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New Jersey Freshwater Fishing Report 10-19-16


<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Salmon trickled into the river, almost predictably, especially in the lower river, said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b>. But the fish were spread throughout the river consistently. Many were spawning, but a mix of different cycles of the Chinooks or kings filled the river, from fresh from Lake Ontario to spawned out. The river was low, running at 185 cubic feet per second like before, but this was turning into a heck of a salmon run. Anybody who visited the river and was willing to put in the effort could score a good day. The steelhead migration into the river, always beginning later in fall than the salmon run, appeared to be picking up. Steelheads seemed to slowly, steadily enter the river, and Jay’s trips hooked two or three each day. They were “hot” or aggressive, because they just arrived from the lake, so sometimes the hooked fish were landed, and sometimes got off. Egg flies often hooked the salmon, because of the spawning. Orange egg flies worked well for Jay yesterday. But the fish currently were also caught on wooly buggers, egg-sucking leach flies, big stoneflies and other patterns. Almost all the steelheads were clocked on egg flies. Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch-and-release, and books trips that fish with conventional tackle with his other guides. The river ran low because of a drought, and a good rain fell Monday night in a thunderstorm. The runoff had raised the river a little the next morning, and that seemed to turn on fishing. Jay’s fishing tied into a bunch of fish that morning. The river’s been in the upper 50 degrees to low 60s. Weather became rather warm yesterday.  

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<a href=" http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/flstk16.htm" target="_blank">Fall trout stocking</a> began last week, and trout streams ran low, but some good catches were made, including limits, said Brian from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Mostly deep holes gave them up, and one customer landed the fish on nymphs, and didn’t mention the type of nymphs. Anglers hoped weather would cool, after the warm spell this week, because that might help the fishing. They also hoped for rain to raise the streams. Although the waters were low, Musconetcong River flowed higher, because Lake Hopatcong was being lowered for the season, but wasn’t supposed to be lowered as much as in recent years. Some big trout were caught in the Musky at some holes where the river flows out from the lake. Hybrid striped bass were reeled from Hopatcong at dusk. Largemouth bass bit at Hopatcong, including on Keitech jigs and Yamamoto rubber worms.

Two anglers boated for hybrid striped bass on Lake Hopatcong on Saturday aboard, Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> wrote in an email. At first, in the morning, tons of white perch and giant sunnies bit. Hybrids finally turned on in the afternoon. Four of the stripers including a giant were smashed. The giant wasn’t weighed but was 7 to 10 pounds, Dave estimated. He didn’t mention what the trip fished for hybrids, but Dave usually fishes chicken livers for them. After the anglers left, he headed back out on the lake, landing three more hybrids. Some of the fights with hybrids last more than 5 minutes, “because they just don’t want to come in,” he said. The fish rip drags and take off on bulldogging runs. If they jumped like smallmouth bass, they’d be the ultimate game fish, he said. His trips scored excellent fishing for hybrids last fall. Was a beautiful day on the water.

Largmouth bass and walleyes were cranked from Lake Hopatcong, said Joe from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. He was unsure what the largemouths bit, but assumed Keitechs caught, because lots were sold. Nothing was heard about hybrid striped bass from the lake, but this was the time of year to nail them. Passaic River ran low, but northern pike and sometimes smallmouth bass were eased from the water. Big spinners will clock the pike, and smaller spinners will nab the smallmouths. For saltwater, customers geared up for sea bass fishing beginning Saturday, opening day of sea bass season. Not a lot of striped bass were heard about from saltwater yet this season. Some were angled on Hudson Bay. Stripers were also fought from Hackensack River.

Anglers fished for trout since fall trout stocking began last week, said Scott from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. No great success was reported, and anglers saw trout, but the fish were difficult to get to bite, because of low, clear water in trout streams. Not a lot was heard about fishing, because Efinger is going out of business, reported here the past couple of weeks. Customers stopped by for the 30-percent-disount clearance sale. Gear is selling quickly, and Scott didn’t know when the discount will be lowered, he said. The only other fishing anglers spoke about was salmon fishing on upstate New York’s Salmon River. Anglers traveled there to fish the spawning migration. No great success was reported from there either, and the river was low.

The Toms and Metedeconk rivers were stocked with trout last week on Tuesday, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. Manasquan River was also stocked that day, the first day of New Jersey’s fall trout stocking. Rivers ran extremely low, but if anglers were patient and found a couple of holes, some big trout were banked. Virginia and family landed three that weighed 2 to 3 pounds. PowerBait caught, and the rivers ran too low for fishing with spinners or lures like Rapalas. At lakes, chain pickerel fishing was okay, and largemouth bass fishing was slower. Good catches of pickerel and yellow perch were sacked from the Toms at Trilco. That’s a closed building supply, and no sign identifies the building, but locals know the stretch by the name, located near Garden State Parkway. Manasquan Reservoir was opened back up after being closed to fishing because of an algae bloom or something. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

Rubber-frog fishing was hot for largemouth bass at all local lakes and ponds, basically, said Jeff from <b>Harry’s Army Navy</b> in Robbinsville. Waters were still warm enough for the top-water fishing. Delaware River ran low but produced some good catches of smallmouth bass. Crystal and Sylvan lakes were supposed to be stocked with trout yesterday for the fall trout stocking. Results of trout fishing were yet to roll in, but many customers geared up for the angling. In saltwater, surf anglers beached striped bass from the Belmar area to Sandy Hook. Boaters trolled stripers from the ocean off Shark River to Raritan Bay. They were yet to catch on bunker snagged and then livelined for bait, and the season was early for that.

Largemouth bass were tugged from Grenloch and Blackwood lakes on minnows and shiners, said Ed Jr. from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. A few snakeheads, the invasive species, bit in Blackwood Lake. New Jersey encourages anglers to kill snakeheads if caught. Trout were supposed to be stocked in South Jersey this week in the fall trout stocking, including at Grenloch on Tuesday. Oak Pond was another lake in the area that was supposed to be stocked that day.

From <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland, Steve hadn’t been at the store a lot in the past week, he said. But largemouth bass fishing seemed to taper off a little at lakes in the warm weather this week. Weather is supposed to cool back down later this week, and that should get the fishing back to a fall “pattern.” Fair largemouthing was mentioned from Union Lake. The bass were plucked from Salem Canal but were small there. Lake Audrey fished fairly well for the bucketmouths. Largemouth anglers seemed to throw lots of soft-plastics including Senko worms and creature baits. But the bass hit well on spinner baits, too. Trout were supposed to be stocked this week, including at Giampetro Park Pond and Maurice River on Tuesday and Iona Lake today. In brackish water, anglers caught the heck out of white perch at creeks along Delaware Bay. In saltwater, kingfish and weakfish were still boated on the bay. The season’s first reports about striped bass catches trickled in from the shore, a little earlier than usual. 

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