World Class Browns

[brownieman]

I don't know Taney well at all myself...to you all that fish Taney often how many huge browns like that do you think there are in the lake ?

I've seen how many big ones a small river like the Current can hold and wonder just how many actually are in Taney. Stricktly a guess on my part but I would say there are hundreds of fish that size in that lake and as goes along with fishing you never know when, where and on what one will be caught.

Like I said I'm just curious as to how many you all that fish it frequently think survive to grow to that size in the lake...seems there would be several that reach that size.

I can see where a 10 lb. plus brown could grow at an amazing rate when the dept. feeds them with stockers...when they stock I bet the feeding frenzy is on considering the big browns are the apex predator in that body of water.

There are probably many record breaking fish, I can't even imagine. From what little I have been on Taney it appears to me there is not much wade fishable water with the exception of directly below the dam when they are releasing the right amount of water.

I'm just wondering what you regulars think...the MDC's shocking I don't think draws much of a real estimate and myself don't think shocking is healthy for the fish at all, having mixed feeling from seeing the damage often incurred after shocking. Creel surveys are a useful tool but I feel the ones who fish it on a regular basis have the best opinions.

Anyway, just curious...there could be 5 or 500 for all I know...I really have no idea but I bet there are several, that's why I'm asking you alls opinion.

Phil, over the years how many 10 lb. plus fish have been caught that you know of or have you kept track ?

Thanks for any opinions...guess I'm just the curious sort.

later on

[laker67]

Brownieman,

If you are talking "huge" browns, let's talk 20 pounds instead of 10 pounds. In the past 5 years I only know of 5 fish over 20 pounds. According to MDC, the strain of brown in taney has a life expectancy of 13 years. It probably takes 10 of those 13 years to grow one to 20 pounds. On any given year taney has the possibility of producing a fish the size of the one just caught. But it takes an older fish to attain that weight. He might weigh 25 to 30 pounds, but the odds are that he will die of old age in the near future. I think that there is a very small window of opportunity for a fish that size to be caught. My guess is that only a handful of 25 pound and bigger fish are alive and well at any given time. Unlike "germans" and "seeforellen" browns, our fish have a life expectancy that is five years less. I just don't see taney ever producing a fish much over 32 pounds. I know, we have all heard the rumors, but so far I have not seen any proof to convince me otherwise. Now if you want to talk 10 to 18 pound fish, taney is chocked full of fish this size. On a good year, in the upper lake, you might see upwards of a hundred fish this size in a 2 month period. But there again, only a couple of handfuls will be caught. Taney's browns are smart, wary, and crowd shy. You will catch them off guard very seldom. Unless you have a secret weapon, you will "earn" every 10 pound brown that you catch. I know that you enjoy a challenge brownieman, so taney is that kind of a place.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

20 plus pounders..... I think I've seen 2 swimming.

Not counting the 4 or 5 in the hatchery aquirium.

By the way - they are turning 90% of those fish loose this week.

[laker67]

20 plus pounders..... I think I've seen 2 swimming.

Not counting the 4 or 5 in the hatchery aquirium.

By the way - they are turning 90% those fish loose this week.

That sounds like a terrible idea, something the trout parks would do. Those 20 pounders will be lucky to survive being caught the first week.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

I'm not sure why they are doing it either.

Something to do with the raceways being too small.

(they are replacing the aquirium glass, so they can't hold em)

[Phil Lilley]

Found one dead in the 90's. Measurements - 43.75 inches long. Girth - I don't remember but it was a pig.

Trying to find a pic.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

38.8lbs caught on a marshmallow / corn sandwich down in Arkansas.

Was it Huey Manley ?

Not long before the same thing happens here.

Probably gonna happen off your dock someday Phil.

[brownieman]

Good points...I've always wondered.

I guess if it's chunked full of 10 plus that's still one heck of a fishery. I would settle for fish in that range, be an absolute idiot not to, lol.

To me anything above 5 is nice...5 to 10 is big and anything above that, well...that's a treat, surprise, lucky, whatever you want to call it.

There could always be a 40 - 50 lb. freak in there somewhere.

Did you weigh that dead one Phil if it didn't appear to be dead too long...44" is huge !!. Would like to see that pic.

What's the largest bow that has come from Taney if anyone knows off hand ?

later on

[laker67]

What's the largest bow that has come from Taney if anyone knows off hand ?

later on

Well brownieman, I am not sure what the largest rainbow is, but I do know of an interesting story about a large rainbow caught at taney.

Robert Brownfield of st. louis caught a 15 pound 6 ounce in august of 1971. It made the missouri state record book as being the largest rainbow trout ever caught on a "limb line". In the 80's , the limb line fish and a fish caught from montauk shared the state record as a tie. That record later moved to RR and has been rewritten twice at RR. Some where ,years back, I read an article stating that brownfield was using a french fry for bait on the limb line. We need to paint them raps to look like a FF.

I thought you and others might enjoy this trout fishing trivia.

[brownieman]

Laker,

I was in high school in 71 and can remember a big one being caught somewhere on a french fry...you just jogged my old memory a bit.

Once in a while if the CRS lets up and something kick starts my old noggin hard enouph I seem to remember a couple of things now and then, lol.

I had forgotten but do remember the french fry fish...maybe some of you fly guys could tie a "French Fly", lol.

later on