Regulations For Browns Need To Change!

[Jeff Tief]

Sure do lke the idea of the 18" one fish limit like they had at bssp several years ago.Have fished Montauk over 40 years and it took me a while to figure out how the brown trout inhabit the park.The lad(s) in question keeping all the brown trout is a 3rd generation snagger or lifter so his roots go back as long or longer than mine do.I look at browns to rainbows as smallmouth to largemouth bass;in most areas you have a lot more rainbows and largemouth than you do browns and smallmouth.I catch several brown trout each year that are considered trophies but haven't kept one in years.Saw 3 browns in one stream last year in Missouri that one I would psssibly considered keeping but only got 1 drift on him in the early morning hours and he vanished.I had his little sister on for about a minute before we parted.I was impressed enough from that one encounter that I called a friend on this forum Laker67 to come and give these fish a shot;he came but I had to leave and didn't catch the big fish either.How big-the one I lost we estimated in the 13# range,the biggest fish in the 17-18# range and the baby in the 8-9# range.We both had driven a long way and I would have turned the middle one loose and I doubt Laker would have kept any of them. That is the allure of trophy fish browns for some smallmouth and for others anything that tugs on their line.

[laker67]

Sure do lke the idea of the 18" one fish limit like they had at bssp several years ago.Have fished Montauk over 40 years and it took me a while to figure out how the brown trout inhabit the park.The lad(s) in question keeping all the brown trout is a 3rd generation snagger or lifter so his roots go back as long or longer than mine do.I look at browns to rainbows as smallmouth to largemouth bass;in most areas you have a lot more rainbows and largemouth than you do browns and smallmouth.I catch several brown trout each year that are considered trophies but haven't kept one in years.Saw 3 browns in one stream last year in Missouri that one I would psssibly considered keeping but only got 1 drift on him in the early morning hours and he vanished.I had his little sister on for about a minute before we parted.I was impressed enough from that one encounter that I called a friend on this forum Laker67 to come and give these fish a shot;he came but I had to leave and didn't catch the big fish either.How big-the one I lost we estimated in the 13# range,the biggest fish in the 17-18# range and the baby in the 8-9# range.We both had driven a long way and I would have turned the middle one loose and I doubt Laker would have kept any of them. That is the allure of trophy fish browns for some smallmouth and for others anything that tugs on their line.

Yes sir, they were tremendous fish for sure. For you that do not know Jeff, I consider him to be the best of the best when it comes to fooling trophy browns. He also failed to mention they he hooked up with a brown that would rival the one he speaks of, at a different location the year before. It most likely would have been a new park record for that particular stream. Several streams in missouri can produce fish like these, so a modified creel limit would be a big plus.

[Outside Bend]

I haven't read the thread.

But has anyone advocated a permit system? You buy your daily trout tag, then have the option of a trophy tag for a couple extra bucks, allowing you to keep X number of fish over 18" for the day. It allows anglers to keep a trophy, generates funds for the trout program, and would help MDC quantify angling pressure on trophy fish (i.e., put a value on trophy fisheries, potentially help inform stocking/management/regulation regimes).

[chris bl]

Is there some reason that the park couldn't post a no brown trout limit once the water in the river below the park reaches a temperature that causes the browns to move up into the park? The people that work at Montauk are not stupid and they know when the browns move up to beat the heat. It might save a lot of trophy fish from being harvested in a short amount of time when they are extremely vulnerable. I have read about regulations in other states and they can be far more complicated than they are here in Missouri. I am sure that people would be able to understand a sign that says there is a no harvesting brown trout rule in effect. That seems like it might be an even better way of protecting a trophy fishery than a limit of one whether it be 18" or 20". Just my thoughts on the subject.

[Nortrad]

Sounds good to me.

[Idylwilde]

I am good with that idea also. Send it in and see what you get back. LOL I have sent three and have not heard anything back.

[Feathers and Fins]

If the trout parks wanted to make the anglers trophy hunting happy have them stock Taimen's in there. I would love to see a guy with 4 to 6pnd trying to snag one of them then. It would be super obvious to rangers fast who the trouble making snaggers were. Heck stock them in Taney while we are at it and then we could talk true monsters trophy trout.

[Addicted to Creeks]

If the trout parks wanted to make the anglers trophy hunting happy have them stock Taimen's in there. I would love to see a guy with 4 to 6pnd trying to snag one of them then. It would be super obvious to rangers fast who the trouble making snaggers were. Heck stock them in Taney while we are at it and then we could talk true monsters trophy trout.

alright problem solved!