New Jersey Fishing Reports

Heavy runoff from snow combined with an outlet of reservoir waters put the river at 1,800 CFS, said Eric at All Seasons Sports in Pulaski. But steelhead anglers still scored well, faring better on the upper stretches north of the Trestle and up to Altmar, where less runoff from the creeks affected the flow. Blue and chartreuse egg sacks took 6- to 8-pounders that fed the most at three different times: 8 a.m., 12 noon and 3 p.m. On the ice-fishing front, 4 to 6 inches of hard waters covered Sandy Pond, and it should get plenty thicker with cold days expected.

With rains and snow runoff, the river flow started at 750 CFS on Saturday, increased to 1,150 on Sunday and reached 1,800 by Monday, tough to fish and tough for landing fish, said Bill Ferman from High Hook Guide Service from Pulaski. Nevertheless, trips smoked several steelheads each day of the weekend, and one brown trout was angled in. Egg sacks and orange, pink and chartreuse estaz flies got the strikes. High Hook both wades and drift-boats for salmon, steelheads and trophy brown and rainbow trout with both spinning gear and fly rods. Ask about winter steelhead rates!

After doing some traveling for the holidays, Paul Auguscinski from SAS Guide Service from Pulaski got back on the river on Tuesday for a couple of hours, he said. He also expected to fish today, and will try to give an update that will be posted here if he does. On Monday the trip knocked down some brown trout and one steelhead, not bad. The lower river was fished, and the flow there was 2,000 CFS, even stronger than the 1,800 CFS that was released from the reservoir dam, because creek flows and snow runoff added to the intensity farther downstream. Anglers had to dodge lots of weather recently, with cold followed by warm followed by more cold expected this week, and effects like snow, melting snow and rains. Winds also blew 40 m.p.h. in the morning on Monday, and the trip waited a moment for them to calm down. But the fish were there, and catches were made, and that’s fishing! Steelheads stick around all winter long on the river. 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.

PENNSYLVANIA

Most customers plied the cold waters for trout fishing, said Bill from Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle in Philadelphia. Core Creek and Levittown Lake were both stocked on Friday, and plenty of the fish could be caught. Many anglers tied into at least a dozen per trip, landing half a dozen, and spinners like brown Roostertails worked well. Core Creek also served up crappies that ate up wax worms and fathead minnows. On the lower part of the Delaware River a few catfish anglers found luck while chucking out dead shiners, stink baits, nightcrawlers or pieces of bagels. Perch and crappies should start to hit at Dredge Harbor, worth a shot to cast out small jigs tipped with minnows or twister tails to see who’s home.

NEW JERSEY

North Jersey

Rivers ran high, said Dom at Ramsey Outdoor in Paramus, and trout anglers should pinch on two size-BB split shots or one size-B shot to get a worm or salmon egg down to the bottom in the strike zone. The Pequest and Rockaway rivers were most productive. Everybody kept waiting for temps to drop and ice to form on local lakes, and expected cold in the next week might help that along.

Any ice that had formed on the lake melted in the recent 60-degree weather, said Joe from Dow’s Boat Rentals in Lake Hopatcong. The rental boats will be kept ready for any interested anglers looking to wallop walleyes that could be drilled off the points. But most locals hoped for ice to form at least in the coves, so they could get out to pound the hard-water for walleyes, pickerel, perch and bass.

Most anglers made a path to the Rockaway River or the Pequest River to pull on trout, said Tom from Meltzer’s Sporting Goods in Garfield. Small nymphs and nightcrawlers claimed the fish throughout daytime hours. Once temperatures drop again, look for Split Rock Reservoir, shallower than most other local lakes, to be one of the first to freeze.

Trout angling along the shoreline at Round Valley Reservoir continued to dole out plenty of action, said Jody from Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop. One customer creamed a big, 5-pound, 26-inch brownie from the shore. Shiners swum under floats or nightcrawlers dropped to the bottom attracted both rainbows and browns. But Kroc spoons, Rapala Countdowns in sizes 1 and 3 and Blue Fox Vibrax spinners will soon become the choice. Spruce Run Reservoir received plenty of fresh, badly needed rains that filled it up almost back to capacity, and northern pike could be targeted at the coves with shiners. Holdover breeder trout hung in the deep cuts of the South Branch of the Raritan River, where outdoor writer Nick Honachefsky cast a salmon egg on a size-12 hook to bank a 24-inch, 5-pound brownie that he released.

River levels were way too high for local trout fishing, said Bill Hoffman from Skylands Angler from Clinton. Rains and runoff from snow raised the flows since 1 ½ weeks ago, but they were slowly coming down. Previously the angling was great, probably some of the best of the year, with water temps dropping closer to ideal for the cold-water fish, and waters less crowded than during summer, making the trout less spooky. The weather was wild recently: rains, snow, frigid temps, 60-degree days. But the hope was that the trouting should rebound, and winter is typically an ideal time. Skylands Angler during the cold months usually nymphs the streams with midges or flies like hare’s ears. But Bill’s anglers also throw streamers for variety, and any patterns usually work, but dark colors seem best. Skylands Angler guides fly-fishing trips for trout on the Musconetcong and Pequest rivers and Ken Lockwood Gorge. Bill aims to teach anglers, whether beginners or advanced, how to fish the rivers, even so they can come back and catch on their own. That includes fly selection, how to fish the flies, casting lessons and all aspects. He’s also available for trips for other fish like largemouth bass, if anglers want to fly rod for them. Skylands Angler fishes all year long, including for trout in winter. Winter’s also a great time for casting or fly-tying lessons, getting prepared for spring and summer. Looking ahead, Bill in summer plans to offer fly-rodding for carp. The sport has grown in popularity. Carp, sometimes an overlooked species, can be every bit the size and fighters of fish like striped bass, but anglers less frequently go after them, and that’s a plus.

Head to the Pequest River for the best fishing, hooking up with steady trout catches, said Mike from Efinger Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. Cast midges, gold-ribbed hare’s ears, small egg patterns and stoneflies just downstream from the hatchery. Round Valley Reservoir was also a formidable trout hangout, and shoreline anglers there slung out shiners with weights to send them to the bottom, where cruising trout fed.

South Jersey

Head out for crappies—that’s the best option, said Sean at Harry’s Army and Navy in Robbinsville. The Lambertville section of the Delaware River held the slabs, and so did Carnegie Lake and Gropp’s Lake. The trick was to use small, 1-1/16-ounce jigs tipped with grubs or fathead minnows, working the presentation with slow twitches. Chain pickerel aggressively chased down shiners at the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area lakes, and once ice forms, the pickerel fishing should become red hot through the holes.

Crappies were the big thing, said Carl from the Sportsmen’s Center in Bordentown. The speckled panfish prowled locales such as Stone Tavern Lake, Rising Sun Lake, Prospertown Lake and Farrington Lake. Fatheads impaled on small hair jigs were the prime offering. Walleyes were caught on the Delaware River near the wing dam, and nightcrawlers dropped to the bottom drew the spiketooths.

Fairly decent crappie action erupted at the local lakes, said Lou from the Sportsman’s Outpost in Williamstown. They could be found at Iona Lake, Victory Lakes and Franklinville Lake, chasing streamers cast on a fly rod but also small hair jigs and tiny grub tails on a conventional rod. Yellow perch and pickerel also sank teeth into streamers and the grubs.

Crappies kept anglers happy at the Salem Canal, said Steve from Blackwater Sports Center in Vineland, and the panfish sucked up fathead minnows and Trout Magnets. Pickerel punched baits at Wilson Lake, Iona Lake and Malaga Lake with consistency, with shiners getting gobbled up almost immediately after the cast. A spark of largemouth bass activity actually went down, decent catches at Cedarville Lake and Mary Elmer Lake on Rat-L-Traps and Flick Shake worms. A lunker, 7.7 pounder was lifted out of a secret lake in Vineland, Steve said.

The recent pleasant weather brought a few anglers out of the house, said Ki from Huck’s Place in Millville, and the Maurice River provided plenty of fun with white perch that preferred frozen grass shrimp. The whiteys will be on the feed through January, fairly easy to fill up a bucket of the tasty treats on a given day. Try to fish around higher tides for best results.