Fall stocking - when do water bodies open

[stratocaster]

Fall stockings used to be so much better with the big browns and brookies that were stocked.  Now with the production of browns and brookies permanently canceled all you have are the ugly bows.    The FB used to be a good river with good numbers of holdover browns but you'll never see browns again, get used to bows, bows, bows or fish NY or PA which still stock tons of browns and brookies.  

[strikerII]

FB still has good numbers of fish. Like stated, some pools hold alotta fish, in low water they gravitate to the deepest pools. Yes it’s a shame they don’t stock Browns or Brookie’s, years ago the FB was loaded with them. Although I did catch a 9” Brookie OD on the FB. Was my first fish of the year. I also remember several OD’s fishing by the gauging station and watching local guys catching their limit, walking back to their trucks and dumping their fish into coolers. They’ed head back to the river, catch another limit and repeat the trip. 2 wardens finally drove up to check licenses and I pointed out the two guys to them and they got fined, and their fish confiscated. The other fishermen on the stream appreciated it.

[Lunatic]

On the big flatbrook, the stretch of water between the old troopers barracks and shaffers bridge is no kill but if everyone were putting everything back why are there hardly any fish? Hummmmmm?

 

I am thinking they swim out of the area?

[Uplandhunter75]

Awesome time on the flatbrook this Friday! Water was in pretty good shape and fish were biting! Limited out in the meat section within an hour and then played C&R the rest of the day in the no kill stretch. Saw one monster hooked by three bridges but broke the guy off.

Edited October 16, 2017 by Uplandhunter75

[GhostBear]

In the north branch, pequest and the musky they've been spooky, only landed two in as many days, but I'm a bit rusty, I missed a few here and there, but it takes some time to get a hit! Lol

[Bucksnbows]

Water flow is picking up.

 

 

Unfortunately, since our groundwater levels remain depleted, the streams keep falling well below average after any rains like we had the other day....

 

[_X7]

The bite has been mostly slow by the reports I've been hearing  A few good fish have been caught. It was a zoo on the day the state stocked and the fish were very visible. to the horde. Once again there were more into trying to snag than actually fish for them. I checked back on Sunday and there was little evidence of any fish. Even had a guy tell me they must not of stocked. I suspect they ran downstream looking for deeper water. 

[Uplandhunter75]

The bite has been mostly slow by the reports I've been hearing  A few good fish have been caught. It was a zoo on the day the state stocked and the fish were very visible. to the horde. Once again there were more into trying to snag than actually fish for them. I checked back on Sunday and there was little evidence of any fish. Even had a guy tell me they must not of stocked. I suspect they ran downstream looking for deeper water. 

 

Fish are certainly moving. I was hiking a stretch of the C&R section and it was actually unbelievable seeing the amount of fish working their way downstream through the rifles. Big fat trout with the dorsal fins sticking out of the water wiggling their way through.. it was actuall pretty incredible to watch.

 

As far the "slow" report.. I will say at the pool I started at in the morning to catch meat for dad.. probably 7 other guys there. Saw one of them hook up once in the hour I was there. I caught 6 in that time, letting 2 go before landing a fish solid enough to fill my limit. All of them soaking power bait.

Jigs are your best friend.......

[cappy]

BucksnBows...Did you get a chance to speak with Ross about his study?

[Dave B.]

BucksnBows...Did you get a chance to speak with Ross about his study?

At present the results have been less than hoped for. Suffice it to say that a good number of the transponders were recovered from streamside feces piles. The details of the full results will be made available at a later date. Ross has had very little time as yet to tabulate, collate and render the raw data into a presentable format, but he is working on it among his many other responsibilities. I've been looking forward to seeing the final results myself, but that's just going to have to wait awhile yet.

[toze777]

Gotta get back to  fishing ,,  or better said get back  fresh water fishing ,,   

[madeinuk]

Glad to see you chiming in on this Dave - I don't know anyone that knows that river better than you do.

[Dave B.]

Glad to see you chiming in on this Dave - I don't know anyone that knows that river better than you do.

 Thanks Oliver. I had a chance to sit and chat with Ross after work for a good while some time ago. One of the subjects we discussed was the Flatbrook telemetry study. Since his final official report is not yet completed and released I really can't give any more  info than I've already stated.

 

As for the fishing up there, I received a few texts on both the stocking day (Thu) and the immediately following Sat. The reports echoed what others have been saying here, that being the new stockies have been slow to bite. I did get a report of a 12" brown and a 16" tiger trout being caught in the pool below the Roy bridge on Thu. (stocking day) I can't imagine where the tiger trout came from.