<b>NEW YORK</b>

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

Salmon River’s steelhead fishing “continues to move along,” Jay Peck from <b>Jay Peck Guide Service</b> wrote on the blog on his website, and trout fishing on streams was off to a good start. Salmon River’s flow was fairly consistent, beginning at 750 cubic feet per second early in the week, and currently 500. Dropping water is usual this time of year, and the lower water helps steelheading, concentrating the fish in deeper runs. The water finally warmed to the high 40 degrees and in the 50 degrees, making steelheads aggressive enough to chase big streamer flies, fun fishing. Streamers 2 ½ inches long in earth tones will work, like black, brown and copper Wooly Buggers. Covering water is more important than anything. The low water also means heavy sink tips are no longer needed, making fly-casting enjoyable. Jay expects the flow to keep dropping. Most steelheads were drop-backs, and few steelheads spawned anymore. Drop-backs are steelheads that spawned and are returning to Lake Ontario, where they came from to spawn. Dates are still available for May trips, and Jay calls early May “swing season,” because of swinging streamers across the river. That’s a great time for fishing streamers on fly rods or two-handed rods, fun angling. On the trout streams, water flow was ideal. Gauges reported low water, but that’s low for the time of year. Early spring hatches are coming off all the streams that Jay trout fishes. Hendricksons, olives and some caddis are coming off, mostly in afternoons. Anglers should plan on being on the water in late mornings, a leisurely start. Anglers begin with nymph fishing, looking for surface activity in early to mid-afternoon. The fishing mostly wraps up by late afternoon, when sunlight begins to leave the water. Streams are often high this time of year, so anglers often need to wait to begin trouting. This was a good beginning to the angling. “Time to get on the water and take advantage of the opportunity,” he said. Jay specializes in fly-fishing and catch-and-release, and books trips that fish with conventional tackle with his other guides.

<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Delaware River’s striped bass fishing was hit or miss last week, Bill Brinkman from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia wrote in a report on the shop’s website. He ran a trip last week on Tuesday on the river for 8 hours that totaled three catfish and a perch, fishing from Burlington Island to Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. Wind blowing 30 m.p.h. against tide was a problem, and running the boat was even brutal. On the next day, Bill got on the river early, at 5 a.m., to beat the wind. Wind began to blow at 6 a.m., but with the tide. Three catfish, a perch and a 5-inch striper were landed. He headed back out after 4 p.m. that day, and finally found some stripers – a 22-incher and seven smaller that were bloodwormed in 20 feet of water. A 5-pound catfish was also wormed. He wanted to fish until after dark, but wind picked up, and weather felt cold. On the previous weekend, two weekends ago, the striper fishing was a bust, compared with previously. Anthony from the shop fished the river near Rancocas Creek that weekend, only hooking a 15-inch striper, with 30 boats surrounding. Not even catfish bit, he said. Five different reports came from near Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, farther downstream, that weekend, and none reported a catch. Farther downstream, two anglers fished at National Park all day that weekend, with bloodworms and bunker, only picking up two small stripers and a catfish. And so on. After that weekend, several anglers latched into bigger stripers at night on bunker. Trenton and off Philadelphia’s Navy yard gave up those reports. At Trenton, several 20- to 31-inch stripers were popper-plugged at night then. At the Navy Yard, several anglers bunker-chunked and bloodwormed 20- to 34-inch stripers at the time. Know the regulations for striper fishing on the river, including because they’re different for Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and because the angling is currently closed in Jersey’s tidal river. Anglers release the fish there, and use certain hooks that are required for Jersey’s stripers on the river. The upper Delaware’s fishing was good. Several experienced walleye anglers reported their best week of the angling in years. One smoked 11 walleyes, 15- to 20-inchers, at the New Hope wing dam in an afternoon on minnows. Another pounded 13 walleyes, including a 27-incher, four smallmouth bass and two stripers at Point Pleasant in the past week on a variety of lures, while wading. That angler talked with several anglers who scored great on shad under the Bull’s Island walk bridge that week. Back to walleyes: an angler at Lambertville on the river, upstream from the Route 202 Bridge, managed several walleyes and a smallmouth bass. Walleye fishing is open year-round on the river, though it’s currently closed in New Jersey’s lakes through Saturday. Back to shad: Several anglers were known to boat 4- to 6-pound shad at Trenton below the Railroad Bridge on lower tides that week. They fought good numbers, when they could keep herring off the hooks. Another said shad fishing dropped off at Delaware Water Gap two weekends ago, but picked back up that Monday evening.

<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

Capt. Dave Vollenweider from <b>Live to Fish Guide Service</b> took a trip to Round Valley Reservoir on Sunday with his wife, trolling one rainbow trout, he said. He’s been experimenting at fishing Round Valley, and is new to angling the impoundment. Five trout was the most he boated in a trip there, so far. He’s been catching rainbows and lake trout. This trip’s rainbow was hooked on a Rapala lure fished on a planer, probably 25 feet down. His tackle’s been limiting him from fishing too deep, and he’s gotten some new tackle to fish deeper. An angler who’s been trolling with downriggers told Dave he’s been catching lakers along bottom, and had to keep changing the ball depths to keep from hitting bottom. Depths seem to change a lot at Round Valley. Dave saw photos of sizable lakers to 12 and 15 pounds from the reservoir this past week. The water surface on the trip was 51 degrees, and the day was sunny. Maybe a cloudy day would fish better, because of the reservoir’s unusually clear, blue water. The water was still cold, and the surface can reach 75 to 80 degrees in summer. Dave messed around a little on Greenwood Lake on Saturday, trolling for muskies, but none bit.  The season was early for musky fishing, but muskies have been caught this season.  The water was stained at Greenwood, and whether that was algae or something was unknown. The marina said hardly anybody fished Greenwood yet. Greenwood’s angling lags behind the fishing at some lakes. Walleyes were already caught at Lake Hopatcong, and must be released through Saturday, because of spawning. Walleyes were probably finished spawning, and the walleye fishing really kicks in during later May, when herring spawn. Walleyes then especially move into shallows at night to forage on the herring, and the walleyes can be clocked on cast surface lures then. Dave does that fishing, running trips at night. An angler is booked to fish for bass with Dave this weekend. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass must be released through June 15 for spawning. Smallmouths spawn in water in the 50 degrees, and largemouths spawn in water probably 60 to 65. Bass are being caught, Dave knows.

Trout were reeled in everywhere, said Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Succasunna. Lots were landed on Rockaway River and on Black River in Hacklebarney. One angler talked about catching on yellow Roostertails on Black River. Trout streams were low, and rain, not a lot, was finally falling this week, and anglers hoped more of the rain falls in the next days. Walleyes bit in Lake Hopatcong, and must be released through Saturday, because of spawning. The walleyes were jigged deeper down during daytime and were fought on suspending crank baits at night. Not a lot was heard about largemouth bass, and largemouths and smallmouth bass must be released through June 15, because of spawning. Largemouths were probably about to be in pre-spawn, and will probably begin spawning next week or the week after. Now was probably the last feed for largemouths, and they were hooked from Lake Hopatcong and Lake Musconetcong. That was on white spinner baits or chrome-and-blue Rat-L-Traps or chrome-and-black Rat-L-Traps, fished right over top weeds.

Good fishing was angled from Passaic River, said Larry from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Pine Brook. But anglers needed to find the holes where fish held, because of low water, even after rain yesterday. Northern pike were fought on big spinner baits, and carp were heaved in on carp bait and nightcrawlers, on the river. Trout fishing was similar: anglers needed to find the holes in low water, but when they found the fish, the catches were on. Largemouth bass fishing was reportedly excellent on Lake Hopatcong, and a few smallmouth bass were supposedly hung there. Anglers said the bass weren’t quite spawning yet. Soft-plastic baits and jerk baits connected, and both bass species must be released through June 15 for spawning. From saltwater, Raritan Bay’s striped bass fishing sounded hit and miss, and not peaked yet. Boaters marked tons, but whether the fish bit was day to day.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Trout fishing grinded right along, said Braden from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Trout streams ran low, and the fish failed to swim away much from where they were stocked. But the trout were definitely angled. Usual PowerBaits caught them, mostly in yellow and orange, top-selling colors at the shop, by far. Many were hooked on Yozuri Pins Minnows, now that water warmed enough for trout to be active enough to swipe a lure. Fly anglers mostly bought usual bead-headed nymphs for trout. But Braden saw Hendrickson dry flies hatching last week. Fishing at night began to connect at Lake Hopatcong. Mostly walleyes and a few bass bit. But a few hybrid striped bass hit, and Braden expects more hybrids to be cranked in during the next week or so. Walleyes must be released through Saturday, and largemouth bass and smallmouth bass must be let go through June 15, because of spawning. Largemouths were pretty much in pre-spawn locally. Jigs with trailers, like a Booyah, tied into them. Spinner baits could sock them in afternoons. A reliable source talked about landing largemouths on top-water lures, like Live Target frogs or the new Live Target sunfish,  in the northern state, even if that was early.

This was probably one of the better springs for trout fishing, and the angling gave up good catches, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River. Weather was fair, and the fish bit. PowerBait and meal worms caught well. But customers especially bought Trout Magnets this year. Spinners like Roostertails were also bought, but the Trout Magnets were hot. Customers often fish for trout on the Toms River. They also fish for them on Metedeconk and Manasquan rivers and Lake Shenandoah. Crappies and chain pickerel were wrestled at all the ponds. Largemouth bass were beginning to scope out spawning, and fishing for them might’ve been slowing. Largemouths must be released through June 15 for spawning. Murphy’s, located on Route 37, also owns <b>Go Fish Bait & Tackle</b> on Fischer Boulevard in Toms River.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Throwback striped bass were played on Delaware River, said Dom from <b>Barracuda’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Sometimes a big striper was reported caught, but none of the catches was confirmed. Bunker seemed best bait, and be sure to know regulations for fishing for the bass. The angling is currently closed on the tidal river for spawning, but anglers release the fish, and certain hooks are required to be fished.   Trout fishing was good at Crystal and Sylvan Lakes, mostly on a ball of PowerBait combined with a worm like a meal or a butter on the hook. Yellow and orange PowerBait is always popular, and PowerBait hatchery pellets caught well this year. Nobody mentioned other fish like largemouth bass or crappies, really. Anglers concentrate on the stripers and trout while the fishing is good. Release largemouths by law through June 15, because of spawning.

Customers bailed trout, lots, at Grenloch Lake, said Joanie from <b>Creek Keepers Bait & Tackle</b>. Some big were checked in, including an 8-pounder, a 6 and some 5s and 4s. Customers were also all about striped bass on Delaware River. They bought loads of bloodworms for the angling, and caught. The tidal river’s striper fishing is currently closed for spawning, but anglers release them. Be aware about the regs, and also that certain hooks must be fished for the river’s stripers.  Anglers fishing saltwater stopped in for bluefish tackle like jigs and bait, because blues were in, at places like back bays.

Plenty of trout were clutched from stocked lakes, <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b>’s Facebook page said. Robin from the shop, in a phone call, noted that a report could be found there. Excellent trouting was reported from Oak Pond. Good numbers of the fish were beaned from Iona Lake, including limits for two anglers who reported their catches. Harrisonville Lake and Grenloch Lake gave up some good trout catches. Customers reported great largemouth bass fishing, including from Iona, Elmer, Union and Rainbow lakes. One angler cracked largemouths to 4 pounds at Iona on watermelon Senko worms, and another smacked the bigmouths to 4 pounds at Elmer on Senkos. He said mornings fished best. Release largemouths through June 15 by law, because of spawning. A customer scooped more than 30 white perch from Mullica River on a trip, super fishing.

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