For all the complaining . . .

The same thing happened to me last year... We got into some big Brookies .. all were 12 to 17 or so

+1 very nice feesh this fall.

Been a few years since I've really fished in the fall for pellet heads, but it does seem the fall fish are a little nicer on average.

I think it was '08 when a DHALO area I fish got even nicer fish than this. All of October I was catching rainbows and browns in the 14-18" class pretty consistently.

Yeah there were a lot of 8-10" browns stocked this spring. Do these fish really grow that fast at the hatchery? Average 5" in growth in 6months?

ORIGINAL: mr.crappie

ORIGINAL: kill3ducks1deer

I noticed the same thing, most of the fish we caught were nice sized, is it like this every fall or just got lucky this fall?

Maybe you are just becoming a better fisherman! lol sam

I hope so, cant complain about that

IIRC, the fall stockings are usually with beefier fish for the simple reason that, if the PFBC isn't gonna keep a fish as a breeder, they'd rather empty the tanks than feed them all winter. So its not like they especially try to stock big fish, just that its how it tends to work out. Still, it results in bigger fish for the guys that are serious about going out to get them in the fall, so that's a good thing.

PS. If your favorite waters get an early season stocking in Feb or March, and you can fish them legally, it's another great time to go. The 7-10" fish that the PFBC decided to keep in the raceway in the fall are now your 12-15" fish thanks to a few more months of 3 squares of purina a day through the winter, and again, angler pressure is almost nonexistent on post pellethead waters in months that aren't April. In one March stocking I helped with, I personally carried no fewer than 8 buckets with 18+" browns in them...and I'm sure I wasn't the only one with them.

ORIGINAL: FishinGuy

It's certainly amazing the difference in crowds for the spring stockings vs Oct and Feb. Still can't wrap my brain around the trout opener craziness.

Two words: Cabin Fever.

You know how the kids get excited the first time the ice cream truck comes down the road after they've been cooped up all winter long? If you slap a "Good Humor" sign and loop a poor-sounding version of "The Entertainer" on that tanker and a LOT of grown men would be asking Mom for some spare change.

ORIGINAL: Cold

IIRC, the fall stockings are usually with beefier fish for the simple reason that, if the PFBC isn't gonna keep a fish as a breeder, they'd rather empty the tanks than feed them all winter. So its not like they especially try to stock big fish, just that its how it tends to work out. Still, it results in bigger fish for the guys that are serious about going out to get them in the fall, so that's a good thing.

PS. If your favorite waters get an early season stocking in Feb or March, and you can fish them legally, it's another great time to go. The 7-10" fish that the PFBC decided to keep in the raceway in the fall are now your 12-15" fish thanks to a few more months of 3 squares of purina a day through the winter, and again, angler pressure is almost nonexistent on post pellethead waters in months that aren't April. In one March stocking I helped with, I personally carried no fewer than 8 buckets with 18+" browns in them...and I'm sure I wasn't the only one with them.

i find this to be true as well...

to the idiot that thinks all the best waters are relegated to fly fisherman, if you bait dunkers would stop poaching these labeled places, maybe you would have more fall water for yourselves because it's a known fact fly fisherman aren't keeping these fish that disappeared in a few weeks during last fall

scooping on dries w. october caddis in autumn for fish this size, can't beat it; shame some ruin for everyone

















... and the state doesn't stock nice fish??  literally, there were bait dunkers, around 6 of them, 2 different groups, that were poaching these fish along with the amish.  this year, from rumor, the size decreased.

ORIGINAL: FishinGuy

That's a brute for shure, nice pics. Sw pa?

 
I would say Mahoaning Creek, above Rochester Mills.   

ORIGINAL: FishinGuy

That's a brute for shure, nice pics. Sw pa?

no joke, those were only a few.  I'd say we caught around 5-7 fish in that range.  A few def. straight footballs.  I didn't take pics of all, but thanks!

who care's!!!!!!!!!!

Yo, KLHD, want to fish sometime this week? Hit up some fall stockies...either at some elitist fly only oasis, or in bait-dunker alley with the mouth-breathers.

ya and the also put in alot of fish that they feel well use to much food to maintain in the hatchery and most are two to three year old fish

ORIGINAL: kylerloveshotdogs

dru and i are making a one day trip to erie if you would want to join...

aside from that day, whichever it is, yes man, we could either chase stockies up here at the ffo, or I could come your way and we could pound some wild bows, brooks, and browns on dries.  throw me a text with your open days and we'll work something out.

I'll pass on Erie...just spent 7 days there over the past 3 weeks. Had enough for now. :P

I'll shoot you a text tomorrow sometime.