Taking 10 ur old for trout this weekend

[John D.]

So my son(10) wants to go trout fishing this weekend. He loves fluke fishing and has been at the rail non stop since he was 6 yrs old. I am so many years removed from trout fishing and live in Monmouth county. On sat will take him to Holmdel park as it’s “easy” Re shoreline access. On Sunday he wants to try somewhere different where there is shoreline access as he doesn’t have waders and wants to try somewhere different. Any and all suggestions welcome and feel free to PM if needed. We are not freshwater fisherman and just want a cool experience for my son.

Thanks

John

[Joeblowv1]

Have you tried the D&R Canal? If you know of any "stocking points" (they do sorta tell you where they dump them on the official NJ page somewhere I believe) they can be found near them.

I got back into fishing a few years ago, and honestly love the D&R canal, fun to catch small bass, panfish, and trout, and the nice thing is for the majority of the length of it you can cast all the way across so you never feel like the fish are "just out of reach" (i.e. fall stocking I went to colonial lake and only nabbed one trout, but I could see them rising/jumping 30-40 yards or so out in the middle of the lake in the deeper water)

I've hit little pockets too where you'll catch 2-4 trout in pretty quick order, so although it can be slow, it can be fastpasted too. Old coworker told me one time he went on the canal on the PA side in the Yardley area on opening day and limited out in 30 minutes and went home after a few hours cause he got bored of catching.

[AndyS]

Rivers are going to be high and fast this weekend. I found some of the best trout fishing to be in mid May with the nice weather and the crowds are gone. Stocking continues throughout the month so no shortage of fish. If you really want trout water you may have to take the 1 hour drive North. The Raritan river gets loads of trout and has pretty easy bank access near the town of Raritan. If you slip in the water in May when the temps are around 70* its a big difference to slipping in early April with the cool air and water temps.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Spring lake is a good bet. They put some really nice fish in that place too. Orange, yellow and fluorescent Power bait is great for baiting and waiting. Throw some small Rooster tails while the bait soaks. White, Bumble Bee colors always work for me. Sometimes they’ll want a mealworm under a float. It all depends on there mood. Hoping you and the little dude find the feeding fish. Good luck and let us know how you do.

[John D.]

Thanks for the replies. Never fished spring lake. How much bigger is it than Holmdel Park pond? Just want to estimate the size of it. Thanks

[DanH]

Spring Lake is quite a bit bigger than Holmdel but S L also gets hammered . There is a lot of trout put in there however . If your not looking for a wilderness feel Roosevelt Park Pond in Edison might be an option . With the rivers going to be high ANY stocked lake or pond is going to be crowded . Maybe just get up early check some places out , have breakfast and plan for when things calm down. Good luck and have fun !

[fishermanv]

Originally Posted by John D.

Thanks for the replies. Never fished spring lake. How much bigger is it than Holmdel Park pond? Just want to estimate the size of it. Thanks

Its bigger but there is access galore - much more than holmdel park. Trout are caught all over, but get there early to stake out a spot. It gets quite crowded on opening day but you will in most likelihood catch a few. In addition there's white and yellow perch and largemouth in there.

[Billfish715]

Click on this link to the NJ Div. of Fish and Wildlife. These are some places to consider. While it is not a complete listing of stocked waters, it is a start. Mac's Pond in Manasquan is stocked for preseason. It is small and usually is youngster friendly. It's only a short drive from Spring Lake. Spring Lake on opening day is also a kids' friendly event (if you can persuade some of the adults to move over). There is usually a kids' tournament sponsored by one of the local fishing clubs.

As for bait, the most productive baits have been Power Bait combined with a meal worm. That bait, rigged above a small sinker/split shot works well as long as the bait is allowed to float slightly up off the bottom. Adjust your rig to allow the bait to float a bit.


https://nj.gov/dep/fgw/accesscnty.htm#Monmouth

[Billfish715]

Here's a flier for the contest.

https://sharkriversurfanglers.com/me...t%20poster.JPG

[Billfish715]

Here's another one. You decide if it's going to be Holmdel or somewhere else. Have fun and be sure to let your son do the reeling in.

https://www.thefisherman.com/article...t-spring-lake/