Everything to know about Texas rainbow trout just in time for the holiday season

Just in time for the holidays, the ‘bows are coming to a community or neighborhood fishing hole near you. The Christmasy-looking fish have already landed in lots of places. What’s higher, they’re hungry and prepared to chunk.

‘Bow is slang for rainbow trout, a classy-looking sport fish named for its flashy blend of skin tones — olive greens, blues and silvery/white undersides. A spattering of black spots and a signature pink stripe tie the colorful package all together.

Just so you know, rainbows are native to North America west of the Rockies from Alaska into northwestern Mexico. Stockings in other parts of country have led to established breeding populations in areas where waters are cool enough to sustain them.

The fish prefer water temperatures of 55 degrees to 60 degrees, but can tolerate temperatures around 70 before stress sets in. Extended periods near 75 degrees are lethal.

Blistering hot summers prevent trout from reproducing in most of Texas. The state’s solely self-sustaining inhabitants is discovered in McKittrick Creek in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park alongside the Texas-New Mexico border.

Late fall and winter inform a special story on Texas trout fronts. That’s when the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department launches its annual rainbow trout stocking program.

Around since 1966, the “put and take” fishing program revolves round a whole lot of hundreds of rainbow trout which are bought from a non-public out-of-state hatchery and trucked to TPWD freshwater hatcheries.

The fish are transferred to indoor raceways and subsequently stocked in dozens of public lakes, rivers, metropolis/county ponds and choose tailraces round the state. Many are positioned in main city areas round Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and Houston.

Most of the fish are pan-sized 8- to 12-inchers, though larger ones sometimes present up in supply. It is known as a “put and take” program as a result of anglers are inspired to hold their five-fish every day restrict if profitable. Fish that aren’t caught and retained sometimes die come summer time as water temps rise.

The 2022-23 rainbow stocking effort bought underway just earlier than Thanksgiving, however most releases are nonetheless forward. December, January and February are peak months. This yr’s stocking program winds down March 3.

Think of it like “have trout, will travel.”

TPWD hatchery personnel representing 5 completely different state hatcheries will inventory practically 337,500 rainbows in staggered intervals at greater than 200 completely different areas this season, in accordance to Carl Kittel, TPWD rainbow trout program chief. In 2020, TPWD hatchery vans make practically 400 completely different stockings and coated about 100,000 miles alongside the method.

Stocking portions range with demand. The program’s hottest launch websites are the Guadalupe River under the Canyon Lake dam and the Brazos River under the Possum Kingdom dam.

The Canyon Lake tailrace is the oldest of all the stocking websites. It was first stocked with trout in 1966 utilizing fish bought by the Lone Star Brewing Company. In 2005, it was listed amongst the Top 100 finest trout groups in America, in accordance to Kirk McDonnell, a TPWD communications specialist.

McDonnell says about 2.5 million trout have been stocked in the Canyon tailrace since 1974, together with stockings made by the Guadalupe River Chapter of Trout Unlimited. The tailrace is scheduled to obtain greater than 20,000 trout spanning 11 stockings this season, most scheduled after Christmas.

Anglers ought to pay attention to particular size and bag limits in impact 800 yards downstream and past of the Canyon Lake Dam. The particular limits are outlined on the TPWD web site.

There are dozens of different stocking areas on the listing starting from choose state park lakes to domestically managed metropolis and county park ponds, a few of that are a part of TPWD’s Neighborhood Fishing Program.

The fish are bought utilizing funds from the sale of the Texas Freshwater Fishing Stamp and thru partnerships with metropolis municipalities, counties and recreation departments.

Anyone can fish in a state park and not using a license. Otherwise, all anglers 17 and older are required to have a license and freshwater fishing endorsement, until exempt.

The locations and dates of all upcoming trout stockings could be accessed at the TPWD web site. Most stockings happen between 8 a.m. and a pair of p.m.

Fishing for trout is easy. They could be caught on synthetic baits like small spinners or dry flies. Small worms or Berkley PowerBait dough bait and entire kernel corn work exceptionally properly.

Use gentle spinning gear with 4-to-6 pound check line, small weights and small hooks to get the most bites. The fish could be readily caught tight lining on backside or beneath a cork.

Some group fishing lakes can get crowded. Be courteous to others and keep away from fishing too shut or casting over another person’s line. Anglers are restricted to two rods at Neighborhood Fishing Lakes and at state park lakes.

Here’s one other good trout fishing tip: If potential, attempt to be at the launch web site the day of the launch to increase your luck. The fish are at all times keen to chunk proper after they’re launched.

Matt Williams is a contract author based mostly in Nacogdoches. He could be reached by electronic mail, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.

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