John,
Thanks for the holiday greetings, and best to young your family as well. I last fished the Musky in mid-September and had hoped to get out from October on, but of course between the Lake Hopatcong drawdowns and the rain it has been impossible. In late October a friend and I drove all the way out to Dunkirk, N.Y., seven hours in the car, for two days of guided steelhead fishing, only to return home the next morning without wetting a line — all the rivers were blown out. Also in September, I did my usual three days of salmon fishing at Wilson’s Sporting Camps on the Miramichi and for the second year in a row was blanked — the problem there was *low* water. Starting in November I turned my attention to surf fishing at Island Beach State Park, and that was disappointing, too — just two small stripers landed (18 and 20 inches) in eight outings. It’s just been one of those years. Where have you been fishing in upstate NY?
Jim