Opening Day Question

[dboyd101]

Hey guys,

I have a few parts of a stocked stream that I really want to get to, but I have to cross the stream before I can get to the spot I want to fish. I know it's going to be crowded, so I want to be sure I get there early. Problem is, I don't know if it's illegal to enter the water before fishing season starts. All I want to do is cross the stream, but I don't want to break the law.

I don't think it should be a problem, but I don't want to be that jerk that didn't follow the rules and I couldn't find anythign on the DFW site that said anything about entering the water. Just saw about fishing the water.

Thanks for the help on this obviously pressing issue. LOL

Cheers,
Dave

[Cuz]

You can swim in it if you want. There is no law pertaining to standing in the water until 8:00am. If you are still worried, don't rig your rod until 0759am!

[dboyd101]

Brr...

Thanks for the info. I think I found a way to the spot, but it involves some bush wacking...

I guess I could use the exercise, but I don't want to run into any bears... hmm...

Thanks again, Cuz...

[njfish4life]

ditto... ppl will be jockeying for position well before the 8am start.. be prepared to be shoulder to shoulder... i avoid certain areas during opening day- more tangled lines than ppl using 4 oz lead in 100ft of water...

as far as 8am- i am never the first to get my lines wet.. one minute is worth the wait.. tight lines!!!

[dboyd101]

oh absolutely - i'm hiking to a spot many of the typical trout fisherman can't get to - lol - i anticipate seeing no one beside myself and a creel full of trout on their way to the grill...

[Wilson]

Originally Posted by dboyd101

oh absolutely - i'm hiking to a spot many of the typical trout fisherman can't get to - lol - i anticipate seeing no one beside myself and a creel full of trout on their way to the grill...

Neither will the guys stocking the Trout
good luck

[Jerseydix]

Ok, I see around my area they stock trout around bridges. Do hatchery fish typically move upstream or downstream from the stocking points?

[surfrod]

the saying goes, brooks go up, browns go down and rainbows go round and round, but I fished streams that were almost always stocked with brookies.

in my monmouth county home streams where brooks only were stocked, they will be in any good holding water, within a few hundred yards of the stocking point for the most part, unless there's big a big rain between the preseason stocking and opening day, when they could be about anywhere.

on stocking day itself, they tend to be right near the bridge, but by night they will move up / down to find good holding water.

[Jerseydix]

Thanks for the tip. Looks like ill be going.upstream.