30" Browns

[JackM]

Stocked!

 

[LongWader]

I think this is an excellent thread and there is a lot of great information here and from my personal experience it is both helpful and very relevant. One thing that seems to have a bearing on my success catching large trout has to do with periods of relatively stable water temperatures in different rivers during the Spring, Fall and Winter. While night fishing for big browns in a no brainer during period of mild to warm weather I have not found that to be necessarily true during mid to late Fall and early spring when you may have huge swings in the water temperature between the night and day. An example would be a high pressure system with very cold nights, relatively warm mid day temperatures with the temperatures quickly dropping again a soon as the sun angle gets low. In that situation you often have an intense, but brief feeding period in the late morning once things finally start to warm up and an early low light bite in the late afternoon and maybe very early evening. Cloudy days with less radiational heating and cooling you will often get a longer early morning low light bite followed by a longer evening to night bite. It really depends on when the river temperatures stabilize and for how long.
I hope I explained it so it makes sense.

 

[Alnitak]

My nephew caught a legitimate 30" brown on the Kettle up in Potter County last year. It was taped out but not weighed, right on the 30" mark. He was using a 4WT rod and he said it took him over 30 minutes to land it. All they had for a photo was a cell phone, so the picture quality is not the best.

The look on his face says it all!

Jeff

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I had no idea they stocked em that big on Kettle! I've caught some nice chunkers, but nothing like that up there.

 

[Alnitak]

They have a cabin up there and fish it often, so they were surprised, too. It was probably an old breeder that was put out. Based on its appearance, they felt it had been in there a little while, so it was probably dropped in when it was a little smaller and stuck around another few years to grow some more.

My nephew is a very talented fly fisher. I would have no doubt lost the fish by not playing it properly.

 

[klingy]

Speaking of 30 inch browns, this guy got pretty close in the letort. Kind of hard tell exactly how long they were when they get shriveled up like that, but definitely a decent fish.

 

[krayfish2]

I suspect that Night Stalker may personally know that fish.

 

[Night_Stalker]

K2,

I have met the young man a number of times. He says he lets them all go…hummmm! His truck has a "Got Trout?" vinyl lettering on the back. I have not see him piloting a jet ski.

I am not certain of this…but his friend may have kept a 17" possible "wild" rainbow the year before…not 100% on this.

First and second place fish, same guy, same hole.

Don't fret K2, I have One Bigger than those…waiting in the wings. I will several even larger before the contest ends. I need additional bling added to my Previous First Place Trophy (catch-n-release, people) at work, it is looking empty.

I know, maybe I can get a skidoo and plan to ride it threw a certain hole when certain people what to harvest wild fish.

I did look through my extensive photo archives of 24-26" fish and did not see any that skinny. No dot pattern match ups. This fish was not eating well. A 26" fish should be no less than 6-lbs., and as large as almost 8-lbs. (for this region). I have caught fish with very large heads and skinny bodies that were near the end of there lives.

Last year, I in fact did enter a catch-n-release fish that was bigger that this one towards the end of the year, but it was beat by some one who was catching (and keeping) the remaining large browns out of a different CV limestone.

By December…I plan to exceed the winning entries for (Drum Roll) Small Mouth, Fallfish (not on purpose), and 1st & 2nd Place Browns…maybe place a Rainbow…just saying'… Muskie would be cool too (but real unlikely).

It is good to have goals as a challenge. Local contest…local Joes.

 

[Night_Stalker]

Klingy,

There are much healthier fish all over the state…and larger…much larger.

That is why I keep my Steelhead Net with me!!!

I believe I saw bigger last week.

The particular "contest" permits honor system catch-n-release photo entries. I would prefer to see a live fish photo than a dead one. But that is just my opinion.

Fish do continue to grow and can be re-caught…by several people…and even years in the future. I've seen it happen numerous times.

 

[krayfish2]

I hope to get back over for some smallmouth soon and will try for some Brown's post spawn. You catch and release for contest or keeping them?

 

[Swattie87]

With ya NS...For the law several years in a row I've caught a Fallfish that would have certainly made it. Trout not so much. I am a better Chub angler than Trout angler.

Did anyone else see the 23" 12+ pound Bow? Typo?

 

[Night_Stalker]

All fish are released to be caught again and again

 

[Night_Stalker]

Swattie ...
That would be quite the pellet pig, the size of two very healthy fish.

 

[Youghoholic]

I love this post, me and my buddy have been hunting for these elusive gaints every weekend for over a year now, both of these fish pictured are in the 26.5 range, just goes to show how big a 30 incher really is.

 

[Night_Stalker]

K2 and klingy,

Here is a fish that would now be at least 30". It is still out there!

This was the contest winner back in 2011, which was and still is my largest trout at 28.5" and around 9-lbs. Caught on a small plug.

In the past, I would try to print black and white images to size of fish.

The certificate / trophy with tape / money for scale.

Yes it was catch and release...tough to get a quick selfie holding a big fish at arms length.

 

[krayfish2]

Big fish. Tell me where to go and I'll tell you if he's over 30" now.

Is that your bowling trophy in the pic? LMAO

 

[Night_Stalker]

K2, she is migratory and she is money.

First place gets a trophy and a certificate. Second place get just a smaller trophy.

I'm going to try for 3 catergory wins...to fill up the work cubical trophy case. Trophy Wall photo from years ago...

 

[krayfish2]

That looks like a shrine that Benson and Stabler would stumble upon during the investigation for the serial catching of 25" brown.

 

[Stew5876]

Here is the closest I've ever came. This PA brown is river run and well on his way to the 30" mark. It's only a matter of time before someone gets one 30" out of this body of water.

 

[Longbow]

I fished Valley Creek earlier this week and caught two 8-9" wild browns. There were a couple cruisers in a slow section well over 20 and one that was easily in the mid 20s. I know I didn't spook one and drifted some caddis by him to no avail. Wondering whether they might be catchable if I were to go back at night and throw a mouse? What do you guys think? I really want a big brownie.