Delaware 10lb, 20lb browns?

[BeastBrown]

I don't have much experience with the Delaware system, but, uh, has anyone heard of a decent amount of 10lb browns coming out of it, or, perhaps, even the rare 20 pounder? Just wondering. And I put this here, because I wanted to discuss the sacrilegious subject of spin fishing.

Does anyone fish there with in-line spinners, stick baits, crank-baits, or, even.................bait, lol.


How is the late fall and winter fishing there? Does it get large amounts of bank ice, that would make shore fishing very difficult? Any info would be great. Thanks.

 

[pete41]

When I lived back there,that wasn't the brown the river was known for,so can't help.
good luck.

 

[midgeman]

You should post this in the streams thread or general thread. Let me tell you this, the Delaware is fantastic to fish and yes you can use baits. However, when you see a pod of torpedo sized Rainbrowns slurpin' on some morgies (midge orgies), you wish you had a fly rod! The common view is that the Delaware is hard to fish. That's not the truth. It's just like any system, except you may need to do a little running and gunning to find active fish and hatches.

 

[bam]

The NY section is closed to fishing after mid October until it re-opens in April. Yes, people do bait and spin fish there, just know the water and regs in the section you're fishing. A decent amount of 10lbers? No, but unless you fishing a lake run system I don't know anywhere in PA that would produce a decent amount of 10lb trout outside a fishing derby.

 

[troutbert]

BeastBrown wrote:

has anyone heard of a decent amount of 10lb browns coming out of it, or, perhaps, even the rare 20 pounder?

Have you heard this?

 

[BeastBrown]

If the water is cold enough and it's deep enough, I don't see why not. I don't know enough about the summer high water temps, which seems to be what limits growth in a river like the Lehigh.

I think brown right around the 10 mark would be eating suckers, chub, other trout, etc. However, on a system as fertile as the Delaware I guess they still would be eating bugs, as long as their mouths could close on them, lol.

I have seen 10 pound, over 30 inch pics. A few fish. But, I think there should be quite a few 8-10 pounders. I must explore.

 

[pete41]

It works like a very sharp pyramid.
Even if there are reasonable number of 8 pounders there will less then 1/2 as many 9 pounders and less than 1/2 as many 10 pounders as 9 pounders.
Why would I say that.
I spent thirty years chasing the ten pounder[never got it].Caught the 9,two 8s and many 7s.
Good luck.Out side of fish migrating out of bigger bodies of water such as oceans,great lakes and southern tailwaters ,10 pounders are few and far between.
sheer luck if you get one.
A fun pursuit and chalk it up to good/bad luck however it goes.Nothing more,nothing less.

 

[Fishidiot]

There's probably some ten pounders but I doubt a twenty (that would exceed the PA state record). For browns in PA to reach such a weight usually requires that they grow in a lake on a fish based forage base....or be raised in a hatchery or some other artificial feeding scenario. Could it occur naturally? Sure. There have been several browns in the 30+" class that weighed in the mid teens taken out of the Cumberland Valley or central PA streams in the post war years. It's just not likely.
Guessing here - but I'd bet that most of the heavy, Delaware River browns over about 25" came out of the lakes. Fish of this size are much more common in deep, cold lakes with pelagic forage like Cannonsville or Wallenpaupack.

 

[trike23]

Browns in that size range around PA are hard to come by. But... there is a reason so many of us on the board are so addicted to the Great Lakes systems. There are large browns in the Delaware they are just hard to catch.

 

[sandfly]

only 2 places I have seen/caught browns over 10lbs. sea runs in the lower river and above cannonsville.

 

[LongWader]

There are very few freestone PA rivers that have that potential, however there are a few and the Delaware may be one of them. There are a two other rivers in the North Central region and they are both tailrace fisheries. One thing is sure if you expect to catch one it is going to take a lot of work, time, and heavier tackle that you might expect. I got my rear end thoroughly kicked by a couple in the 30" range last year and realized that it is a different game all together. It hurts when you finally hook one and can't move it any distance from it holding spot or you have so little control that it simply breaks you off on a near by boulder or log. I have found that huge browns are different critters and if you want to maximize your chances you have to willing to fish with bigger stuff than you would for your typical trout. That limits your opportunites for mid-sized to smaller trout and it is sort of like Musky hunting. Not for everyone, but you know who you are. I trophy hunt some rivers right after they stock trout which might give you a clue as to what the 30" + browns are eating. Hellgrammites, adult crayfish, small to medium sized suckers, and adult fall fish and alwives are also on the menu.

 

[Chaz]

For trout to get really lrge they have to switch over to large prey, something most browns in PA don't do for whatever the reason. That's why it's not very common for browns to grow large in big numbers in our streams. But good luck, if you catch some post pics.

 

[jrmyln]

Usually when I am fishing and someone ask's "Any Luck?". I'm wise and say "No, just skill". But the few times that I have caught browns or brooks pushing 10lbs or more in the Delaware, it was below Easton and either Oct/Nov or Feb/April. All while pinning for smallies using soft plastics such as a Gulp hellgramite.
On those days, I would say it was all luck!
It is my opinion that there is a small sea run trout fishery and they move during this timeframe.

 

[krayfish]

Does the Delaware or it branches hold 10 pound browns? Yes, without a doubt. Witnessed Art Lee tangle with a fish that we estimated to be in the 12 pound class and it was at least 17-18 miles from either dam. Fish made it to net and then jumped out of it before we could get any fish porn. Are the in there so thick you can walk across their backs? No. Wil you be able to have a local, a guide or a Delaware river regular tell you what pools hold the biggest fish year after year. Nope. You are going to be on your own for that. I'll agree w/ fishidiot that there are big boys that escape from the lakes through the release gates. Every year you hear of someone fishing with a nightcrawler on the bottom that takes a 10-12 pounder. If you are after monsters, hit the lakes. In the spring, you can shore fish with bait or plugs. You can take a boat up but there's an elaborate washing process before you can put it in. Navigate by rowing only....no motors. Cannonsville, Pepacton and Ashokan all hold big fish. Pepacton is probably noted for holding the most / biggest trout. You can also catch monster smallies (4-7 pound) from the lakes. Sandfly mentioned fishing above Cannonsville.... how did you manage that? Everything is posted. ?? Anyhow, fishing above any of the listed lakes would give you spawning runs in the fall. Getting access above the lakes in the problem though. There are some big fish in the river but the real tanks come out of the lakes. NY rivers close between Oct 15 and Oct 31 depending on the section you are looking at. They won't open back up until April 1st.

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Prior post................ "But the few times that I have caught browns or brooks pushing 10lbs or more in the Delaware, it was below Easton and either Oct/Nov or Feb/April"

10 pound brooks in the Delaware near Easton? Unless you are fishing for escaped fish from a hatchery, I'm calling BS. I don't see how trout could survive swimming from the ocean through the septic tank (Philly) and make it anywhere up river to spawn. Maybe I'm wrong because you can find stripers in the junction pool but they were also a native species.

 

[sandfly]

10 pound brooks in the Delaware near Easton? Unless you are fishing for escaped fish from a hatchery, I'm calling BS. I don't see how trout could survive swimming from the ocean through the septic tank (Philly) and make it anywhere up river to spawn. Maybe I'm wrong because you can find stripers in the junction pool but they were also a native species.

I have said this before, they are there the browns that is and they are sea run. jrmyln is right there are sea run browns at that time. they do not necessary go to the ocean but from Trenton to Philly is salt influenced and they eat all kinds of marine creatures (crab, shrimp, worms) they get a nice silver color to them. Kenny Schram (r.i.p.) was one of the shop owners who found them. he did a slide show at bucks co. tu. one time on them. we caught numerous fish in the 10 -15 lb. class near one of the wing dams. There are tiger trout that push 10+ lbs in the lower river too.

 

[sandfly]

Sandfly mentioned fishing above Cannonsville.... how did you manage that? Everything is posted. ??

got to know people. My fiance lives in walton for one, she has relatives on the river..plus you can get a permit from the state too.

 

[LongWader]

I have seen some browns pushing 24" or more near Walton when I was fishing for smallmouth during the warmer months so my guess is that some big boys do push up there from the lake. Unfortunately you can't fish for them in the Fall when you would expect them to make a major push upstream to spawn.
There are definitely some monster brown trout in the Pepacton Lake. I have a bud who fished there last Spring and had a giant brown break him off on a boulder after it stripped off about 100' of line off his reel in a heart beat. He was fishing for smallmouths with a 4 "crankbait and a 8 lb test spinning outfit.

 

[krayfish]

Ok, I'll adjust my prior post from "bs" to I'd have to see it with my own eyes.

Sandfly, let me know if you need a gilly next time you head up. LOL

 

[sandfly]

spring time is still a good time to find them, a lot stay in river after spawning for winter..longwader let me know if ya head up in the late spring next year, maybe we can meet up..

used to fish the mouth of the LL in Allentown for football browns in the fall.some went over 10 lbs...now you need to fish with a buddy and carry a firearm there..

 

[jrmyln]

Sandfly, no gun needed. You're good where the LL dumps into the Lehigh as long as you don't mind a few homeless guys watching you. There's a few spots in the park that they call home as well. I pulled some nice browns out a few times down by the mouth but no 10lb'ers. There may be a few. Although some of the suckers might make you think you've got a 10lb brown on the end of the line. Haven't really done all that great downstream from the park.
I haven't caught any 10lb'ers out of the Lehigh but I am sure they're in there, just like the steelhead that were stocked.

If anyone wants to try for a 10lb brown on the Delaware, shoot me PM and be willing to put the fly rod down for a day.