Manasquan Sea Runs

[tautog]

I never bring a camera for any type of fishing, but I know Paul had some with me in them. Does he still have them? No clue. They are there and they are tough to catch. They move up river with the rising water after rain events. You will mostly get snagged and muddy. Most of the fish you catch will be fall stockies, but there used to be browns and rainbow searuns. Rainbows tended to be smaller, never saw one over 5lbs. I had a giant sea run in the upper estuary once, well over 10lbs, but most browns are 2-3lbs and bows 1 1/2- 2 1/2lbs. Saw just as many fish prior to special stocking as after and much less fishing pressure before the state stocking.

Too much work for me anymore. Now I sit on the back of a tied up boat and chum clams to catch 18"-26" stripers on 4lb test. I have a bathroom, a microwave and a place to get out of the rain. I could even have a pizza delivered there.

[NJ Dave]

So do these fish live in the ocean or river and where are they when the water is low, in the ocean?

[tautog]

Ocean and river depending on temps and forage. They wait in the estuary in fall and winter for shots of freshwater.

[Mark B.]

Originally Posted by acabtp

my bounty offer still stands:
$10 for any regular NJF member who legally catches a sea run brown, reports the catch to NJ DFW and posts a picture on here with where and how

And, this NJ State Record category is awaiting an entry:

Trout, brown sea run Vacant (Minimum Weight 5 Lbs.)


A couple of Paul Ripp’s fish:
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/crunimag.htm
He was never interested submitting any for a State Record.

[Doug Vitale]

Any chance that this guy I caught in Allaire State Park is a sea run brown? I can't tell. As you can see, the scales on his back look silvery.



http://njfishandwildlife.com/crunpics.htm

[Mark B.]

Originally Posted by Doug Vitale

Any chance that this guy I caught in Allaire State Park is a sea run brown? I can't tell. As you can see, the scales on his back look silvery.



http://njfishandwildlife.com/crunpics.htm

We stock* 8 inch sea run “trainees” @ our WMA off of Ramshorn Rd. @ the end of October.

It seems that some of them move back & forth from freshwater to brackish water, frequently.

And, similarly, they fairly rapidly change colors back & forth, from resident freshwater brown trout color to the silvery sea run color.

Looks like your fish spent some time in the salt.


* Unfortunately, due to furunculosis there will be no sea runs stocked this year. They have been destroyed as they were infected.

[Mark B.]

This rain, as you know, is the first in a very long time.

Any sea runs out there should definitely be drawn into the river.

[AndyS]

I will be trying for sea runs this week

[Mark B.]

Originally Posted by AndyS

I will be trying for sea runs this week

Oh, yeah,.............they're stacked up there like cord wood!!

[Lard Almighty]

Originally Posted by Mark B.

Oh, yeah,.............they're stacked up there like cord wood!!

To be fair, he said "sea runs," not "sea run trout." I bet there's a striper or two hanging out there.