manasquan river / ken lockwood gorge /sunday
 

had the itch to fish all week long & got lil jim out the house decided to hit manasquan for the sea run browns. Got there bout 9am one other guy, water was up and murky.Walked all way up stream, had one little guy follow & turned at my feet.Threw a hook with some P bait and landed small native brown. Decided to head home and try the gorge.Got there and Water was perfect and clear. Just about every other hole we had fish on :D last hole found 3 fish all over 4lbs managed to hook and land one them, all fish were released as always:D here some pics

Re: manasquan river / ken lockwood gorge /sunday
 

Never heard of a native brown in the Squan only some tales of native brookies back over 40years ago. Sure it wasn't a fingerling stockie for the sea run program?

Re: manasquan river / ken lockwood gorge /sunday
 

That's a huge rainbow !!

Re: manasquan river / ken lockwood gorge /sunday
 

def was a native had awsome red spots all over :)

Re: manasquan river / ken lockwood gorge /sunday
 

I'll pass this on as I was corrected one time,browns are not native to NJ so it was it wild brown.Probablly part of the sea run program they toss a crapload of fingerlings in the squan.Once a brown has been out of the hatchery for a while it will get nice red and yellow spots.

Re: manasquan river / ken lockwood gorge /sunday
 

Guess you have not trout fished much in the central/northern part of the state?

Although browns were imported 150 years ago, they absolutely positively 100% reproduce in the wild. Some streams have phenomenal numbers of wild fish.

So perhaps "native" is technically incorrect, wild and stream bred browns are extremely prevalent in some waters of the Garden State.

Re: manasquan river / ken lockwood gorge /sunday
 

Spots and enhanced coloration can be acquired by an individual trout after spending time in the environment. What cant be acquired are the perfectly clean, full lobed fins, that once scarred in the hatchery will always show that evidence. Its very rare for a stocky to have perfect fins, especially the pectorals.

This is the best way to identify a fish as wild....the condition of the fins.

That little guy in the gloved hand is not an "native", the brown laying in the sand with the orange rapala looks like it could be wild.

Re: manasquan river / ken lockwood gorge /sunday
 

So which is this one???

Re: manasquan river / ken lockwood gorge /sunday
 

Yeah yer right, I dont trout fish.Maybe you could show me a thing or two.Wilson,that looks to be a brown fish with either chiken pox or measels.

Re: manasquan river / ken lockwood gorge /sunday
 

Well your on the right path....Bedbug bites:eek: