<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Frigid temperatures last week put a layer of skim ice on Lake George, but it all but melted this week, said Ron from <b>FISH307.com</b> in the town of Lake George. Smaller lakes such as Brant Lake built up more safe ice than before, and Brant gave up a mess of yellow perch and some rainbow trout to 21 inches through the hard water. The coves of Glen Lake were another go-to spot for ice anglers, and perch and crappies there inhaled small shiners, rosy reds and jigs tipped with maggots. Schroon Lake produced a good number of lake trout and landlocked salmon through the hard water on livelined smelts and suckers, and fresh smelts could easily be gathered up on Sabiki rigs.

<b>Salmon River</b>

Warm weather sparked a fresh run of steelhead to move through the Salmon River, said Suzanne at <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski. The river was running at a manageable 500 CFS, and the bite was really on the hook again, with anglers averaging four to six fish from 8 to 12 pounds on a day out. Egg sacks in both pink and blue were working, and so were Glo-Bug patterns in flesh or cheese colors. Other productive lures included Hotshots and Trout Worms in bubble gum.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Most action for customers revolved around South Jersey, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. Anglers were fishing the Egg Harbor River in Mays Landing to do well on yellow perch, white perch and pickerel, and minnows, shiners, grass shrimp, twister tails and spinners attracted the strikes. Lake Lenape was a prime area, and anglers there whacked pickerel and largemouth bass on spinners and plastic worms. A few of the pickerel were over 20 inches, and most of the largemouths weighed 2 to 3 pounds. Union Lake was also a good spot to hook pickerel and crappies on jigs tipped with grub tails.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

While most anglers were waiting for another strong cold front to make ice, northern pike anglers were heading out to the Passaic River to pull on small to medium-sized fish, said Adrian at <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville. The river was completely open--no ice there--and the key to success was to fish live, large shiners or suckers.

Trout fishing was super on the Big Flatbrook and the Musconetcong River, said Dom at <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. Anglers hitting the Muskie were picking up trout with great consistency, because the Fish and Wildlife trucks were stocking the waters regularly. Big Flatbrook trouters were tossing out hellgrammite flies and meal worms. The Rockaway River was also a decent trout fishery, though the waters were running high. Be sure to bring plenty of split shots to weigh down the line.

Anglers were able to get out on the lake’s ice over the weekend, but only in the Woodport and state park sections, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Customers said about 3 to 5 inches of fishable ice covered parts of the lake, but the warm weather this week might make it unsafe, and it’s best to call the shop for the most current, day-to-day conditions. Mike Pelligrino scored a 3-pound 13-ounce pickerel near the state park on his first-ever ice-fishing trip. He and his father also got into perch action to make for a fun day. Yellow perch, pickerel and largemouth bass were taken in the Woodport area.

Trout fishers did well at the Pequest River, said Tom at <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Holdover rainbows hit stonefly patterns and nightcrawlers there, and the waters were running high from recent rains, so anglers should be dunking nightcrawlers more, because the downfalls washed them off into the river.

Round Valley Reservoir trout fishing was firing, said Chris of <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Rainbows to 22 inches were taken both by boat around the islands off the rip-rap and by bank anglers at Ranger’s Cove and the boat launch. M&M combos—marshmallow and meal worms—were the ticket. There was fishable ice on Delaware Lake, and Chris and Nick Niles drilled holes there to chase down six flags, pulling in four largemouth bass to 2 1/2 pounds and two crappies to 1 1/4 pounds. They also teamed up to hook a mess of bluegills on small jigs tipped with grubs. The lake held 4 to 5 inches of ice on Sunday.

With the warm weather this week, anglers should be out there to hit the streams for trout, said Ron from <b>Ray’s Sport Shop</b> in North Plainfield. The Pequest River and Ken Lockwood Gorge were dishing out trout, and small, sizes 16 to 18, blue-winged olive flies and sizes 14 to 16 early black stoneflies were doing well. Be sure to catch the shop’s annual Fly Tying Demo from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. February 16.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Local trout anglers were reeling up rainbows from the Pequest River, said Doug from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. But lots of customers were heading up to the Salmon River on word about improved steelhead action. The week’s pleasant weather might make a trip very worthwhile, Doug said. Heads up: The store is holding a 20-percent off sale on all fly tying materials, and members of Trout Unlimited get an additional 10-percent discount.

Some customers were targeting Spring Lake to find yellow perch and a few trout, said Roy at <b>L&H Woods & Water</b> in Wall. Nightcrawlers and meal worms were best baits for both species, and the trout fishing might just get better this week, because of waters that should warm from tepid air temperatures and the sun.

Anglers were buying plenty of nightcrawlers to head to Spring Lake, said Dennis at <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River, and both rainbow trout and yellow perch were on the feed. Chain pickerel were also jumping all over nightcrawlers and Mister Twister plastics in the Trilco section of the Toms River, and that fishing should really get wild because of the week’s 60-degree temps. Trout fishers were connecting well while casting garden worms in the Riverwood Park section of the Toms.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Some walleye were chasing down jigs and crank baits in the Delaware River around Lambertville, said Eric from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. A decent-sized muskie was also supposedly caught near the Trenton power plant. Gropp’s Lake was giving up a steady catch of crappies and yellow perch. The parts of the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area lakes that weren’t covered with skim ice were offering crappie and perch, especially off the points and in the channels.  To find quantities, anglers had to be willing to work and move around to find the schools piling up.

The Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area ponds should really be happening for pickerel during the warm week, said Carl at the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. Live shiners should find the mark in the mornings and afternoons. Trouters were hammering away at the Pequest River and in the Ken Lockwood Gorge with small, size-18 nymphs and egg patterns to play both rainbows and browns.

Fishing could really “go off” with the warm weather, said Steve at <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Trout angling was on a tear in the Maurice River at the Almond Road area. Big breeders between 3 and 5 pounds sometimes came in for lucky anglers who threw chartreuse Roostertails and pink Power Baits. If the warmth triggers any largemouth activity, Parvin Lake, Daretown Lake or Rainbow Lake will be the places. Fishing at Rainbow Lake has reopened, because the dam construction was finally completed. Try working Husky Jerks and Rat-L-Traps for the bucketmouths.

White perch headlined the Maurice River fishery, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Though bloodworms were hard to come by now, FishBites worms will clean up on whiteys and will also stay on the hook for longer periods of time. Hook a 1-inch section of a FishBite, and send it out on a bobber to hang a few.

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