What's the Catch?

Snake EyesEpisode #8You 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 BackgroundThe 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 FactsThey can breathe for a little on land because of the sacs above their gills which take in oxygen from the airIt can survive out of water up to 4 daysThey have a big rox of sharp teeth, making it bot possible to golf them by their lipsThey can “walk” on landSegment 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 logsPlaces near/in hopewellHarrisonville LakeCrystal LakeMantua creekSalem canalDelaware riverSegment 3: How can I catch them?Rods to useMedium- light 7 foot spinning rod/ baitcasterBest line25 lb test braided lineBest live baitWormsBluegill cutbaitBest rigs/luresTopwater frogsPoppersBuzzbaitsChatterbaitsspinnerbaitsSegment 4: Why should I want to catch them?Reasons whyGood fight, very...

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 BackgroundThe 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 poundsFun FactsCan survive in salt and freshwaterState fish of Maryland, South Carolina, and Rhode IslandState Marine fish of New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and New HampshireLargest won ever caught on record weighed 124 pounds in 1896They can live up to thirty yearsSegment 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 HopewellDelaware RiverLake HopatcongManasquan ReservoirSegment 3: How can I catch them?Rods to useMedium power rodBest line30 lb braid12-15 lb fluorocarbonBest live baitWormsCut baitBest rigs/luresBuck tail jigPopper Diamond jigSpoon lureSegment 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...

 Oh Carp!Episode #6You 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 BackgroundThe 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 FactsThe history of farming common Carp can date it’s beginning all the way to Roman timesThey are the 3rd most frequently introduced species worldwideThere was once a report of a Carp living for 47 years in captivityThe largest carp ever recorded was caught by Colin Smith at Etang La Saussaie Fishery, France in 2013. The carp clocked in at 100.5 lbsChina is the largest producer of carp, accounting for 70% of the worlds production of the fishSegment 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 hopewellDelaware RiverRosedale LakeCurlis LakeWallKill LakeLake HopatcongSegment 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 use6 ½ to 7 ½ feet long medium-heavy action spinning rodBest line10-15 lb monofilament or braidBest live...

What’s The Catch?Walleye Ever See You Again?Episode #5You 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 BackgroundThe 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 FactsThey 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 lightIt is the state fish of Ohio,Minnesota, South Dakota , and VermontA female can lay up to 600,000 eggs a yearThey have their ‘taste buds’ on their lipsSegment 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 hopewellDelaware RiverMonksville ReservoirSwartswood lakeLake HopatcongSegment 3: How can I catch them?Rods to useSpinning rod Ice Fishing Rod if ice fishing Best line12-25 lb braid6-14 lb monofilamentBest live baitspan...

What’s The Catch? The PodcastEpisode Title: Somewhere Over The RainbowEpisode #4You 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 BackgroundThe 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 FactsBiggest Rainbow trout ever caught: 48 lbs caught by Sean Konrad on September 5th,2009They always end up returning to their birth placeThey can lay thousands of eggs at one timeThere are fifteen subspecies of rainbow troutSegment 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 HopewellStony Brook Creek, Pennington: Rosedale parkAqueduct next to the Delaware river, TitusvilleMolders fishing preserve, Monroe TownshipMusky Trout Hatchery, AsburySegment 3: How can I catch them?Rods to useSpinning rodFly fishing rod

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network Show Name: What’s The Catch?Episode Title:  Feline FrenzyYou 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 BackgroundCatfish 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 inchesAverage blue catfish weight: 83 lbsAverage channel catfish length: 22 inchesAverage channel catfish weight: 3-10 lbsBiggest blue catfish ever caught: 143 lbs, 57 inchesBiggest channel catfish ever caught: 58 lbs, 48 inchesThey don't have scales like other fish, they have something that is very similar to human skinThey have taste receptors all over their bodyTheir bottom dwellers, meaning they eat whats on They taste delicious to eat when deep friedSegment 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 notPlaces in/ near hopewellRosedale lake: penningtonCurlis lake: hopewellBeaver pond: Yardley PADelaware RiverSegment 3: What can I use to catch them?Unlike other types of fish, trying to catch...

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network Show Name:  Andrew RowanEpisode Title:  Bass, The Fan FavoriteThank 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 backgroundThe 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 bassAverage largemouth  length: 10-20 inchesAverage largemouth weight: .5 to 4.5 lbsNew jersey State largemouth record: 10 poundsAverage smallmouth length: 12- 18 inchesAverage smallmouth weight:1 to 4 lbsNew jersey small mouth state record:7 lbs, 2 oz largemouth US record: 22 lbs, 4 oz caught by George perry in 1932 in southern Georgiasmallmouth US record: 11 lbs, 15 oz caught by David Hayes in 1955 on the border between kentucky and tennesseeSegment 2:  EquipmentBefore 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.img...

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network Show Name: What’s The Catch?Episode Title:  Panned OutYou 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 BackgroundPanfish 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 inchesAverage bluegill weight: 2.6lbsAverage Green Sunfish length: 3 to 6 inchesAverage Green Sunfish weight: 1.2 lbsBiggest bluegill ever caught: 4 lbs, 12 oz, 15 inchesBiggest Green sunfish ever caught: 2 lbs, 2 oz, 14.75 inchesSegment 2:  Where can I catch them?Places in/near hopewellRosedale park: PenningtonDelaware river Washington crossing state park: TitusvilleDelaware and Raritan canal state park: PrincetonTyler state park: Newtown PAMy 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 ableTo ice fish for these guys, that’s also a fun optionSegment 3: What can I use to catch them?Best type of fishing rodSpinning rod because panfish are easy to catchMy favorite setupSmall hooks from eagle clawOne split shot for...

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.