Stocked trout mortality rates...

[Duffman]

Been getting back into the FW game with my boy, who asks more MF questions than I can ever answer, but he got me thinking...

Hit the local hole, and scouted a few out of the way places (see the bear report) and have done OK.

Local place has been good to us. Releasing everything caught, everything jaw hooked. Fish swam away real healthy.

What are the odds these fish survive? Slim, none, caught again within an hour, die in the summer heat? etc....

Thanks. I'll have him read the responses......I'm done making up answers...


Whoa...I just had to edit this! I know you trout guys are a fickle bunch and will answer with "depends on the size of the impoundment, water movement, river size etc" I'm not talking a fast moving trout stream but rather a smaller impoundment (lake/pond) stocked onva yearly basis.

[Cuz]

The trout will die by June if they are in a shallow lake or pond. They require cold water because the oxygen level is higher. Once the pond warms up the oxygen level drops below their need. Keep an eye on a pond that was stocked and you will eventually see dead floating trout. Guaranteed.
The biologist say 80% of trout that are caught and released will die. I suggest, if you are fishing in a small impoundment, keeping all the fish you catch. They are stocked in those places for catch and keep. The F&G people know the fish will die anyway. It's all about selling fishing licenses and trout stamps.

[Super]

When the water hits 74-76 degrees for an extended time the trout will die. That makes up just about every waterbody south of Rt. 78 and all the shallow lakes. There are many rivers & lakes where trout will hold over. First ones to come to mind are:

Lakes:
Round Valley
Lake Aeroflex
Merrill Creek

Rivers:
Big Flatbrook
Musconetcong
South Branch
North Branch
Black
Pequest
Pequannock
Ramapo
Toms
Many other small streams

[Capt. Lou]

Surival rates for any game fiash especially trout has a lot to do with water temps.Once over 60 degrees I'm convinced it goes down hill,one reason I do not fish summer trout anymore.
Heavily oyxgentated cold water ups their surival chances signifiacantly, if properly handled. I release mine forgoing even a qick pic,often w/o even touching fish to give them a fighting chance for survival. I contuine to believe even a short time out of water once released can cut chances dramatically.

[Michael82929]

I tend to agree on this topic, and thats why it never bothered me about people keeping trout.

Thats why the state constantly stocks the stream each spring and fall.

Very few streams have dam controlled areas, where fresh oxygeniated water can be pumped into the streams to harvest mortality.

By the middle of July / the streams are down 50% lower than the average and the passing tstorms do very little to get the water levels high and temps down.

I will say this though, before those levels go down real low and those fish hole up in the deeper pools, I have seen hundreds of trout in certain holes come beginning of July with some monsters brood stock in them.

[Moz]

Originally Posted by Cuz

The biologist say 80% of trout that are caught and released will die.

Is this for streams/rivers/ponds or the deep lakes as well?

I'm almost exclusively catch & release, it's only when I seriously injure a trout or the once a year the wife says I owe her a trout dinner that I will actually keep them. I know the trout I release on the North Branch will either end up on someone else's dinner table or likely be killed off by the summer heat.

I figured by being quick and handling as little as possible at Round Valley the chances were pretty good. Like Capt Lou posted I also try to never take them out of the net and keep them close to the water for a quick pic in the net when I release them (I wished I had done a better job with the golden I caught but did everything as quick as I could to get it back to the water).

I'm thinking of getting a BogaGrip if that would improve the mortality rate. Does anyone use them or would recommend them for trout?

[AndyS]

"The biologist say 80% of trout that are caught and released will die." I think if that were the case we would see dead trout all over the place, I think it's a 50/50 split, those who catch and release and those that catch and keep.

I think a boga grip is a little too much for trout.
Best method, wet hands first, play fish quickly, handle as little as possible.
Gut hooked ?...cut the line.

[shrimpman steve]

I use a pair of foreceps. Grab the hook and twist, fish is back in the water without being touched.

[Moz]

Originally Posted by AndyS

I think a boga grip is a little too much for trout.
Best method, wet hands first, play fish quickly, handle as little as possible.
Gut hooked ?...cut the line.

I thought it might be a bit much but a major part of their advertising was for catch & release while taking a pic and handling the fish as little as possible so it piqued my interest.

The price on the other hand has me a bit wary.

[Fluken-Around]

[QUOTE=AndyS]"The biologist say 80% of trout that are caught and released will die." I think if that were the case we would see dead trout all over the place, I think it's a 50/50 split, those who catch and release and those that catch and keep.

I do a lot of trout fishing on a private stream that barely gets any pressure. They stock it once for opening day and once at the end of May. From opening day to around mid June i trout fish that stream minimum twice a week. I practice catch and rlease on this stream so the fish are always there when i want to come back and fish again. If you use the proper release techniques your released trouts survival rate is very high! I catch some of the same fish 5 times in a season! For example I had a brown that lived under a big blow over which he had a heron peck hole that healed on his side. I caught that fish at least 5 times from April into mid summer!

I personal hate gettin a net untagled from the pickers a 100 times while i'm working a stream so I don't carry a net! So if i can just reach down with my pliers and pull the hook out. I won't even take the fish out of water unless it's a beautie and i want to take a quick look at her. If I have to handle the fish I make sure my hands are wet and hold it firmly between dorasl fin and head."NEVER UNDER THE GILL PLATE" If hook is deep i'll just cut the line as close to the mouth as i can and release it. I've also caught plenty of fish with the line still in there mouth from when i cut the hook a week ago. So if you drag the trout on shore put a towel around it and yank the hook out. I wouldn't expect to catch that fish next time you fish there. But if you take the time to properly release the fish i guarantee you'll be enjoying catching those fish another day later in the season!!

I know as well as anybody but sometimes you just hook them to deep and there bleeding pretty good and there's no chance there going to survive. They swim away good but then a few minutes later your excited cause a fish just jumped until you realize it's the one you just released that's doing there final death roll! Well that's just part of fishing and is going to happen time to time!