I would like to speak to anglers who regularly fish for spring trout

[Mark B.]

in the following waters:

Whites Pond, Waldwick

Roosevelt Park Pond, Edison

Topenemus Lake, Freehold

Lake Shenandoah, Lakewood



Thanks.

Mark Boriek (Mark B.)
Principal Fisheries Biologist
NJDF&W
Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries
PO Box 394
1255 Route 629
Lebanon, NJ 08833
908-236-2118
mark.boriek@dep.nj.gov

[ScowardNJ]

I swing by Whites Pond after work a handful of times during stocking season. Sent you an email.

[Mikey topaz]

What's up with this mark? They thinking about maybe not stocking them?

[SPEARFISH]

When my son was little I took him to Roosevelt park all the time. Usually caught some trout, but never a lot. Caught some big ones from time to time. Lots of small bass and sunnies in there to keep him entertained.

[Mark B.]

Originally Posted by Mikey topaz

What's up with this mark? They thinking about maybe not stocking them?

Those waters, & some others, have had poor catch rates on recent opening day of trout season surveys. We are trying to determine why.

Want to speak with trout anglers who fish them, regularly, in-season.

[RyanMac14]

Any similar reports like that from Hooks creek? Went there many times after both stockings and reports were no one was catching. Did find one in the shallows that seemed off. Not physically injured but i was able to pick her up from the water. Totally different from last year

[Jigman13]

Roosevelt likely due to cormorants. Ever see that place after spring stocking? Insanely stacked with those water birds. And it's a poo puddle for other water fowl which could be negatively impacting water quality significantly.

[thmyorke1]

Originally Posted by Jigman13

Roosevelt likely due to cormorants. Ever see that place after spring stocking? Insanely stacked with those water birds. And it's a poo puddle for other water fowl which could be negatively impacting water quality significantly.

Same with Barbour's pond. See more trout in cormorant's mouths than angler's hands.

[Blackfishhead]

RyanMac14 I second that on Hooks Creek.Place is slowly coming back after Sandy.But what about the fishkill late Sept/early Oct this year?
And Jigman the Black Death are in almost every lake/pond .

Mark B. Email sent.

[Billfish715]

I don't put much stock in surveys since they usually don't contain questions that deal with the many variables involved with reaching a conclusion. One variable that determines how many fish are caught is how many fishermen are fishing. How many state-stocked fish would be caught in Spring Lake on opening day were it not for the aggressive stocking by the Liveliners? If only the trout stocked by the state were the targets, the number of fishermen along the banks and the bridge would be much less. That would definitely affect the catch numbers and perhaps the catch ratio. At one time, local ponds and stretches of rivers were stocked by community groups or sports' stores for opening day. If memory serves me correctly, Roosevelt Park Pond was one of them.

As for the cormorants, I have never seen a skinny one at any of the trout stocked ponds or any pond for that matter. They don't take all of the fish, but they do eat a good number of them. Twenty cormorants on a small pond that is stocked with 150 trout is like an "All You Can Eat Buffet"! They don't wait until opening day to begin fishing either. If you feed them, they will come. Just saying!