LandLocked Salmon

[slider]

Happened to get and E-mail today referencing the stocking of LL Salmon in Waywayanda and Lake Areflex this past November..I'ved chased those buggers from lake George to Schroon Lake to Lake Champlain, Those rascals are one tough fish to stock and get them to holdover..NJ claims to have been doing just that for about 6 or 7 years now..Question for the forum...has anyone been having any luck catching this fish?? Be iinterested in hearing from you..I have this sad feeling that the state is wasting its time and money trying to get this fishery started, but anyone that have caught this fish will attest, they are one sporty fish..Worthy opponents for any of us that chase trout in lakes and reservoirs..

[Wilson]

Originally Posted by slider

Happened to get and E-mail today referencing the stocking of LL Salmon in Waywayanda and Lake Areflex this past November..I'ved chased those buggers from lake George to Schroon Lake to Lake Champlain, Those rascals are one tough fish to stock and get them to holdover..NJ claims to have been doing just that for about 6 or 7 years now..Question for the forum...has anyone been having any luck catching this fish?? Be iinterested in hearing from you..I have this sad feeling that the state is wasting its time and money trying to get this fishery started, but anyone that have caught this fish will attest, they are one sporty fish..Worthy opponents for any of us that chase trout in lakes and reservoirs..

Reminds me of the Sea Run Brown Trout program

I caught a few in the Scrhoon River a few years back while Trout fishing
15'' size, a good 30 second fight and then to the net.
They are finicky fish to catch.

[The Birdman]

Yea they stocked last sunday I believe.

I got this little guy @ Waway last year on a spoon. haven't really targeted them but I want to try.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Got em in NY but never Wrestled with a NJ Landlocked. Talked with a few guys that have caught them in Aeroflex. There a ton of fun, but very hard to catch. LG population isn't doing well at all. It sure was a lot of fun in the late 80's when I was a kid. They pull like no other. Hope they do well here, would be nice to see another species in our lil state!!!

[gwl2oneida]

Had a charter on lake George 2 yes ago and the guide said what Eddie just said. Not doing well and don't know why. Same with there lake trout.

[Dave B.]

I haven't pursued them yet myself but I have a couple of friends who have fairly regular success with them in Aeroflex.

As for the money aspect it doesn't cost NJ anything. We recieve them from Mass. in exchange for excess walleye fingerlings we have from normal culling procedures at the Hackettestown hatchery. Our truck runs the walleye up and returns with the LLS fingerlings.

Many state's F&W agencies participate in such exchange programs. I've been told that the turkeys we have in S. Jersey were the result of an exchange program with Arkansas.
Apparently when F&W transplanted some of the birds from our northern flocks to the southern areas they didn't do very well due to having been evolved to the types of forage normally found in the hard rock mountainous regions.
Around the same time Arkansas was trying to establish turkey pops in their hard rock hill regions using birds from their indigenous flocks which had evolved in their sand hill regions. Seems they were having similar difficulties due to the habitat differences.
So, as the story goes, we did an exchange with them trading some of our mountain birds for their sandy lowland region birds and both pops literally took off.

Anyway my apologies for getting off track, the LLS really only cost F&W the small amount of wages for the little time it takes to stock them in the 2 waterbodies, and perhaps a short period spent in an isolation tank at Hackettestown to ensure there are no pathogens present even though the contributing hatchery is regularly certified pathogen-free. I'm not really sure on this last bit, they may go directly to the 2 lakes.

[slider]

Luv to see these salmon take hold too, but I understand this stocking program has been going on since 2006, But I can't seem to find out any good info as to how they're holding over..Actually does sound like the sea run stocking program, lots of fish stocked very little returned..Disappointing..Maybe better if they keep the walleye and stock them here instead, I understand they traded Northern pike this year for the salmon, Now that would be interesting if pike were planted there..Lake geo program on LL is very disappointing, they stock about 10,000 annually and very little returns..However Lakers doing real good up there last 5 or 6 years I've bee n going for them..Hope Salmon here take off make and interesting thread if that did along with the sea run browns..Would be a plus for NJ..Keep fingers crossed guys..

[bubbasdad]

saw the salmon waiting to be stocked at the Hackettstown forum today, looking pretty good!

[Lard Almighty]

I have to believe a lot of those salmon get eaten when they are first put in. The one in Birdman's photo would make a tasty morsel for a bass or big pickerel.

[UglyStick]

They are in there - caught a 17"er in Aeroflex about 2 years ago. They are much tougher to get than the trout and it is something of a hit and miss since they are stocked in small numbers and only every few years as opposed to the trout. Those fish we saw in the hatchery yesterday are about 15" so they should do pretty well... wish they had more of them to stock. When thinking about this program, remember that NJ gets these fish for free from MA so it really is kind of a bonus for us fishermen.