Chanel’s Latest Hot Item: The Fly-fishing Rod
New Jersey trout season opener low-key after outbreak
APRIL 5, 2014, 11:20 PM LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014, 11:57 PM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
Dylan Cordes hopped onto a concrete wall Saturday and started counting fish. It was easy. The moment his slim shadow fell across the water, the surface of Silver Lake in Park Ridge broke into a dozen concentric circles, known to all fishermen as the universal sign of fish caught lollygagging.
“Trout!” said Cordes, pointing. “There’s four. There’s another one right there.”
From the dam’s wall he scanned both shores. There was not another fishing rod in sight. For a few minutes on Saturday, the first day of the trout fishing season, Cordes had the entire lake to himself.
“I can’t believe there’s nobody here. This place is usually a zoo on opening day,” said Cordes, a fisherman for 18 of his 19 years. “This is a really weird year.”
Indeed, New Jersey has never seen a trout fishing season opening day like this one. An outbreak of disease among farmed fish forced state officials to radically change their procedures for stocking New Jersey’s waterways for this annual rite of early spring.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/new-jersey-trout-season-opener-low-key-after-outbreak-1.842404#sthash.anV3H6jm.dpuf
Spring Trout Fishing Information Season Opens Saturday, April 5 at 8:00 a.m.
Pequest Open House March 29 & 30; Opening Day of Trout Season Just Around the Corner – DEP News Release, 3/24/14
As the winter that would never seem to end finally draws to a close it’s time to start thinking trout!
Many anglers are aware the Division has been diligently working on this upcoming trout season for several months in respects to necessary adjustments to the program as a result of Furunculosisat the Pequest Trout Hatchery. The Division greatly appreciated input from anglers in respect to these changes as the Division sought to conserve and protect our wild trout resources and other year round trout fisheries while continuing to provide an attractive spring stocking program.
Although this has resulted in a number of changes to the Division’s traditional stocking program there are intriguing aspects to these changes that will offer unique opportunities for anglers this year. The Division reminds anglers that there are no human health risks associated with the bacterium which causes Furunculosis.
Over 250,000 trout will be stocked for Opening Day – 60,000 more than previous years!
87 waterbodies will receive more trout than ever before!
Rainbow and brown trout will be stocked for Opening Day instead of brook trout that most waters typically receive! A small pilot study completed by the Division last year demonstrated rainbows were caught 2 to 1 over brook trout in 8 ponds.
Four new river sections added to the program for this year only! In addition, two other waterbodies not scheduled to be stocked will receive trout this year.
Bonus Broodstock Program continues with ten lakes to receive 30 rainbow trout weighing in at over 5 pounds!
1000 jaw-tagged rainbows are being stocked as part of the Hook-a-Winner Program