Garden State Trout

Best fight this year. Really solid fish

Now thats a fish!!! I love the big double blue dots too.

ah beauty

Well done. Caught in NJ?

Nice Markus. Beautiful fins on that fish.

cappy wrote: ↑

Mon May 04, 2020 9:31 am

Well done. Caught in NJ?

Yes and in one of our stocked waters which begs the question of why stock it if it can produce wild trout of this size?

NJAngler wrote: ↑

Mon May 04, 2020 4:56 pm

cappy wrote: ↑

Mon May 04, 2020 9:31 am

Well done. Caught in NJ?

Yes and in one of our stocked waters which begs the question of why stock it if it can produce wild trout of this size?

they have removed some stockings from a few streams/stretches lately, i hope they continue especially in the smaller creeks that dont even offer a good stockie-fishery.

Nice fish.

NJAngler wrote: ↑

Mon May 04, 2020 4:56 pm

cappy wrote: ↑

Mon May 04, 2020 9:31 am

Well done. Caught in NJ?

Yes and in one of our stocked waters which begs the question of why stock it if it can produce wild trout of this size?

Usually the answer is because that stream or river doesn't produce nearly enough wild trout to stop stocking it. Right now, all eyes should be on the upper 9 miles of the SBR which has gone unstocked for several years now. I live here and have watched the number of anglers slowly dwindle each year during that time. Pretty soon we should have ample large browns and some native brookies in decent numbers since the stringer crew has been sent elsewhere.

I look at stocking streams with a decent wild population as a double edged sword. It gives the "stringer crew" some easy hatchery fish to catch and take home and hopefully leave the wilds alone. You also run the risk of them catching and keeping gorgeous wild fish like that.

If you stop stocking the "string crew" will still come back for a little and all they will be catching are hold overs and wild fish. Like Rusty said, eventually, they will start to go elsewhere.

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Tue May 05, 2020 9:21 am

Usually the answer is because that stream or river doesn't produce nearly enough wild trout to stop stocking it. Right now, all eyes should be on the upper 9 miles of the SBR which has gone unstocked for several years now. I live here and have watched the number of anglers slowly dwindle each year during that time. Pretty soon we should have ample large browns and some native brookies in decent numbers since the stringer crew has been sent elsewhere.

I think every time I've fished up there since they stopped stocking I've had it virtually to myself, I don't fish it often though, I have other WTS closer to me that don't eat me for lunch like the SBR does.

Drossi wrote: ↑

Tue May 05, 2020 12:33 pm

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Tue May 05, 2020 9:21 am

Usually the answer is because that stream or river doesn't produce nearly enough wild trout to stop stocking it. Right now, all eyes should be on the upper 9 miles of the SBR which has gone unstocked for several years now. I live here and have watched the number of anglers slowly dwindle each year during that time. Pretty soon we should have ample large browns and some native brookies in decent numbers since the stringer crew has been sent elsewhere.

I think every time I've fished up there since they stopped stocking I've had it virtually to myself, I don't fish it often though, I have other WTS closer to me that don't eat me for lunch like the SBR does.

I like the upper beginning stretch