Trout Fishing

[Reeltight]

I cant wait to get back out there. I stopped freshwater fishing 20 years ago when I got into saltwater. Last spring I finally  got back into it. I can't believe I forgot how much fun it was. I think I enjoy trout fishing more then saltwater now! Mostly because of the simplicity of it. I'll most certainly be on the musky or south branch at 5am on opening day waiting patiently  till 8.

[Bucksnbows]

For anyone interested in learning about the basics of fly fishing, I will be teaching the Orvis "Fly Fishing 101" program at Ramsey Outdoors in Succasunna this coming Saturday (March 24th) at 2pm.  I think it is free, but they are looking for folks to sign up if I recall correctly.  I can adjust to suit my audience, so that more advanced fly anglers can still get something out of it if it's not just newbies.    

[Reeltight]

2 minutes ago, Bucksnbows said:

For anyone interested in learning about the basics of fly fishing, I will be teaching the Orvis "Fly Fishing 101" program at Ramsey Outdoors in Succasunna this coming Saturday (March 24th) at 2pm.  I think it is free, but they are looking for folks to sign up if I recall correctly.  I can adjust to suit my audience, so that more advanced fly anglers can still get something out of it if it's not just newbies.    

Wow that's great. I wish I could make it. When I'm ready to make the plunge into fly fishing I'm definitely going to be hiring you. I've been fishing for over 30 years and I've never touched a fly rod. I wouldn't even  know where to start.

[Thunderchicken]

[Live to Hunt]

[stratocaster]

10 hours ago, Nomad said:

Mostly spinning early season, then fly later.  Going to get the camper ready as soon as the snow melts and get it up to my property on Lake Ontario, and do some spring Brown Trout shore/surf fishing.  My biggest Brown from shore 17lb, 30z.

The only chance at a fish like that in NJ was at Round Valley but as we all know since brown trout stocking was discontinued at Pequest you'll never see fish like this again in NJ. 

[stratocaster]

10 hours ago, MS22 said:

 

Not only will you toss the spinning gear in the trash, but you’ll never want to fish NJ again. I know I have completely stopped fishing nj. I only fish  NY and sometimes PA now. Wild fish make stocked trout  seem like fighting a wet rag. And you don’t have nearly the same amount of fishing pressure. Most anglers up there also show a bit more respect to their fellow anglers. 

It truly is another world once you leave NJ regarding trout fishing.  I, like you and many others have probably bought my last NJ license and stamp with such incredible fishing just over the border and vast amounts of rivers, streams and lakes to choose from it's an easy decision to make.   PA has so many classic wild trout streams as does NY and the great lakes are just icing on the cake. 

[Reeltight]

8 hours ago, stratocaster said:

It truly is another world once you leave NJ regarding trout fishing.  I, like you and many others have probably bought my last NJ license and stamp with such incredible fishing just over the border and vast amounts of rivers, streams and lakes to choose from it's an easy decision to make.   PA has so many classic wild trout streams as does NY and the great lakes are just icing on the cake. 

How far into pa do you have to go to get into decent trout fishing?  

[hemlock]

23 minutes ago, Reeltight said:

How far into pa do you have to go to get into decent trout fishing?  

I fish pike and Monroe counties mostly because I live close bye and I don't have to go that far to get into wild or stocked fish. They like to drop a few decent golden rainbows in before the opener and depending where they stock them  the eagles get a nice big orange snack before the angler does lol.  

[Bucksnbows]

33 minutes ago, Reeltight said:

How far into pa do you have to go to get into decent trout fishing?  

About one mile.  NJ, NY and PA have more wild trout stream miles that you couldn't fish around the clock 24/365 and hit one thousandth of a percent of them.  NJ and PA share a common limestone region, but in NJ, the glaciers didn't carve as deeply here, so rivers like the Pequest, Paulinskill and Musconetcong are "limestone influenced" (versus pure freestone river), but they are not true limestone spring creeks like we find across the border in PA where the same limestone geology is more exposed which means more good, clean, cold water flows year round.   

[Bucksnbows]

9 hours ago, stratocaster said:

The only chance at a fish like that in NJ was at Round Valley but as we all know since brown trout stocking was discontinued at Pequest you'll never see fish like this again in NJ. 

Pequest will be raising and stocking brown trout again.  It's going to be several years yet, but they 100% plan to reintroduce both browns and brookies to Pequest once the raceways are covered and they have reasonable assurances furunculosis has been removed from their system.  Some of the way the hatchery is plumbed is problematic, but they have been doing an excellent job making sure they disinfect as best they can.  So far, so good with containment of the disease.  But they have to cover the raceways and part of that includes building a solar array on top of the new roofs to help power the hatchery's many well and raceway pumps and other electrical needs.   

[1957Buck]

1 hour ago, Bucksnbows said:

Pequest will be raising and stocking brown trout again.  It's going to be several years yet, but they 100% plan to reintroduce both browns and brookies to Pequest once the raceways are covered and they have reasonable assurances furunculosis has been removed from their system.  Some of the way the hatchery is plumbed is problematic, but they have been doing an excellent job making sure they disinfect as best they can.  So far, so good with containment of the disease.  But they have to cover the raceways and part of that includes building a solar array on top of the new roofs to help power the hatchery's many well and raceway pumps and other electrical needs.   

Might be faster when they raise the Licence to $50 and Trount stamp to  $25 and additional $50 Bronn Trout Stamp. 

I am all for it as long as They keep the Senior Freshwater fish Free.

[Bucksnbows]

58 minutes ago, 1957Buck said:

Might be faster when they raise the Licence to $50 and Trount stamp to  $25 and additional $50 Bronn Trout Stamp. 

I am all for it as long as They keep the Senior Freshwater fish Free.

No plans to change any fees for NJ fishing licenses and stamps, and Lisa Barno, Chief of Freshwater Fisheries for the Division, is pushing for a 3 year regulation cycle versus the 2 year cycle we have currently.  There isn't enough time in a 2 year cycle to do all the science behind the proposals, flesh them out with us, the stakeholders, run it all past the Council along the way and get their final approvals, then get all that past the lawyers in Trenton for most changes they would like to pursue.  Going to a 3 year cycle gives them the time they need.  So that means that we are less than 3 months into a 3 year cycle where nothing will change as far as fees go, at least for fishing.  

[1957Buck]

16 minutes ago, Bucksnbows said:

No plans to change any fees for NJ fishing licenses and stamps, and Lisa Barno, Chief of Freshwater Fisheries for the Division, is pushing for a 3 year regulation cycle versus the 2 year cycle we have currently.  There isn't enough time in a 2 year cycle to do all the science behind the proposals, flesh them out with us, the stakeholders, run it all past the Council along the way and get their final approvals, then get all that past the lawyers in Trenton for most changes they would like to pursue.  Going to a 3 year cycle gives them the time they need.  So that means that we are less than 3 months into a 3 year cycle where nothing will change as far as fees go, at least for fishing.  

Thanks for the reply I was only       

[Bucksnbows]

27 minutes ago, 1957Buck said:

Thanks for the reply I was only       

I know, but it was a good chance to get that out there since my guess is that very few here heard of the Division's plans to add another year to the regulatory cycle for freshwater fishing regs.