LL Salmon

[OMC]

I have been fishing for LLS for the past few years and for the most part release every fish caught. Every now and then I may keep a couple which I believe is fine, but if we want to create a really good fishery these fish need to be released. They are in most cases very easy to catch when first stocked and on the smaller size. The smaller LLS really don't have much fight to them and flop around on the surface. However for anyone that hasn't hooked into a larger LLS let me tell you this they fight great. These fish hit, run and jump like no other fish we have in our waters. They put the pitiful rainbows that are now stocked in our waters to shame. To be able to experience the way these great fish fight they must be released. If you want to eat fish keep the shitty rainbows.

BTW if Fish and Game is reading this bring back the BROWNS !

[jrock]

I would like to start out by saying nj fish and game is doing a phenomenal job in our state providing us with so many fishing opportunities. That being said I would also like to say I have fish the great lakes and finger lakes for LL's for many years. And my personal opinion nj will never have a true LL fishery we just dont have the habitat for it. Again no knock on fish and game they are doing great with the LL's for what they have to work with. It's just not worth the time and energy for them to go so hard on a fishery that just wont be what it is just a few hours drive north of here. Even if you make it 100 percent catch and release sure you will probably have some more trophy size fish swimming around but again our water bodies will always limit the maximum capacity of the fishery. If your really into catching a nice sized LL I suggest taking a 4 hour drive up to cayuga lake NY, in February or March and troll flat line stickbaits along the shore at app. 2 mph with planer boards. You are almost guaranteed to catch a LL over 5 pounds. And a 8-10 pounder is not so far fetched. Believe it or not I had a triple header of 7-8 pounders on doing this once. Again not a knock on nj fish and game it just is what it is cayuga is a giant fertile natural lake with tons and tons of forage. A couple of guys taking a few LL out of one of our lakes is not gonna make that big a difference.

[OMC]

I think we are talking about NJ lakes not NY and it makes no sense to compare the two.
I have caught some very nice LLS right here in NJ which is great with the largest going right around 7lbs and released. The point that some of us were making is that there aren't that many stocked so instead of taking your limit each time just let some go.