Pumpkinseed

[NJ219bands]

Went ultralight jigging in a 44 degrees NJ lake this afternoon on a cold, cloudy day with a moderate east wind. Air temp was only 41 degrees. I could see my breath. Got very cold. 12 other fishermen caught lots of fish. Another fisherman told me that a group of fishermen caught and removed more than 50 fish from my spot. I only caught and released 18 white perch including a double, 7 yellow perch and my first pumpkinseed sunfish for this year with Walmart red worm halves on two gold hooks and a 1/16 oz unpainted leadhead jig on 4 lb test line. Landed 275 fish in 7 NJ freshwater fishing trips this year from the same spot. Will catch less fish from now onwards because the fish killers discovered my spot.

[bulletbob]

Went ultralight jigging in a 44 degrees NJ lake this afternoon on a cold, cloudy day with a moderate east wind. Air temp was only 41 degrees. I could see my breath. Got very cold. 12 other fishermen caught lots of fish. Another fisherman told me that a group of fishermen caught and removed more than 50 fish from my spot. I only caught and released 18 white perch including a double, 7 yellow perch and my first pumpkinseed sunfish for this year with Walmart red worm halves on two gold hooks and a 1/16 oz unpainted leadhead jig on 4 lb test line. Landed 275 fish in 7 NJ freshwater fishing trips this year from the same spot. Will catch less fish from now onwards because the fish killers discovered my spot.

"FISH KILLERS"??... Of course you realize that some people DO enjoy eating panfish,, Not fair to call someone that takes a few perch, sunnies etc as "fish killers".. A lot of those White Perch looked on the smaller side .. Perhaps the population at this mystery lake you fish at could stand a little bit of culling. Look , no one here advocates destroying a fishery, and you have a lot of allies I'm sure in your opinion. However, taking a few fish LEGALLY should not subject a sportsman to shame, ridicule, and degradation by his peers... We're talking perch and sunnies here after all... The WORST offenders are the masses of tournament "sportsmen", that release everything alive...Problem is, after being slammed around in a fiberglass live well at 50 MPH all day, those live releases all become dead releases, and the weigh in/release sites are LITTERED with dead bass every time there's a tournament, which is every weekend all season on some lakes. Guy wants to take home a few perch, sunnies, rock bass, crappies, bullheads??.. More power to them as long as they are within the regs.... bob

[Jigman13]

I fish where he fishes sometimes. I've seen it personally. Non-natives, some w/o licenses, LOADING stringers with sunnies, crappies, golden shiners, white perch, yellow perch, etc. These guys roll 5 or 6 deep and keep just about everything.

Culling a bit is one thing. These guys keep it up and they'll decimate the fish population in the access area they're fishing. It's a substantially deep hole. I've seen it happen with Farrington Lake.

Predominantly eastern European immigrants filling 100 quart coolers with every single fish they catch. Bullheads, crappie, perch, bass, pickerel, etc. All in the cooler. Farrington is now a shell of its former self. Pretty sad...

[NJ219bands]

"FISH KILLERS"??... Of course you realize that some people DO enjoy eating panfish,, Not fair to call someone that takes a few perch, sunnies etc as "fish killers".. A lot of those White Perch looked on the smaller side .. Perhaps the population at this mystery lake you fish at could stand a little bit of culling. Look , no one here advocates destroying a fishery, and you have a lot of allies I'm sure in your opinion. However, taking a few fish LEGALLY should not subject a sportsman to shame, ridicule, and degradation by his peers... We're talking perch and sunnies here after all... The WORST offenders are the masses of tournament "sportsmen", that release everything alive...Problem is, after being slammed around in a fiberglass live well at 50 MPH all day, those live releases all become dead releases, and the weigh in/release sites are LITTERED with dead bass every time there's a tournament, which is every weekend all season on some lakes. Guy wants to take home a few perch, sunnies, rock bass, crappies, bullheads??.. More power to them as long as they are within the regs.... bob
Removing more than 50 fish from one spot in one trip is not a few fish it’s a lot of fish. If you kill 50 fish a day for 30 days that’s 1,500 dead fish. When many people do that in one spot for a few years, you won’t catch many fish there.

[bulletbob]

Removing more than 50 fish from one spot in one trip is not a few fish it’s a lot of fish. If you kill 50 fish a day for 30 days that’s 1,500 dead fish. When many people do that in one spot for a few years, you won’t catch many fish there.

Understood, but thats the way things go. It IS legal, and if 5 guys take 10 fish each, its not a problem in the eyes of the state, as long as they have their licenses . Now, is it ethical?.. Thats another question, and believe me I understand your anger. Problem is, should the government ""step in"" and solve the problem by not allowing any fish to be taken?.. I don't have the answer to these issues, and see the same thing here in NY in some places..

Guys don't want to be regulated any more than they already are, but also are finding fewer fish each year, as more are caught and eaten, and technology improves by leaps and bounds..
Look at the salt water forum.. most guys want LESS restriction on keeping fish, yet some species keep declining even with considerable restrictions already in place.. [Fluke ,Tog].. I am NOT arguing with you at all,, Just don't know exactly how it can be resolved... The main problem?.. Too many fishermen in a state [NJ] with limited freshwater resources. bob

[artesian]

I fish where he fishes sometimes. I've seen it personally. Non-natives, some w/o licenses, LOADING stringers with sunnies, crappies, golden shiners, white perch, yellow perch, etc. These guys roll 5 or 6 deep and keep just about everything.

Culling a bit is one thing. These guys keep it up and they'll decimate the fish population in the access area they're fishing. It's a substantially deep hole. I've seen it happen with Farrington Lake.

Predominantly eastern European immigrants filling 100 quart coolers with every single fish they catch. Bullheads, crappie, perch, bass, pickerel, etc. All in the cooler. Farrington is now a shell of its former self. Pretty sad...

Farrington hasn't been on my list for years. I think the main reason I won't go to lakes that have easy access is because I am trying to avoid this. It's sad to say the least. Just because it's legal doesn't make it right

[Mark B.]

Removing more than 50 fish from one spot in one trip is not a few fish it’s a lot of fish. If you kill 50 fish a day for 30 days that’s 1,500 dead fish. When many people do that in one spot for a few years, you won’t catch many fish there.

And how many of the warmwater fish, that are already stressed out in the cold water, survive after you catch & release them?

[oelgnal1]

And how many of the warmwater fish, that are already stressed out in the cold water, survive after you catch & release them?

The survival rate should be much higher in cold water, that will hold more oxygen, than Summertime water. Why do you think that many fish will transition to deeper, colder and more oxygen rich water during the Summer?

[reason162]

The survival rate should be much higher in cold water, that will hold more oxygen, than Summertime water.

Agreed, with the exception of deep smallies in wintering holes - anything over 30ft this time of year gets a little dubious on the release. Esp if guys are taking selfies and worse - live welling for a hero shot.

[oelgnal1]

Agreed, with the exception of deep smallies in wintering holes - anything over 30ft this time of year gets a little dubious on the release. Esp if guys are taking selfies and worse - live welling for a hero shot.

I've caught them in 30+ fow around here in Jan., Feb., open water and after a pic, they never had a problem going back down, if they had, I fizz them.
Fizzing is a good thing to know anytime you catch deep water fish and is what is expected of a responsible fisherman.

[reason162]

I've caught them in 30+ fow around here in Jan., Feb., open water and after a pic, they never had a problem going back down, if they had, I fizz them.
Fizzing is a good thing to know anytime you catch deep water fish and is what is expected of a responsible fisherman.

They might swim down but delayed mortality is a thing. That's a big pressure change. It's one thing when they're up and down the water column chasing bait in the Fall - another when they've spent a month+ sitting deep.

I stopped targeting them this time of year - they deserve a break at some point in this state. But to each their own.

[Godrew1972]

I love the reports, makes me more likely to head out to the lake and extra time or 2. A keep it up