bdhoover77
Well-known member
I have not caught a wild trout greater than 16” in length. I caught a 20+” stocker brown trout but that doesn’t count.
Any Big Ones?
- Thread starter Brown71
- Start date
jifigz
Moderator
Well, I wasn't specifically referring to steelhead since those fish are stocked quite young and they have to survive the perils of the lake, but I do not hold them in high regard, either. I am talking about the breeder pellet pigs that get dumped in one day and caught the next.
Yea agreed or also for example the stream born fish that are fed 2lbs of meow mix a day for 3 years by the owners of the pay for play petting zoo’s on spruce creek.
mt_flyfisher
Well-known member
Not my fish, and not caught this year, but here’s some nice ones caught in the fall in, or near, places we’ve been talking about here.
I’m not sure @jifigz would tell us where this fish was caught in his backyard even if he knew, but it’s a nice one. Or was it from his front yard?
@wbranch may never have targeted these fish there, but maybe he’s seen a couple caught there? As the saying goes, big river, big fish.
And you might be able to guess where this fish might have come from. (hint: not PA)
I’m not sure @jifigz would tell us where this fish was caught in his backyard even if he knew, but it’s a nice one. Or was it from his front yard?
@wbranch may never have targeted these fish there, but maybe he’s seen a couple caught there? As the saying goes, big river, big fish.
And you might be able to guess where this fish might have come from. (hint: not PA)
jifigz
Moderator
Isn't that top picture a brown71 pic? I can make some pretty good educated guesses as to where that fish came from.
We have caught some tanks of browns out of the Juniata while fishing for coldwater smallies.
That would be my ideal situation to “target” them. Fly craft in a river that size. 12” of SA predator wire to 6” game changer. Cover a lot of water in the post spawn season and musky, pike, 18-20” small mouth, 18” fall fish, walleye, pickerel, or brown its all good fishing.
jifigz
Moderator
Yeah, but that is a lousy way to "target" them. They just aren't numerous enough in those situations. They are accidental bycatch.
mt_flyfisher
Well-known member
Amazing memory. 31” he said.
Yes thats why I put target in quotes because I’m in reality going for anything that bites. I’m just not willing to dedicate time to trophy brown trout or bust with limited fishing time and a busy work schedule. There are more effective ways of locating them in river systems and continually hunting them in confined high probability areas but that may or may not give you all the opportunity for the other fish.
jifigz
Moderator
Ha. I didn't realize that you put target in quotation marks.
I do agree with all that. When I realistically look at my records, there is a definite drop off of fish over 25”. For some reason though, I just get real excited every time I get one over 27” lol. And as you know I’ve been fortunate enough to get a few over 30”, and try tirelessly to do it again. But maybe I never will?
And I agree about the big stocker bows. I fish a place that has a lot of these. Myself, son and dad have all caught them pushing 30” or 30”, and I get ya, although fun to reel in, the feeling is just different.
Yes that is my fish. And yes it was a tick over 31” actually. That to this day is one of the only real big ones I’ve caught at this place oddly enough.
I have seen changes personally season to season. The low water has really put them out in the bigger waterways early this year than I am used to seeing with exception of some spring fed creeks with higher average baseflow.
Ggrove
New member
I know of a spot on Canoe Creek where you can find monsters. Odd because they haven't stocked browns in the lake in years, and it is nowhere near where they stock the creek, but I know for sure there is a population of browns that reproduce. Stumbled upon it a few falls ago fishing for panfish with red worms.
I think every large watershed west of the pittsburgish area in PA had at least a very low level of feral brown trout at a minimum with few exceptions. Most may not constitute a great “fishery” but they’re there.
Broodstock
Active member
Do you mean east of the Pittsburgh area?
Yes lol whoops
Broodstock
Active member
Yeah I had to check to make sure I was not oblivious to the marginal, non listed wild trout streams that support 25” or larger migratory brown trout populations in the rivers west of Pittsburgh 😂
Sure would save me a lot of gas and drive time!
hooker-of-men
Well-known member
Guess you've never seen the Trout Towns episode on Youngstown
Swattie87
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 3, 2011
- Messages
- 6,085
Yeah. I assumed that was a goof up too.
If it wasn’t, that would be really outside of the box and I’d tip my cap.
For anyone who is still following this thread and trying to learn…No one is gonna give you much specifics as to where these fish are being found. Part of the fun (most of the fun?) is figuring it out on your own and starting to connect the dots. But I think we’d all be comfortable in saying you can rule out anything in the extreme SW corner of the state. Say making a corner from Pittsburgh due west and due south. And that’s legit, and not stinkbait. Happy to help.
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