Spring trout stocking update from the Chief

[hammer4reel]

11 minutes ago, Kype said:

i bought my pa license this year. looking forward to exploring new rivers to fish. 

Lots of great water within an hour or less of you .

as well as some historic natural trout streams 

[Jerzguy2]

Quite the argument, but for put and take for miles fished, you can hardly beat NJ.  Especially if you take into account the amount of different streams and amount of "rubber" Rainbows you can pound on per gallons of gas. I guess everyone is spoiled by the amount of competition on these water and few have experienced or remember what it was like 50 + years ago.

     For several years I also purchased a PA license. There is little comparison to NJ when  fishing their wild waters and that you may catch a stream bred  wild brown, especially when it may well be 24+".  I had a young fish friend that guided me on his home water to catch many beautiful stream bred browns. I would never had a morning in NJ fishing a Trico hatch and catching several 18" browns on a size 20 fly.

Not bringing back the browns is my pet peeve . To preserve the native brook trout waters in NJ is admirable, but to euthanize brown trout to establish this special brook trout stream is  unconscionable. To me, this was a horrible waste of a valuable resource. Plans should have been made to contact trout unlimited for volunteers  and planned to see that they could have been moved unharmed to other waters.

 

 

[Kype]

22 minutes ago, hammer4reel said:

Lots of great water within an hour or less of you .

as well as some historic natural trout streams 

i was thinking of going to the broadhead for opening day but i joined a trout club on the musky so i may go there and then broadhead on sunday

[Reeltight]

57 minutes ago, hammer4reel said:

So guess you need all fish in one hole to catch them ? 

.

‘but pa has many streams and rivers that aren’t stocked. , so the hombres you want yo use are not accurate either .

spend a few days fishing just across the river , you will find it’s worth. The price of admission .

Actually the numbers are right of the pa state website so I would think they are extremely accurate.  I never said I wanted the fish in one hole. I said the reason we have so many pa license plates on New Jersey streams is because we have a better stocking program. 

[jumpthestring]

I was thinking as well and getting a PA  fishing license. My question is do the streams and rivers over there get mobbed like jersey ?  Thats my biggest turn off about fishing jersey.

[hammer4reel]

1 minute ago, Reeltight said:

Actually the numbers are right of the pa state website so I would think they are extremely accurate.  I never said I wanted the fish in one hole. I said the reason we have so many pa license plates on New Jersey streams is because we have a better stocking program. 

It’s only better if you need to fish in one spot for a concentration of fish , while standing next to 50 guys fishing the same hole .

6 times the fish in PA which are spread out throughout the state to not have that congestion.

I have fished in Nj for 56 years , Pa for 54.

Have enjoyed both , but for quality of fishing there is no comparison .

 

. 

[Coyoteslayer]

Seems to me pa has more water access. Trails that run for miles along streams and creeks. South jersey anyway its small lakes which have 1 deep spot so there is no spreading out.  

[hemlock]

PA is a nice state to trout fish. I noticed in the past few years they really increased the numbers of bigger than average rainbows and more golden rainbows than before as well. I remember when they would put like two goldens out in most streams all season. Know some have 5 or more in one run or pool.  Only problem with goldens is they draw crowds until they are all but gone.

[Bucksnbows]

3 hours ago, Kype said:

i was thinking of going to the broadhead for opening day but i joined a trout club on the musky so i may go there and then broadhead on sunday

A club whose lower water may finally see restoration in a couple of years. 

[JHbowhunter]

It’s official - back to the “old way” with in season stocking and the 5pm BS and Sh#t show.  Trout closes 3/20 even for catch and release. 

[vdep217]

6 minutes ago, JHbowhunter said:

It’s official - back to the “old way” with in season stocking and the 5pm BS and Sh#t show.  Trout closes 3/20 even for catch and release. 

Just don't fish the stock days.  If you want to fish catch n release takeba trip down here year round conservation area I know like the back of my man

Edited March 17, 2022 by vdep217

[1957Buck]

11 minutes ago, JHbowhunter said:

It’s official - back to the “old way” with in season stocking and the 5pm BS and Sh#t show.  Trout closes 3/20 even for catch and release. 

With the usual Exceptions on some waters 

[Merkel]

19 minutes ago, JHbowhunter said:

It’s official - back to the “old way” with in season stocking and the 5pm BS and Sh#t show.  Trout closes 3/20 even for catch and release. 

Yeah, F&W hosted a call last Saturday and confirmed no C&R; stocking will revert to pre-pandemic process.