Caught 34 fish today

[NJ219bands]

Went ultralight jigging in a 42 degree NJ lake this afternoon on a sunny, cool day with a strong northwest wind. Air temp was 52 degrees. 9 other fishermen were there. Caught and released 20 yellow perch and 14 white perch with Walmart red worm halves on two gold hooks and a 1/16 oz unpainted leadhead jig on 4 lb test line. Landed 475 fish in the same spot this year with 2 containers of worms.

[bulletbob]

Tough to determine the size of those white and yellow perch.. There seems to be an awful lot of them though.. Do they get decent sized there , or are there big numbers of small, stunted fish?...

Just curious because fish can become stunted a couple different ways.. If underfished, and few predators[Pike/pickerel/Bass etc] panfish can multiply rapidly, and outstrip food supply and space, ...

Or in an otherwise ecologically well balanced, but heavily fished habitat the larger specimens are culled constantly, resulting in smaller fish and smaller population numbers.. I have seen both situations. Are there large predatory species present in the lake where you are fishing?

[cruiser1234]

Another great haul!

[Godrew1972]

yea man, you are killing it.
34 fish is a good day not working

[Jigman13]

It's drop and reel fishing for mostly small fish there. Occasionally a large crappie or perch is caught and it goes right in a bucket or bag, or on a stringer. You couldn't pay me to eat fish out of there so my assumption is those that do often will likely have health concerns sooner rather than later considering the volume of pollution/runoff.

In terms of predators, I've also caught large bass in there just about every spring for the last 4 years. 4 to 5 lb fish on micro jigs. Pickerel are also in there and the state stocks muskie in there too, but I've yet to see one.

The size issue is predominantly caused by mass take from the lake. Very little gets thrown back by the non natives. It's changing quickly. A few years back a couple people would keep fish and 80% practiced C and R. Now it's like 50/50, maybe 60/40 with those who take leading the way with 60%. It's not a good ratio and the scale at which it accelerated is worrisome. I mean, they're keeping shiners...on a stringer...to eat. That's horrific.

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Jigman13

It's drop and reel fishing for mostly small fish there. Occasionally a large crappie or perch is caught and it goes right in a bucket or bag, or on a stringer. You couldn't pay me to eat fish out of there so my assumption is those that do often will likely have health concerns sooner rather than later considering the volume of pollution/runoff.

In terms of predators, I've also caught large bass in there just about every spring for the last 4 years. 4 to 5 lb fish on micro jigs. Pickerel are also in there and the state stocks muskie in there too, but I've yet to see one.

The size issue is predominantly caused by mass take from the lake. Very little gets thrown back by the non natives. It's changing quickly. A few years back a couple people would keep fish and 80% practiced C and R. Now it's like 50/50, maybe 60/40 with those who take leading the way with 60%. It's not a good ratio and the scale at which it accelerated is worrisome. I mean, they're keeping shiners...on a stringer...to eat. That's horrific.

Understood.. Mass "take" is the most common way for a lake to be loaded with small fish these days.. It even happens in big lakes believe me... Just too many fish caught and eaten by too many people.. Up here, we have other issues rather than "ethnic" that take and eat anything... Lots of fishermen here have fished these large lakes since birth, as did their dads and grand dads,,, The fish are only in certain areas, and they get hit hard by VERY highly experienced fishermen that know when ,where, how, and on what, and have the equipment to do it... Lots of these guys fished commercially as well, and were always adamant it is "their right" to do so.. you'd be surprised at the number of huge Perch, and Crappies I have seen for sale in the salmon River area.. Bullheads are a popular dish in many restaurants uin string as well in upstate NY, and they aren't "farm raised".. They are caught by locals by the thousands and sold.. NY has even lowered bag limits on panfish as the average size gets smaller every single year... I haven't caught a keeper size Crappies in years.. It has to be 10 inches, and in lakes that have Crappies, very few tat size any more... They get taken the instant they can be stretched to 10 inches... So the demographics and the waterways are quite different, but same results.. Smaller fish each year, and its only certain fishermen that are the cause.. Anyone that thinks a BIG lake can't be fished out, needs to rethink.. I have witnessed it myself in real time, on several waterways/lakes.... Up here the fishery thats remained more or less intact is the Trout/Salmon fishery because its mostly stocked fish, not dependent on natural reproduction... Been saying it for years.. Simple case of too many people catching and killing too many fish.... bob

[NJ219bands]

Originally Posted by Jigman13

It's drop and reel fishing for mostly small fish there. Occasionally a large crappie or perch is caught and it goes right in a bucket or bag, or on a stringer. You couldn't pay me to eat fish out of there so my assumption is those that do often will likely have health concerns sooner rather than later considering the volume of pollution/runoff.

In terms of predators, I've also caught large bass in there just about every spring for the last 4 years. 4 to 5 lb fish on micro jigs. Pickerel are also in there and the state stocks muskie in there too, but I've yet to see one.

The size issue is predominantly caused by mass take from the lake. Very little gets thrown back by the non natives. It's changing quickly. A few years back a couple people would keep fish and 80% practiced C and R. Now it's like 50/50, maybe 60/40 with those who take leading the way with 60%. It's not a good ratio and the scale at which it accelerated is worrisome. I mean, they're keeping shiners...on a stringer...to eat. That's horrific.

You’re right on. A guy from Shanghai caught and ate a golden shiner this week then told me that it tasted good but was too bony. Many years ago I gave gizzard shad to a Chinese restaurant and they said that they were good. My biggest yellow perch this year was 10” and white perch was 9” but most of the perch were less than 8”. Only caught two crappies and no bass.