Trout Returns By The Numbers

[Billfish715]

After reading the post about the stocking numbers and the subsequent comments, it reignited my curiosity concerning just how many of the stocked trout are ever caught. I ran into Mark B on opening day last year when he was doing a survey of anglers' catches. Very few trout were caught in that pond, including any breeders during the opening hours.

Considering how many trout are stocked and where they are stocked, what might be a "guesstimate" of how many trout NEVER end up being caught? I'm guessing that the same number of trout are stocked in the same locations year after year because that is where the fishermen like to go and therefore where the fish are caught. But, how many trout never feel the sting of steel?

There are many places where trout are "wasted" by being stocked. But, there can be no stocking or production of trout without people who fish for them and who finance the trout program with their license fees. Fishermen will fish anywhere if there are fish to be caught. Everyone has his own idea of just what fishing is all about and about the methods and locations that suit their fancy. So, lots of trout are stocked in lots of places including duck ponds and major rivers.

Trout production is a business and must be a cost-effective entity. With any business, there is going to be a certain amount of waste. If that waste generates a loss of revenue, the business will close or will have to make some adjustments in order to stay solvent. The N.J. trout stocking program is still operational so, whatever they are doing, it is still working. Don't expect any major changes in stocking or production. They must have "waste" figured into their equation. I'm sure there can be a more equitable method to distribute the trout, but that might require an accounting of how many are caught and in which locations and how many anglers access those spots.