The NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has announced that two new record fish were caught in September. The first was a sheepshead caught spearfishing and is the first record in that category for NJ. The second fish that came in was a landlocked salmon which broke a previous record.
On September 30, Joe Satkowski of Hampton broke the existing Landlocked Salmon record. Joe was fishing from his boat on Merrill Creek Reservoir, using a Temple Forks Outfitter spinning rod and a Shimano Stradic spinning reel when he landed the fish. A homemade jig served as the lure. The new record landlocked salmon weighed in at 8 lbs., 10 ounces. eclipsing the previous 2018 record by 5 ounces. The fish measured 26 inches in length and a 16.25 inch girth.
Merrill Creek Reservoir has been stocked with 14-inch salmon raised at the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Hackettstown Hatchery for three consecutive years beginning in 2018 (325 fish, 700 fish, 650 fish).