NJ Trout Stocking Shortened from 7 to 4 Weeks

[muskynut]

Outbreak of furunculosis at the hatchery....this year 24,000 non diseased fish will go into the Passaic River below the Great Falls up to the Dundee Dam and another 12,000 in the Hackensack River in Oradell below the dam....here is the info.......I love trout fishing....bummer that it is going to be shortened this year

[AndyS]

Pros and Cons I guess. Look at all the people who bought fishing licenses and trout stamps. This could push people off some waters only to explore new waters. People may find there are more hold over trout then they ever imagined. 24,000 trout in the Raritan, I asked for fall stocking on the main stem of the Raritan but instead 170 big trout went into a duck pond in Edison, go figure. For years now Round Valley has suffered a food forage problem but that never stopped them from dumping thousands of fish in there annually, now would be a good time for Round Valley to ask for smallmouth stocking, I think at one point there were just as many smallmouth in there as there were trout. So maybe we are looking at pros and cons here but disease of any sort can’t be good business. Looking at some of the photos on here gives you an idea just how diverse this little state is.

[tjc76]

One thing is certain, the Passaic River Pike will be fat this summer.

[Almaink]

Why are they are going to put 8000 trout into Mercer Lake? Can someone tell me I missed the meeting. Why not put more into the Assunpink Creek or D&R Canal, or any of the other places they normally stock? Seems odd to me to put trout in where they will wind up as a meal for hungry muskies.

[RWole]

The NJDF&G need to modernize the pequest hatchery it is outdated.
If this season is lost due this disease than so it be, but than two things
should be done . Updates to the hatchery like previously stated and
use funds from licenses and stamps and purchase trout and stock the
holdover and trophy waters.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Love me some Smallies. My 2nd biggest SMALLIE was caught at RV on a Shiner. Weighed in at 5lbs 11ozs. I'd love to see that place loaded up with them. They fight like hell year round. This was back in 97, I'll have to dig in my archives to find the pic.

[Lard Almighty]

Originally Posted by RWole

The NJDF&G need to modernize the pequest hatchery it is outdated.
If this season is lost due this disease than so it be, but than two things
should be done . Updates to the hatchery like previously stated and
use funds from licenses and stamps and purchase trout and stock the
holdover and trophy waters.

The impression I got from the meeting I attended last year is that any significant upgrades or additions to the hatchery would be too costly without raising the prices of trout stamps. NJF&W is reluctant to raise the price as they believe it will decrease interest in the trout stocking program from anglers, which makes some sense.

Also, the permit the hatchery has to withdraw water from the aquifer only allows for so much water withdrawal, which limits the amount of trout they can raise; the hatchery has been producing at capacity for years. So, even if the facilities are updated, the same quantity of trout would be produced, which would result in no tangible improvements to the program in the eyes of the average angler. They would be understandably upset if they were made to pay more for a program in which they see no improvements.

Knowing what we know, you or I may be willing to pay an extra 5-10 dollars a year for a hatchery upgrade, but many would not, and F&W has to keep all their "customers" happy.

[RWole]

very well stated!!!

[flatcreek]

Don't believe money is the problem, they had almost a million to build a boat launch. I think shit just happens. They have disease outbreaks and people get infections in the best hospitals around. I have confidence they will tract down the problem and maybe just a couple gallons of bleach will solve it. I think NJ fish and wildlife has be doing a great job for many years and they have my support and confidence in these bad times. The price of a licence and a trout stamp is a bargain. Went down 5 bucks for me this year, getting old has some bennies.

[xperks22]

I see they are stocking the Passaic from Great Falls to the Dundee Dam. So I'm assuming the Wayne/Lincoln Park 2 Bridge Area will not be stocked ? Can anyone shed some light on this ? Thanks