Near 30" Susquehanna Brown Trout - What Say You!?!

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Since they are a myth,;-) and don't exist, here is a fish posted on a susquehanna river facebook page. Said near 30" in brown. Since fish size is always a great debate, how big? I say 29 1/4".

All jokes aside it's an interesting brown and no doubt was a migrating brown. Nice fish, rare catch?

 

[Swattie87]

Clearly shopped. I think I may see a Squatch on the bank in the background too.

I'd say those proportions are legit. It's nearly waist to the top of that guy's head...upper 20's approaching 30 seems right.

Any indication where on the Susky?

Edit: A pair of Squatches actually. Look on either side of the two trees leaning toward the left.

 

[bikerfish]

plus, I think I see images of Jesus and the virgin Mary in the water, so clearly a miracle fish! Nice job of the guy gilling him.

 

[Swattie87]

We only need to find the mountain lion and the PAFF Where's Waldo is complete.

 

[Fishidiot]

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
Nice fish, rare catch?

Wow!
Indeed a rare catch but not unheard of.

The Susky bass and walleye guys occasionally get some very big browns during the colder months of the year and these fish often show up on social media making trout FFers jaws drop. There was a 3o+" fish from the Susky last year on a tube lure.

A telemetry study of some of these fish would be fascinating. It might turn out that they spend a lot more time in large rivers than is commonly known.
Neat pic - thanks.

 

[Swattie87]

Fishidiot wrote:
A telemetry study of some of these fish would be fascinating. It might turn out that they spend a lot more time in large rivers than is commonly known.

I'd bet that is the case. My guess is this fish is in the Susky year round, or darn close to it. Some individuals in the population may have a higher temp/lower DO tolerance that allows them to do this. When things get warm, they find a way...mouth of a cold trib, spring seep at the bottom of a deep hole, etc.

That fish is a meat eater...You don't get to those proportions spending your time in a typical PA Trout freestoner, or limestoner even. These kinds of fish show up in the BIG rivers, typically associated with Smallmouth Bass and other WW game fish.

 

[krayfish2]

Awesome. Completely believable and these beasts pop up from time to time. I agree with Swattie....this fish ain't sipping olives. This phenomenon is very intriguing and a study might yield some interesting data.

30" trout isn't impossible in this state. Rare but not impossible. Last trip to the Yough, talked to a guide that's boated / measured 2 that broke 30" mark. I've seen plenty of pics from there of 24"-28" fish so I'll buy it.

At any rate, amazing fish and I'll assume itwwasn't released which is a shame.

 

[Stenonema]

Krayfish you have come a long way.

For any studies to be done you first have to find them.

 

[poopdeck]

He is holding that fish a good 18" away from his body, distorting the size of the fish. Using 18" as the base of a triangle I calculated the apex using the formula e=mc2/TT-r3 and was able to determine that fish is a very common 14" brown trout.

 

[Swattie87]

poopdeck wrote:
He is holding that fish a good 18" away from his body, distorting the size of the fish. Using 18" as the base of a triangle I calculated the apex using the formula e=mc2/TT-r3 and was able to determine that fish is a very common 14" brown trout.

Pythagoras don't lie!

 

[JackM]

I expect your math to be contested. What is the mean variance between inches from the body versus the resulting length calculation. In other words, what if he was only holding the fish 12" from his body? The fish is a monster, and has a huuuuuuge head. Like Donald Trump.

 

[phiendWMD]

I guess someone has to say it. Probably from the fall stocking...

 

[troutbert]

I guess someone has to say it.

Nice fish. Thanks for sharing.

Just kidding. There's no doubt there are big browns in the big warm rivers. In the Juniata, West Branch Susque. Many other places.

But there are so many questions about them.

How common are they?

How many are wild trout vs holdover stocked trout?

What are their movements through the year?

Where are those trout when the Susquehanna is 90F? In some thermal refuge deep in the river, or in tribs or at the mouths of tribs?

And of course the really important question: When and where can we catch them on dry flies?

 

[djs12354]

Clearly stocked - Might be a hold-over. Or part of the new trophy stocking program?

 

[Reeder]

Every couple years somebody pulls a monster brown out at the dam in Williamsport. I got this 23" brook trout there about 5 years ago while bass fishing. It looked like it had been in the river for quite some time.
Also, I didn't stick my finger in his gills on purpose he was jumping around.

 

[allan_s]

Still haven't seen a 30 inch stream trout with a tape measure. So till then, close but no cigar.

 

[SteveG]

IMO, if that were from a fall stocking, its fins and tail would still be jacked up. I'd recommend anyone who questions "warm water" trout to have a look at the telemetry studies on the Little J. Those fish aren't necessarily as migratory as once thought. That could very well be a wild fish.

 

[henrydavid]

If you zoom in on the photo you can see a kayaker heading up on the right and what almost appears to be a dam up above,...

 

[Brown71]

allan s, I have caught 2 from streams 30"+. Go back to last years post on 30"+ browns for a pic of a measured 30.5 inch brown from a well known stream.

These fish exist, many(maybe most) don't fish where/WHEN large browns are present.

 

[krayfish2]

Stenonema,
I'm not exactly sure how to take your post. Just because I fished twice with a person that shall remain nameless doesn't mean I'm that person. I've never had a problem posting photos or general info on waters that I fish. Sharing some info with public is OK in my book.

Back to the OP........ It's not a stretch that there are resident trout in the Susky (even as far south as the York Co line or even lower). There are also transient fish that find thermal refuge during warm water periods. Good luck finding these populations though. Just think of how many wild trout streams and stocked streams dump directly into the Susky. Over a 50 year period, some of those fish have been blown into the river or moved there of their own free will. Most would perish but some adapt. It took the bows on the Delaware less than 100 years to morph into their own unique strain. Able to withstand warm temps and highly migratory. Why couldn't the same exist on the Susky, Pine, Lehigh, Juniata, Swattie and countless other 'warm water' rivers? Very interesting, small population numbers and elusive.

Last winter, I had a long talk with Clouser Sr about trout in the river. He did tell me that he's aware of 2 very large springs in the main river. He's had clients bass fishing and spotted browns cruising the edges of the cool water. He told me he saw a large shape moving through the weeds and assumed it was a big carp. As it got closer to the boat he got a better look and said out loud 'what the hell is an Atlantic Salmon doing in this river?'. He'd seen them in and around the springs for years (but only at specific times of the year). He never targeted them either. Pretty cool. I'm positive I found a pod of bows feeding on Sulphurs one spring and they let me get my boat quite close. I only had a 7wt sink tip with me so I just observed for a while and moved on. I've heard of big bows in Susky above Williamsport and in the W Br of Susky. I imagine the populations are so small and spaced out that it's never warranted any interest from PFBC for a study. The fish in the original pic has to be 12-15 years old! Snap a pic and get him back in the water. At any rate, just fish because you never know......you might just find one of these unicorns.