LL Salmon

[Hookmanski]

Originally Posted by akoop

Get a kayak!

I actually have one already! I love it, but none of my buddies have one nor do they have a way to transport one, so i'm thinking of getting a tincan for when I fish with them. I also dont have a dry suit, so using the sit on top kayak in cold temps is a little risky for me. My girlfriend's dad has a jon boat he never uses, so i may try and rescue that one!

[NJSquatch]

Originally Posted by Hookmanski

I'm getting tired of it too honestly, ive started looking into getting myself an unsinkable tin can, just have to make sure I can transport it around with my civic!

Going for the Chrisper combo? tin can + civic

[calapp]

Originally Posted by Hookmanski

I actually have one already! I love it, but none of my buddies have one nor do they have a way to transport one, so i'm thinking of getting a tincan for when I fish with them. I also dont have a dry suit, so using the sit on top kayak in cold temps is a little risky for me. My girlfriend's dad has a jon boat he never uses, so i may try and rescue that one!

If you are fishing the lake I am thinking of, how are you going to reach the water with an aluminum boat? The last time I was there (a few years ago) a fence prevented any sort of trailer access.

[NorthJerzyG]

Originally Posted by calapp

If you are fishing the lake I am thinking of, how are you going to reach the water with an aluminum boat? The last time I was there (a few years ago) a fence prevented any sort of trailer access.

It's very simple actually, you carry it to the water. Or, drag it. I've done it before. It takes a couple trips with all the gear but I wasn't disappointed at the end of the day...........

[acaravaglia]

Love the catch and release

[UglyStick]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Stocked salmon going into the smoker is no different than stocked trout going into the smoker.

Great job on the C&R...

It angers me to no end how so many people view landlocked salmon in NJ as a put and take resource the way they do trout.

What most don't understand is that NJ does not crank out production of these fish the way they do trout at the Pequest Hatchery. In 2018 so far, NJ F&W has stocked over 600,000 trout.

All of the landlocked salmon NJ stocks we receive as fingerlings from the state of Massachusettes as part of a trade agreement for supplying them with pike fingerlings. In a given year, we only get what Mass. can afford to give us. If their hatchery has a bad year, we may only get a few hundred fish total (as in 2017 where the total was less than 700). On a good year, it can be a few thousand up to maybe 3,000 or 4,000 fish with closer to 2,000 seeming to be the average. These fish are then raised indoors at the Hackettstown Hatchery until the time they are stocked. As mentioned in a previous post, it is believed that there is no reproduction in NJ waters. .

Although it is a persons right to keep a legal size fish, more people need to be conservation minded about this species in our state. It doesn't take all that much pressure to wipe out 2,000 fish in only 3 waterbodies as opposed to 600,000 trout that are much more spread out. Unfortunately, with the pressure these fish are starting to receive, trophy sized fish will be very few and far between. This is currently a very limited resource and why talk of expanding this species to additional waterbodies isn't currently viable until we are able to secure and raise many more fish which to my knowledge isn't currently on the radar. Any fisd going in additional water bodies are less fish going in the traditionally stocked ones.

[AndyS]

I would put the LL in the smoker and let a Brown Trout swim away.
Everyone has their own opinions on this. F&G just killed 1,100 Brown Trout, how do you think I feel about that.

Since I started the thread just want to chime in. First thanks for keeping it civil as these topics sometimes go south. I've only met Andy once but having met him and knowing the work he does with clean ups there's probably not many more conservation minded than he is. At the same time, personally I feel the same way about the fishery as Uglystick's post but completely agree as long as an angler is abiding by the regulations it's ultimately a personal choice to retain or practice C&R. One of the days I was fishing, there were three kayakers fishing and combined they kept 4 LL's. One was loaded with eggs as the fellow cleaned it on the shoreline when they hauled out. It bothered me to see but it's well within their rights to do so, again personal choice. Not sure if they're reproducing or not, I'm pretty sure they're capable if the right habitat exists. I've caught land locked salmon years ago in Maine from Sebago and Moosehead lakes and know how large they can grow. State record in Maine is 22.8 lbs from Sebago. You're both right in your opinions so this isn't a right or wrong discussion. Personally I'd like to see NJ protect these fish and increase the size limit significantly. In one of the four lakes stocked the possession limit is 12" which based on the effort NJ is making to establish the fishery to me is counter-intuitive. Since most if not all fish stocked are already over that size, it basically means in that lake their effectively is no size limit unless natural reproduction is occurring. But those are the regulations in place and in many cases the regulations dictate behavior. The established size and possession limits might factor in efforts to maintain adequate forage supply (herring) in the designated lakes in the program. Balance is important with all fisheries so who knows. Either way, I hope this fishery flourishes as the thought of double digit salmon roaming around in a handful of NJ lakes sounds pretty awesome.

Originally Posted by AndyS

I would put the LL in the smoker and let a Brown Trout swim away.
Everyone has their own opinions on this. F&G just killed 1,100 Brown Trout, how do you think I feel about that.

Unless it was cost prohibitive and especially since the state is no longer raising and stocking brown trout, I also wondered why they couldn't have relocated the browns after electro-shocking them. It's my understanding electro-shocking doesn't kill them and if so why not figure out a way of transporting them to a new location. Shame to kill that many browns but again don't know the details so I'm guessing and hoping there was a legitimate reason.

[thmyorke1]

I think the noticeable pressure lls have been gettimg will improve the fishery; f&w sees this and has already responded by stocking new bodies if water right?

Best to mention a better limit at fisheries forum?

Originally Posted by dakota560

Unless it was cost prohibitive and especially since the state is no longer raising and stocking brown trout, I also wondered why they couldn't have relocated the browns after electro-shocking them. It's my understanding electro-shocking doesn't kill them and if so why not figure out a way of transporting them to a new location. Shame to kill that many browns but again don't know the details so I'm guessing and hoping there was a legitimate reason.

Taking a look at Rinehart's access; only the trail from hacklebarney connects to the lowest end. No trail or roads follow the river, in the middle of the woods, and ontop of that rocky gorge terrain. All over two miles. I'd say it was pretty illogical to escort browns out. Would probably be easier to raise a thousand brown trout fingerlings in a hatchery than come up with a plan to haul out that many tiny fish.