Fishing during the spawn

[Troutaddict172]

Hopefully gonna get out Saturday afternoon after some hunting in the am. Just curious do you folks still fish your favorite wild trout streams during the spawn period? Or do ya give em break.

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

Lots of guys have different opinions. Some completely quit fishing, some fish but avoid casting to spawning fish, some fish for other specifics (pike/musky are on now) some spend time tying instead, some seem to not care.

Do some reading and decide for yourself. I would say at least watch your step and stay out of the stream bed and especially spawning beds as much as possible, and do not cast to spawning fish or walk on top of them, as a minimum.

 

[Acristickid]

Anyone that fishes over spawning fish is a punk.

Including that super cool dude from the j a few weeks ago. Betcha he volunteers many days a year helping out with wild trout streams. I'd wager the dum sums that do , don't volunteer squat. They can suck it

 

[SteveG]

Yes, but I don't wade, and give spawners a wide berth.

 

[streamerguy]

Not every fish in a given stream will be spawning at once, so you should be able to find some pre- or post-spawn fish in the deeper water. Obviously keep an eye out for redds and don't wade through them.

I don't really have an issue with people fishing during the spawn as long as they're careful, but I'm not cool with casting to spawners. Don't do it. Fish for the fish in the deeper stuff that aren't spawning. It's cool to even just walk along a stream and look for fish, not even taking a rod. Fall stockies on the other hand that are doing the dance......have at it if you wish.

This year though, it might not be a bad idea to just not fish at all where the population may have taken hit. It was a rough summer.

 

[Troutaddict172]

I still fish just like everyone else said I leave the ones spawning alone stay out of the spawning zones and such they don't all spawn at once. I don't have a problem with anyone fishing during this time of year just need to be careful sticking to the deeper and fast runs.

 

[laszlo]

Anyone know how long the spawn lasts and how long it takes the eggs to mature in the redd

 

[NewSal]

Just me, and everyone can hate on me if they want.
I still fish during spawn, but just pay extra attention to where I'm walking, and where I'm casting too. I try my best not to disturb the spawning fish. Fall is too beautiful to not be out trout fishing

 

[salvelinus]

Streams I fished in the Spring were all but dry this Summer. I can imagine there was a pretty high mortality from the drought. I don't usually fish for wild trout in the Fall, and this year especially so. The trout need all the help they can get this year.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I fish during the spawn and I could care less what anyone thinks about it.

 

[Tiogadog]

How about this:

What are everyone's thoughts on fishing for rainbows that spawn in the fall? I noticed several large rainbows paired up yesterday on a south central PA stream that hosts a reproducing population of wild brown trout. The rainbows are most likely the result of private "club" stockings.

I did not fish to them, but frankly I am not sure I would be offended if someone wanted to fish to them.

 

[Chaz]

In my opinion, I don't fish over spawning trout, but I do fish during the spawn. I target fish that are feeding be it on the surface or underneath. If they're feeding they aren't generally spawning, over beds, and doing their dance.

 

[steveo27]

Sure, just be smart about it like everyone said. Avoid the fish that are doing their thing

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Yeah seems like just about all of us are saying the same thing. The choice to fish is up to you, but leave the spawners alone.

 

[moon1284]

No, I don't fish for trout during the spawn. NYS closes most streams. I switch over to GL tribs (to more or less fish during the spawn, however I don't fish for steelhead in the spring very often).

I'm going to take this a bit further and bet that most dry fly guys don't fish during the spawn and most nymphers do.

 

[bdfish]

I do fish during the spawn timeframe. I do not target spawning fish and am careful to stay away from redds. I fish fast and/or deep runs like someone else previously stated. In response to the last post, I do primarily nymph and I would agree with the assumption that most dry fly guys do not and most nymphers do fish during this time frame.

 

[Brown71]

I fish during the spawn every year. Don't target actively spawning fish and avoid tramping in redds. Way to beautiful and productive time to not be out.

I say this every year but I concentrate on catching large trout, particularly browns, and Late October through early December is hands down the best time to accomplish this.

 

[salmonoid]

laszlo wrote:
Anyone know how long the spawn lasts and how long it takes the eggs to mature in the redd

Generalization:

Brookies - October - November
Browns - late October - December

Eggs will mature and fry will hatch by February - March (but the window could be larger, given the range of spawn times possible). The colder the water, the long they will take to hatch. 44 days is the number between fertilization and hatching in 50 degree water for brook trout,, 41 for brown, and 31 for rainbows, so lengthen that number in freestoners, which will tend to be colder. Eggs are "green" for the first 30 days after fertilization and most susceptible to damage. There's a high probability if you wade through a redd in those first thirty days that you wiped out that population.

 

[krayfish2]

I try to wrap up fishing by October 15th. May hit the stream once or twice over the winter but basically wait for April hatches to get here. If I do go between mid October and New Years, I try to make it in streams that don't contain much natural reproduction. Personally, I feel that targeting fish on beds isn't very sporting.

 

[rrt]

I think it's all right to fish during the spawn if you stay away from the redds. I have often caught fish from broken water somewhat downstream from active redds.

Also, I have noticed one unusual non-occurrence during the spawn. A couple of streams that I regularly fish are filled with active redds from late Oct thru early December. But, one stream I know of hosts only a few redds with only a few trout on them, yet it is a wild trout stream with a fair population of fish. I guess trout are like people in that a certain percentage of the population does not participate in procreation? I've never heard a biologist comment on this aspect of trout behavior, but in that particular stream, it appears to be quite true.