Trout stocking meeting Feb. 28

[Almaink]

Allocations and stocking dates list is up. I'd still like to know why they don't stock the first week but do stock the D&R Feeder the 7th and last week? By that time in May the water is to warm for trout in there, and in the last 20 years I've yet to see any fish caught from that last stocking. Why not put them in the first week so they can be utilized?
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2...on15-sched.pdf

[EJS]

Originally Posted by Almaink

Allocations and stocking dates list is up. I'd still like to know why they don't stock the first week but do stock the D&R Feeder the 7th and last week? By that time in May the water is to warm for trout in there, and in the last 20 years I've yet to see any fish caught from that last stocking. Why not put them in the first week so they can be utilized?
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2...on15-sched.pdf

Part of the problem is do to the cold winters. Pre season stocking will start is south Jersey, as streams thaw in the north, they will be stocked closer to opening day. Allocation of resources is another issue. As the number of fish being stocked decrease, so does the time required to stock that water body.

What I can't speak to (as I am not super familier with the D&R watershed) is water quality, breeding, and any other variable which may prevent the stocking earlier in the season!

Now this is my personal opinion and in no way is meant as a jab at F&G. I personally feel the canal should be left to the warm water fish, put the trout in the rivers and cold flowing streams, put the bass, picks, and cats in the duck ponds and canals! Give the fish a fighting chance to live to maturity, without rolling belly up from water temps rising!

[surfrod]

Originally Posted by EJS

Part of the problem is do to the cold winters. Pre season stocking will start is south Jersey, as streams thaw in the north, they will be stocked closer to opening day. Allocation of resources is another issue. As the number of fish being stocked decrease, so does the time required to stock that water body.

What I can't speak to (as I am not super familier with the D&R watershed) is water quality, breeding, and any other variable which may prevent the stocking earlier in the season!

Now this is my personal opinion and in no way is meant as a jab at F&G. I personally feel the canal should be left to the warm water fish, put the trout in the rivers and cold flowing streams, put the bass, picks, and cats in the duck ponds and canals! Give the fish a fighting chance to live to maturity, without rolling belly up from water temps rising!

Each body of water has a carrying capacity, such that if you overstock an area, only so many fish, wild or stocked, can survive.

In addition, our cold waters have populations of wild trout that could be negatively impacted by stocking. This has been an argument by several angler groups with respect to stocking certain streams *at all*, no less increasing the stocking.

The biologists take that into account when they determine the number of fish stocked, as well as another important measure (to them): angler opportunity.

The trout are funded via the trout stamp and therefore the thought is to give as many anglers who purchase a stamp the opportunity to catch trout as possible.

So, what I'm saying is that the decisions to stock a given area are driven by more than whether that water can be considered holdover or even marginally decent habitat for trout.