<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

The river ran at a manageable 750 CFS, and steelheads filled the waters but spooked easily with all the anglers, said Simon from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Mid-river and places like the Town Hole, the Staircase and the Trestle were some of the best spots for the 8- to 12-pounders. Blue and white egg sacks and Berkeley Power Worms in bubble gum worked well. But brown trout gave up the wildest fishing. Monsters from 12 to 14 pounds congregated, honing in on blue egg sacks.

Paul Auguscinski from <b>SAS Guide Service</b> in Pulaski was traveling several days, but a fishing-guide friend told him that catches of steelheads and occasional browns, including a few of both to 15 pounds, were very good on the river, Paul said. Clients with the friend scored multiple hook-ups Sunday in the middle section of the river and in the upper fly-fishing zone.  The flow was supposed to be maintained at 750 CFS until yesterday, and the upper river got the most fishing pressure. Most of the fishing was done with blue, pink and white egg sacks or beads under a float, and stoneflies, egg patterns, wooly buggers and leeches produced for fly rodders. Creeks along western Lake Ontario gave up good fishing for brown trout. SAS Guide Service spin fishes for salmon, steelheads and trophy trout on wade and drift-boat trips, and enjoys teaching anglers the techniques that will help them learn how to hook up themselves, in hopes that they can even return on their own and catch.

Steelheads, quite a few, filled the river, and fishing for them was very good so far this season, said Bill Ferman from <b>High Hook Guide Service</b> from Pulaski. He hoped that would last through winter and into spring. Occasional brown trout were hooked. Steelheads migrate up the Salmon River and other Lake Ontario tributaries and stay through winter, spawning in spring. That’s unlike salmon that migrate up the rivers a short time, mostly in October, to spawn. The steelheads, transplanted from the American West, come from ancestors that used to swim sometimes a thousand miles up rivers to spawn. Although none of New York’s rivers are nearly that long, the fish are programmed to remain in the streams through the cold months. Therefore the fishing lasts straight through winter until early spring. Brown trout only migrate up the rivers a short time around now, though a few remain in the waters through winter, for whatever reasons. Rainbow trout, the freshwater version of sea-run steelheads, remain in the rivers all winter. Both the browns and rainbows are huge, trophy trout in psychedelic colors because they’re spawning, and anglers can target them specifically at times. But steelheads were now the main quarry for High Hook, and the Salmon River was jammed with them, so there was no reason to fish anywhere else. But High Hook fishes other tributaries at times, depending on where catches are best. The Salmon flowed at 750 CFS, no problem for fishing. Virtually no salmon except a few nearly dead ones swam the river anymore, and that fishery was finished for the year. High Hook both wades and drift-boats for salmon, steelheads and trophy brown and rainbow trout with both spinning gear and fly rods.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Windy weather discouraged anglers from largemouth bass fishing on the Delaware River, so things were quiet there, said Bruce from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. But angling for the bucketmouths in the coves might bounce back this week. Most customers headed to Lake Luxemborg to catch newly stocked breeder trout, while other trouters headed to Pennypack Creek to load up. Fish baby nightcrawlers or Power Bait dough in pink or yellow.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Carl Stone fished Merrill Creek Reservoir to mug a 5-pound 12-ounce smallmouth bass, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. John Emrick hit the Delaware River for a 5.5-pound tiger trout, and Tony Porchetta plied the river for a 6.4-pound walleye. Pohatcong Creek was a spot for brown trout, as Paul Cohen nabbed a 4-pounder and 9-year-old John Noble grabbed a 3.6-pounder.

Trout anglers concentrated on the Paulinskill and Rockaway rivers for quality rainbows, and not too many crowds had to be battled now, said Adrian from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville. Use pink or yellow Power Baits or nightcrawlers drifted along the bottom.

The South Branch of the Raritan River was the place to be for trout angling, and pink salmon eggs got the most bites, said Dom from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. Lake Hopatcong dished out walleyes, and one customer jigged 10 walleyes 3 pounds and larger near the rock piles and off the points.

Waters were extremely low on the lake, said Joe from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. But the shop was still renting boats, although this might be the final week. Rental boaters tangled with channel catfish to 14.6 pounds. They also jigged for walleyes and hybrid striped bass off Nolan’s Point, Chestnut Point and Elba Point. Plus they got into pickerel and big yellow perch that swiped medium shiners in 10- to 12-foot depths. Get up to Hopatcong now for the rental boats!

Walleyes were the main game at Lake Hopatcong, said Al from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Anglers on the lake dropped Rapala ice jigs to trick up the 4- to 7-pounders. Trout stocking took place in Green Turtle Pond and Barber’s Pond this week, so anglers have a shot at big breeders.

Rainbow trout fishing along the shoreline at Round Valley Reservoir was the shining gem in the area, said Steve from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Catches were great at the boat launch at all hours, including after dark. Nineteen- to 21-inchers were the norm, inhaling Power Baits, baby nightcrawlers and shiners. One angler fished a shiner under a lighted bobber after dark, bagging a 21-incher. Largemouth and smallmouth bass could also be found in the boat launch coves, a morning feed on shiners or Senkos.

Trout fishers headed to Ken Lockwood Gorge and the Musconetcong River to trick up rainbows on sizes 12 to 16 bead-headed nymphs, said Ron from <b>Ray’s Sport Shop</b> in North Plainfield. The Round Valley Reservoir shoreline also held rainbows willing to strike nymphs.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Brown trout at Ken Lockwood Gorge sucked in size-20 blue-winged olive patterns and tandem nymphs, said Bert from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Besides the rainbow trout at Round Valley Reservoir, 2- to 3-pound largemouth bass fed on shiners at some of the coves toward the old boat launch.

Pickerel fishing was solid at Lake Riviera on killies and Mepps Black Fury spinners, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Largemouth bass sometimes attacked the shiners as well. The Trilco stretch of the Toms River was also a pickerel haven, and the chain-sided water snakes hit shiners and in-line spinners there.

Winds and unsettled weather kept lots of boaters at bay, said Sean from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> of Robbinsville. But when they could get out, crappies got hooked at Carnegie Lake, Rising Sun Lake and Gropp’s Lake on small grub tails on jigs. A few largemouth bass also pummeled the jigs at those impoundments. A sustained fishery for muskellunge 10 pounds and larger was going down at Lake Mercer on large spinner baits in black or chartreuse.

Muskie fishing was going off at Lake Mercer, said Carl from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Mepps Musky Killers in yellow, white and black, Rat-L-Traps and big Jitterbugs claimed ones to 40 inches in the daytime. Muskies were also pulled out of Manasquan Reservoir in the past week. Crappies were heavily on the bite at Rosedale Lake and Carnegie Lake, and small hair jigs tipped with fathead minnows got attention.

<b>South Jersey</b>

A few largemouth bass could be wrestled from the creek mouths along the Delaware River, said Rick from <b>Big Timber Bait & Tackle</b> in Brooklawn. Mantua Creek and Big Timber Creek offered the bigmouths hitting Senkos in the late mornings. Catfish could be creeled on the river around the creek mouths, and dead shiners were great baits. Greenwich Lake and Victory Lakes were other places to look for largemouth bass, and jerk baits or shiners will work, and the chew seemed to be during the daytime, when waters were warmest.

Grenloch Lake put out a good show of crappies near the drain pipe that goes under the road, and small shiners were a key bait, said Ed from <b>Creek Keepers</b> in Blackwood. Blackwood Lake doled out pretty steady largemouth fishing for one angler, who scored a six-fish day from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on shiners. That proves the largemouth fishing was not yet shut down because of the cold.

Pickerel were the main attraction by this time of year, said Lou from the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Grenloch Lake was a prime spot, but Iona Lake was also a good bet, and shiners will do the job.

Largemouth fishing was petering out in the cool waters, but pickerel fishing was amping up a notch, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. The local ponds such as Maskill’s Mill Pond and Cumberland Pond and the cedar lakes such as Malaga Lake and Sunset Lake all offered good numbers of 1- to 3-pounders. Work jerk baits, Rat-L-Traps and in-line spinners to put a pickerel on the bank. Trout fishers still had luck on keeper-sized fish from the banks of the Maurice River.

A decent number of short stripers schooled the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville, and anglers waited for the inflow of larger linesiders that should move to the river from Delaware Bay. Bloodworms rustled up 20- to 24-inch stripers, and white perch also pounced on the bloods.

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