Public Meeting on Trout Stocking Program February 29

All about trout fishing in the great Garden State!
joe_panella
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Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:08 pm

Re: Public Meeting on Trout Stocking Program February 29

Post by joe_panella » Fri Mar 06, 2020 4:08 pm

Jaybird wrote:
Fri Mar 06, 2020 10:40 am
I think it's safe to say trout migrate into tribs from the Delaware , and not just the tail water part . I don't fish the muskie but if the lower river is as cold as everyone says I'm sure it's a thermal refuge for trout in that area . Maybe not big numbers but in sure there are probably a few .
I am sure they would, but that is not ideal trout water. stripers have been caught in the Musky as well. Brian, may know more, for some reason i think i remember his saying he has seen evidence of it, but i don't remember exactly.

joe_panella
Posts: 153
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Re: Public Meeting on Trout Stocking Program February 29

Post by joe_panella » Fri Mar 06, 2020 4:09 pm

BiggerThomas wrote:
Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:08 am
coaltrout wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 7:03 pm
How about the delaware, if any river has sea runs in NJ why not that river?
Good question, CT. I'm not an expert, but I'd think it impossible to know the exact osteichthyes inventory of an entire aquatic ecosystem so perhaps it's possible to have sea runs in the Delaware.

But speaking of fish swimming up river, the Delaware Shad should be running soon. Here's some info from the NJDFW webpage:

Every year American shad migrate up the Delaware River to spawn. The numbers and timing of the "shad run" vary year to year depending on water temperature and conditions. Having accurate, up-to-date information on the run can greatly impact on angling success and enjoyment (you can find that info on this website: https://www.drsfa.org/).
When i was a kid i remember them talking about trying to create a salmon run in the delaware. It never materialized, and i think it has been mentioned on this forum before.


Fishybig
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Re: Public Meeting on Trout Stocking Program February 29

Post by Fishybig » Fri Mar 06, 2020 4:19 pm

Gr8 read!! Ty

martalus
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Re: Public Meeting on Trout Stocking Program February 29

Post by martalus » Fri Mar 06, 2020 4:39 pm

Sounds like they had lots of hair brained ideas in the 70s and 80s! My good friend's dad worked for the department with Bob S back at that time. There was a plan to introduce lake run/steelhead trout into the Mulhockaway so that there would be a run of fish out of the reservoir. My friend's dad said he and Bob S. were told to apply Rotenone in the Mulhockaway to get rid of other species that might compete with the lake run fish. He said they must have measured it out improperly and killed everything in sight, including earthworms living in the substrate.

garden hackle
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Re: Public Meeting on Trout Stocking Program February 29

Post by garden hackle » Sat Mar 07, 2020 9:43 am

BiggerThomas wrote:
Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:08 am

Good question, CT. I'm not an expert, but I'd think it impossible to know the exact osteichthyes inventory of an entire aquatic ecosystem so perhaps it's possible to have sea runs in the Delaware.
Absolutely true, it is impossibly for anyone to say with certainty what does not exists. It is foolhardy to disprove a negative so such statements goes unchallenged.
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lightenup
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Re: Public Meeting on Trout Stocking Program February 29

Post by lightenup » Sat Mar 07, 2020 12:15 pm

martalus wrote:
Fri Mar 06, 2020 4:39 pm
Sounds like they had lots of hair brained ideas in the 70s and 80s! My good friend's dad worked for the department with Bob S back at that time. There was a plan to introduce lake run/steelhead trout into the Mulhockaway so that there would be a run of fish out of the reservoir. My friend's dad said he and Bob S. were told to apply Rotenone in the Mulhockaway to get rid of other species that might compete with the lake run fish. He said they must have measured it out improperly and killed everything in sight, including earthworms living in the substrate.
Yes that creek is dead....stay away, no point in fishing there, except for the nice stockies they put in spring, and they never leave the bridge...

Dave B.
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Re: Public Meeting on Trout Stocking Program February 29

Post by Dave B. » Sun Mar 15, 2020 3:56 pm

martalus wrote:
Fri Mar 06, 2020 4:39 pm
Sounds like they had lots of hair brained ideas in the 70s and 80s! My good friend's dad worked for the department with Bob S back at that time. There was a plan to introduce lake run/steelhead trout into the Mulhockaway so that there would be a run of fish out of the reservoir. My friend's dad said he and Bob S. were told to apply Rotenone in the Mulhockaway to get rid of other species that might compete with the lake run fish. He said they must have measured it out improperly and killed everything in sight, including earthworms living in the substrate.
I remember the plan to introduce Donaldson rainbows into the Mulhock. That was a few years after it was removed from the 'Natural Trout Streams' list which at the time contained only 2 waters, the Mulhockaway and Van Campens. Fortunately they failed to destroy all of the wild browns in the headwaters and small tribs.

As for the 'D' salmon/steelhead idea, it's a nice thought but not doable. Among other things, according to the aforementioned Bob S. both the annual temp and D.O. profiles would completely prohibit any successful program. Apparently the average temps would be too high for both the spring smolt release survival and would remain too high late into the autumn for any successful return. Likewise the ocean outside of Delaware bay would remain too warm for the migrating fish to want to travel that far south to return to the 'D'. Both historically and geographically the Raritan is pretty much the southern limit for any such run, and even that's pushing the boundaries of practicality.

As for the earlier linked news article on the matter, the DRDC's assertions that such an introduction would have horrible impacts on the existing trout populations were both unfounded and incorrect in their premise. First, the salmon do not feed during their spawning run. They do however provide a tremendous high protein food source for the trout in the form of their (salmon) eggs. Second, the salmon would utilize different areas of the river/stream beds for their spawning redds that the resident browns.

As for the steelhead, since they're spring spawners there may have been some competition with the resident wild rainbows in the upper 'D' and branches but certainly not enough to heavily impact the overall population.

Again, both of these situations would be dependent upon those introduced species actually making it that far up the river, which was highly unlikely to occur.

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