03-24-2015, 09:18 PM
[quote Liprippa]
Yes. the strain of Brook trout being planted has changed over the years.[/quote]
NO, actually, this is NOT true. The strain of brook trout has remained the same for over 30 years....and, as far as I know, it has never changed.
The only major change to the size of brook trout are the numbers of fish in the brook trout lakes....over time, less people are taking home limits and more people are throwing them back. Combine that with more restrictive regulations and what do you get? The exact opposite of intended consequences--fewer big fish!
The reality is this....in a good lake, brook trout can grow to 5 pounds in 2-3 years! Big brook trout were and are not the result of strain or long life but fast growth! The key to getting fast growth are numbers of fish....that is why stocking rates have been reduced on some lakes.
The last few summers I have been making multiple trips to some lesser known waters that usually don't fork out big fish....one such water overwintered fish for the first time I had ever seen. The brook trout in this small lake were 14-15 inches long and had only one summer and one winter of growth but were already around 2 pounds. I can't wait to get back up there and check it out again....even though the fish will probably be dead.
If you really want to catch some big brookies, I suggest checking out some of these lesser fished waters....because some big ones are still out there! And, with changes to stocking and management per the new management plan, there will be some more big ones in the future!
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Yes. the strain of Brook trout being planted has changed over the years.[/quote]
NO, actually, this is NOT true. The strain of brook trout has remained the same for over 30 years....and, as far as I know, it has never changed.
The only major change to the size of brook trout are the numbers of fish in the brook trout lakes....over time, less people are taking home limits and more people are throwing them back. Combine that with more restrictive regulations and what do you get? The exact opposite of intended consequences--fewer big fish!
The reality is this....in a good lake, brook trout can grow to 5 pounds in 2-3 years! Big brook trout were and are not the result of strain or long life but fast growth! The key to getting fast growth are numbers of fish....that is why stocking rates have been reduced on some lakes.
The last few summers I have been making multiple trips to some lesser known waters that usually don't fork out big fish....one such water overwintered fish for the first time I had ever seen. The brook trout in this small lake were 14-15 inches long and had only one summer and one winter of growth but were already around 2 pounds. I can't wait to get back up there and check it out again....even though the fish will probably be dead.
If you really want to catch some big brookies, I suggest checking out some of these lesser fished waters....because some big ones are still out there! And, with changes to stocking and management per the new management plan, there will be some more big ones in the future!
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