Garden State Trout

So, is anyone still getting out to tailwaters, spring creeks or the smaller and cooler streams for trout or are we all now focused on other species to chase? I am likely headed out for fluke and blues with some buddies on one of their boats tomorrow. I have a 5 day trip later this month for brookies in New Hampshire's White Mountains with the Native Fish Coalition, and I will be upstate NY next weekend where we have a stocked bass and trout pond or two.

Fishing has been slow at Spruce Run...I haven't heard a good report from any shore fishermen and haven't had any good evenings out, just small perch. I may do some Sandy Hook fluking with a buddy soon, or hit an Atlantic Highlands head boat...Can't wait for fall. Hopefully all the trout don't die this summer in NJ.

Just spent a week up north...the lower east was fishable for two days and fish were caught, then it was all the lower west and upper main for me...a few guys fished the upper willow after sunday nights rains...
I refuse to fish with the crowds on the upper west this time of yr...
God help nj

was there for 5 days from the 4th of July extended holiday. Great fishing. Water was about 45* steady like freddy. plenty of wild browns & a few wild rainbows

Fished the Passaic a few times in the Fairfield area. WTS after the big rains and that is it for NJ.
Might go to the WB in the next couple of weeks if we get a cooling down on a weekend.

i have been fly fishing smallmouth and carp. trying to improve my landing of carp lol. i dont have an issue finding carp that are feeding or hooking up with one the problem is landing them. ill land 1 carp for every 10 i hook into. couple times it was stupid mistakes but alot of times they run you into heavy cover. still having fun with it though. its nice seeing your backing for a freshwater fish in nj. golden bonefish.

Fishybig wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 07, 2023 4:16 pm

Just spent a week up north...the lower east was fishable for two days and fish were caught, then it was all the lower west and upper main for me...a few guys fished the upper willow after sunday nights rains...
I refuse to fish with the crowds on the upper west this time of yr...
God help nj

I floated the upper WBD a week ago Saturday. Saw three boats all day and maybe two dozen anglers and we floated over 7 miles of river. Water temps started at 50F and rose to 56F the day we were there. I was expecting horrific crowds, but by July they are all gone......

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 9:25 am

Fishybig wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 07, 2023 4:16 pm

Just spent a week up north...the lower east was fishable for two days and fish were caught, then it was all the lower west and upper main for me...a few guys fished the upper willow after sunday nights rains...
I refuse to fish with the crowds on the upper west this time of yr...
God help nj

I floated the upper WBD a week ago Saturday. Saw three boats all day and maybe two dozen anglers and we floated over 7 miles of river. Water temps started at 50F and rose to 56F the day we were there. I was expecting horrific crowds, but by July they are all gone......

Just based on water temps sounds like " balls to sheehawkin "??

Mother nature keeps vexing me, I want to hit the D for smallies but each time I've had a window to make the drive it rains like a beast and blows everything up. I might have to resort to local ponds and do some exploring on non-trout waters that are local.

Fishybig wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 10:22 am

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 9:25 am

Fishybig wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 07, 2023 4:16 pm

Just spent a week up north...the lower east was fishable for two days and fish were caught, then it was all the lower west and upper main for me...a few guys fished the upper willow after sunday nights rains...
I refuse to fish with the crowds on the upper west this time of yr...
God help nj

I floated the upper WBD a week ago Saturday. Saw three boats all day and maybe two dozen anglers and we floated over 7 miles of river. Water temps started at 50F and rose to 56F the day we were there. I was expecting horrific crowds, but by July they are all gone......

Just based on water temps sounds like " balls to sheehawkin "??

New launch in Deposit by RR trestle down to Balls.

Nice!! got some video of a pack of three river otters just above balls last monday...they spooked the chit outta me and then i spooked them...

Fishybig wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 11:52 am

Nice!! got some video of a pack of three river otters just above balls last monday...they spooked the chit outta me and then i spooked them...

I have a video of three on the Big Flatbrook from last Fall. Saw one pop up with a Trout.

cappy wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 5:18 pm

Fishybig wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 11:52 am

Nice!! got some video of a pack of three river otters just above balls last monday...they spooked the chit outta me and then i spooked them...

I have a video of three on the Big Flatbrook from last Fall. Saw one pop up with a Trout.

They're such a cool animals arent they!! Fer me they're rite up there with mink and eagles, although alot more rare

Rusty Spinner wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 11:34 am

New launch in Deposit by RR trestle down to Balls.

1 of my favorite stretches in deposit when I wade.

Fishybig wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 5:29 pm

cappy wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 5:18 pm

Fishybig wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 10, 2023 11:52 am

Nice!! got some video of a pack of three river otters just above balls last monday...they spooked the chit outta me and then i spooked them...

I have a video of three on the Big Flatbrook from last Fall. Saw one pop up with a Trout.

They're such a cool animals arent they!! Fer me they're rite up there with mink and eagles, although alot more rare

Yea I felt very lucky to have seen them. They can wreak havoc on a trout stream though, they eat well during the stocking season.

cappy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 11, 2023 4:48 am

Yea I felt very lucky to have seen them. They can wreak havoc on a trout stream though, they eat well during the stocking season.

rather them eat then the cormorants

Productive hour at Spruce Run reservoir on Monday. The rains created a debris matte where Spruce run creeks enters. I went at noon with night crawlers...caught the biggest smallmouth I have ever seen and the biggest channel catfish I have ever caught, and a smaller smallmouth under that debris matte in about 20 minutes...then I ran out of worms. Nothing would touch artificials, so I went home. Came back in the evening and caught about 15 white bass. Had a blast.

Sounds like a great day! Were there lots of people fishing? Did the white bass (hybrid stripers?) also take crawlers?

martalus wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 13, 2023 11:47 am

Sounds like a great day! Were there lots of people fishing? Did the white bass (hybrid stripers?) also take crawlers?

My bad, white perch...

even better, white perch are great to eat and feisty on light tackle. I remember catching some in clinton below the reservoir about 20 years ago. Are they a remnant landlocked population that got cut off from Raritan bay hundreds of years ago when dams were put up or were they stocked at some point since then?