Is it just me, or do the trout right now look like they just never stopped eating this winter? Never seen so many healthy "football" trout this time of year! Great to see, because long range forecasts (for what they are worth) indicate we are in for a hot and dry summer, and the trout will need every bit of their current fat to get through it.

The first fish is from Centre Co. and the next two are from two different Chester Co. streams. Posted a fat little native to the photo section as well that is from a berks co. stream. Seems like all the streams have really healthy fish right now and just wondering if others are noticing the same thing?

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Healthy lookin fish there!

I had the same thought about the two bow's that Dan and I hit last week on the Little Lehigh, but thought maybe it was due to being stockers.

Nice fish, fer sure.

Nice healthy looking trout right there FishMenace. Your season is off to a great start!

PSU,
I've definately noticed an abundance of really fat wild trout lately. In the spring creeks it is undeniable, and if you watch a feeding trout prior to casting, it is amazing the amount of food they are taking in. Also, the freestoners are holding heavy fish for this time of year. Certainly a mild winter, that was confortable for the trout.

Warmer temps more insect life. Nice fish. GG

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That's an understatement...at this time last year I had a total of five tiny native brookies. This year, already 59 trout and 30 of those were browns from limestone spring creeks. It's not just a lot of little fish, either. Of course having more time to fish and being less of a bumbling idiot on one particular stream are major factors in addition to the fish being way more active.

I was shocked at the size of the brookie in my last pic. I've been fishing that stream (a freestoner) for 6 or 7 years, and never seen anything even close to that kind of girth, though the length is not unusual.

I caught this football on Manada a week or two ago.

He fought so hard that I thought he HAD to be at least 14 inches. Nope. Just a really, really fat 10!

Thought the same myself! Caught a real fat boy on the Little J a couple weeks ago. I was pretty surprised.

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Oh, OK. How's, your season is starting off better than anyone I've ever heard of! lol

I caught a real nice holdover brown trout from a freestoner in Lycoming County a couple of weeks ago. A hookjawed 17" male. He was really thick and football shaped. I think the trout had good conditions over the winter season.

Here's a "football" from Clarks maybe two years ago.

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You're making me jealous. So far, this is the worst fishing year I've ever had. Usually, my goal is 100 fish before opening day. This year, I've only made one trip so far, 8 fish.

I have to agree, fat and happy seems to be the standard.

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Those are some really nice fish guys. Biggie, your brookie is pretty much the definition of a football fish. Basketball fish, even!

Pat, if you had the time on the water that I've been fortunate enough to have I guarantee you'd be over 100 by now. I was in the same boat in terms of time on the water last year, by this time I had made one trip to a class A brookie stream and only caught 5 and all were under 6". other years I lose track of how many I catch there.