American shad in the Musconetcong River for 1st time ever!

[Bucksnbows]

I am so thrilled to learn that the Division of Fish and Wildlife documented American shad in the Musky for the first time ever, or at least since pre Colonial days when dams were put up. Our efforts to remove the three remnant dams at Riegelsville, the removal of the Finesville dam, and the more recent removal of the Hughesville dam have paid off huge. I can't tell you how great it feels to hear that. With the huge Warren Glen dam coming down next, we'll see shad run all the way to Bloomsbury. Remember, there is no

American shad fishing allowed except in the Delaware River for now.

 

 

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[Rusty]

That's so cool to hear Brian.    

[_X7]

Is there a report somewhere or is it word of mouth info?

[rgw]

old news i documented that weeks ago.

 

Posted 05/20/17 - 02:38 PM

wile drifting red worms on the muskie trout fishing today i had a hard hit then started ripping out line. i was expecting a 10lb breader bow the way it was fighting. after a few runs i finally got a glimse of it. it was a real nice shad on 4lb test and really ultra lite rod. i finally landed it after 5 min. and when i tried to take a pic it flopped out of my hands. i will be the first to say . it was a suprised for sure

 

last weekend a bunch were caught.

 

you will also be glad to know all your trout are being eaten right now. big striper's are eating the trout as you reel them in, if you run a big trailor hook just above your bait you can catch them as you reel in trout

[LPJR]

Great news Brian. Well done with the dam removals, sounds like it is definitely paying off    

[Bucksnbows]

rgw, I didn't know that. All anglers catching American shad and not gizzard shad in the Musky, please call Pat Hamilton at the divisions Lebanon Fisheries Laboratory to report your catch. We have documented striped bass for several years. Both of these fish historically spawned in the Musky, and they evolved with our native brook trout.

 

 

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Edited June 8, 2017 by Bucksnbows

[_X7]

Cat's out of the bag is all. Its been known for quite some time. If other anadromous fish like eels and stripers swim up the tribs why wouldn't the shad.  I caught herring in the Musky many years ago while trout fishing above the last bridge before the river, but never a shad. Didn't try hard enough I guess. 

[Bucksnbows]

Cat's out of the bag is all. Its been known for quite some time. If other anadromous fish like eels and stripers swim up the tribs why wouldn't the shad. I caught herring in the Musky many years ago while trout fishing above the last bridge before the river, but never a shad. Didn't try hard enough I guess.

We have been actively electro fishing in an effort to document their presence. We have been finding gizzard shad regularly, but never American shad. The striped bass have been documented for sometime now. We still do not have river herring in the river except near the mouth. This river and it's watershed are considered on the very minimal size for American shad, and it often lacks deep slow pools in areas where shad like to spawn. The Paulinskill river is considered a much better candidate for American shad recovery. But now we know the Musconetcong dam removals are making a huge difference for that river as well.

 

 

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Edited June 8, 2017 by Bucksnbows

[stratocaster]

old news i documented that weeks ago.

 

Posted 05/20/17 - 02:38 PM

wile drifting red worms on the muskie trout fishing today i had a hard hit then started ripping out line. i was expecting a 10lb breader bow the way it was fighting. after a few runs i finally got a glimse of it. it was a real nice shad on 4lb test and really ultra lite rod. i finally landed it after 5 min. and when i tried to take a pic it flopped out of my hands. i will be the first to say . it was a suprised for sure

 

last weekend a bunch were caught.

 

you will also be glad to know all your trout are being eaten right now. big striper's are eating the trout as you reel them in, if you run a big trailor hook just above your bait you can catch them as you reel in trout

Maybe the fingerlings stocked in the raritan are feeding the pickerel and bass in that river as well. 

[Buck154]

Great to hear that . There was a great run this year in the delaware

[FLDBRED-BDC]

I am so thrilled to learn that the Division of Fish and Wildlife documented American shad in the Musky for the first time ever, or at least since pre Colonial days when dams were put up. Our efforts to remove the three remnant dams at Riegelsville, the removal of the Finesville dam, and the more recent removal of the Hughesville dam have paid off huge. I can't tell you how great it feels to hear that. With the huge Warren Glen dam coming down next, we'll see shad run all the way to Bloomsbury. Remember, there is no

American shad fishing allowed except in the Delaware River for now.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

Wow!!! I can certainly understand your excitement....job well done Sir! Yep a good feeling for sure.

[JHbowhunter]

well done!   Great news.   I can imagine the ultralight thrill they will give a trout angler working a spinner or trout magnet on 2lb line expecting a 10" stocker, and instead hooking a 4lb shad...

[1957Buck]

Thanks, Bucksnbows Great I envy you and with what you do sadly I have had very little contact with that whole area. Did some searching and found what may have been some of your projects. Will have to plan a Car trip in that area.  

 

Forgot to ask are you Breaching of completely removing the dams. Saw where a lot of resistance was met in removing them. must of took a lot of politics to get them removed.   

Edited June 8, 2017 by 1957Buck

[MS22]

Great news! Any update on a possible timeline for warren glen removal?

[Bucksnbows]

Thanks, Bucksnbows Great I envy you and with what you do sadly I have had very little contact with that whole area. Did some searching and found what may have been some of your projects. Will have to plan a Car trip in that area.  

 

Forgot to ask are you Breaching of completely removing the dams. Saw where a lot of resistance was met in removing them. must of took a lot of politics to get them removed.   

 

The Lower Musconetcong River Restoration Partnership is removing dams, not just breaching as in notching them.  Sure, we get some local push back, but in the end, those folks do not own these decrepit dams, they do not hold the liability of dam ownership, and they don't have to pay to maintain and do the engineering studies on these obsolete dams, so it is easy enough to remove them if the dam owners are on board.  

 

I am personally no longer in the Partnership having left Trout Unlimited to go out on my own with our new venture, but we are working on 3 dam removals in NJ on other rivers right now to improve water quality and fisheries in those rivers.  When the Columbia Lake dam is removed on the lower Paulinskill, American shad will run right up to Blairstown and should do well in that river system.