2017 Big Fish Statistics

[Brown71]

For those that are interested, and at the request of several folks on this board, here are my 2017 Big Fish Stats.

I hope the info can help someone. Sorry it took so long from some of the initial requests. I hope to add some info from past years, and a top 5 or top 10 all time local trout list.

These numbers are local fish ONLY, and does not include any fish I catch in the great lakes tribs.

2017 20"+ Browns Total = 7

10-14-17 24" xxx creek nightcrawler

10-16-17 22 1/2" xxx creek nightcrawler

10-26-17 25" yyy creek (ATW-many of you fish it) sucker spawn fly

10-29-17 23 1/2" xxx creek sucker spawn fly

12-10-17 29" zzz creek (largest of year) single egg

12-19-17 20 1/2" zzz creek sucker spawn fly

12-22-17 22 1/2" zzz creek single egg


The 7 browns were caught from a total of 3 streams(xxx, yyy, zzz)

1 stream is a very commonly fished place, and another is common higher up but I catch all these bigger fish down low, where they say there's not many trout. I'm not so sure about that.

I also caught another handful of fish ranging from 17" to 19", but not a bunch this year, got a few of them in spring and summer, but none over 20 at that time frame.

This was a average year for me, I have caught more and less of the 20"+ fish in a year.

Remember also, I fish almost exclusively for large trout in the fall months, and go 4-5 days a week, at least for a few hours. So a ton of time gets put in to this.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

That's a great year I have trouble enough just getting out of bed early to fish let alone know the lengths and numbers I caught I have all the pics though

 

[3oh4]

So you never caught a 20"+ fish until October... what do you do from Jan.-Sept.?

I would say you hunt the pre-spawn/spawn/post-spawn fish just by going from those statistics. Kind of shocked you never caught a 20" fish before fall with all that information of where they are based during the year.

 

[Brown71]

Hook jaw, thanks. I've always recorded the 20+ fish, since ive been 14 believe it or not. But that is all. I do no other recording, just dates, size, creek and bait of 20"+ trout.

I do have pics of most of them too, but that is what I'm lax at. I need to print them to put in my albums, but I haven't done so since 2015!!! I gotta catch up with that, but at least they are on the digital cam or phone. It doesn't help that I am severely technologically impaired LOL.

3oh4, I have caught them in years past in that time frame, just not this year. Got a 19" or 2 that was it. I don't fish as much in spring/summer as I do in fall/ winter, but still usually get out 3 times a week at those times. But, I definitely don't have the luck with them at those times like I do in the fall. There is no doubt, big fish appear in the fall and even after all the years of fishing some of the same places, I still wonder where they come from sometimes. I have posted on here before, I think the true giants are on the move way more than what the average person thinks. Just my .02

Thank you guys both!!!

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I only fish for large trout as well I fish year round get all most all of mine where its barely fished water in low light, after dark or high off color water majority of the time.

Most guys aren't willing to throw huge stuff for a only a chance of something big or nothing at all gotta be willing to get nothing everytime out to hunt these big trout.

 

[Brown71]

Hook Jaw, right on man. I agree on all fronts. The low light thing is HUGE. I fish mostly afternoon to evening, sometimes just evening if work is busy. Quite a few of these bigger fish I catch 15 to 20 minutes before and up to darkness.

Ditto on the high water too, ESPECIALLY when you know already where some of these big fish are previously. That's often the time they can be coerced.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

The high off color water evens out the playing field.

 

[moon1284]

You guys are talking about two different things. Hook jaw is talking about throwing big streamers for trout, brown is talking about drifting bait be it natural or artificial in front of spawning fishes mouths.

 

[Brown71]

Lol moon. I’ve never found a need to target actively spawning fish.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Im talking about targeting trophy brown trout with big streamers and mouse patterns year round that is correct moon.

 

[DriftingDunn]

Just out of curiosity, were any of these three streams private water?

How many of the seven do you think were wild trout and how many were stocked trout?

For someone who targets 20" trout and spends as much time as you do at it, catching seven in a year doesn't sound like very many, particularly when four don't count because they were caught with bait.

I'm not trying to be critical and I'm not jealous or anything; I'm just surprised you caught only seven. When I opened this thread I expected to hear that you caught at least 25. I caught three browns over 20" last year on dries and I don't even target them. None were even close to 29" though.

 

[Brown71]

Hey Dunn. No, none of these streams were private water.

I do have access to a short private section, on a well known limestoner that Beaver has water on. Of course, its over ran by 20"+ rubber rainbows, so I catch a pile of them that I don't even count on my list. That section did not give up any 20"+ browns this year, a few decent ones though.

As far as how many of the 7 were wild, I am sure 6 out 7 as there is no stocking at all on the other 2 waters where I caught them. The one caught in the ATW could go either way, obviously, so I don't want to say 100%, but it sure looked wild.

And I agree with you man, 7 is not a pile. It was average at best this year, my one spot that usually produces for a while just didn't have as many around this year. Notice I got 0 in November, that is rare for me. Also, I did not fish as much in spring in 2017 due to some health issues I was having, so that cost me a few I'm sure.

I have had years where I have caught many, many more, and I have had years where I only got 5 or 6.

The 29" was definitely a decent fish, it was my biggest since the one I posted pics of here back in 2015, that was 32".

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I don't think I have ever heard anyone say I am surprised you only caught 7 over 20" lol I don't care you you just target big ones or not or what your using 7 over 20" In a year is a good number here in PA.

All the ones that I have caught were all public water and places were lazy guys won't walk into majority of guys want to go 2 steps out of the car and into the water.

I don't count the numbers to a tee but I caught more then 7 over 20" But I would take 7 any year most guys don't even come close to sniffing 7 big trout in a year targeting them or not.

 

[AndyP]

Can you post the pic of the 32” again ? I’d love to see it.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I'd like to see the 32" also I don't remember seeing that.

 

[Brown71]

I will get my wife to help me with that at some point, I am terrible with that stuff LOL. I will also try to post this years 29" when she does it.

In the meantime, Ill try to find the old post. It was still on here a while back and ill get it back to the top if i can find it.

 

[Brown71]

Post with pic is at top, and it was 31 not 32, I miss-typed it on the recent post. My mistake.

 

[3oh4]

Yea, I agree seven fish at or over 20" in this area of the country is a dang good year. Iphones have allowed me to keep a log without actually keeping a log - I got to 5-6 20" or better fish last year and I will take that EVERY year for the rest of my life lol.

I have a two hour journey north or south no matter what I do to fish for wild browns, unless you live near a stream or river I would be shocked to say more than 1% of fly fisherman top out at one 20" wild brown annually.

 

[Swattie87]

I fish a good bit. Mostly small streams, and I'm definitely not specifically targeting big fish. I have NEVER caught a 20" wild Brown. I have numerous 18" or so range fish, but nothing bigger. I'm not specifically trying to catch them, but I agree...I'd say less than 1% of PA Trout stamp purchasers in a given year catch a 20" or larger wild Brown.

They're there, and if you make it your passion in fishing to locate them and fish for them, as a few folks here do, you can clearly have a chance to catch them. Still isn't easy though, and B71's results are very good, and a reflection on the effort put in I'm sure.

The vast majority of Trout stamp purchasers in PA would have no idea how to go about locating these fish. I don't know specific locations, but I have a general idea of how fish grow this big in PA waters. Takes a bit of a unique set up...But it doesn't have anything to do with private/public water in most instances. The big fertile limestoners will produce the occasional fish into the low 20's, but that's not where these really big Browns in the upper 20's to 30" are.

 

[Acristickid]

Lake Fish that run into streams to spawn for a very short time is my take.