NJ Salmon Stocking

[Billfish715]

https://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2019/salmonstock11-19.htm?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

This just came across my computer. Don't put your boats away yet. Maybe a meet and greet salmon day?

[bulletbob]

NJ has absolutely marvelous freshwater fisheries management.. Makes NY look like idiots.. What NJ does with the limited water resources it has is very impressive.bob

[akoop]

I've never targeted these but would like to give them a try. Anyone have any tips to share?

[Jigman13]

They'll get big in there, that's for sure.

[BT67]

They'll get big in there, that's for sure.


enough forage for that?

[Jigman13]

Yea. And its only 450 LLs. Some will certainly become eagle food; others, people food. The few that survive will get fat. Alewives, panfish, shiners, scuds, etc. Plenty to eat...

[bulletbob]

Yea. And its only 450 LLs. Some will certainly become eagle food; others, people food. The few that survive will get fat. Alewives, panfish, shiners, scuds, etc. Plenty to eat...

When they are in lakes with alewives, they eat almost nothing else, and go completely out of character like most other fish do.
They act like saltwater fish, which in reality is what they are more or less, and key on big concentrations of greasy baitfish, and stay close to them in open water.. The only thing that you can key on when in lakes is the bait balls during warm weather months ..
When you see a big blob of bait mid lake suspended say 30 to 60 feet deep, there will be fish marks around the bait.. Invariably the marks closest to the surface are landlocks. Brown, Rainbows, and of course lakers all will usually go somewhat deeper than LL salmon.
There are times when they roam around in cold water however close to shore.. best time is Late fall, mid winter, when the water is still open, and early spring.. They are aggressive and are not that hard to catch when they are around.. Main problem with them is they are fast, move around a lot, are suspended on bait much of time, and are just not that easy to find consistently.. Like a lot of fish, the guys that get out a lot and put the time in will catch them.. They can be tough for the occasional angler.

Nothing better than a Herring suspended under a bobber.

. They love them..|
I have caught them on Rooster Tails, Cleos, White marabou jigs, are great, and small trolled rapalas, rebels, thundersticks, or clones in natural colors.. Nothing beats a good old silver and black rapala for surface trolling.. Oh yeah, they like fast lures!.

You can't possibly move it fast enough that they can't catch it.. Put the time in, and you'll catch them.... bob

[birddog]

maybe now they will find a way to bring back the brookies and browns!

[thmyorke1]

maybe now they will find a way to bring back the brookies and browns!

who knows at this point :(

[bulletbob]

maybe now they will find a way to bring back the brookies and browns!

Trout fishing has changed drastically.. Now everyone wants overstuffed, morbidly obese grease fed trout that swim under and around big undulating masses of landlocked alewives.. If they put brookies in those lakes with alewives they would do the exact same thing.. Even in the freestone creeks and streams. what does everyone long for? To catch a fat old cow 2 years past her breeding prime that gets thrown in there so some kid can catch the fish of a lifetime on a Zebco rod and reel combo and a glob of garden worms.. it is what it is... Today its often more about catching than fishing no mater where you go and what you fish for.. bob

[thmyorke1]

Trout fishing has changed drastically.. Now everyone wants overstuffed, morbidly obese grease fed trout that swim under and around big undulating masses of landlocked alewives.. If they put brookies in those lakes with alewives they would do the exact same thing.. Even in the freestone creeks and streams. what does everyone long for? To catch a fat old cow 2 years past her breeding prime that gets thrown in there so some kid can catch the fish of a lifetime on a Zebco rod and reel combo and a glob of garden worms.. it is what it is... Today its often more about catching than fishing no mater where you go and what you fish for.. bob

I think the desire that people express with brookies + browns is the opposite tho, they want to catch the different variety of species, and will trade off the slob rainbows for the chance to hook two different trout species rather than the same rainbow trout. I heard from those who fished back when they did stock all three that each species would have a different character to what bait/lures they wanted, where they would position in the river, etc. Despite being all stocked trout, the three would add some variations to the experience. I unfortunately started my fishing adventures after the state went rainbow-only so I dont have experience with this myself.

[bulletbob]

I think the desire that people express with brookies + browns is the opposite tho, they want to catch the different variety of species, and will trade off the slob rainbows for the chance to hook two different trout species rather than the same rainbow trout. I heard from those who fished back when they did stock all three that each species would have a different character to what bait/lures they wanted, where they would position in the river, etc. Despite being all stocked trout, the three would add some variations to the experience. I unfortunately started my fishing adventures after the state went rainbow-only so I dont have experience with this myself.

browns are way better survivors than rainbows so I don't understand what NJ DEC is doing... they are way more tolerant of higher temps and lower oxygen levels than rainbows.. Brookies are tough because they require clean cool water, and in NJ with its development mania is becoming less hospitable for their needs.. NJ once had a lot of brookies if you knew where to look.. I used to catch them in tiny farm creeks back in the 60's.. brookies need to be left alone.. they don't seem to do well in highly developed areas.. browns do fine however, as long as the water has enough oxygen and doesn't get above say 75 degrees for long periods... Could be because browns are not aggressive feeders, and are simply not as easy to catch as rainbows... bob

[Drossi]

browns are way better survivors than rainbows so I don't understand what NJ DEC is doing... they are way more tolerant of higher temps and lower oxygen levels than rainbows.. Brookies are tough because they require clean cool water, and in NJ with its development mania is becoming less hospitable for their needs.. NJ once had a lot of brookies if you knew where to look.. I used to catch them in tiny farm creeks back in the 60's.. brookies need to be left alone.. they don't seem to do well in highly developed areas.. browns do fine however, as long as the water has enough oxygen and doesn't get above say 75 degrees for long periods... Could be because browns are not aggressive feeders, and are simply not as easy to catch as rainbows... bob

NJDFW claims the hatchery needs some additional work to keep it disease free before they start raising browns again. IMHO I think it's cheaper for them to raise rainbows and that the brookies and browns aren't coming back in the near future.

You are right about the browns holding over, you'll even find wild ones even in the most marginal of river systems. They are harder to catch too. :)

[AndyS]

You will never EVER see Brook Trout stocked in New Jersey again, and I heard that from the top ! Which is a damn shame considering what I saw come out of the Raritan river.

[bulletbob]

You will never EVER see Brook Trout stocked in New Jersey again, and I heard that from the top ! Which is a damn shame considering what I saw come out of the Raritan river.

Andy, its been decades since I was really aware of what is happening in the small streams in sussex county, warren county, northern passaic and bergen counties, but I would bet a lot of the small creeks that run through farmland and are spring fed tribs of larger streams still hold native brookies.. Just have to know where they are, leave them alone pretty much, maybe use strictly barbless hooks when you do fish them, and then tell NO one... NJ had a lot of brookies years ago, and I would think a lot of them are still there.. they are not a fish that can take a lot of pressure... bob

[bigfishy]

You will never EVER see Brook Trout stocked in New Jersey again, and I heard that from the top ! Which is a damn shame considering what I saw come out of the Raritan river.

Looks like a sea run!!!!

[bulletbob]

Looks like a sea run!!!!

It does.. a "salter"

Raritan and its small tribs has native wild brookies, so its not surprising a few run out past the tide line.. lots to eat out there.. unless something eats you first!

here's my take on it.. the Brookies were there before the Raritan even had a name.. They belong there, the bows don't but because the rainbows are bigger and more adaptable, they are king... bob