What's the Catch?

Snake Eyes

Hopewell Valley Student Publications Network — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0500

Snake Eyes

Episode #8

You are listening to What’s The Catch? the podcast with your host Andrew Rowan.

In this episode of What’s The Catch? We’re gonna be talking about Snakeheads :what they are, where to find them, how to catch them, and why you should want to catch them.

Segment 1: Species Background

The Northern snakehead are predatory fish native to Africa and Asia. Their name comes from the fact that their pattern along their bodies resembles one of a snakes. Their head is also very snake-like. They’re an invasive species, being introduced to U.S waters because of people dumping their pet snakehead into a local body of water without knowing they are not native here. Their average length is 33 inches and the average weight is around 15 lbs.

Fun Facts

They can breathe for a little on land because of the sacs above their gills which take in oxygen from the air
It can survive out of water up to 4 days
They have a big rox of sharp teeth, making it bot possible to golf them by their lips
They can “walk” on land

Segment 2: Where can I find them?

With being an invasive species, Snakeheads can be found in Jersey but not as common as other species. Their are still some places that have them. The best places to fin them are under vegetation like lilies, underwater grass, and downed trees/tree logs

Places near/in hopewell

Harrisonville Lake
Crystal Lake
Mantua creek
Salem canal
Delaware river

Segment 3: How can I catch them?

Rods to use

Medium- light 7 foot spinning rod/ baitcaster

Best line

25 lb test braided line

Best live bait

Worms
Bluegill cutbait

Best rigs/lures

Topwater frogs
Poppers
Buzzbaits
Chatterbaits
spinnerbaits

Segment 4: Why should I want to catch them?

Reasons why

Good fight, very strong fish
Cool looking, looks almost prehistoric
Being invasive, fishing for them and getting them out of U.S. waters helps a lot

Music Credits:

Caravan By Oliver Tray

Connect with us on Social Media

@theHVSPN

Bass, Round 2!

Hopewell Valley Student Publications Network — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0500

What’s The Catch?

Bass, Round 2!

Episode #7

You are listening to What’s The Catch? the podcast with your host Andrew Rowan.

In this episode of What’s The Catch? We’re gonna be talking about Striped Bass :what they are, where to find them, how to catch them, and why you should want to catch them.

Segment 1: Species Background

The Striped Fish is a Saltwater Fish found primarily along the th Atlantic Coast of North America. They have sleek bodies and are gray in color. They get their name from the stripes along the sides of their body. Their average length is between 20-35 inches and their weight can range from 5 to 20 pounds

Fun Facts

Can survive in salt and freshwater
State fish of Maryland, South Carolina, and Rhode Island
State Marine fish of New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and New Hampshire
Largest won ever caught on record weighed 124 pounds in 1896
They can live up to thirty years

Segment 2: Where can I find them?

Since they can survive in bothy kinds of waters, you can find them almost anywhere. But they usually are still mostly found in saltwater. Stripers move to shallower waters after dark so going on the beach and fishing would be best at night. So unlike other saltwater fish, it can be caught while on land. Going on Kayak as well is a good way to catch them.

Places near/in Hopewell

Delaware River
Lake Hopatcong
Manasquan Reservoir

Segment 3: How can I catch them?

Rods to use

Medium power rod

Best line

30 lb braid
12-15 lb fluorocarbon

Best live bait

Worms
Cut bait

Best rigs/lures

Buck tail jig
Popper
Diamond jig
Spoon lure

Segment 4: Why should I want to catch them?

I think that striped Bass are absolutely worth your time and you should definitely consider them when picking your next trip for three main reasons. First it that they are strong fish which give great fights when reeling in. they’re not hard to catch, but I wouldn’t say it’s easy. Second, since they can be found in saltwater and freshwater, you probably don’t have to go far to find them. Lastly, they taste so good. Whether you grill it, deep fry it, whatever, the meat tastes awesome.

Music Credits:

Caravan By Oliver Tray

Connect with us on Social Media

@theHVSPN

Oh Carp!

Hopewell Valley Student Publications Network — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0500

Oh Carp!

Episode #6

You are listening to What’s The Catch? the podcast with your host Andrew Rowan.

In this episode of What’s The Catch? We’re gonna be talking about Carp :what they are, where to find them, how to catch them, and why you should want to catch them.

Segment 1: Species Background

The Eurasian Carp or European Carp, also known as the common Carp, is freshwater fish native to lakes and rivers of Europe and Asia. They are not native to North America, but they have been introduced to waters here since the mid-1800’s as a heavily farmed fish. They can now be found in local ponds, rivers, and lakes. Two of the big places to find them can be the Mississippi River and the Great lakes. They are bottom feeders, meaning that they swim along the bottom of a body of water and feed what's on the bottom. They are large in size and have large scales, a large dorsal fin, and have two barbels (whiskers) on their upper lip. Their average size can range on average between 4-31 lbs. Adults can be between 16-31 inches long on average. The average lifespan for a common Carp can be up to 20 years.

Fun Facts

The history of farming common Carp can date it’s beginning all the way to Roman times
They are the 3rd most frequently introduced species worldwide
There was once a report of a Carp living for 47 years in captivity
The largest carp ever recorded was caught by Colin Smith at Etang La Saussaie Fishery, France in 2013. The carp clocked in at 100.5 lbs
China is the largest producer of carp, accounting for 70% of the worlds production of the fish

Segment 2: Where can I find them?

Like I mentioned earlier, now that Carp have been farmed and spread to almost every state and to every country, you can find them almost everywhere.

Places near/in hopewell

Delaware River
Rosedale Lake
Curlis Lake
WallKill Lake
Lake Hopatcong

Segment 3: How can I catch them?

Carp are strong fish and you will need to have a strong rod and line to make sure they don’t break you off or break your rod. They feed more in darkness so going early in the morning or at night will be the most effective time to go fishing for them.

Rods to use

6 ½ to 7 ½ feet long medium-heavy action spinning rod

Best line

10-15 lb monofilament or braid

Best live bait

Sweet corn
Bread
Nighcrawlers (worms)
Bugs
dough baits

Best rigs

You can use any rig you want. All I would recommend is that it has some kind of lead weight to keep it on the bottom, and to use an octopus hook.

Segment 4: Why should I want to catch them?

You should wanna catch these guys for a good couple of reasons. First, they are a good fish if you love a hard fight when reeling in. Like I said earlier, they are strong and will not be easy to catch. Second, they taste awesome. You can cook them any way you want, but I would recommend baking them in the oven and putting some kind of seasoning or glaze on it, kinda like how you prepare a salmon. Lastly, they are bad for ecosystems. They uproot and submerged vegetation when looking for insects, they make water clarity worse, and all this contributes to algae blooms. They also have no natural predators. So the more you catch them and get them out of our waters, the more your helping waters near you or around the world.

Music Credits:

Caravan By Oliver Tray

Connect with us on Social Media

@theHVSPN

Walleye Ever See You Again?

Hopewell Valley Student Publications Network — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0500

What’s The Catch?

Walleye Ever See You Again?

Episode #5

You are listening to What’s The Catch? the podcast with your host Andrew Rowan.

In this episode of What’s The Catch? We’re gonna be talking about Walleye :what they are, where to find them, how to catch them, and why you should want to catch them.

Segment 1: Species Background

The Walleye, also known as the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater fish native to the northern United States and almost all of Canada. They are gold and olive in color with a white underbelly. Their mouths are large with sharp teeth. Adult Walleye are usually gonna be between 2.5-3 feet long and weigh around 10-20 pounds. The average lifespan of a Walleye will typically be about 7 years.

Fun Facts

They get their name their cloudy-looking eye, which is caused by this layer of pigment called the tapetum lucidum that helps the Walleye see in low light
It is the state fish of Ohio,Minnesota, South Dakota , and Vermont
A female can lay up to 600,000 eggs a year
They have their ‘taste buds’ on their lips

Segment 2: Where can I find them?

They are native to Canada, the Great lakes, the Missouri River basin and the upper Mississippi River Basin, but have been able to be spread to the western and northeastern parts of the United States. These guys prefer cool, deep, and calm waters of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. They are mostly nocturnal and during the day mostly take cover under logs and aquatic vegetation.so the prime time to be catching them is around dawn or at night. It seems to be going nowhere but up for walleye fishing in the state. Walleye fishing in New Jersey has been growing in popularity over the last couple of years.

Places near/in hopewell

Delaware River
Monksville Reservoir
Swartswood lake
Lake Hopatcong

Segment 3: How can I catch them?

Rods to use

Spinning rod
Ice Fishing Rod if ice fishing

Best line

12-25 lb braid
6-14 lb monofilament

Best live bait

Nightcrawlers (worms)
Minnows
leeches

Best lures

Jig and grub tail
Blade baits

Best rigs

Slip bobber rig
Jig rig

Segment 4: Why should I want to catch them?

Walleye are great fish for a couple reasons. One, they are pretty cool looking fish. They have this beautiful coloring to them and the fact they have teeth I feel gives them a lot of character compared to other species. Two, the fight they put up when reeling in is one of the best. They’re an aggressive fish and will hit your bait hard and will make your time worthwhile. Three, most of the places they’re native to are some really pretty locations. The areas around the great lakes, both big rivers, and canadian wilderness are breathtaking views make catching them great because even if you catch nothing, you got to see all those pretty nature and relax. Lastly four, they are considered one of the best tasting fish. Putting them in a beer batter and frying them is the most popular way to cook them.

Music Credits:

Caravan By Oliver Tray

Connect with us on Social Media

@theHVSPN

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Hopewell Valley Student Publications Network — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0500

What’s The Catch? The Podcast

Episode Title: Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Episode #4

You are listening to What’s The Catch? the podcast with your host Andrew Rowan.

In this episode of What’s The Catch? We’re gonna be talking about the Rainbow Trout:what they are, where to find them, how to catch them, and why you should want to catch them.

Segment 1: Species Background

The Rainbow Trout is a freshwater fish native to North America. They get their name because of the beautiful coloration on the sides of their body. They also are a part of the same family as salmon. These guys average length is around 20-30 inches and weigh between 8 pounds. The average lifespan is around 3-4 years.

Fun Facts

Biggest Rainbow trout ever caught: 48 lbs caught by Sean Konrad on September 5th,2009
They always end up returning to their birth place
They can lay thousands of eggs at one time
There are fifteen subspecies of rainbow trout

Segment 2: Where can I find them?

Historically, Rainbow Trout have lived in rivers in lakes west of the Rocky Mountains, most densely populated in the Pacific Northwest area of the country. However, thanks to Trout being a very popular fish for farming, they’ve been able to spread to pretty much the whole country by stocking local lakes, rivers, and streams.

Places near/in Hopewell

Stony Brook Creek, Pennington: Rosedale park
Aqueduct next to the Delaware river, Titusville
Molders fishing preserve, Monroe Township
Musky Trout Hatchery, Asbury

Segment 3: How can I catch them?

Rods to use

Spinning rod
Fly fishing rod
Ice fishing rod if ice fishing

Best line

4 lb test line
Monofilament or fluorocarbon

Best live bait

Worms
Crawfish
Crickets or grasshoppers
Bread
Corn
Salmon eggs
Trout nuggets

Best lures

Rooster tails
Fly jigs
Jig and grub tail
Spoon lure
Jerkbait

Segment 4: Why should I want to catch them?

These guys are totally worth your time for several reasons. they’re super fun to catch. They put up enough fight to make catching them a challenge which makes you wanna keep coming back and trying again. They are some of the prettiest looking freshwater fish. Not every fish has the same reputation of being admired for their looks. Also where you find them can bring you to see beautiful places all over the country. In addition, they taste really good when you cook them. I personally would recommend using some cajun spice on some trout filets.

Music Credits:

Caravan By Oliver Tray

Connect with us on Social Media

@theHVSPN

Feline Frenzy

Hopewell Valley Student Publications Network — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0500

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Show Name: What’s The Catch?

Episode Title: Feline Frenzy

You are listening to What’s The Catch? the podcast with your host Andrew Rowan.

In this episode of What’s The Catch? We’re gonna discuss: Catfish, what they are, where to find them, how to catch them, and why you should wanna catch them.

Segment 1: Species Background

Catfish are a type of ray-finned fish. There are many different species of catfish and can be found pretty much anywhere in the world except Antarctica. They get their name from the barbels on their face, which look like cat whiskers. To make this episode more interesting and less time consuming, we’ll just be talking about the ones I'm most familiar with, that being the Channel catfish and the Blue catfish. Both are extremely common, with the Blue catfish being the most plentiful in the country. Both also can grow to be extremely big, with the blue in particular being able to reach over 100 lbs!

Fun facts:

Average Blue catfish length: 25-46 inches
Average blue catfish weight: 83 lbs
Average channel catfish length: 22 inches
Average channel catfish weight: 3-10 lbs
Biggest blue catfish ever caught: 143 lbs, 57 inches
Biggest channel catfish ever caught: 58 lbs, 48 inches
They don't have scales like other fish, they have something that is very similar to human skin
They have taste receptors all over their body
Their bottom dwellers, meaning they eat whats on
They taste delicious to eat when deep fried

Segment 2: Where can I catch them?

Both of these types can be found in Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs all around the State of New Jersey.

Even if you're not fishing in Nj, if you find a new spot and want to check it out, I would recommend throwing out a line for these guys. You never know if they could be in there or not

Places in/ near hopewell

Rosedale lake: pennington
Curlis lake: hopewell
Beaver pond: Yardley PA
Delaware River

Segment 3: What can I use to catch them?

Unlike other types of fish, trying to catch them using plastic baits isn’t that effective, you gotta go old school. This means nothing but live bait. These guys are bottom feeders and will almost eat anything, so trying to find the right bait for these guys won’t be hard. Since they are bottom feeders, you’ll want to rig up with some kind of weight to have the hook on the bottom of the lake/pond. For rods, you want a strong medium-heavy action rod with a 12-20 lb test of either braid or monofilament line. For hooks, I would recommend octopus hooks, their rounded shape and barbed tip makes it much easier to hook into these guys.

Best rigs

Slip rig: you can either use an egg sinker or bell sinker, it’ll just be your preference. Will not affect your ability to catch these guys

Best baits

Liver
Worms
Crawfish
Frogs
Live bait/ cut bait
Hotdogs
Really could be any type of food or meat

Segment 4: Why should I want to catch them?

These aren't the prettiest fish around, but they make up for it in their size and strength. With how big these guys can get, you expect a challenge when reeling them in. They are just all around fun fish. I feel that any type of fishermen could catch them, there isn’t a big skill needed to catch them like other species. They’re also cheap to get bait for because you can just pull some worms from the ground or get a pack of hotdogs from the fridge, so they won’t kill your wallet with a trip to cabelas or dick’s.

Music Credits:

Caravan By Oliver Tray on Soundcloud

Connect with us on Social Media

@theHVSPN

Panned Out

Hopewell Valley Student Publications Network — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0500

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Show Name: What’s The Catch?

Episode Title: Panned Out

You are listening to What’s The Catch? the podcast with your host Andrew Rowan.

In this episode of What’s The Catch? We’re gonna discuss: Panfish, what they are, where to find them, how to catch them, and why you should wanna catch them.

Segment 1: Species Background

Panfish are small freshwater fish that are native to North America. They get their name from being small enough to fit into a frying pan. There are many types of fish considered panfish.There are 38 species in the panfish family, so to make this quicker and not drag on, I’ll be talking mainly about Bluegill and the Green Sunfish since those are both the most common found in Hopewell and other areas close. What I can say from personal experience is that they do taste really good.

Fun facts:

Average Bluegill length: 7.5 inches
Average bluegill weight: 2.6lbs
Average Green Sunfish length: 3 to 6 inches
Average Green Sunfish weight: 1.2 lbs
Biggest bluegill ever caught: 4 lbs, 12 oz, 15 inches
Biggest Green sunfish ever caught: 2 lbs, 2 oz, 14.75 inches

Segment 2: Where can I catch them?

Places in/near hopewell

Rosedale park: Pennington
Delaware river
Washington crossing state park: Titusville
Delaware and Raritan canal state park: Princeton
Tyler state park: Newtown PA

My favorite spot:Rosedale park, spillway

P.S, you can catch these guys pretty much all year around.

I would say summertime is the best time, but with being able

To ice fish for these guys, that’s also a fun option

Segment 3: What can I use to catch them?

Best type of fishing rod

Spinning rod because panfish are easy to catch

My favorite setup

Small hooks from eagle claw
One split shot for weight
Bobber

Best real bait

Bread
Corn
Worms
Bugs

Best plastic bait

Plastic curly tail grub on a jig hook

Ice fishing setup

You can use the same setup as regular fishing. Using a jig or live bait is fine. If you use live bait, just don’t use the bobber. Also you will need an ice fishing rod, it's the same thing, just smaller.

Segment 4: Why should I want to catch them?

Panfish are easy to catch so they are good for little kids or beginners at fishing. It’s also just fun to sit near a pond and catch them all day. It's not big, but it’s still entertaining. The best reason is that you can use pinfish as live bait to catch bigger fish. If you're trying to catch big catfish, I would recommend first going out and getting some bluegill. You can take the bluegill, cut them in half, then put them in the hook as bait for the catfish.

Outro:

Well that’s gonna do it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening, I’ll see you soon in the next episode of What’s The Catch. Until then, I'm your host Andrew Rowan. Have a great day.

Music Credits:

Caravan By Oliver Tray on Soundcloud

Connect with us on Social Media

@theHVSPN

Bass, The Fan Favorite

Hopewell Valley Student Publications Network — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0500

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Show Name: Andrew Rowan

Episode Title: Bass, The Fan Favorite

Thank you for tuning into What’s The Catch? The podcast I'm your host Andrew Rowan.

In this episode of What’s The Catch? For the first episode ever, the catch of the day is gonna be: Bass, everything you need to know about the species, how to catch ‘em, where you can catch ‘em, and why you should go for these guys on your next fishing trip.

Segment 1: Species background

The Bass is a common species of freshwater and saltwater fish native to North America . It is one of the most popular game fish to catch. They’re so popular that most fishing tournaments consist of catching bass. They are personally my second favorite type of fish to catch. They’re are different types of bass, but we’ll focus today on the Largemouth and smallmouth. Fun facts:

Types of bass: largemouth, smallmouth, rock bass, peacock bass , and black sea bass
Average largemouth length: 10-20 inches
Average largemouth weight: .5 to 4.5 lbs
New jersey State largemouth record: 10 pounds
Average smallmouth length: 12- 18 inches
Average smallmouth weight:1 to 4 lbs
New jersey small mouth state record:7 lbs, 2 oz
largemouth US record: 22 lbs, 4 oz caught by George perry in 1932 in southern Georgia
smallmouth US record: 11 lbs, 15 oz caught by David Hayes in 1955 on the border between kentucky and tennessee

Segment 2: Equipment

Before we can talk about lures and baits,we need to figure out what kind of rod to use. Spinning rods work just fine but I would recommend a bait caster if you have the money.for line, i would recommend anytype of line between 8-12 test lines. You can go with monofilament or fluorocarbon, either is a great choice For largemouths, I would recommend if you intend to use a hook and plastic worm, I would say go with a wacky rig or texas rig. If you intend to use a hard plastic, I like to use a crankbait or a buzzbait. For smallies, these lures may work too but if you want the best results, I’d say get a jig.whether it be a hairy jig or tube jug, smallies will love them. All of these choices are perfectly fine to use. You could use a real worm and a bobber if you wanted to.

Segment 3: Where you can find them

Before you go find a spot, you gotta think about when is the best time. I would recommend fishing for these guys at night because they feed more at night and there's less anglers with you. The best seasons to catch them in Jersey are the spring and fall. Also largemouths are more active in warm water while smallmouths you can catch in cooler water but they still like to be on the warmer side. Bass fishing isn’t as strong in Jersey as other states, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find good spots. You can find them in most lakes and stocked ponds. There are tons of places to catch them in Hopewell, but I'll just name a few. Some local areas You can catch them in rosedale lake in rosedale park, curlis lake next to the mercer meadows equestrian center,Hunt lake near Orlando’s Cafe just to name a few, and in the canal next to the Delaware river. I wanted to include the best spots for North and South Jersey, so I've picked one spot for each. For north jersey I went with Monksville reservoir, and for south I chose Union Lake in Millville. If you have time to go to PA, I'd recommend Neshaminy State park in Bensalem.

Segment 4: why should you want to catch them?

I would recommend bass to both beginners and experienced anglers. Both smallmouth and largemouth´s put up great fights when reeling them in and itś always a blast. Also when you get that new personal best of let's say a 8lb or 10lb bass, the excitement is like nothing else.

Music Credits:

Caravan By Oliver Tray on SoundCloud

Connect with us on Social Media

@theHVSPN

What’s The Catch? Episode 0

Hopewell Valley Student Publications Network — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0500

What’s The Catch? Is a student-run podcast that examines all the aspects of the sport of fishing. Join podcast host, Andrew Rowan, as he breaks down different species of fish, what bait/equipment to use, and where you can catch them.