that. In pre-spawn, when lakes are around 55 degrees, the bass go on a feeding frenzy, Angelo said. Largemouthing should pick up once waters warm a little. Then largemouths will make spawning beds, and though the fishing is catch and release, that’s when especially large females can be landed and let go. On Delaware River, shad were reported to migrate as far upstream as Delaware Water Gap, and fishing for them was great this year, after slower fishing for them in the recent past.

Mostly bait rounded up trout because of cold waters in rivers, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. But the fish were caught from the Toms, Metedeconk and Manasquan rivers. Waters were somewhat dirty from rains, but the Toms ran fairly clear. Just cold, Dennis said. Garden worms and baby nightcrawlers caught. Chain pickerel were wrestled from the Toms farther downstream at Trilco, the closed building supply, and the lake at Pine Lake Park in Manchester. No sign identifies the Trilco building, but locals know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. A “run,” Dennis said, of white perch bit at Forge Pond on killies. Practically all baits are stocked including shiners, killies and the different trout worms.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Striped bass fishing was super on Delaware River from Florence to Trenton, including at Trenton Makes Bridge and Calhoun Street Bridge, said Tom P. from <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Cut ocean herring and shad clobbered them. Anglers must be able to show a receipt for purchasing the herring – the bait must be purchased – to prove the bait is legal. River herring are prohibited. Shad, a mess, were smoked on the river, including at Trenton, Lambertville and Washington Crossing. A hundred shad darts and spoons were probably sold at the shop Tuesday, Tom said, when he gave this report in a phone call. Colors that caught included chartreuse with a pink dot, pink-and-black and yellow-and-chartreuse. Plenty of trout were plowed at Delaware and Raritan Canal, Assunpink Lake, Sylvan Lake and Crystal Lake, or all the usual stocked waters. Customers were pleased, mostly scoring on meal worms, Trout Magnets and Roostertails. Power Bait sometimes caught. Walleyes, a few 17-inchers, walloped from the D&R Canal were actually heard about. They seemed an incidental catch while anglers fished for trout or bass, but some were hung. Largemouth bass fishing had been fairly good on lakes, but seemed to slow since windy weather during the weekend and cold early this week.

Delaware River’s striped bass fishing was solid, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Westville. They were snatched up from no particular place or from “one end to the other,” Rick said. “It’s day to day.” A 45-incher was the biggest Rick heard about, and bloodworms might’ve caught best from shore, but clams worked just as well from boats. Large white perch gave up lots of catches on the river. So did catfish. Good trout fishing was heard about, and a couple of big ones came from Grenloch Lake. A few were mugged from Oak Pond. Largemouth bass fishing, catch and release by law through June 15, began to take hold at Alloway Lake, Salem Canal and Maskell’s Mill Pond. Crappies were pasted at Wilson Lake and Cooper River. Baits are fully stocked, and Big Timber carries bait and tackle for fishing on all waters from fresh to offshore.

Trout fishing kept producing on the stocked lakes, said Joanie from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. One customer stringered-out three times at Grenloch Lake on wax worms, saying he’d never caught that many before. Lakes where the fishing sounded good also included Iona. Joe Rogano Jr. landed a 4-1/2-pound largemouth bass, required to be released through June 15, at Blackwood Lake on a minnow from Creek Keepers. George Simmermon came up with a 2-pound 15-ounce bowfin from Big Timber Creek on grass shrimp. Customers kept buying bloodworms and frozen, salted clams for striped bass fishing on Delaware River. They must’ve caught.

Fishing had begun to take off, but the cold this week slowed it down, said Vince from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. He saw largemouth bass begin to make spawning beds at lakes. But they pulled off the nests because of the cold. Largemouths must be released through June 15. Plenty of trout were piled up from Swedesboro Lake, Iona Lake and South Vineland Park Pond. A friend’s kid yanked a 26-incher from Swedesboro. Chain pickerel still bit, despite the cold. Crappies were clocked. Striped bass were beached from shore on Delaware Bay at Fortescue, including keepers, and along Delaware River. The keepers weren’t huge, or were up to 31 or 32 inches, and were occasionally 36 inches. Stripers can be bagged from Fortescue but must be released on the river from Salem River to upstream from April 1 through May 31. When fishing with bait on the river during this period, hooks sizes 2 and larger must be non-offset circle ones. This is all because of spawning.

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