Musconetcong Stocking?

[Billfish715]

I drove past some very popular trout spots this afternoon in the greater Hackettstown area and found the majority of them void of any fishermen. Today was a stocking day, right? Where was everyone? I had to find out why no one was fishing so I put on my boots, grabbed my rod and started fishing in those same popular spots to no avail. I didn't even see a fish no less catch one.

That was the case for some others with whom I spoke. Were a lot of spots just overlooked? I'm a good fisherman who adapts to the conditions but, no matter what, I couldn't raise a single trout. I'm sure trout were stocked today, and the amount of fish that went in was not that many fewer than the last stocking in the spring. So, why the disparity in stocking points?

Eventually, I'll find them but not until someone puts some water back in the streams and the trout settle in. BTW.......the sycamore hatch has started and I did notice a maple spinner fall late in the day before the showers.

[acabtp]

BTW.......the sycamore hatch has started and I did notice a maple spinner fall late in the day before the showers.
lol

[baetis]

Same thing happened to me last year. I was told they stock the same spots as the spring, but that was not the case with the Musky.

[Billfish715]

Since the fall-stocked trout are bigger than those stocked in the spring, there may be a philosophical difference of opinion about where trout should be released during the fall. My guess is that many of the stocking stops in the upper reaches of the Musky are ignored to save more of those bigger (and legal-sized) fish for the TCA which is farther downstream. If that's the case, I take offense. I know that the state and many individuals are campaigning for that particular TCA and one way to do it is to stock keeper-sized trout. It's only a theory and it may not be true or be able to prove, but it does make sense.

[Randyb]

I was out yesterday managed to catch a few took these two home with me

[tycomps]

I drove past some very popular trout spots this afternoon in the greater Hackettstown area and found the majority of them void of any fishermen. Today was a stocking day, right? Where was everyone? I had to find out why no one was fishing so I put on my boots, grabbed my rod and started fishing in those same popular spots to no avail. I didn't even see a fish no less catch one.

That was the case for some others with whom I spoke. Were a lot of spots just overlooked? I'm a good fisherman who adapts to the conditions but, no matter what, I couldn't raise a single trout. I'm sure trout were stocked today, and the amount of fish that went in was not that many fewer than the last stocking in the spring. So, why the disparity in stocking points?

Eventually, I'll find them but not until someone puts some water back in the streams and the trout settle in. BTW.......the sycamore hatch has started and I did notice a maple spinner fall late in the day before the showers.

"NOTE: Due to general low flow conditions some individual stocking points may not be stocked this fall. Stocking truck drivers will determine if each location has enough water to allow for stocking on the day of the run. If conditions do not allow for a point to be stocked, the fish allocated for that stocking point will be spread out among the other stocking points on that same river or stream as conditions allow. Please check the Updates for the latest information."

I understand the trucks might not know conditions til they get there but it would be helpful to know where they were able to stock.

[tycomps]

Since the fall-stocked trout are bigger than those stocked in the spring, there may be a philosophical difference of opinion about where trout should be released during the fall. My guess is that many of the stocking stops in the upper reaches of the Musky are ignored to save more of those bigger (and legal-sized) fish for the TCA which is farther downstream. If that's the case, I take offense. I know that the state and many individuals are campaigning for that particular TCA and one way to do it is to stock keeper-sized trout. It's only a theory and it may not be true or be able to prove, but it does make sense.

anybody see an allocation table for the fall? http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/trt_allocation17_dates.htm

[Billfish715]

I'm sure the drivers have information about stocking points and the number of nets to be put in for all of them. So, that does not appear to be etched in stone since it seems the number of trout to be stocked at any point is up to the driver. He can also decide where they will or will not be stocked.

Are there any volunteers on this board? I'm sure there are. I wish you will weigh in. I understand why there are reported caravans of anglers following the trucks during the stocking process. With the low water conditions, if you are not close to where the fish were put in it's very unlikely you'll catch anything.

I still can't accept that there are places on the Musconetcong that don't have enough water for trout to be stocked and that the decision to stock or not is strictly up to the driver.

[acabtp]

I'm sure the drivers have information about stocking points and the number of nets to be put in for all of them. So, that does not appear to be etched in stone since it seems the number of trout to be stocked at any point is up to the driver. He can also decide where they will or will not be stocked.

Are there any volunteers on this board? I'm sure there are. I wish you will weigh in. I understand why there are reported caravans of anglers following the trucks during the stocking process. With the low water conditions, if you are not close to where the fish were put in it's very unlikely you'll catch anything.

I still can't accept that there are places on the Musconetcong that don't have enough water for trout to be stocked and that the decision to stock or not is strictly up to the driver.

jeez, come on man, it's fishing, you're supposed to work for it. you want to just go pick your guaranteed trout up at the hatchery? i'm all for the drivers using their discretion to spread the fish around best. IMO i don't think they should even announce the stocking days/routes, just the number of fish to be stocked and the stocking area boundaries.

"if you are not close to where the fish were put in it's very unlikely you'll catch anything"
like 99% of the posts on this board contradict that

[Ken Lyons]

I spent a good couple of hours both Tuesday and yesterday watching trout not being caught

[Mark B.]

jeez, come on man, it's fishing, you're supposed to work for it. you want to just go pick your guaranteed trout up at the hatchery? i'm all for the drivers using their discretion to spread the fish around best. IMO i don't think they should even announce the stocking days/routes, just the number of fish to be stocked and the stocking area boundaries.

"if you are not close to where the fish were put in it's very unlikely you'll catch anything"
like 99% of the posts on this board contradict that


Amen, brother. Fall trout are stocked at all of the same spring stocking points.
Stocking is @ “the driver’s discretion”. For example, if he deems that the water is too shallow @ a regular stocking point he may not stock there. Those fish will be added to the fish stocked @ a deeper stocking point on the same river.

Way back when, NJDF&W did not announce the stocking days/routes, just the number of fish to be stocked and the stocking area boundaries.

Typical phone call
Angler: I didn’t catch any,………you didn’t stock!
NJDF&W: We did stock. Sometimes, they don’t bite right away.
Angler: If they are there, I catch them. You didn’t stock!
NJDF&W: Sometimes, when I go fishing, I get skunked.
Angler: Not me!!

[tycomps]

Amen, brother. Fall trout are stocked at all of the same spring stocking points.
Stocking is @ “the driver’s discretion”. For example, if he deems that the water is too shallow @ a regular stocking point he may not stock there. Those fish will be added to the fish stocked @ a deeper stocking point on the same river.

Way back when, NJDF&W did not announce the stocking days/routes, just the number of fish to be stocked and the stocking area boundaries.

Typical phone call
Angler: I didn’t catch any,………you didn’t stock!
NJDF&W: We did stock. Sometimes, they don’t bite right away.
Angler: If they are there, I catch them. You didn’t stock!
NJDF&W: Sometimes, when I go fishing, I get skunked.
Angler: Not me!!

do they still post new "trout stocked waters" signs when they stock a location?

[Mark B.]

do they still post new "trout stocked waters" signs when they stock a location?

They don't post "trout stocked waters"@ stocking points in the fall, as they posted that year's signs there in the spring.

[FASTEDDIE29]

I don't get it. On my way home last Saturday I stopped at the Musky to check the water levels and take a few casts. I threw plugs and had Trout chase em every time. There were Bows and Browns in the mix. I didn't catch any in that 10 minutes time but they're definitely in there. These were holdovers. Before the recent stocking. The stockng signs are cute. I don't need em!!!:cool:

[Billfish715]

Amen, brother. Fall trout are stocked at all of the same spring stocking points.
Stocking is @ “the driver’s discretion”. For example, if he deems that the water is too shallow @ a regular stocking point he may not stock there. Those fish will be added to the fish stocked @ a deeper stocking point on the same river.

If the drivers use their discretion in choosing the stocking points then it's possible that all of the stocking points are not stocked as you said. I'm saying that there were no trout in many of the stocking points, so therefore the driver used his discretion and did not put trout in some of the spots where I and others fish, in the spring.

So, can you say, without a doubt that trout were stocked at all of the same spring stocking points? You might be able to say that they were stocked in some of the same spots or in the area of where they were stocked in the spring. That, I'll accept. There is a lot of water between stops however and that is my observation. If you went to your favorite spring spot expecting it to have been stocked, you could have fished for long stretches without so much as a bite.

Fishing is fishing and not catching. I get it. But, if you say that you put them in at all of the stocking points and you didn't, then at least man up and acknowledge it instead of trying to question someone's observations or prowess with a sarcastic and demeaning reference to "typical phone calls".

3,450 Last week of spring stocking
2,850 Fall stocking

600 fewer trout were stocked in the Musky in the fall than during the last week of stocking in May. Even if there were 60 stops along the river, that means that anywhere from 40-50 trout would be stocked at each spot. I know that all spots don't get the same amount but they should get something! There certainly were enough trout for the last spring stocking and I don't remember any spots being left off the list. 600 fewer trout for the fall stocking shouldn't mean that there weren't enough trout to go around for the whole stream.

All I ask is that if spots were not stocked, then just say so. I'll find spots next month that hold fish, that's not a problem. That is, if I choose to go. I chose to go on Wednesday and the spots I chose to fish did not have any trout. Having the choice between having a nice day in the outdoors while fishing or having a nice day in the outdoors catching, I'll take catching all of the time.

[Paul N Skill]

To all those bitching about the stocking here is a suggestion. Volunteer to help. TU and other organizations are always asking for volunteers to help with the stocking.

[tycomps]

at the risk of getting flamed I think Bill's situation has merit from a business perspective- I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that the trout stocking in NJ is a 'business' supported (partially?) by the sale of licenses and trout stamps (which I think have been declining?). I'm not a big trout fisherman myself, preferring the hunt for wild fish, but I can understand the frustration someone (technically a 'customer' having purchased the license and stamp as well as perhaps supported a local tackle shop with trout related purchases) might have after using a valuable day off at a location they believed to have been stocked (with the 'product') that hadn't been. It may make good 'business sense' to somehow provide the 'customer' with 'product availability' information (perhaps on the NJFG update page for fall stocking?).

ok, LET ME HAVE IT NOW! (kiss me first and be gentle) :D

[Castaway]

I fished two different “stocking” points in the musky today, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The fishing was excellent at both spots. Nice size fish and plenty of them at both locations.

[jas160]

I'm not a big trout guy, but I still pay for my stamp every year. To think that you can you can go to your "spot" and automatically pull out fish is absurd. Drivers shouldn't dump 50 fish into a small pool just because it is 5 feet from a parking spot. I understand the pay to play argument, but wouldn't you rather have good fishing all winter rather than all the fish being pulled from under a bridge with shallow water within the first week?

[Mark B.]

Sat. AM, walked out onto the bridge over the South Branch, Raritan River in Three Bridges.

Two anglers were casting spinners,……….saying that that they hadn’t caught any, & “that maybe the State didn’t stock”. Watching them for several minutes, I told them they were wrong, as I observed several trout following their spinners. Then, finally, one hit, was hooked briefly & got off. More casting, nothing, & then a small Largemouth Bass was hooked. Which indicates to me, that the water is still too warm for the trout to be hitting, regularly @ that location.

[SPEARFISH]

My son and I caught a bunch over the weekend. We also saw many that wouldn't hit, but were able to find some that would. South Branch and Musky.

[slim]

Gave the musky a shot last Wednesday early in the am, Fished spots that were not 10 feet from the road where they stock and covered some river bottom. Landed 13 beautiful plump hens by 1pm. Was extremely satisfied with the fall stocking:)

[EJS]

Sorry, I didn't see this earlier. There wasn't many fisherman north of Bloomsbury! They we all too busy chasing the stocking truck! I will keep the rest of my commentary to myself.

This was the best fall stocking on the Musky in 5 years. The number & quality of the fish were outstanding!

Wishing everyone the best day on the river!

[EJS]

Same thing happened to me last year. I was told they stock the same spots as the spring, but that was not the case with the Musky.

As far as I know, all the same stocking locations were stocked on 10/11 as were used in the spring.

[EJS]

Gave the musky a shot last Wednesday early in the am, Fished spots that were not 10 feet from the road where they stock and covered some river bottom. Landed 13 beautiful plump hens by 1pm. Was extremely satisfied with the fall stocking:)

That's good stuff, thanks for the positive feedback!