Brood stocking

mute

mute

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Came across an old video i filmed back in 2008 when the state stocked all the adult fish in the stream. It was crazy when every fish was 18-24 inches. I wonder how many years until it happens again.

 
I was dude'ed yesterday for telling somebody it was cruel to tell people they were brood stock.Let them dream.lol
He said you could tell by the fins anyway.Oh.
 
lol Pete.

Mute,

I think it was '08 when the FFing section of French Creek was stocked with bruiser bows. I caught 5 or 6 well north of 20" in a 30 yard stretch of the stream just after the February stocking. Found out later that Mike stocked it brood stock or brood stock candidates to free up the run for new fish. I thought maybe Donny Beaver acquired the stream and added to his list! :-o
 
It seems to me that stocking big "brood" fish is less common around my neck of the woods these days.....although, to be honest, I don't follow stocking trends all that closely. Back in the 80s/90s most of the local stocked streams here in the SC got at least a few big fish, often over 20" when they were stocked in the early season. My local special reg water typically got about 800 fish in its mile long section and there were usually three or four biggies mixed in. Nowadays, at least around here, it seems like "trophy" trout are usually stocked by clubs and the state allotments are all average sized fish. If the state does stock any big fish, it seems they're usually palominos. I do understand the limitations of what the state can stock with fewer hatcheries these days and a tight budget but I do sometimes miss the anticipation of being able to catch some big stocked trout from predictable pools.
 
Several years ago I caught a brood fish out of a local small stocked freestoner. Biggest brook trout I have ever caught. It was a female 18.5" long and fat. I did'nt weigh her as she was released after a couple of pictures but I'll bet she went between 3.5 and 4 pounds. Surprising how colorful she was.
 
Typically the allotment of "trophy fish" per stocking is around 10 per section or around 10/1,000 fish. With the exception of small streams where their survival in the early season is minimized by shallower water with less cover.

And typically they go into the general regulated waters and not the special reg waters that are stocked with tackle restrictions.

Occasionally there will be a need to dump biomass from a state hatchery or they will determine a management change for a particular hatchery and a "Bonus" stocking may come your way, which it appears happened in this case.

 
Maurice wrote:
Typically the allotment of "trophy fish" per stocking is around 10 per section or around 10/1,000 fish. With the exception of small streams where their survival in the early season is minimized by shallower water with less cover.

The last few float stockings I have done on the Tully there was exactly one "large" fish stocked. 1/1400 last week. I am not saying that is not the standard, it's just not what I have experienced in my small sample size.
 
My experience stocking in NJ is that the brood stock are mixed in with the regular stocking loads at a predetermined rate until the brood stock run out. Hopefully every stream gets some.

One thing I have noticed on the trucks is that the larger fish push the littler fish away and hog the bottom and corners where they can hide a little better. Therefore, the first places stocked rarely get a big guy since the tanks are full and you don't need to scrape the bottom to fill your nets. By the end of the run the larger fish make a higher percentage of the fish left and the last spots on the list get a higher percentage of bigger fish. Sometimes the last spots get a lunker or two in every net!!
 
I remember that year, it was pretty cool. Nymphin off the bridge huh Mute - nice touch bro....
 
Gotta get that perfect drag. Naw Meaaan Bronameth?
 
I accidently came across a secret brood stocking on the Conococheague back in June 2001. Most amazing three days of trout fishing I've ever experienced. 15 trout over 20" with another 25 between 16 and 20". I suspect it will be a mighty long time until I can ever replicate that weekend again.
 
I hit that scenario on Oil Creek once. It was an unanounced stocking in late June, surprised the heck out of me. There I was walking on the bike trail, heard a vehicle, and thinkin "what the heck?". Stocking truck stops and throws a bunch of big uns in. I'm not a truck follower, but I was the only one there, and I stayed and had some fun....
 
I would concur with the sentiment that the amount of brood stock has proportionately gone down, in the general regs sections. We used to scout out Big Beaver Creek here in Lancaster County, for opening day, and base our start point on the number of breeders there. However, the size and quantity of breeders has definitely diminished over the past five years. I do think there are more golden rainbows, but you can see them and that sells licenses. I somehow manage to catch one each year, although I pretty much hate them, and would much rather tie into a nice 'bow or brown. I remember the brood stocking on '08 on the W. Branch of the Octorara; unsettling almost. There was also a time, maybe seven years ago, or so, when the hatcheries had to dump biomass, and a bunch of nice hefty two-year old trout made there way into Fishing Creek and Hammer Creek late season. That was fun for a bit too, to get into some pods of 16-18" fish.

That being said, I caught two hogs of brook trout last year, from an in-season stocking on an all-season stream somewhere in the state. So they do put them in, just not in the quantities they used to. The other one is the license seller. The best part was having my daughter along with me for all three fish.
 

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