<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Adirondacks</b>

Ice was building on the big lake by the minute, because of minus-9 degree temperatures, said Ron from <b>FISH307.com</b> at Lake George. Saw Mill Bay and Basin Bay were both covered with 6 inches, and Harris Bay held an 8-inch base. The area near Tongue Mountain formed upwards of 5 to 6 inches. All the bays were spots to pull up yellow perch, pike and sometimes landlocked salmon, and live, emerald shiners were best baits. Now that ice was solid over the deeper, 50- to 120-foot depths, lake trout were beginning to get caught on tip ups and jigs, and large, sizes 7 to 9 Swedish Pimples were the best lures to drop to the bottom. The Hewitt’s Landing area was a laker hot spot.

<b>Salmon River</b>

The Salmon River was running at a heavy 1,800 CFS last week, said Eric from <b>All Seasons Sports</b> in Pulaski, and only drift boaters were able to fish effectively, drifting egg sacks and stonefly patterns. But as of yesterday the waters dropped to 1,100 CFS and should continue to be drawn down by the weekend, allowing bank anglers to get back in on the steelhead action. Steelies were hitting well last week, and anglers averaged five to eight fish apiece per day, and that should get even better by the weekend. Two feet of snow dumped on the area, so bank anglers will have to work to re-flatten trails.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Corr Creek was one of the better places to fish, with trout biting garden worms, meal worms and Power Baits, said Bill at <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. The upper end of the creek was also giving up white perch, crappies and even shad the past couple of weeks, and the crappies and perch hit minnows and wax worms, and the shad grabbed jigs, darts and Rapala ice-fishing jigs. Levittown Lake was also a good place for trout, and most anglers there were able to limit out in a couple of hours. One customer picked up nine rainbows to 14 inches and several smaller crappies yesterday. Another had four trout and one largemouth bass about 4 pounds. On the Delaware River yellow perch were feeding at Dredge Harbor, and crappies were active at Tullytown Cove. The main river was dishing out catfish for anglers fishing from the banks, and Camac Street in the deep water was the top spot. Anglers farther upriver were landing a few walleyes at the wing dams at Yardley, New Hope and Bull's Island, and the marble-eyes were inhaling jigs, twister tails, Rapalas and minnows.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Northern pike were on a decent tear in the Passaic River, as strange as that might seem with the recent bitter-cold temps, said Adrian from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville.  Customers who were able to find large, live shiners or suckers were scoring well on the water wolves near the Twin Bridges section. Large, 1-ounce spinner baits and big plugs would also work if you couldn’t find live bait. The store is stocking maps detailing the best fishing spots for pike on the Passaic, so stop by and pick one up.

Many patrons were buying up flies to hit the Pequest, said Dom from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. Most of the fly casters were tossing out stoneflies, scuds and streamers to find rainbows to 3 pounds, and the key to success was to work the flies slowly and low in the water column. Lake Hopatcong was almost completely opened up, squashing any ice-fishing hopes, except for a little ice by the state police that was unsafe. The Route 206 ponds, such as Culvers Lake, had been ice-fishable over the weekend and might be able to hold anglers up through the middle of this week, but be safe and careful if you try, Dom said.

The lake was no longer ice-fishable, said Laurie at <b> Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. The only ice left was right by the shop’s cove, and that was unfishable as of two days ago. Everybody was waiting for the next extended cold spell to put ice on the lake again. Otherwise it’ll be an early boating season, Laurie said. The shop is still carrying loads of mousies and spikes, if you need to get bait to fish ice on smaller ponds.

Ice anglers were still able to pick away at yellow perch and crappie at Split Rock Reservoir, said Mark from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. Green Turtle Pond was also a safe-ice spot during the weekend, and pickerel and perch were the fare there, chasing down jigs tipped with shiners. Trout anglers at the Ramapo River were able to find quality rainbows in the 3- to 4-pound class eating pink Power Baits.

Several boaters bought up herring to troll deep for lake trout at Round Valley, said Chris at <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Lakers should be feeding around the thermocline, though no confirmed catches were reported. Now was a good time to target them, as anglers wait for the shallower waters to warm up, Chris said.

The Pequest River was the main focus for trout fishers, said Ron from <b>Ray’s Sport Shop</b> in North Plainfield. Small, bead-headed nymphs worked slowly along the bottom were getting smacked by rainbows to 4 pounds downstream from the hatchery. Be sure to stop at the shop for special sales on fly-tying gear.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Trout anglers were coming in for meal worms, most likely either heading to the Pequest or South Branch to pull on holdover brownies and brookies, said Mark at <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Stream trout were lethargic from the chilly temps, so the trouters best bet might’ve been in fishing Round Valley Reservoir, where boaters could troll herring near the thermocline to hook lake trout.

A pick of trout was coming from the Manasquan River, said Andrew from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b> in Wall, and small, bead-headed nymphs were tricking the 12- to 14-inchers in the upper stretches of Squankum Falls. Other trout anglers seemed to be heading to Spring Lake, buying up Power Bait, though no confirmed reports had come back. Mark your calendar for the shop’s fly tying demos at 7 p.m. every Monday.

Customers who were getting out were traveling to the Manasquan River to pick away at rainbow trout, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Most of the fish were going after small nymphs worked slowly and deeply. Pickerel fishers could connect at the Trilco stretch of the Toms River on live shiners.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Chain pickerel were the mainstay at the Collier’s Mills Wildlife Management Area ponds, said Eric at <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville, and most strikes were happening when the sun was high in the sky in the afternoons. The Delaware River offered an injection of activity from smallmouth bass that were chasing down live shiners near the power plant. Catfish were everywhere in the river, and some nice ones from 5 to 10 pounds were hauled in near the Bordentown area, where Crosswicks Creek enters into the Big D. Frozen shrimp were the hot bait. Upriver, walleye were nipping at jigs tipped with twister tails and minnows in the Lambertville section. The key to hooking up was to fish really slowly along the bottom, just twitching the jig.

Smallmouth bass began to open their mouths in the Delaware River, said Carl from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. The warm-water discharge at the power plant was a good spot, and shiners floated out on bobbers was the best method. The Assunpink Wildlife Management Area lakes were wide open and ice-free. Anglers should try to throw crank baits or Rat-L-Traps to hang some largemouths there. A good report came in that the Metedeconk River was giving up nice brown trout on Panther Martin spinners.

Skim ice began to settle on the Exit 69 ponds at the beginning of the week, said Dick from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b> in Waretown. But that ice should be gone by the weekend because of warmer weather, enabling pickerel anglers to swim live shiners for a hook-up. Other pickerel anglers were targeting Forked River to find action, especially deeper into the woods, Dick said.

In a welcomed turn of events, largemouth bass fishing exploded in the area, said Steve from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. Parvin Lake, Mary Elmer Lake, and Sunset Lake all put out bucketmouths averaging 2 to 6 pounds that were whacking Rat-L-Traps and crank baits. It wasn’t just a pick; the action was aggressive and on fire, Steve said. One team of anglers nailed down more than 30 largemouths to 5 ½ pounds at Parvin, and they stuck a 5-1/4-pound chain pickerel to boot! Union Lake also started to trigger a bass bite. So bass fishing was outstanding and should remain so over the weekend. Pickerel fishers looking for a trophy 3- to 5-pounder could also send out live shiners at Davis Mill Pond.

Customers braving the cold early this week were fishing the Maurice River to continue reeling in white perch, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Besides whities, catfish were feeding, and anglers dunking stink baits and shrimp in the river were fighting channel cats to 5 pounds.

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