New jersey's sea run brown trout program

[Maurice]

All salmon/trout species are anadromous. They all can tolerate salt or salt water. However they all do not migrate or often times cannot.

Remember, the "sea run" thing means that they are born in fresh water and live their lives in the salt only to migrate to fresh water to spawn.

Those born in fresh with no practical link to the salt are just freshwater fish.

Salt is often used as a treatment in aquaculture of trout and salmon. It has a calming effect on stressed fish and reduces their propensity to develop bacterial infections.

 

[CatchingChrome]

I remember reading a article in flyfisherman years ago about fishing for sea run browns on long island. Seems like a waste of time unless u live there. Not sure i would travel there to try. Would rather fish montauk for stripers and albies

 

[FarmerDave]

We had a few sea run browns where I used to live in Connecticut. I lived there in the early 80s, and I'm not sure if they had a program for that or Atlantic Salmon (sometime before I moved there). But apparently they had given up on it or they just never too it all that serious because it seemed I was the only one who would clean out the fish ladder at a small dam upstream from where I lived.

I did see a few sea run browns in the fall but I never hooked one. they were very well fed on the baby bluefish.

There was another much much smaller stream within walking distance that flowed into the salt water. It had both browns and brookies, but I never tried it in the fall.

 

[fisherboy3]

I dont think traveling to Long Island for sea run browns is worth it at all. I live on long island and have only seen a few sea runs so far, and none of them were caught on flies. Most of them are always caught on killies, night crawlers, or roe sacks. Although its one of my life long fly fishing goals to catch a sea run on the fly, but the places they come back to are very hard to get a fly rod in, and let alone if you do hook up with one, they are very large, most of them exceeding the 4-5 and even heard of a few 10 lbers being lost. Theres 3 places on the island people talk about sea runs, the famous "Connetequot", the Nissequogue river, and Carmans river. But ill keep trying to catch one on the fly- Kev

 

[JeffK]

It seems to me the very few successful (and successful isn't very many fish as mentioned before) searun brown fishermen on the Manasquan are local guys who have plenty of time to spot and follow fish - I don't think a visiting angler has much of a shot. I lived in NH for a while and fished the searun brown streams in NH and Maine where it was basically the same thing - lots and lots of scouting and very few fish. Most people don't care for that.

The NJ hatchery brookies are Nashua strain and I don't think that is a strong sea-going strain. There was talk of getting brookies for the Tom's R from the Connetquot Hatchery that are native to coastal Long Island streams similar to the Toms and head to the salt, but the IPN outbreak and the closing of the Connetquot Hatchery ended that. It would have been interesting to see how that would have worked.

 

[BPS]

I think that's the big thing, Jeff. Not many guys willing to spend the time and effort for a chance at possibly hooking a fish. Most guys (myself often included) prefer the easier path or bigger numbers. That's why the great lakes tribs are so packed every fall. I mean guys gripe about only hookin up with 10 steelhead in 2 days. Some dude in Idaho would give his left one for those numbers. If that happened in girard pa in october thered be panic riddled posts on all the messageboards. I believe we are very spoiled/blessed (depending on my perspective that day) to be within a few hours drive from great fisheries of all types. I've pulled many sleep in the truck suicide trips to NY,NJ, and MD to shake off cabin fever or to smell the autumn on my favorite river,but the fact that I KNEW I was gonna hook into something or better yet quite a few somethings big and beautiful made it not only bearable. It made it worth repeating again and again. Why do ya think Paco's the only hardcore dude on here posting up giant musky pics, but there's all kinds of bluegill fishermen when the water gets in the upper 60's? Because it just ain't normal. I never met the guy in my life, and he seems like a pretty decent guy, but its obvious the guy must be a little "touched" as my mom would say.

 

[johnw]

JeffK has it right - catches of Manasquan sea-runs are few and far between. As far as the Toms is concerned despite tens of thousands of surplus brookie fingerlings being stocked there over the past few years, sea run brookie or brown catches are non-existent or at best extremely rare. It's unfortunate that the stocking of Connetquot brookie stocking plan for the Toms was sidetracked as I thought it had potential.

 

[Hookerman]

The idea and project plan to introduce Brook Trout from the Connetquot river on Long Island NY to the Toms river in NJ in hopes of establishing a naturally reproducing ‘searun’ or ‘salter’ population took shape over the course of nearly a decade and were mine. When it was completed I informed in-person all parties that might have had an interest or may have been impacted by it and was offered assistance by several. The project was cancelled because of a disease found at the Connequot hatchery.

Prior to discovery of the infection NJF&W gave preliminary approval for the permit to stock fish but would not issue it until a formal project plan was submitted. The reasons for using fish from that hatchery were several:

1) As others have stated they are a known
indigenous/native ‘salter’ strain from a river remarkably similar
to the Toms.

2) The principal NJF&W fisheries biologist would only approve the
stocking if the fish came from a certified disease free hatchery
and at the time the Connequot was.

3) The number of fish needed for the plan at the age required
would be available free of cost.

The formal project plan was never submitted but I can tell you it was extensively researched, detailed, all encompassing and professionally prepared. I’ll also say it was not just dumping a bunch a fish into the river and hoping for the best. The actual stocking (and method) was only one component and it was to be done only after all other objectives had been met (some were before termination of the plan).

 

[Fishidiot]

Hooker,
Fascinating story. Thanks. I wasn't aware of a plan to introduce "salter" brookies to the NJ shore. Is there a possibility that, should the fish be certified disease, free that something like this might be attempted in the future? My guess would be that, considering the results of the brown trout program in the Manasquan, that a brookie program might not be a priority(?).

 

[Chaz]

Gee, when was the Conneqout Hatchery cosed, the last time I was there it was still open, that's been within the last ten years.
I caught sea run brookies there, they are awesome fish.

 

[johnw]

Hooker - good to hear from you Denis

 

[sandfly]

fishidiot wrote;

I've often wondered where these populations were back before the spread of white populations across the northeast. Did brook trout migrate down into tidal areas across New York and maybe even PA? I think PA would have been tough due to water temps in the tidal Delaware or Susky, but during the colder months it may have been possible. Fun to think about.

Delaware did and has some sea run's. Not a lot but some years are better than others but there are sea run browns up to 12 lbs. in some areas. Back before logging and such the waters of the Delaware were a lot cooler in the lower areas.

 

[Hookerman]

" Is there a possibility that, should the fish be certified disease, free that something like this might be attempted in the future?"

Can't say for sure. BTW - This was not an NJF&W or TU project.

 

[jjp]

This may not have been a TU project but as a former member of the Jersey Shore TU chapter, we were activley involed in fin clipping of these fish at the Pequest hatchery prior to them being stocked in the Manasquan.

 

[Hookerman]

You're talking about the 'sea run' browns, right?

 

[jjp]

yes, they were destined for the Manasquan...

 

[Hookerman]

To many locals it's know as the 'Muddysquan' and a place to creel a limit of fresh stockies/pelletheads/rubber trout ect. to others 'The Lower Squankum' a river with a few pools in a couple sections 'down the shore' where a big 'sea-run' holdover trout might be caught from late fall to early spring.

As it's said "timing is everything" and there is no exception. Without 'giving away' too much I'll just say....location, location, location (in addition to timing). Flies, lures and/or bait are not as important as one inexperianced might think though I prefer bright colors (easier to see, for me). Steeheaders, 'seawin' specialists and Atlantic salmon anglers know what I'm talking about. In addition to the browns there's the occasional rainbow, too. Enough said before I get in trouble.

No natural reproduction (that's been verified) and, again, you've got to put in TIME (after you've done research and repeated recon.).

If you NEED to get out of the house and go fishing during winter and, live within easy driving distance it's worth a try especially if all the other streams or rivers in your neck of the woods are frozen over.

FYI - Some guys are very protective of their spots. Just sayin'.