River and lake pre-spawn browns

[Chaz]

Twice now I've witnessed large migrations of brookies from large water to small water and I know a couple of places where I know reliable sources have seen it. Once was on Fishing Creek near Lamar.

 

[Brown71]

Seafood, thank you for the kind words! Sounds like your buddy is a big brown addict also!!!

And you are so right, TIME may be as a big a part of chasing the big browns as anything is. Without being able to go day after day after day, especially on some waters, is the only way to year after year get these fish. Because I have found there is definitely a sweet spot, BUT, from year to year the fish are not always there on the exact same days. (Yet sometimes they are)

I, like your friend, have an extremely flexible work schedule. The amount of time I put in from Oct through Dec is almost ridiculous LOL. If I actually posted how much I fish people would think I'm some form of idiot LOL! it also helps that I fish 3 separate watersheds for the bigguns but they are all within 40 minutes of my home.

That being said, it actually has been a tough go so far for me this fall. I got 2 browns over 20" from one stream in late October, and 2 more from another stream so far in November. Its looking better, but the water right now, at least where I am fishing, is very low.

 

[pete41]

probably as experienced at targeting pre,post spawning browns as any one here having spent 30 years doing so in Montana,mostly on the Missouri near Helena-
Pre-target them pre dawn to slightly after sun up on inside bends ,right on the edge of the seams.After sun hits water they will drop back into deeper water-sleep during day and hit the water again in late after noon-size 2 streamers ,8 pd test was my go to rig after years of testing-go heavier and numbers drop off-
Post- same thing except fish from about 11am to 3.
Those were the two times of year when I would expect to catch at least one four pounder or better a day and sometimes as many as 5 so it was my time of year=took a week or two vacation in the fall just to go after the run-sometimes in jan. would take a couple of days if we got a chinook-loved it,missed it.
{fish weighed and released,never lied[to myself]] about weight-a 4 and 3/4 pounder was recorded as that,not 5 -lol