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Any one fishing

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2025 9:31 am
by troutfishing4life
Any one been out fishing? I know this is a slower time of the year but still plenty of fish to be caught

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2025 11:45 am
by Rusty Spinner
troutfishing4life wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2025 9:31 am
Any one been out fishing? I know this is a slower time of the year but still plenty of fish to be caught
I caught a short nosed dace flopping on the ice yesterday on a stream restoration project and put it back in the stream. Does that count? :lol:

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2025 2:55 pm
by Castaline
Tried earlier this week... just had to get out. Shelf ice gone in spots but my usual haunts were unproductive

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2025 9:08 am
by Rusty Spinner
We just finished a lengthy bank and in-stream restoration on a non trout stream in Hunterdon (Copper Creek), so no fishing for me other than some hard water a few weekends ago.

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2025 12:47 pm
by Drossi
Anyone seeing any little black stoneflies yet?

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2025 4:31 am
by cappy
Last time out was two weeks ago, no stoneflies.

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:23 am
by troutfishing4life
Want to get out at some point soon but will probably head to PA to fish I think

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:35 am
by Rusty Spinner
Drossi wrote:
Tue Mar 04, 2025 12:47 pm
Anyone seeing any little black stoneflies yet?
Yes, on the Broadhead. They should be popping all over on warm days including here in NJ.

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2025 11:27 pm
by 46er
troutfishing4life wrote:
Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:23 am
Want to get out at some point soon but will probably head to PA to fish I think
I will be doing the same. My Son moved to PA last year, almost walking distance to the upper Lehigh and several small Brookie streams in the Pinchot SF. :mrgreen: Only issue I have is once I cross the Delaware I become 13 years younger :shock:

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2025 1:01 pm
by joe_panella
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:35 am
Drossi wrote:
Tue Mar 04, 2025 12:47 pm
Anyone seeing any little black stoneflies yet?
Yes, on the Broadhead. They should be popping all over on warm days including here in NJ.
I don't have time to fish but may stop down on the peq to see what is going on. Years ago i used to do well in March, all wilds. The river has changed a bit over time though.

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2025 8:07 am
by Drossi
joe_panella wrote:
Sat Mar 08, 2025 1:01 pm
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:35 am
Drossi wrote:
Tue Mar 04, 2025 12:47 pm
Anyone seeing any little black stoneflies yet?
Yes, on the Broadhead. They should be popping all over on warm days including here in NJ.
I don't have time to fish but may stop down on the peq to see what is going on. Years ago i used to do well in March, all wilds. The river has changed a bit over time though.
I gave it a go Saturday but the wind was unbearable, I gave up after an hour of getting my casts blasted back in my face. Mending was impossible as well. No fish were encountered let alone harmed during this endeavor. :)

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2025 5:45 pm
by cappy
I tried a WTS Saturday morning before the winds got bad, no bugs and no trout.

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 11:23 am
by Rusty Spinner
I saw a few rising wild brown in McMichael Creek in PA when we were removing an old culvert earlier this week. LBS, both brown and black, were fluttering around each afternoon. Mayflies won't be too far off on that stream. While I wasn't fishing, I watched my one client land 7 browns in a few short minutes from a new pool we restored where the culvert had been only three days ago.

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:51 pm
by martalus
I am back in NJ for a few days and may check out our VCB tomorrow with my brother and daughter..I have always loved the stream but havent fished it in over 10 years, maybe more. Is the road open? Are there still all 3 species? I have some very fond memories from there decades ago.

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2025 9:34 am
by Rusty Spinner
martalus wrote:
Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:51 pm
I am back in NJ for a few days and may check out our VCB tomorrow with my brother and daughter..I have always loved the stream but havent fished it in over 10 years, maybe more. Is the road open? Are there still all 3 species? I have some very fond memories from there decades ago.
All three species remain, but I'm not sure on the road. Check the DWGNRA webpage for more info on closures.

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2025 11:58 pm
by 46er
martalus wrote:
Thu Mar 13, 2025 7:51 pm
I am back in NJ for a few days and may check out our VCB tomorrow with my brother and daughter..I have always loved the stream but havent fished it in over 10 years, maybe more. Is the road open? Are there still all 3 species? I have some very fond memories from there decades ago.
Old Mine Rd is open, smooth as can be, you no longer need a front end alignment after driving it EXCEPT for a 3/17 closure between Millbrook and Worthington; they are prepping for replacing the bridge over Van Campens near the picnic area. :!:

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2025 9:04 pm
by mtman
I tried the Musky in Hackettstown yesterday. No fish for me ,but the only other guy I saw had one on a stringer. Fished for about an hour and the wind never really stopped so I left. The highlight of the day was being checked by a CO in the parking lot. Real nice younger guy and we talked for about 15 minutes. He is new to the division and is very eager to do his job .He was actually looking through some garbage bag that had been dumped to try and find who did it. He has the area from 46 south to the delaware so probably will run into him often. Wished him luck and told him I was very happy to see him out patrolling.

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 9:39 am
by Rusty Spinner
mtman wrote:
Mon Mar 17, 2025 9:04 pm
I tried the Musky in Hackettstown yesterday. No fish for me ,but the only other guy I saw had one on a stringer. Fished for about an hour and the wind never really stopped so I left. The highlight of the day was being checked by a CO in the parking lot. Real nice younger guy and we talked for about 15 minutes. He is new to the division and is very eager to do his job .He was actually looking through some garbage bag that had been dumped to try and find who did it. He has the area from 46 south to the delaware so probably will run into him often. Wished him luck and told him I was very happy to see him out patrolling.
Here's your tip of the day. NEVER fish the upper Musky until Spring stockings. The river above Penwell where the Point Mountain TCA is located hits lethal temps every summer and all the stocked trout from Spring are gone. They don't get replaced until this month and then weekly (on Fridays) into May for 7 Spring stockings. So no surprise you struggled up there. Try downstream at this time of year although now only Pt. Mtn. TCA is open on that river unless you're in a club that can fish on a Catch & Release only basis until the opener on April 5th.

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 7:12 pm
by mtman
There are usually some holdovers from the fall stocking to be caught . But with the severe low water this fall and brutal winter temps I guess there weren't as many as in years past.

Re: Any one fishing

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2025 11:15 am
by Rusty Spinner
mtman wrote:
Wed Mar 19, 2025 7:12 pm
There are usually some holdovers from the fall stocking to be caught . But with the severe low water this fall and brutal winter temps I guess there weren't as many as in years past.
True, but so few holdovers that I would strongly recommend not fishing upstream of Penwell after the summer months for stocked trout. Penwell is only 5 minutes from downtown Hackettstown.