Fishing Current Near Baptist Camp

[brownieman]

I agree Laker,

On the smaller baits you will catch anything and everything, even chubs and minnows.

Only difference I can see is using the larger baits keeps alot of the dinks off...if I hook a dink he generally has a quick trip in, most of the time I will jerk my bait away from them if I can. Sometimes their a little faster than me though, lol.

[laker67]

I agree Laker,

On the smaller baits you will catch anything and everything, even chubs and minnows.

Only difference I can see is using the larger baits keeps alot of the dinks off...if I hook a dink he generally has a quick trip in, most of the time I will jerk my bait away from them if I can. Sometimes their a little faster than me though, lol.

"Big" bait vs "small" bait, when it comes to catching large fish, will always be a personal preference. What ever has worked for you ,or me in the past, will be the style of fishing we most often pursue. The angler's" confidence factor" has alot to do with the choice between big or small bait. Either method will produce large fish.

[jdmidwest]

A bonus fishing situation is about to occur. Sometime in March or April, the area will receive the annual stocking of browns. You will catch alot of small browns and the competition for food brings out the big ones to feed in the daylight more.

[brownieman]

JD,

In past years they typically stock 9000 on the trophy strech, have the numbers changed or does anyone know for sure??

It will be a smorgasboard for the big boys, lol. It will make the stream more active no doubt.

[jdmidwest]

I really don't know for sure. It used to be about 1000 fish per mile in the trophy area from Montauk to Cedargrove. The stocking varies from year to year and MDC is usually pretty closed mouth about it till after it happens. Tom at the Montauk office would be the contact person to find out any details. The increased competition for food that follows the stock for several weeks makes for good fishing. Of course, meat fishers take advantage of it too.

Rainbow stocking should have already taken place and will continue thru Oct below Cedargrove, another good area that is an easy drive from the park.

[brownieman]

I do know the cedar strech (white ribbon area) used to recieve 500 fish every 2 weeks.

They stock it by boat unless the hatchery is short handed then they stock by truck at 6 different spots.

[cnr]

I fished the stretch from Ashley up to Baptist on February 10th and caught a ton of stocker Browns. At least I am assuming they were stockers, the size ranged from 12"-15" and most had very faint markings on them with rubbed down fins. I lost count of how many I caught (maybe 40+) in 4.5 hours fishing. Instead of the usual flyrod that day I was throwing a floating #9 Rapala (color didn't seem to matter). Not all spots held fish but when you found them they were stacked in there. It was a lot of fun but sadly no big fish came to hand which is why I went to the Rapala that day.

[Gavin]

They are supposed to stock 8,000 but the numbers vary...The stretches that they electro fish in the fall (two stretches between Montauk and Parker) get 1,000 fish per mile and if they have any left when they get to Parker they are supposed to dump em between there and Cedar Grove, though I dont think that the Parker to Cedar stretch gets stocked that often. Cheers.

[jdmidwest]

The stockers usually run 6-9 inches. What you may have run into was a supplemental stock from excess fish from somewhere. Or they may have grew better this year.

[Poke 'Em]

The stockers usually run 6-9 inches. What you may have run into was a supplemental stock from excess fish from somewhere. Or they may have grew better this year.

Or they may be fish that had been in the river a year or so and had spawned out (explaining the rubbed fins). I caught some like that last couple trips over, and all the fish with fins like that appeared to be males.