Elusive 20 inch wild brown

P

PSUturf91

Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2016
Messages
37
Hello all,

I am originally from upstate New York. My whole life I grew up fishing small streams for stocked browns and wild brookies, with a 14 inch fish being a really nice one. While I am getting my Masters degree from Penn State I am doing my best to take advantage of the awesome trout fishing that central PA has to offer. I set a goal of 20 inches when I first started fishing here a year and a half ago. I have been fishing my butt of at Penns, especially at night and I'm having a blast. I have broken my personal best several times over and have caught plenty of fish in the 17 to 19 inch range and even one at 19 3/4.

So my question to you all is... how difficult is it to catch a true 20 inch wild brown in central PA, and is Penns the place to do it?
 
Keep doing what you're doing.

Some waterways have better reputations for big fish - the conventional wisdom on Penns is mixed. Many of the 20" browns in PA come from big tailrace rivers and fall to guys hucking big streamers.

However, you're catching fish in that size range so I'd stick to your plan. One strategy you might try on the rivers you're targeting is to fish a bit further downriver than one would normally hit for trout. Big wild browns in PA are often found downriver, almost where it transtions to warm water species (use your stream thermometer of course, and be aware of warm water temps). These downriver areas would be particularly tempting to me later in the autumn.

Don't rule out trying night fishing on some of the other local limestone streams. It's a bit like hunting trophy bucks: you need to discipline yourself to avoid the temptation to chase dinks - stick instead to hunting big fish. I'd continue to use big streamers under low light conditions. Large wet flies and surface flies like mice might be worth it as change up as well.

It took me many years to catch an honest 20" smallie on a fly but the quest was fun.
 
I don't have a whole lot of experience on Penns but I'd think it's as good a place as any. I'd stick to larger water as you are already. I'm a small stream junkie and in 6 years never caught a 20"+ in a small stream in PA. Finally got one last year in MD.

Also... WE ARE
 
20" browns would definitely be present in Penns, and a number of streams in Central PA. It's just a matter of time until you crack that barrier. If you are able to find a large fish during the day, that will help narrow down your forays at night. Fish will continue to grow this year, so that 19-3/4" fish may be a 20" fish by the fall :)

I'm stuck on 21" myself for wild browns. Haven't been able to crack that number but have matched it at least half a dozen times over the past 15 years or so.

Also, also, WE ARE +2.

All of the big browns I have landed have come from small freestoners.
 
Big fish eat big prey (for the most part) and are big because theyre smart. Fish at night or fish when conditions are tough. Lots of streamers. If the water is big enough use a sinking line to keep your fly in the zone longer. You also may want to make trips to different fisheries known for bigger fish.

Also, consider your streamers. When going for bigger fish i used an articulated wooly bugger. Its bigger, has nice action, and the maribou doesnt soak up water like rabbit fur so you can use lighter rods and its not as labor intensive. Use black or olive, too.
 
So my question to you all is... how difficult is it to catch a true 20 inch wild brown in central PA, and is Penns the place to do it?
Click to expand...

Not that hard, and probably not.

Penns, assuming we're talking about the most popular middle section, turns up an amazing number of 16-20" fish. To be sure, yes, these are nice fish in their own right, and there are some >20 inchers in there. But most, including myself, and you, and PFBC electro fishing studies, have reported that the 20" mark seems to be some sort of barrier. Many approach that figure, not many surpass it.

Meanwhile, I have caught 3 fish over 20" in Spring Creek, where the average fish size is much smaller!

While Spring doesn't fit this definition, typically the places to look for true 20+ inchers are:

1. Large rivers. In many cases these are tailwaters (otherwise large rivers are typically too warm). Upper Delaware. The Allegheny. Yough. Lehigh. Clarion.

2. Large lakes or tributaries to them. Obviously, the Erie tribs. But it's also true of many, many other lakes, just not in as great an abundance.

3. Marginal waterways. By marginal, I mean marginal. Not in the way that some use to refer to true warmwater streams. It seems to be that if you wanna grow big trout in a regular trout stream sized environment, you need to have low populations of wild trout. Low, but not non-existant. In many cases it's the lower area where a wild trout stream transitions to a warm water stream. Where trout are fairly rare because it gets too warm, but there are a handful of cold springs or tribs that are capable of holding a handful of fish in midsummer. Outside of the mid-summer time frame, when waters are cooler, you then have a handful of fish with the entire stream's food base at their disposal with very little competition from other trout, and in places that aren't typically viewed as trout fisheries and hence the fisherman aren't after them there. There are a number of these in central PA.

^^^In fact, LOWER Penns is such a place. ;). Look lower than the more famous middle section. Bald Eagle is another such example. But they aren't alone.

4. In artificial situations. i.e. they stock big ones there (obviously). Or they're wild, but someone feeds them.

Mainly, if you wanna catch >20" fish, you have to fish for >20" fish. Go to where they are and employ tactics to target them. That's hard for many of us, as it means giving up catching larger numbers of regular sized fish. It's kinda like musky fishing. They exist and can be had. But you're giving up catching larger numbers of fish in order to focus on very occasionally catching a big one.
 
There are 20" fish in penns, and at least one that is a good bit bigger than that.
 
Besides targeting big fish with big fish lures, it's a good idea to target the prime structure, usually the nastiest and toughest to fish. I have caught several fish over 20 in smaller creeks, but they were always in the hardest structure to fish: down tree trapped under an undercut bank with exposed roots with low overhanging branches too boot, those kinds of places. On the bigger rivers and creeks, especially at night, you should have no problem eventually reaching your goal.
 
If you caught one 19 3/4, large majority of fishermen would call that 20.

And a large percentage would also call it 21 or greater. Depends on their ego level at the time. Lol.
 
stick to penns. I fished it at least 60 times this year and have broke the 20 inch mark at least half the amount. It was the best year for myself on that stream. I landed more 20 inch fish that any other year
 
If you caught one 19 3/4, large majority of fishermen would call that 20.

And a large percentage would also call it 21 or greater.
Click to expand...

Haha. True.

http://fishandboat.com/images/fisheries/afm/2007/3x09_25penns.htm

I realize this is just the Trophy Trout section and last reported in 2007. And generally bigger fish are farther downstream.

Roughly 21,000 brown trout captured over a number of years with electro fishing gear. Zero above 20".

Do I believe there's a few 20+ inchers in Penns Creek? Yep. But I don't think there's very many, at least not if we're talking about upstream of Cherry Run. I think there's a whole lot in the 16-18" range. An impressive number at that size. And they are fat and heavy fish for that length too, and they fight like freight trains. I've caught them and I consider them to be trophies. The OP has caught them too. And virtually everyone who spends much time there, I'd imagine. But they aren't 20". And I think some anglers may call those 20 inchers. Especially if they report catching bunches of them.

Farther down, below Glen Iron and that area, well, I can't personally verify, but I could buy that there's more 20+" specimens, even if there's less wild fish overall.
 
I think there comes a time in many fishermens lives where they accept that most of their twenty inchers were in fact 18 inchers.

Make sure you mark your net at the 20 inch mark if you dont carry a measuring tape.
 
I think more than where is how and when. 90% of my 20+ fish get caught in the morning. From first light till maybe 9am. I would say 80% of that came from streamers.

If you go to Penn State there are many great stream for you to break that 20+. Penns, Little J and Spring to name a few. I would even take a drive and hit up the upper Delaware.

Good luck and tight lines!
 
So based on the replies I've received thus far (and thank you to all who have) I'm doing the right things, but perhaps I should venture further down stream on Penns, or invest more time on Spring and/or Little J at night...?

Also for the record, every fish that I speak about with an exact measurement, has been measured with my trusty flexible tape measure. Any approximate measurement I mention has been measured with my net, or estimated. I try to be as realistic, and honest as possible as I'm well aware of those who often call 16 inch fish "20 inchers".

Also... @sarce @salmonoid PENN STATE!
 
OP,

In order to catch a 20" wild brown, you will probably have to do the following:

* Focus efforts on waters that have the potential or proven that they hold larger fish. There are quite a few streams in PA that are well known for holding bigger fish. There are quite a few right by your school.
* Be adaptable in fishing time, methods, etc. You may need to change times you fish, areas that you fish and / or types of methods used. I've caught quite a few over 20" on dries and nymphs...... so you don't have to throw 7" junk. You may also have to find the fish due to movements triggered by water temps or spawning urges.
* Don't give up. You may find yourself going from a 19 3/4" best fish to a 23 1/4" best fish.

 
P.s. what's your masters in? M.S. in MATSE from PSU here. We Are +3.
 
My degree will be in Agronomy, specializing in turfgrass entomology. Basically I study alternative (to chemical pesticides) control methods for golf course insect pests.
 
PCray offers good advice as usual. Marginal streams can grow some beautiful fish. Find yourself a good one and you may be surprised at the average size of trout that you pluck from its waters. Also, don't just focus on those famous streams. I know this is kind of redundant since I just told you to find a marginal stream, but seriously there are many streams capable of growing a 20 inch specimen that aren't Spring, Penn's, or the Little J. Those streams aren't bad places to look, however, and if you choose to wade the Little J at night be cautious.
 
Oh, and as a side note, my largest wild brown is a 24" beauty and she didn't come from Penns, Spring, or the Little J. It also came from a stream that is not marginal and is loaded with wild browns, but is still fairly big water. I have also seen other fish over 20" taken from this stream. Just start searching and don't rule out waters even if they're stocked. Nearly every stream around State College has a wild brown population.
 
PSUturf91 pm me and ill get your email and send you some pics of ones 20 and over me and some guys I fish with have caught in penns.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Harman's North Fork Cottages


Real Time Data From
the USGS Site

Share this page

Back
Top