<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River and Western N.Y. Rivers and Streams</b>

Rain, 6 ½ inches, fell along Salmon River in a storm early this week, said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b>. Or the rain gauge could handle 6 ½ but overflowed. The river flowed at 2,000 cubic feet per second, compared with 335 previously, because of the rain. Farther downstream at Pineville, it flowed at 3,800.  Some places were flooded, like a campground at the bottom of the river that was flooded with 3 feet of water. Creeks were all flooded in the area. Three or four days would probably pass before Salmon River dropped enough to be fishable, and the water would be discolored for a longer time, maybe two weeks. Still, Jay had been hoping for rain – maybe not this much at once! – because the area had been dry, and the rain should bode well for the river’s flow the rest of fall and maybe into winter. It was a good thing for the river’s steelhead fishing, or could promise a healthy flow instead of a low flow. The reservoir was full but not flooded. More rain is forecast. The steelheading was good for Jay’s trips before the rain. The trips caught lots of 7- to 9-pounders, a typical size for the river’s steelheads. On some days, egg flies caught best. On others, the “cool” stuff did: streamers like Intruders, classic wet-fly patterns and wooly buggers. High water on the salmon this week didn’t matter so much to Jay, because he always switches to fishing for big brown trout in rivers and streams farther west in New York, around Rochester, this time of year. Yesterday was supposed to be his first day for that. Some of these western New York waters failed to be affected by the rain. The Oak Orchard watershed wasn’t affected much. The rain crushed the Genesee River, a long river, with 3 to 5 inches, depending on location. Jay takes advantage of the trout while fishing for them is best, and that’s right now. Afterward, he’ll return to steelheading on the Salmon through winter and part of spring. The trout are huge because they migrate from Lake Ontario. Jags of the browns began to migrate to the western New York waters. A fair number of salmon swam the Oak. Jay’s trips will probably fish for the browns with egg flies currently, because of salmon eggs in the water. The trips will probably fish wooly buggers on occasion. Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch-and-release, and books trips that fish with conventional tackle with his other guides.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>
Upper Delaware River fished great for smallmouth bass last week, a report said on <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia’s website. Small striped bass were mixed in, and the catches were made including at New Hope and Lambertville from shore and from boats. A few catfish were also reported chomping while anglers pulled in smallmouths at the New Hope wing dam. A wader on the river at Point Pleasant totaled eight smallmouths, four stripers and a 21-inch walleye on a trip. Near the store, the lower river turned out catfish and small stripers. For the cats, anglers could fish bunker, shrimp, chunked eels, live eels, nightcrawlers or chicken livers. For the stripers, they could fish bloodworms or chicken livers. An angler trying for flathead catfish on the lower river with eels ended up with a few 24- to 25-inch stripers. Nothing about largemouth bass was reported from the river at the store. For the best smallmouth fishing, head to Susquehanna River. Anglers there beat 30 to 75 per trip. Back around Philly, Schuylkill River tossed up terrific fishing for cats, carp, smallmouths, yellow perch and small stripers. Just below the dam, some good numbers of walleyes were picked up at night. Plenty of other details and locations were included in the report. See news about South Jersey from the store at the bottom of this report.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

Delaware River roared yesterday because of rain the previous two days or Sunday into early Monday, said Andy from <b>Stokes Forest Sports Shop</b> in Sandyston. Previously, the river ran low. Smallmouth bass fishing had been okay on the river, and no walleyes were really hooked yet locally from the river. Big Flatbrook had been low and clear, and the rain also raised that stream. The flow would probably drop and fish well for trout in a day or so on the Flatbrook. The rain would probably help the trouting, because previously, an angler might land one or two trout from a hole, then need to move to the next hole. The higher water would probably spread the fish out better, and stain the water a little, making the trout less spooky. On warm days, blue-winged olives or midges sometimes drew the trout to strike. Otherwise, streamers, pheasant-tail nymphs and prince nymphs did.

The rainstorm early this week should be good for trout streams, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. The streams flowed high because of the rain, maybe making them unfishable until late in the week. But after typical low water in late summer, rain like this is welcomed, probably ensuring better flows for fishing for a good amount of time. A friend fished Big Flatbrook before the rain, banking brook and rainbow trout. Many anglers fished small or micro egg flies, like size 18, for trout. San Juan worms also worked. Nothing was heard about Delaware River, but the rain probably flooded the river. Smallmouth bass bit in the river before the rain. Not a lot was heard about lakes. Big crappies were angled at Lake Musconetcong on Beetle Spins.

Larger hybrid striped bass sometimes began to bite last week in the lake, after few did for a couple of weeks, Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong wrote in an email. Bob Smith weighed-in one that was nearly 7 pounds, and also weighed-in a 1-pound 14-ounce crappie. Both fish swiped small, livelined herring. He also clocked a chain pickerel heavier than 4 pounds last week. “We are also seeing nice walleye,” Laurie wrote. The bigger ones weighed 6 pounds. Lots of white and yellow perch and some crappies were angled. The lake level was good last week, and weather was great. Anglers could see awesome autumn leaves while fishing the lake. The shop will be open through this month sometime, depending on weather, including for boat rentals. The store is always closed a moment afterward, until reopening for ice-fishing.

Thirty anglers tried for trout from shore Saturday at Round Valley Reservoir, but the fishing was slow, said James from <b>Behre Bait & Tackle</b> in Lebanon. The trout failed to bite lately because of fluctuating weather, like in the 30 degrees at night, sometimes 50 during daytime, sometimes nearly 80. Previously, they began to be plucked from shore. The trout were moving to shallows for the season. Sunday was a wash out in the storm.

Northern pike continued to bite in Passaic River, and the fishing was actually becoming pretty good, said Joe from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. Little was heard about smallmouth bass from the river, except one angler reported landing smallmouths. Trout anglers seemed to catch, and they bought meal worms like crazy. Joe assumed they hooked up on Pequest, Rockaway and Ramapo rivers. Lake Hopatcong still produced largemouth bass. The season was becoming late, but the lake’s anglers are usually hardcore. They’ll boat the lake until ice. Then they’ll ice fish! Weather kept news scarce about saltwater fishing during the weekend. But striped bass are being trolled on Raritan Bay, mostly on Mojos. That’s what customers bought. Joe boated Hudson Bay for stripers Saturday, and always jigs for the fish, like with Ava’s, Spros or ball heads, and scores well. He’s been fishing the same area 30 years and knows the “nuances.” Wind howled on the trip.

Trout streams ran high from the rain, said Virginia from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Previously, the fish were reeled from the streams, including big breeders from the fall trout stocking. That included on the Toms River at the Trout Conservation Area off Route 571 and at Riverwood Park, and on the Metedeconk River at the water pump off I-195. Manasquan Reservoir fished well for crappies before the rain on small jigs with a swim tail or a killie. Chain pickerel, yellow perch and sometimes largemouth bass were clubbed from the Toms farther downstream 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 and off Route 9. Plenty of sunfish continued to chew at lakes, because the water was fairly warm. Sunnies came from the Ocean County College Pond. So did yellow perch, catfish and largemouths. The largemouths jumped on rubber frogs or spinner baits.  Lester’s Lake, across from Ocean County Mall, had been extremely low. Maybe the rain helped. Sunnies and pickerel hit there and at Brookside or the lakes connected to Lester’s that are along Brookside Drive. Nearly all species could be found at Forge pond, including sunnies, largemouths and yellow perch. Virginia heard about no crappies from Forge. Enormous snapping turtles gathered at Forge. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

Trout were angled from Grenloch Lake from the fall trout stocking, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood. A 3-pounder was weighed at the store during the weekend and gulped a meal worm. Largemouth bass were reported tugged from Oak Pond on minnows. One customer rounded up catfish from Haddon Pond. That was on nightcrawlers, Ed thought but was unsure. Nothing was mentioned about saltwater during the weekend. Weather was rough in wind Saturday and the storm Sunday.

The following report was part of Brinkman Bait & Tackle from Philly’s report that’s posted above under Pennsylvania. But this info is about the southern half of New Jersey and so was posted here. A customer from the shop scored great at Union Lake on largemouth bass and chain pickerel on rubber frogs, buzz baits, spinner baits and suspending crank baits. Another pasted plenty of yellow perch, crappies and pickerel “in the lakes along Route 47,” the report said, on minnows. An angler who fished Dennisville Lake clocked a good number of pickerel on minnows and yellow twister tails. Farther north, at Lake Lenape, headwaters of the Mullica River, largemouth fishing slowed, but pickerel bit, someone reported. The angler also said the river gave up pickerel, perch and small striped bass on minnows, bloodworms and nightcrawlers. The report didn’t say whether the perch were white or yellow. The angler’s buddies played 18- to 24-inch stripers farther downstream on crank baits, Rat-L-Traps and Gulp grubs.

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