<b>NEW YORK</b>

<b>Salmon River and Western N.Y. Rivers</b>

Steelhead fishing will continue another week, maybe two weeks, on Lake Ontario’s tributaries, said Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b>. That includes on the tribs in western, upstate New York, around Rochester, and on Salmon River, an hour east. He’s fishing both, and conditions were somewhat different in each area. On the western New York tribs or rivers and creeks, the water was low and clear. That makes the fishing more challenging, but the water was in the low 40 degrees, relatively cold, helping to slow the steelheads from spawning. This is the time of year they spawn in the tributaries, and they won’t eat, and therefore won’t grab a hook, when they’re actually spawning. But not all spawn at the same time, so some can always be caught. Jay began fishing smaller flies, like sizes 6 and 8 Wooly Buggers, because of the low, clear water, and also because of fishing pressure. All of that can make the fish spooky, and fishing smaller flies can help to catch. Salmon River’s flow was dropped to 500 cubic feet per second beginning Friday morning. That’s also low, not as low as the river can be, but that also makes the fish spookier, causing anglers to use tactics like fishing smaller flies than before. The fish were also pressured there. Wooly Buggers, Intruders and rabbit strip flies, all streamers, were fished on the Salmon when possible. Those are fun to fish, but when the steelheads weren’t so “grabby” in the Salmon, stoneflies were fished. Lots of stones hatched on the Salmon. The Salmon was in the upper 30 degrees to low 40s, somewhat colder than the western rivers and creeks, because the Salmon is bigger. Afternoons fished a little better on the Salmon than mornings did, because of warmer water. When water was on the warm side, lots of steelheads spawned in the upper Salmon. Fishing for them slows there then. It’s spring steelheading, Jay said. Trips covered water, worked for the fish, and caught. The steelheads could be anywhere in the river, from the upper stretches to the lower, and a large variety of steelheads swam the river, from spawners to fresh steelheads migrating to the river from the lake to spawn to steelheads that already spawned and were dropping back to the lake to spend summer. Weather fluctuated, typical of spring. Rain showers with snow mixed in fell Monday evening. Air temperature then was in the mid-30 degrees, and wind gusted to 45 m.p.h. But Sunday was in the 60 degrees and pleasant. Watch a video of the steelheading. Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch-and-release, and books trips that fish with conventional tackle with his other guides.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Bigger striped bass than before began to be eased from Delaware River, Bill Brinkman from Philadelphia’s <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> wrote in a report on the shop’s website. A customer showed a photo of three 40-inch stripers bloodwormed near Philadelphia airport. Several others were known about that were caught near the airport that were as large as 20 to 26 inches. But usually the stripers were smaller. Reports often mentioned one or two stripers tackled in a trip on the river, mostly on bloods. One report said two stripers 28 and 30 inches were bunker-chunked from the river in Trenton. Someone said a 31-incher was bunker-chunked at National Park. A 30-incher was bloodwormed upstream from Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. Bill fished the river on a couple of trips. On one, 32 stripers were boated, once the tide switched. The fish were up to 22 inches and were bloodwormed, and 19 white perch and two yellow perch were also angled on the outing.  On the other trip, wind blew 15 to 25 m.p.h., and the day was cold and rough. But 13 stripers to 16 inches were boated, all on bloodworms. Twenty white perch were also hooked on the worms, and the perch were a half-pound apiece and heavier. On the upper river, shad fishing was great two weeks ago, but not so much last week. A couple of anglers were known to fight one to three shad apiece at Trenton, downstream from the bridge. A couple of other anglers fished for shad all day at Yardley without a bite. Another pink-darted two buck shad at Washington’s Crossing Bridge in 3 hours. Several anglers mentioned great walleye fishing on the river toward Bull’s Island and Point Pleasant. One picked off five of the fish 16 to 19 inches on Yozuri crank baits and Zoom rubber grubs on a trip. Another in three trips rental-canoed 12 walleyes and five smallmouth bass, drifting the ledges. Minnows, shiners, rubber grubs and tubes have been catching best for fishing like that. One angler pulled in two walleyes, a smallmouth bass, two catfish and a small striper at the New Hope wing dam.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Crappies bit in lakes, and that probably amped up in the past week, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. They bit including in Lake Hopatcong near Lake’s End Marina. Tackle was fished for them like Mister Twisters or rubber grubs on small jigheads. Yellow perch chewed in lakes and were probably spawning or about to spawn. They become aggressive in early spring, and often, if one is found, a bunch are. Small largemouth bass and sometimes big chain pickerel were swung from lake shallows. Rapala lures like size 9, fair-sized, and big spinners, like size-5 CP Swings in brass, work well on them in spring, fished kind of slowly. Many trout streams are closed for spring stocking and will be reopened on Saturday, April 9, opening day of trout season. But some trout waters remain open, and check the regs.   

Fishing was turning on, said Cheryl from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook.  Largemouth bass and chain pickerel were reeled from lakes. A couple of customers fought northern pike from Passaic River, and the river ran at about an average flow. In saltwater, striped bass were clammed from the backs of bays. But weather became chilly again, maybe slowing the angling. A few lucky anglers seemed to still catch.

Most trout waters were closed to fishing for spring stocking, but some places remained open, said Scott from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Ken Lockwood Gorge and Musconetcong River’s Point Mountain stretch were some that were open for catch-and-release and were fished. Mostly nymphs were fished, basic patterns like Princes, pheasant-tails and hares ears. One angler reported tying into a bunch of trout on the Musky on Wooly Buggers. Many customers geared up for when the closed waters will be opened beginning on Saturday, April 9, opening day of trout season. Customers headed to reservoirs like Round Valley to fish, buying baits including shiners, but nobody talked about great catches from Round Valley. Fishing was changing for the season. Trout that cruise Round Valley’s shoreline in winter, giving up good angling from the bank, began to swim deeper. Round Valley Trout Association stocked big, trophy trout at the reservoir Saturday, like the club does each year. Many angler began trying for largemouth bass on lakes, but not a lot of success was heard about. Anglers bought tackle for shad fishing on Delaware River, including shad darts and flies. Shad reportedly migrated as far upstream as the Delaware Water Gap, but nobody reported catching them first-hand.

<b>South Jersey</b>

The Murphy family, no relation to the store, tangled with largemouth bass, chain pickerel, a few yellow perch, and some crappies, good catches, at Lake Riviera and Ocean County College Pond, on shiners and killies, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Riviera gave up a quality mixed bag, and more crappies bit than largemouth bass did at Ocean County College Pond. A couple of other anglers were known to be into some of these fish. Photos of some of the catches were posted on the shop’s Facebook page. Some of the photos showed chunky largemouths, and the bass seemed to begin being active in warming water.  Baits stocked include shiners, killies, garden worms and nightcrawlers. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

Somewhat more striped bass than before were landed from Delaware River, said Dom from <b>Barracuda’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Riverside. They were mostly small, “but getting up there,” he said. Bunker seemed to catch the most. Shad were slightly reported seen in the river, and were tough to catch. “They run in a line,” he said. At lakes, a trickle of anglers fished for crappies, but wind was wicked in past days. Anglers can fish in many types of weather, but not wind like that. The opening of trout season on Saturday, April 9, will be the next big thing. Sylvan Lake and Crystal Lake are local waters included in the spring trout stocking.

Lots of small striped bass were played on Delaware River at Riverwinds in West Deptford on bloodworms, said Ed Jr. from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b> in Blackwood.  Ed and family walloped crappies, a ton, at Glen Lake in Woodbury Heights on minnows and nightcrawlers. Ed on another trip there Monday picked up a healthy-sized, 3-pound largemouth bass on a minnow, despite strong wind. Largemouths were becoming more active than earlier this year. Lots of small largemouths hit at Blackwood Lake on minnows and nightcrawlers. Business was picking up for the season. Lots of bloodworms, shiners and minnows were sold.

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