Re: Trout Union County
 

They cannot blocked by multiple dams

Re: Trout Union County
 

Oh ok, so I guess my next question would be why aren't the holdover places stocked so there's a variety of year round trout fishing? Again, not trolling, just wondering

Re: Trout Union County
 

Because the decision on where to stock is not made in the basis of capacity to holdover but on a criteria of factors including amount of public access, ease of stocking, equitable distribution and sufficient water to sustain/ hold fish in April and May. Frankly, these are the correct criteria in deciding where to stock non holdover streams with trout and the state does a good job
One building concern, in very slow moving sections of the Rahway river increasingly a material percentage of stocked fish are taken by cormorants. My basis for this conclusion is not scientific only observational. Thankfully there are only a few places where this is an issue. At Milton or Echo Lake it can be something to behold

Re: Trout Union County
 

Okay, so somebody wanted to spread fish to where they could live longer. Why all the hatin'? The Rahway used to have rock dams, and stretches that were maintained by local kids and their parents. There was a massive river cleanup around the Morris Avenue bridge many, many, years ago. It got great media coverage (in the papers back then). Trash was hauled out and wing dams were built with the available river rocks. That was then. There were stretches of the river below the Drescher Dam that were made very fishable with the same methods. I know of one very popular trout guide out West who was a mainstay on the Rahway River when he was a kid. It's where he learned his craft. Everyone starts somewhere. For lots of guys my age, it was where we went on our Schwins at 5:00A.M on Saturday mornings and after school.

I don't understand the opposition to transporting live trout to places where they can swim and perhaps be caught again rather than just letting them suffocate in the oxygen depleted waters. Isn't it the same as catch and release? There are lots of places that get stocked by the state that are little more than puddles or trickles that dry up in weeks. What happens to those trout when the weather warms? Given the fact that so few fishermen are out on the stream, it's just throwing good money after bad especially if the fish are put in areas that won't support them if they are not caught.

The problem here is not that somebody chose to do what he thought was a good deed, but that he made it public! Those of you who have stocked trout know that without a CO leading the way, the stocking is whimsical. The drivers have a route and numbers of fish to stock at each spot. But again, if he doesn't know the area well enough, it's still up to him and his volunteer (if he has one) to get the trout in and get back to the hatchery in a timely fashion.

Why can't the Rahway hold fish into the summer and beyond? Why not give the kids a chance to find them? Stop the hatin'! If I didn't know any better, I might say that Suntzu is practicing conservation. How is he not? Just think about that one word......conservation.......of a resource, of a sport, of another generation of fishermen!

Re: Trout Union County
 

I'm not hating at all. BUT, there are certain ways of doing things. The vigilante approach is putting a band aid on a band aid. I say pool the resources, get the Watershed people and TU involved. I understand this is a long drawn out process but will yield better results in the long run.
Sometimes you just have to connect all the dots, bring all the people together.

Re: Trout Union County
 

Suntzu, Andy's advice is sound. The process takes a long time to change but it can be done. The weekly ritual of stocking trout is, in many ways, just a job. It takes individuals with a passion for fishing to break the mold. Call the CO for Union County and meet with him for a tour of your area. Share your concerns for where the fish could be and should be put. I'm not sure of when or where the last TU event on the Rahway was held, but try to contact them through their website. You are not asking for more trout, just for more trout to be stocked in better ( more trout suited ) areas. All it takes is one person with a strong desire to get things rolling. Ask Andy. I'm sure that his river clean ups started with removing one tire from a stream and look at where it's taken him!

Re: Trout Union County
 

There are 27 stocking points on the Rahway River. Each point receives 2 – 5%of the entire truckload of trout. Looks like NJDF&W already spreads them out well.

As very few trout holdover, the idea is for anglers to catch & keep the majority of trout before they succumb to the warm water temps.

Re: Trout Union County
 

Suntzu , next time just dont make it public on a board like this , right, wrong or indifferent not everybody will agree with what you are doing. Take Billfish and Andy's advice and talk to the Union County CO about your concerns.

But it is OK to tell me were you put the fish -;)

GDubs-:cool:

Re: Trout Union County
 

I think waders would help. I also fish a lot with rooster tails. I'm not much of a bait and wait guy. Casting powerbait and waiting doesn't really do it for me.

Re: Trout Union County
 

Will never start a post like this again