Garden State Trout

Just my thought on the low water issue. The only things that like the low water is the predators such as Blue Herons,Mink,and all of the animals that like trout. We may get some rain next weekend, I can only hope. Let’s all start a rain dance, but not a flood rain dance just one that will put some water in the streams and rivers. I will fish the Ramapo in Nov. so can only hope for some water in the river. So folks let us start a rain dance on Saturday and Sunday but again not a flood rain dance. Bill the mailman

I fished a river in PA that is spring fed and had some water, still low but definitely fishable. I watched an Osprey pick off a trout and thought Wow, that was cool, then my thought changed to Get the !#$#@ outta here, that was my trout!

I have fished just once this fall. I was just itching to get back on the water after the summer lay off. The water was so low (and it is lower now) that they were all ganged up in the deeper holes. I caught and released over a limit without moving my feet. Like shooting fish in a barrel. It was nice to be fishing again, but I won't go back again until we get some rain.

Excuse my French, but this *****' blows.

lightenup wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 18, 2024 10:12 pm

Excuse my French, but this *****' blows.

Yep

https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/news-2024-10-21 ... g-updates/

OCTOBER 21, 2024 UPDATE:

-Big Flat Brook (Upstream of Rt. 206): Flows in this section of the Big Flat Brook are too low for trout stocking. The fish allocated for this section will be distributed downstream of Rt. 206 throughout the rest of the trout stocking locations.
-Black River: Flow in the Black River is so low that trout will not be stocked anywhere in the river. These fish will be stocked in the South Branch of the Raritan River between the Red Mill Dam in Clinton Township and the confluence with the North Branch of the Raritan River.
-Rockaway River: Flow in the Upper Rockaway River is too low for trout be stocked north of I-80. These fish will be stocked throughout the rest of the Rockaway River.
-Wallkill River: No fish will be stocked upstream of the Passaic Street bridge. These fish will be spread out throughout the rest of the Wallkill River.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Due to space and timing of the production cycle at the Pequest Trout Hatchery, the trout raised for the fall season must be stocked. The reasons for this include: the hatchery currently has 3-year classes of trout on site; the 2024 Fall and Winter fish fill eight pools that are occupying space for the 2026 spring season, and there are more than 1,000,000 fish hatching in the nursery and 360,000 2.25-inch trout that need to be moved outdoors to allow space in the nursery to grow until additional space is available during the 2025 Spring Stocking Season. The large fish are also running out of room in their pools and some of the larger broodstock that need to be stocked are holding up space for future broodstock to grow.

All fall trout-stocked waters may be fished as soon as they are stocked. There are no “closed waters” during fall stocking.

barkeater wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 18, 2024 11:12 am

I have fished just once this fall. I was just itching to get back on the water after the summer lay off. The water was so low (and it is lower now) that they were all ganged up in the deeper holes. I caught and released over a limit without moving my feet. Like shooting fish in a barrel. It was nice to be fishing again, but I won't go back again until we get some rain.

I actually had some time off between coaching football and work and really had nowhere to go, so i went bass fishing. I am lucky that i have a boat and live in a lake community. I wanted to float the passaic through Caldwelll, Fairfieled, Montville, but am a little nervous that the really low water will be a pain in the ass so i will be waiting until next year for the my flycrafts maiden passaic voyage.

I am going to give Salmon a try this fall, caught one in Maine a long time back and was a memorable experience. Thought about it, and now is a good time plus the drive isn't as long as Maine.

Guess I will just work more instead of fishing. Is the ocean low also, maybe stripers

lightenup wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 25, 2024 2:51 pm

Is the ocean low also, maybe stripers

Doing well off the beach in Ocean County, local fish moving out. Lot of sand eels.

Plenty of water down here main stem Raritan river.