Sea Run Brown Trout Program Information

[AndyS]

History
1957 - The Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries began looking into the possibility of setting up a sea run program based on occasional reports of "big trout" being taken in the Manasquan River, Oyster Creek, and Cedar Creek. Other locations mentioned on a less frequent basis were: Shark River, Toms River and the Metedeconk River.
April '57 to May '58 - 3645 "production" trout were tagged and stocked. Some were part of the normally allotted quota, some were "bonus". 2100 tagged fish were released below the Allenwood lagoon (tidal).

October 31, '58 - A 9.5' diameter x 20' long wire cage was placed in the Manasquan on two different occasions between October '58 and February '59 in an attempt to recapture fish migrating upstream. No fish were recovered using this apparatus.
A study followed to determine up or down stream movement of pre-season stocked trout.

In 1958 eggs were obtained from a "sea trout" strain from Denmark and Scotland.

1961 and '62 - 3,355 "sea trout" ranging from fry to about 13 inches were stocked in the freshwater portion of the Manasquan and several of its tributaries.
Some of these "sea trout" were stocked as fry in '61 - some as fry in '62. 696 were stocked as tagged "catchables" later in '62.
No fish were ever reported or collected from these stockings. A successful fishery was not established, probably due to too few fish and not enough years of stocking

The Sea Run Brown Trout Program Today
The program is presently divided into two phases:
Phase I
Hatchery Operations:
Fish are raised at the Pequest Trout Hatchery as part of the regular production stock. Surplus brown trout from the May sorting operation are used - no extra fish are produced for this program. These fish are raised in the last raceways in the system so no extra water is required.
A different fin is clipped each year for identification purposes. A portion of the clipping has been done by volunteers from the Ernest Schwiebert and Jersey Shore chapters of Trout Unlimited.
Stocking is in late October after the fish reach 8 inches in length.

Results:

By spring of 2001 approximately 100,000 fish had been stocked over four years (fall '97 - '00).

There have been over 30 reported catches of these fish and many unconfirmed anecdotal reports. Reports indicate that large fish (17"-23") are being caught (from November through February) on a regular basis by individuals that have specifically targeted these fish. Smaller fish (11"-13") have been reported in May and June in brackish water.

The growth rate of these fish seems to be superior to normal freshwater rates.

Evidence seems to support historical reports of large brown trout catches in the lower Manasquan and that hatchery brown trout will survive in brackish water, utilize the available forage, grow and return to the freshwater portion of the Manasquan and be caught by freshwater anglers.

Phase II
Phase II will start in the fall of 2002 and will be designed to answer two questions.
1) How many and where are these fish being caught.
2) How are these fish utilizing the estuary during the late spring through early fall.
This is a cooperative program involving the Division and interested anglers who would like to see a trophy sea run brown trout program develop in the Manasquan River area and other appropriate coastal estuaries. Please report all catches of tagged or fin-clipped brown trout in the Manasquan River to Mark Boriek at (908) 236-2118 or the Pequest Hatchery at (908) 637-4173.
The success of the program depends on our ability to show that a successful fishery is developing.
For still more, see May, 1998 article, "New Jersey's Most Wanted Fish".

[AndyS]

The Division has been stocking 8-inch brown trout every October since 1997. To date, a total of 110,645 brown trout have been stocked in the freshwater/tidal portion of the Manasquan River in an effort to create a population of sea-run fish. Stocking years and quantities are as follows: 1997 - 16,065 fish; 1998 - 33,070 fish; 1999 - 31,575 fish; and 2000 - 29,935 fish

[AndyS]

It will only be continued if fish are being caught and reported.

The future success of this program depends on sea run-brown trout being caught and reported

In addition there are, of course, pools and undercut banks. The stream banks are brushy, thorn filled and overgrown, and often lack any visible trail.
The Manasquan River is very difficult to fish - it has brushy, overgrown banks. Anglers should use caution - the mud is very slippery, there are many deep holes and many underwater snags.

In New Jersey, the Manasquan River is one of the few streams stocked with brown trout during the trout season where stocking occurs relatively close to the point where saltwater meets freshwater

The trout that are stocked in the fall are surplus spring hatchery fish.

"We believe this new category will help spur interest in this emerging fishery," said Division Director Bob McDowell. "The Manasquan River is sure to quickly produce a series of record fish."

The success of the program depends on our ability to show that a successful fishery is developing

There have been over 30 reported catches

The Division has been stocking 8-inch brown trout every October since 1997. To date, a total of 110,645 brown trout have been stocked in the freshwater/tidal portion of the Manasquan River in an effort to create a population of sea-run fish. Stocking years and quantities are as follows: 1997 - 16,065 fish; 1998 - 33,070 fish; 1999 - 31,575 fish; and 2000 - 29,935 fish

[saxmatt]

So before 2000 they recaptured 0 fish that they stocked and there were no reported catches, and after 2000 they stocked over 100,000 and there have been only 30 reported catches. Am I reading this right? Sounds like a waste of money, might as well throw them in the muskie lakes to fatten them up.

[acabtp]

well andy, i know you want those sea runs in the raritan, and not just down in the manasquan. me too, i think the more sea run fisheries, the better.

i know that DFW would be more likely to start tossing them in the raritan if more people reported their catches of returning sea runs in the manasquan... so they have more proof that it's actually working to justify it for the biologists

catching those sea run trout sounds like a job for a few devoted kayak fishermen... who are our south jersey NJFishing ambassadors?

here's an idea... i'll put up $10 towards a bounty for the first clear pictures from a NJFishing.com member angler of a sea run brown trout from the manasquan river.

including a tape measure for length and a printout of the NJFishing logo in the pictures (so we know they are new). fish must be caught legally (you tell us how) and the catch reported to NJ DFW. i'd prefer if the fish is released, but if it's a legal time of year, keeping it is up to the angler. you post the pictures, i'll paypal you the bounty. who will match my offer?

[Lard Almighty]

Originally Posted by acabtp

catching those sea run trout sounds like a job for a few devoted kayak fishermen...

BAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! If you can get a kayak more than 100 yards down that muddy, brushy, snaggy mess of a creek, I'll eat my senkos!

Take it from someone who has targeted these fish a few times. I'm positive that there are some sea-runs in that river, but there are two problems: 1) there are very, very few, and 2) there are a lot more places for them to hide then there are to fish. The Manasquan is not a fun river to fish; it is always brown, it has high, muddy banks, and there are snags everywhere. You could lose hundreds of dollars of lures and hooks before you even catch a glimpse of a sea-run.

Definitely not worth the money. Throw the surplus browns in Merrill Creek to crowd out all the lakers!

[slider]

Sounds like an awful lot of wasted money and effort for zero returns..God help us if the rest of the state spent tax payer money that way..Personally I love brown trout fishing and have chased them all over NY and NJ for over 40 years,,Just seems like those fish could have been used in a more efficent manor..Just my 2 cents worth..Better stocked in Merrill or round valley or even Monksville instead of wasting more money on Lakers there...Can't figure this state out sometimes..bet if they picked a handful of anglers from this forum, they have a better stocking plan....Have a good fall season guys....The Slider

[AndyS]

Best part is another 15,000 will go in there again this year.

.......... and who is Bob McDowell anyway ?

[surfrod]

Former chief of the Division, I believe, before Chandra, Barno, Soldwedel (or whomever) were "management".

Believe it or not there are plenty of places to kayak the lower reaches of the squan, but they don't call it the muddy squan for nothin.

I had heard that most searuns were taken on bait... worms, not lures. Once you find the hidey holes makes sense given the number
of snags in that "river". I've flyfished much of it from the brackish up and had my share of fun, just can't think of it as a "trout" stream.

Yeah, I've slid down the mud banks like everyone else and it's not my favorite place by far, but it has it's charm ... in places.

I think the vast majority of those "surplus browns" (and they are surplus... ie cleaning out the tanks 6-7" ers) get fished out well before they get a chance to be sea runs.

Or at least they used to. Guys would line up and fill their coolers for striper (or whatever) bait.

Just sayin.

[surfrod]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Best part is another 15,000 will go in there again this year.

.......... and who is Bob McDowell anyway ?

Andy given what's going on with the Raritan, I would think you'd have a case for arguing for shifting the surplus stockings over to there.