Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Trout Anyone?

My short term �grow out� pond is now my Rainbow Trout pond.

Now that looks like some serious fun.

I like the idea so much I did it myself.

I don't care what any of those warmwater snobs say, trout are definitely cool. Of course, so are bluegill, LMB, walleye, northern pike, musky, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, redear sunfish (extra cool), etc., etc. I guess no one could ever call me a specialist, eh George?

I agree and have stocked some for myself in a creek on my property. Can't wait to see if I can catch some on fly rod. Trout in Texas stocked in November will live until water temps reach mid-70s (May for most Texans). Gives us more options for winter fishing and Christmas dinners. George said they were feeding on pellets soon after released, after riding 3+ hours in live boxes. Good stuff. Thanks George.

Mine were feeding on pellets within 5 minutes of release! Isn't that crazy?

They really are fun. I started bringing trout to Texas in 1989 and it didn't take long to figure out we needed to stock them in small ponds and manageable streams. We have some customers that buy trout every year, and we shoot for the last week of November or first week of December. They make it to Memorial Day weekend, but my experience suggests they stop biting about three weeks before that. I've also sold some from time to time to feed big bass. That's pretty fun, too. I've seen crystal clear water, toss in a few trout and watch bass eat them like Tootsie Rolls. There's been a few times we've invited friends in March to come over, catch trout out of one my ponds and then have a cook-off. That's a lot of fun, too. Actually, one year we did that and I published the winning recipe in Pond Boss. It was fun.

Trout dinner for your bass...wow they really would be eating better than me then!!!!

Doc Willis, I'm hurt that you left smallies off your list!

Sunil,
I noticed the SMB were slighted too. Even Dr. Dave forgets the power of the Micropterus dolomieui on occasion.

I have often thought about trout in Bremer Pond. The surface temp rarely gets to 80F and there is always water around 50F below the 6-7 foot depth.

You still haven't shipped those SMB you promised.....

Sunil - SMB were the etc, etc, part.

George,

You are a true mentor and hero to me and so many others. But, your post about trout is like an arrow through my heart.

My local trout dealer had some health issues this past year and he had to shut down. I frantically called all around the area. No one had anything but fingerlings.

So, this winter, my pond is without trout. It is like a bell without a clapper.

Trout are an incredible addition to a winter warm-water pond. The trout weren't real tasty, but they sure were fun to feed, photograph, and catch. They were actually kind of silly. I'd throw floating feed on the pond. They would react like the floating food was some kind of fly about 18 inches above the pond surface. They'd jump out of the water, dance on their tail for a second or two, and bellyflop back into the pond.

This year, my trout lasted until just after the July Pond Boss conference.

They really are a fantastic addition to a winter pond.

Ken

That is so cool to hear George!!!
I have 150 trout in a 25 acre lake and we caught 15 of them icefishing today. They seemed to be attracted to us drilling holes, because they were scattered across the entire lake, at just about every new place we tried???

Here is a pic of my father in law with a mixed bag of fish from today:

What's a trout?

There was this one time we stocked some trout for a band camp and they caught back out 46 of 50 fish the following weekend.

You know.....coldwater carp, snot rocket, pellet head....

Sunil and Dwight -- trust Bill. He is always right, eh? Etc., etc. SMB, hybrid striped bass, green sunfish [:)], crappies, sauger, channel catfish, flathead catfish, never caught a blue catfish. Then, what about redfish and weakfish/spotted seatrout? Wait, then there are marlin, sailfish, tarpon, and roosterfish. Cripes, it's hard being a generalist. Plus, I've only caught a few marine fish in my life, so that's a big chore still ahead of me some day.

Dave Willis is THE man.....

What is ice?

Fatty - Dah. Ice is the hard stuff you put in your mixed drinks to keep them cool and the white stuff that forms on a very cold beer mug.

Now you're speaking Fatty's language, Bill. Good explanation.

I wish you could have taught me chemistry in college

So does your old Chemistry Professor.

I have the ability to speak Fattyeeze - I'm bilingual you know.

Oh SNAP!!!

The "Put&Take" trout the DNR stocks in several small lakes here in Ohio taste like mud while the raceway fish grown commercially taste fantastic...as good or better than trout from cold mountain streams I've caught. How do the trout that are grown over winter in farm ponds taste?