[Jedhead]

First off, the stocking of trout in waters that are not hold over and pretty much a waste of time to put it frankly is what the state MUST do. They put forth a temporary fishery for those who decide they need to get out or a few days to fish. When you purchase your license and buy the trout stamp, you are only purchasing a privilege to attempt to catch the fish that the State stocks where they chose and your stamp fee subsidizes that cost to raise and stock the fish. The state chooses the obvious best streams and lakes to stock but must also include urban lakes and streams as well as shallow state and county ponds to stock to give all who purchase the stamp a chance to fish . Alot of people who can not travel far or do not have the gear to wade and fish a stream or a boat to fish a lake need the opportunity to get out and fish. The state tries to give this opportunity to all who wish to catch the stocked fish. Personally I do not trout fish and the last time I was out on opening day was 20 yrs ago and never plan to go again, but I do understand the excitement of opening day, for me it's 365 days a year weather permitting so trout fishing in the spring has no real significance. On the subject of cormorants
, those birds need to be significantly thinned out. The amount of birds I've recently seen is disturbing espically in mid to southern nj waters. I can not phathom the amount of fish they must deplete. It's just not stocked trout, it's all juvenile species. Mother Nature can be a bitch. Just my 2 cents..