Are comprants destroying lake fishing for trout?

[tedmarx38]

Last year was the first dud in 8 yrs for me at Amwell. Last weekend workout out well and on Sunday my son and I landed five rainbows before noon. Then for the first time this year the devil birds showed up. After lunch no one here caught much of anything. They're here again today and despite yesterday's temps warming the water, no ones having any luck including me. I've watched them yank trout left and right and since last year was the first time I've seen them here, and since their arrival last wknd seems to have ended the action, it seems logical that they're the cause. Anyone share the same conclusion?

[justin1982]

I have to agree with you, until yesterday those birds caught a hell of a lot more trout than I did

[tedmarx38]

I'm giving it one more weekend and assuming no change, I'll speak with a silent wallet next season. No way I'm paying to raise fish that get eaten by a bird uglier than a gorilla's ass. Shame too because of it weren't for the Marxist owl saviors, a small army of fat guys like me with 22's could solve this problem in one afternoon.

[JDTuna]

Honestly, I doubt it. Many people keeping their limit every time they go are more likely responsible for lakes getting depleted.

[tedmarx38]

I used to limit out here but no more and no one else is having luck either. Confirmed by fish warden too. Keep in mind I'm talking about one spot, Amwell Lake.

[Chrisper4694]

I really expect nothing less when dumping trout into a shallow pond. I mean, they belong in rivers, streams, and deep cold lakes. Even if they don't survive long term in all these places at least we wouldn't be paying to feed birds.

But wasting the trout in these small shallow ponds will never stop because of the money loss that would be involved I guess haha

[jimcnj]

Didn't we do this already?

For the most part , natural areas in New Jersey have been destroyed by urbanization and pollution. Now we are upset because the non-native fish we stock are being eaten by birds that have been around since the dinosaur days?

Keep your .22s on the gun rack. Step up your game.

[njflyfisher]

They should honestly change the limit of fish you can keep. It should be dropped to 4. I've seen the same group of guys taking there limits every weekend since opening day. I couldn't make it out to the same place I fish today but those guys were defiantly there today too.

[tedmarx38]

@jim I'm new to this forum so the "didnt we do this already" comment isn't helpful. I fish with a 10 yr old kid, so lakes and ponds are a great way to get him into the sport. I did the same with my older sons. Your "step up your game" comment puts you in the troll category -- the type of unfortunates that ruin productive dialog on forums like this, always posted by those who sound tough when hiding behind a keyboard. Good luck to you all the same.

[Suntzu]

The cormorants are a growing problem, not just for trout fishing. I have a 5 acre pond next to my office essentially fish able only by people that work for my company and I am the only one who does. This pond had great bass fishing for years, the cormorants have eliminated every bass between 5" and 14". Two tough winters have really hurt the big bass population. This pond will soon be essentially barren of any fish over 5" as a consequence of a dozen cormorants who come in every spring and work it over
That being said I am opposed to trout stocking shallow ponds and lakes. It's a waste of fish due to predation and warm water kill. Better to put them all in rivers even more urban rivers in the eastern part of the state where there are more fishermen and good access and the fish can be spread out a bit. They are still easy enough to catch