Trout in every state

[Devan S.]

We are closing in on that time of the year. 

Hopefully, I will sneak off for a longgggg day this weekend to check of Illinois. Will be a stocked location a "check the box" if you will. 

I have plans(not set in stone) for Mississippi and Alabama in mid-December. Again a check the box if you will. Following those 2, the plans diverge into 2 options:

1. Tenn/Kentucky. Check the box for both. Knowing I will likely get back to a more "wild Tennessee trout later". 

2. Georgia trout slam + South Carolina + North Carolina + Kentucky+ Tennessee or any combination or the group. 

I have the vacation that needs to be burned. It all depends on timing and someone else's availability.  The spots are mapped out. 

After Jan 1, I will probably get my Oklahoma + Louisiana trout in the same weekend. 

*These are all personal plans. There is an outside opportunity for Indiana, Ohio for some work related travel. Would be nice but not something I am 100% planning on. 

 

I am delaying Florida. I haven't received significant confirmation that Rainbow Trout are there outside of 1 single location. That being said I am not sure that counts for me so I have elected to ignore at this time. 

[Devan S.]

Well checked off Illinois today. I Fish Illinois listed that all stocking locations in Southern Illinois would be stocked by Saturday 10/25. Officially fall trout season opened last weekend but due to temperatures my easy southern targets were delayed. 
I rolled out of Eagle Rock at 3am this morning. Basically power drove to New Athens to fish Willow Lake outside New Athens in the Peabody River King Wildlife Area and was there shortly after 8:30am. Took a couple work calls and started fishing. Clear water really and could see absolutely zero signs of fish...fished a white jig so I assume fish would see it and at least chase. According to the I Fish Illinois, this was stocked in time for the opener with no delays....water was plenty cool. I wasted 1.5 hours here and never had a bite and I covered water. 

My backups were in Mt. Vernon Veterans Memorial Park Pond and 3rd option was the Trout Pond at the Saline County State Fish and Wildlife area. I was prepared to come home via highway 60 very late and sleep in my truck somewhere around Popular Bluff. 

When I arrived in Mt. Vernon, I had a bad feeling. The pond was covered in nasty green slime and very limited visibility. Basically looked worse than my cow ponds. There is half a dozen aerators running. I don't know if this is good or bad. I had zero faith. As luck would have it, a gentleman out walking the path around the lake came up and struck up conversation asking if I had caught anything. He informed me he saw them stocking yesterday. Said the trout had come from Ava, Mo. Said he thought it was wild they were hauling trout that far. I kept my mouth shut...didn't want to explain that I had left better waters to be here, explain OCD and unrealistic goals. Apparently they normally stock a different pond but this year stocked this one and he asked how many I thought they should stock. I figure for a pond this size maybe 800-1000. Its probably 5 or 6 acres. I don't know how deep but with a population of 14,000 this number seems reasonable to me. He advised they dumped 275 fish in....wild to me how low the number actually was....seems like a heck of a long way to drive for 275 fish but who knows. He also told me there was a couple albinos so I assume palomino trout. 

I set a timer of 1 hour and after 30 minutes I finally hooked a fish and landed it. Checked a box and got out of there as fast as I could. Little over 14 hours for 1 fish. Listened to an audio text book for a Masters class 2x over...hopefully I get a decent grade. 

[WestCentralFisher]

This is really cool, but I could never be any good at this sort of thing. As someone who has been through that particular state many times and hated it each time, I just don't think I could make myself drive past good trout water to fish in Illinois.

[Johnsfolly]

I think that 275 trout in a 5-6 acre pond is pretty good stocking rate. The last two lakes I fished out this way had 700 fish stocked in 32 to 46 acre lakes. I will say that last spring I fished a 3 acre pond that they stocked 500 trout.

I haven't trout fished in IL. My only trout in OH was from the Mad river. 

[Devan S.]

Yeah I have almost zero knowledge on the trout stocking rate. Considering its a pure put and take deal in a town of ~14,000 people and its the only pond stocked seems slim to me when the limit is 5/person. Also seems wild to haul them 5 hours and dump 275 but maybe they dumped more along the way. 

My work trip(if it happens) will take me close enough for a detour on the Mad River and to get there I will likely try and hit Brookeville Tailwater in Indiana.