Salmon River

Fishing was really starting on the river, said Amanda at All Seasons Sports in Pulaski. King and coho salmon and brown trout were all caught, and the river was running at 750 CFS. The stretches at the ball park, Douglaston and the trestle were all productive areas through the week, and pink and orange egg sacks and Comets worked well. Look for the action to get screaming through the next weeks.

Salmon catches were mediocre on the river so far, but that could change quickly, said Bill Ferman from High Hook Guide Service from Pulaski. At this time of year a few fish could be swimming the waters one day, and they could be wall to wall the next. His anglers scored good days and mediocre days but sometimes also poor days. For example, fishing on a trip with him Monday wasn’t even mediocre, and one king salmon was landed, and two were lost, and a 4-pound brown trout was taken. But a trip the same day with one of his two sons, who also guide for High Hook, landed five kings and lost one, a great catch. But on a good day when loads of the fish push up the river, a whole lot more can be fought. A few brown trout and a handful of steelheads, not many, were also lifted from the river. The salmon fishing—for kings and cohos—usually lasts through late October. Then the fish are usually hooked a moment longer in some of the creeks that take a little longer to cool down than the river, because the dam controls the river flow and temperature, but the creeks have to cool naturally from chilly nights and weather. High Hook also fishes many other waters, including private stretches, on the tributaries of Lake Ontario, besides the Salmon River. Brown trout fishing is usually best at the end of October into November, sometimes lasting into December. Fishing for steelheads and rainbow trout usually kicks in around mid October. When salmon fishing tapers off, Bill and sons start targeting steelheads all winter long. The salmon push up the rivers to spawn fairly quickly, but the steelheads linger in the rivers all winter and spawn in spring. That’s because the steelheads, transplants from the western United States, are programmed to travel sometimes a thousand miles upstream on their ancestral waters. High Hook Guide Service offers both conventional fishing and fly fishing for all these fish through the season.

PENNSYLVANIA

Smallmouth bass were feeding aggressively in the Delaware River, said Bill from Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle in Philadelphia. One customer drifted grubs and minnows for a catch of 36 smallies, a 25-inch walleye and a 20-inch striped bass in the late afternoon. Another drifted down to the wing dam area to pull in 16 smallmouths from 13 to 16 inches that attacked Tiny Torpedos. The New Hope area produced 40 smallmouths for a customer who worked poppers. Washington’s Crossing and Yardley were also hot spots for the bronzebacks, though most of fish there were under 12 inches. Grubs, tubes and poppers worked well. Herring were running at dark, and customers said they saw the river lit up with jumping herring and shad. Catfish anglers headed to the jetty at Neshaminy Marina and to Station Avenue to pull on larger channel cats to 10 pounds that Hoovered shrimp, chicken livers and bagels.

NEW JERSEY

North Jersey

Smallmouth and walleye fishing really improved, and live crawfish were the best bait for both, said Bill from Bill’s Bait & Tackle in Phillipsburg. On the Delaware River Kenneth Monahan whacked a 7.6-pound walleye, and Calvin Royal dusted a 5-pound 12-ounce walleye. Mike Riffert fished the river to pin down two big smallmouths 4.6 pounds and 4 pounds. Merrill Creek Reservoir also dished out solid smallmouth fishing. Sean Youngkin had a 3.6 pounder, and Brian Summit connected with a 3.3-pounder. Dale Cohen put the kibosh on a 4.9-pounder. Sean Marks fished Delaware Lake to come up with a 5.5-pound, trophy largemouth bass.

Customers were often concentrating on fall trout fishing, said Alan from Fairfield Fishing Tackle in Montville. The Big Flatbrook and the Pequest rivers were two areas of note in the past days, and garden worms and Power Baits did the job. Also look for pike activity to gain steam in the Passaic River as anglers head into fall. Bring large live shiners to the river during the mornings.

Waters were low at Lake Hopatcong, said Anthony from Ramsey Outdoor in Paramus, but the state park area was a steady source of largemouth bass and pickerel. The 8-foot, weedy depths gave up the fish on Shallow Raps, and walleye anglers fished the deeper waters off Byram Point, casting Husky Jerks between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m. Thirty-five-foot depths off Chestnut Point held hybrid striped bass, and dropped down 1-ounce Crippled Herring jigs to pull them up. Lake Musconetcong gave up chain pickerel on top-water poppers.

Hybrid striped bass fishing maintained its fury on the lake, said Laurie from Dow’s Boat Rentals in Lake Hopatcong. The brokensiders to 8 ½ pounds hit around the points in 25 feet of water. Free-lined herring or a 15-foot slip bobber rig with live herring were two successful methods. Walleye turned on since the weekend, and Roman Pera batted down of the seven marble eyes to 6 pounds on herring. Largemouth bass and pickerel were also in the mix.

Many customers traveled to upstate New York’s Salmon River for salmon fishing, said Al from Meltzer’s Sporting Goods in Garfield. But good fishing was still to be had at Lake Hopatcong, with walleye and hybrid striper catches on tap on livelined herring off the points. Greenwood Lake also had walleye action. Trout anglers eagerly awaited the fall stocking, ready to ply the Pequest River and the South Branch of the Raritan River.

Trout fishing thrived at the South Branch of the Raritan, said Chris at Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop. Hefty brown trout to 3 pounds keyed in on midges and flashback Hare’s Ears. Round Valley Reservoir trouters located rainbows chewing on shrimp along the shore and also got into steady catches of bullhead catfish and sunfish at the coves.

Expect a good week of trout fishing, said Ron at Ray’s Sport Shop in North Plainfield. With cooler water and air temperatures, Ken Lockwood Gorge and the Pequest River will both be fantastic. Big rainbows will be in the Pequest, ready to hammer size-18 pheasanttails and size-14 caddis. Trout fishers awaited the influx of rainbow trout that will cruise the Round Valley Reservoir shoreline, and that should happen any day. Be ready with your M&M combos or marshmallows and meal worms.

Central Jersey

Both Ken Lockwood Gorge and the Pequest River put out quality trout action, said Mike at Efinger Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. Fly casters floated size-16 black gnats and midges for a strike. Customers also took the trip to the Salmon River in upstaged New York to fish for kings and cohos.

A variety of species were on the prowl, said Dennis from Murphy’s Hook House in Toms River. The Trilco stretch of the Toms River had carp, pickerel and white perch on the hook. The carp took raisins and dough baits, and the pickerel and perch ate up live shiners. Lester’s Lake and the Ocean County College ponds offered a mix of pickerel and largemouth bass, and Lake Riviera turned up a few crappies that came on grub tails and small fathead minnows. The lake also held a fair share of largemouth bass and carp.

Lake waters were clearing up once again, ready to be fished, said Sean at Harry’s Army and Navy in Robbinsville. Lake Assunpink and Gropp’s Lake were two solid bets for largemouth bass. Try tossing buzz baits in the cool, morning hours. Then switch to drop-shotting Senkos on the weed beds as the day wears on. Other bass bets included smaller lakes such as Rising Sun and Stone Tavern, some of the first to clear up.

Lake Assunpink and Rising Sun Lake were prime-time crappie haunts, said Tony from the Sportsmen’s Center in Bordentown. Mister Twister grubs and fathead minnows produced stringers of the slabs in the mornings. Carnegie Lake was the place for plenty of largemouth bass feeding on shiners and buzz baits. The Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area lakes and Cranbury Lake were home to frenzied pickerel action, and nightcrawlers and shiners claimed the water wolves to 2 ½ pounds. The picks seemed to become more aggressive since the water temps started dropping.

South Jersey

Anglers fished the West Deptford and National Park sections of the Delaware River to hook into stripers to 27 inches, said John from Big Timber Bait & Tackle in Brooklawn. Bloodworms hung up to a half-dozen bass a day for them. Big channel catfish hauled off with baits, sometimes breaking lines, in the Big D, especially in the Camden area. So bring heavier gear to land them. Woodbury Lake doled out decent largemouth fishing, but more consistent bassing got found at Newton Lake and Grenwich Lake. Float live shiners under a bobber for a hook-up.

A decent crappie feed went down in Grenloch Lake, said Ed from Creek Keepers in Blackwood. They ate up small shiners fished under floats. Pretty fair largemouth bass fishing was scored at Collins Lakes, and shiners also did the trick for them. News from Lake Worth was quiet lately, but pickerel should start feeding again this week, as the waters clear up after the rains.

Local lakes rebounded well from the dumping rains, said Lou from Sportsman’s Outpost in Williamstown. Ten-year-old Bailey Esslinger landed his first-ever largemouth bass, a 3-pound 19-incher to boot, from Alcyon Lake on a shiner. Two customers teamed up for a freshwater grand slam at Hammonton Lake, bailing a mix of pickerel, largemouth bass, trout and yellow perch on shiners and fatheads.

The transition from summer to fall fishing was here, said Steve from Blackwater Sports Center in Vineland. Parvin’s Lake was a solid wager for largemouth bass to 2 pounds that grabbed Senkos and Shaky Heads. Bigger bucketmouths to 4 pounds could be taken from Davis Mill Pond, and drop-shot rigs worked well. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass were on the bite in the Millville section of the Maurice River, and top-waters such as Spro and River to Sea poppers fooled both.

It was a wild striped bass frenzy on the Maurice River! said Ki from Huck’s Place in Millville. The linesiders seemed to invade after the torrid nort’easter, and a bunch of schoolies inhaled bloodworms and live peanut bunker on the higher tides. Some were even keeper-sized, 29 to 30 inches. The next few weeks should really bust wide open on the striper front, Ki said.