<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River</b>

Snow started to accumulate, and air temps sometimes hovered around zero, but that did nothing bad to the fishing, said Suzanne at <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. Steelheads, most of them large or 8 to 12 pounds, were fought on the river, especially on the upper river at Altmar, because downriver was a bit slushier. Trout beads and nightcrawlers got bites, and mousies and spikes now started to work. The flow was a very fishable 500 CFS. Sandy Pond received a layer of skim ice, so ice-fishing might start by Christmas.

The Altmar area on the river gave up steelheads but was also the most popular, so anglers could stand to move around to avoid crowds and find other fish, said Paul Auguscinski from <b>SAS Guide Service</b>. Fishing was tougher during the weekend, and on Saturday lots of water had to be covered to hook up. SAS scored most of its steelheads on the middle to lower runs of the river, and white egg sacks under floats gained most bites. Cold weather and strong winds made fishing on Sunday almost impossible, and a half-day’s effort on the river produced no steelheads. Paul looked forward to warmer days. 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 they can return on their own to catch.

The weather was frigid Sunday, minus 2 degrees in the morning, up to the teens in the evening, and <b>High Hook Guide Service</b> didn’t even mess around with fishing that day, Bill Ferman said. During the colder days slush flows down the rivers and creeks, difficult for swinging a line through the water, also making steelhead sluggish. But warmer weather in the 40s was predicted by yesterday. In the cold , the upper Salmon can be the only place to escape, because warmer water comes from the dam at the reservoir. Before the deep freeze, High Hook picked away at steelheads, and a few brown trout remained but were mostly gone. Steelheads and occasional rainbow trout will be the quarry on the river through winter. Snow also accumulated in the past week, and the ground was covered with a foot locally and sometimes up to 17 inches elsewhere. At times the snow made getting around challenging. 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>

Dredge Harbor seemed to offer the best opportunity to catch anything from the Delaware River, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. Largemouth bass and crappies walloped fathead minnows fished under floats during late mornings. Trout anglers headed to Lake Nockamixon and Core Creek to creel a few rainbows for the frying pan.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

The big chill last week might’ve kept some anglers at bay, but trouters plied the Musconetcong River, hooking up on Power Baits, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. Try fishing mid afternoons, when waters warm, and trout open their mouths a bit more. Still, they’re cold-water fish.

Trout fishers wrangled up catches on the Paulinskill and Pequest rivers, said Adrian from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville. Ice anglers got excited about the upcoming season, and shallow water spots such as Lake Musconetcong might be frozen in a little more than a week’s time, if cold days continue. All the ice gear is in stock, ready for the first shots.

Lakes and ponds in Sussex County began to freeze, said Dom from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. Swartswood Lake, Culver’s Lake and the Stokes State Forest ponds got a layer of skim ice, and so long as nighttime temps stayed low, there could be ice action soon. Meantime, trouters picked away at fish in the Pequest River, casting small crank baits and Power Baits.

Walleyes were pulled from the lake off Chestnut Point and Nolan’s Point, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Waters were going through a transition stage, as skim ice formed on the coves. If freezing temperatures ruled through the next weeks, ice anglers should have a start to the season fairly soon. The shop is fully loaded with ice-fishing gear.

Trout fishing was productive, said Joe from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. The key was to find high water, casting Power Baits if the ground was frozen, or garden worms if the banks seemed soft. The Ramapo River was a spot for decent activity with the fish. Lake Hopatcong might get skim ice this week, but water levels dropped very low, meaning the coves might have less area to fish this year. But the fish might be more concentrated.

Round Valley Reservoir’s shoreline kept turning out rainbow trout, said Steve from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Giant meal worms and half nightcrawlers attracted the hits. Lake trout season opened December 1, and the fish hung in 65- to75-foot depths. Try to locate bait schools on the fish finder, and drop down jigs to that level, because larger lakers were caught on the bottom with jigs. Stream action on trout maintained solid on the South Branch, and chartreuse salmon eggs were the hot number.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Steady trout fishing rolled on at Ken Lockwood Gorge, said Mike at <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Sizes 14 to 16 flashback hare’s ears were the best flies to launch, and late mornings seemed best.

Customers bought up shiners to fight pickerel on the Trilco stretch of the Toms River, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in the town of Toms River. The Parkway Bridge area was a good spot for the chainsiders. Crappies inhaled tiny marabou jigs along the shoreline at Lake Riviera as well as in the deeper holes of Lake Assunpink. Trout casters picked up catches at Lake Shenandoah and Riverwood Park, mostly on Power Baits.

Crappie fishing was decent, the main highlight, said Sean from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. The slabs chased down medium-sized shiners hung under bobbers and small hair jigs fished and twitched under the floats.

A surge in largemouth bass fishing went down, said Tony from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Rising Sun Lake, Carnegie Lake and Lake Mercer all put out the bigmouths going after crank baits, shiners and Rat-L-Traps during mornings and early afternoons. Chain pickerel, big ones, were on the hunt at the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area lakes, and shiners got chomped mercilessly.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Pickerel anglers tried Malaga Lake to tangle with 1- to 2-pounders, said Lou from <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Cast shiners under a bobber and hold on.

The Maurice River, Iona Lake and Parvin’s Lake held quality chain pickerel to 3 pounds willing to whack suspending jerk baits, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b>. Crappie fishing went gangbusters at the Salem Canal, and Steve landed piles of sizeable ones there while tossing jerk baits, tubes and grubs around the bridges. The canal’s largemouth bass fishing was little slow.

Schoolie striped bass were fairly active in the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Bloodworms and grass shrimp got the hits, and white perch could also be grabbed on the higher tides on grass shrimp floated under a bobber with a 2-foot leader.

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