Where are the brown trout?

[Capt. Lou]

I fully concur with Dave B’s assement of NJ trout programs .
I spend over 75 days a year on NJ’s trout waters and probably another 20 on PA. ‘S waters !
All these native browns that appear on this site are not native but just stocked fish period .
Many I’m sure come from privately stocked waters , I’ve personally only caught 3 browns in public waters in the past several seasons while hundreds of bows to 9#’s
If there were a solid holdover or native browns all the water I cover I would get more than 3 !
When a buddy invites me to fish club water then it produces whatever they stock
be it browns , bows ,brooks or occasionally tigers etc .
I never intentionally target native brokkies that live in specific trout streams too fragile u end up killing them !

[JDTuna]

Originally Posted by Capt. Lou

All these native browns that appear on this site are not native but just stocked fish period .
Many I’m sure come from privately stocked waters , I’ve personally only caught 3 browns in public waters in the past several seasons while hundreds of bows to 9#’s
If there were a solid holdover or native browns all the water I cover I would get more than 3 !

That is completely false. A number of public rivers/streams in NJ have well-documented, self-sustaining populations of wild brown trout. Some very nice fish, too. Not sure where you are fishing but I target them and catch wild browns on most of my trips in NJ.

[Billfish715]

Dave, I, for one appreciate and respect your reports. The more we know about why things happen, the more we can understand what we didn't understand. It's why questions should be asked and why they should be answered openly.

Over the many, many years I've been fishing for trout in NJ, I've seen different strains of browns introduced into the streams. The " native" brown trout are certainly not "native" just as you intimated. Some may naturally reproduce, but relatively few ever grow to jumbo proportions ( tributaries to major rivers not withstanding).

It should be obvious to everyone (even though you didn't say it) that NJ must continue to aggressively stock trout if we have any wish to catch them. There is not enough natural reproduction to sustain a large holdover population in most waters......some, yes, most, no. It is also obvious that given the thousands of stocked trout most of the trout are harvested or swim off or just perish since the streams only have a limited carrying capacity.

Dave, please keep us informed with any information you wish to share. Other than social media reports or press releases, fishermen have no more ways to find out about what is going on. Howard Brandt was the last reporter who was a voice for the sportsmen and women. Now we are left with rumors, inuendos, suspicion, and divisiveness among ourselves because we are left in ignorance.

Thanks for your candid responses and please excuse my diatribes.

[Dave B.]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

Dave, I, for one appreciate and respect your reports. The more we know about why things happen, the more we can understand what we didn't understand. It's why questions should be asked and why they should be answered openly.

Over the many, many years I've been fishing for trout in NJ, I've seen different strains of browns introduced into the streams. The " native" brown trout are certainly not "native" just as you intimated. Some may naturally reproduce, but relatively few ever grow to jumbo proportions ( tributaries to major rivers not withstanding).

It should be obvious to everyone (even though you didn't say it) that NJ must continue to aggressively stock trout if we have any wish to catch them. There is not enough natural reproduction to sustain a large holdover population in most waters......some, yes, most, no. It is also obvious that given the thousands of stocked trout most of the trout are harvested or swim off or just perish since the streams only have a limited carrying capacity.

Dave, please keep us informed with any information you wish to share. Other than social media reports or press releases, fishermen have no more ways to find out about what is going on. Howard Brandt was the last reporter who was a voice for the sportsmen and women. Now we are left with rumors, inuendos, suspicion, and divisiveness among ourselves because we are left in ignorance.

Thanks for your candid responses and please excuse my diatribes.

Bill, in my humble opinion there is absolutely no good reason to feel the need for anyone to 'excuse your diatribes'. You have valid, legitimate questions and concerns about the current state of our trout program as do I and many others. As a longstanding WCC volunteer with a primary focus of freshwater fisheries I have the opportunity from time to time to talk rather candidly to our biologists about issues and areas of concern to myself and others. When those good men and women are able to they will absolutely answer my questions and/or explain to me the reasons and thought processes behind the decisions that are made regarding the various fisheries programs. Obviously they're not permitted to discuss any subjects that are for whatever reason still in certain stages of internal development or review, which I completely understand. That being said the Freshwater Fisheries Bureau is in my opinion by far the most open and publicly accessible group within the entire DF&W. Lisa B. and her team work very hard to maintain open lines of communication with the angling public in NJ. Between the 2 freshwater fisheries forums held each year, the annual trout meeting at Pequest as well as the annual Open House at Pequest, the phone number for the Lebanon Lab is in every copy of the Freshwater Digest. As well one can easily access the Div via their website and pose any question to any bureau or person via email. The Div. information officers do an outstanding job of answering any and all inquiries and when warranted forwarding such communications to the appropriate persons.

Back to 'diatribes', we're all quite human. I'm just as guilty as the next guy of 'getting my panties in a bunch' over some issue or another. However, like yourself when someone presents me with information to help in my understanding of a situation I am both grateful and completely willing to change my position on a given issue based upon said new information.

Bottom line, keep asking questions! If we don't know something the most logical course of action is to ask! Personally I'm grateful to know there are many other gents on here with the same long histories of fishing in NJ. Our experiences and memories of how things 'used to be' are a fantastic resource for the younger guys and gals coming along to utilize as they grow through the stages of being an angler, and carrying the torch of continuing the tradition we've all been blessed to be a part of.

My Father started me at 5 years old fishing with him, and hunting with him at 9. In my humble opinion he gave me a tremendous gift in helping and allowing me the chance to develop such a tremendous respect for the outdoors and the natural world we all need to survive. I can't think of any better way to honor that man and show my appreciation than to pass on all he gave to me, to pay it forward in any way possible, by sharing the knowledge and skills I've gleaned in my lifetime thanks solely to his gift to me, and by doing what I can to preserve and enhance the woods and waters that allow us all to enjoy our pastimes and rejuvenate our spirits.

Ehh, sorry folks, I'll step down from the pulpit now.

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by JDTuna

That is completely false. A number of public rivers/streams in NJ have well-documented, self-sustaining populations of wild brown trout. Some very nice fish, too. Not sure where you are fishing but I target them and catch wild browns on most of my trips in NJ.

unless someone is stocking 5 inch trout all over the place, all trout are spawning with at least moderate success here in NJ in, at minimum, many of the places we fish.

If by NATIVE you mean naturally here before people put them here than you're talking pickerel and brook trout pretty much as far as game fish go, i think that's it.

as far as WILD fish, yes there are plenty! and just for the record the state regulated boundaries are way off as far as where those waters are

[tautog]

There are plenty of wild browns in NJ streams. How many clubs stock fish under 10"? South Branch from Middle Valley up is full of them for example.

[Adrenalinerush]

I for one can't wait for the state to start the brown trout production again. We used to have great lake fisheries for big brown trout in NJ. Sadly, rainbows don't do nearly as well. Bring on the football browns again!