Why is it STILL so hard to keep Caney trout?

[jad2t]

I don't know about the rest of you but since I'm back in Cookeville I'm back to fishing the Caney on a regular basis and I'm catching primarily brown trout. It makes for a fun night but at the same time sort of aggravating that I have to toss them all back due to the 24" limit. I know some will want to crucify me for saying this but I enjoy eating trout. Everytime I go to the Caney Fork I have my stringer and a cooler with me in hopes of taking a few home. They are delicious and probably the healthiest fish to eat that can be caught in Tennessee. I think it's time for the TWRA to back off a bit. It gets harder and harder to keep a trout out of that river but I'm seeing more and more trout in my recent experiences. I understand the brown trout population was hurt and that's why the regulations were put in place but they are clearly coming back and quite impressively as I've seen.

I fish at night and have not seen a single TWRA officer there in the evening so the rules could easily be broken. However, I'd never do such a thing. Sure, I think the rules are overbearing but I feel that as an ethical fisherman and a sportsman breaking the rules would make me no better than the immigrants who fill up a cooler with undersized fish of all species that they caught using a casting net. Which brings me to my next point. Why is it that I have called TWRA several times about that issue when I see it, yet they never show up to do anything about it. Meanwhile, every year they make it more and more difficult for an ethical angler like myself to enjoy some fresh caught trout? Am I wrong in saying that my trout stamp is becoming a waste of 18 dollars? Not that I care about 18 bucks, I'm just wondering why I'm paying the same price every year to be allowed to keep fewer and fewer trout?

The past two trips to the Caney I've totalled almost 20 trout, only one of which was not a brown. They're back, they're all over, and it's time to lift the regulations a bit. Not saying it needs to go back to the old rules of keeping 7 fish, any size and any species, but it needs to be a little more friendly to those of us who like to eat trout.

Thoughts?

[white95v6]

the TWRA is not the who put the current regs into action.

the fishermen did. there was a large poll conducted by the twra. and the fishermen choose the current regs on the caney. we would like to see the caney as a trophy river one day. thats why i voted for the current regs. heck i voted for a 27'' limit for those browns.

also i have no problem catching trout i can take home. and from what i seen when i fish there others don't ether. they are not browns. but brooks and rainbows.

you need to try a different approach to catching fish. me and a buddy last trip caught like 30-40 keeper brook trout. one keeper rainbow(only rainbow though).

not sure if its the current regs on the rainbows or what but i sure have seen a drop in the amount of rainbows in the river. i also heard somehere about a hatchery problem and the rainbow stockings would be hurt. but i am not sure if thats real or not. or it could be dam repairs? i know the tva says its not.

[jaystaler88]

I think we have these rules and regulations in place to keep people like you from keeping, eating, and thus removing healthy, trophy fish genetics from that particular population.

If you eating trout is your thing, put on some powerbait, corn, rooster tail, or even a BH pheasant tail and catch all the brookies and small browns you wish. You'll catch more, get to keep more, and won't really be harming anything. They taste better, too.

It's just my opinion, and you can do whatever you like, but it seems to me that if the fishery was ready to support huge numbers of 2 foot trout being harvested, TWRA would step up and adjust the regulations.

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by jaystaler88

I think we have these rules and regulations in place to keep people like you from keeping, eating, and thus removing healthy, trophy fish genetics from that particular population.

People like me? What, I'm a bad guy now for wanting to eat trout?

Originally Posted by jaystaler88

and catch all the brookies and small browns you wish. You'll catch more, get to keep more, and won't really be harming anything. They taste better, too.

We can't keep small browns, that's my complaint. And lately I've been catching more small browns than brookies or rainbows. The small browns are all over the place

[j19bill]

The times I've fished at night I caught mostly browns. But during the day I catch mostly brooks or bows. If you want to keep some try fishing during the day. The time you go can make all the difference in what you catch.

I have no problem with people keeping and eating fish as long as its within regulations.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

[jad2t]

Well I've been doing early evening and staying until just after dark, until it gets too creepy for me to want to be out there alone. Doing that I've caught plenty of trout and have quite a good time catching them one after the other on UL gear but they're almost all browns.

white95v6 - There have been issues with rainbows from the hatchery from what I hear. The hot, dry summer made it difficult for rainbows at the hatchery and even more so when they are released into the river. I've caught very few rainbows as of lately and I hear it's been that way for the past few months. The brookies are getting bigger and that's nice to see. Trophy brown trout are available during the night, I've done it a few times. I still think it's unfair to make the limit 24". Maybe bring it down to a PLR of 14-20 inches and none above 20" can be kept. Similar to the regs for rainbows and brookies except that with those species, one fish can be kept over 20". I think that's fair compromise that makes everyone happy.

[Reel Tune]

[white95v6]

Originally Posted by jad2t

I still think it's unfair to make the limit 24". Maybe bring it down to a PLR of 14-20 inches and none above 20" can be kept. Similar to the regs for rainbows and brookies except that with those species, one fish can be kept over 20". I think that's fair compromise that makes everyone happy.

did you vote in the poll? just wondering.

soo you are saying no browns over 14'' period. man that would be worse in most ppls eyes.

like posted go during the day catch all the brookies you can stand. and maybe some small bows.

[Alphahawk]

I figured this would cause a stir. As far as I am concerned if a fish is legal to keep it is your fish to do with as you please. Personally I don't like trout....but if I did I would keep some. Those regulations are intended to make the Caney a trophy Brown stream....and it is working. It stirred up a lot of locals when they changed the regs. There is a man up there who takes a couple of those big Browns out every week...legal ones. I couldn't keep one of those but that is his business. All I can say is get used to the reg...it is not going to change anytime soon.



Regards

[Travis C.]

The fish hatchery had an issue with water quality over winter. It put a dent in the stocker rainbow population for more than just the Caney this year. It's happend in the past and it wasn't water quality but that was what they said this year. In the past it was a bad batch of food I believe.

bd, he may remember what it was.

Caney's regs are so that the browns are managed for a trophy fishery and the others left for quality or keeping. That won't likely change. It took too long to finally get it to that point. In reality the next step for them would probably be closed fishing areas during spawn but since they can't show signs of reproduction that probably won't happen or a Delayed Harvest.

I don't really believe in the "trophy gene" in these fish since they are all raised from concrete raceways unlike the Soho or other east TN waters. However, the big ones will be really wary once they get that size.

Most all my night trips result in browns due mainly to their habits of feeding but then some rainbows do show up and I don't think I have ever caught a brook at night though. It could just be when you are going that is giving you mainly browns or at the very least where your fishing. During day trips I have easily caught more than the 5 fish brooks/bows under 14in for the daily creel. Night not so much but I am not fishing for those then either.

[MNfisher]

What size browns are you catching? I am surprised you are catching mostly browns!

[Fish Whisperer]

It's unfortunate that some people act like the Caney trout are pets instead of a sustainable fishery...

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by white95v6

did you vote in the poll? just wondering.

soo you are saying no browns over 14'' period. man that would be worse in most ppls eyes.

like posted go during the day catch all the brookies you can stand. and maybe some small bows.

Oh yea, that would be a 14" limit wouldn't it? I didn't realize I was saying that. Still, I think that's a fair compromise. That leaves the larger ones to become trophies but still allows smaller browns to be eaten if someone should desire to do so. It's true that most people who eat trout will agree on smaller ones tasting better anyway.

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by MNfisher

What size browns are you catching? I am surprised you are catching mostly browns!

They've all been in the 8-12" range, about half of them were recently stocked. I can tell by the fins being worn down. I'd toss those stockers back anyway, I'd rather eat trout that have lived there for a while and eaten what they're supposed to eat rather than the pellets fed to them at the hatchery. That results in a healthier meal.

I haven't tried for any of the larger ones recently so I've just been using smaller gear

[Mnfishingbum]

I find it ironic that you're catching all brown trout and they are the only ones protected. This is not a sustainable fishery and this demonstrates this. Our license fees support this completely.

Personally I enjoy catching large fish. I find the Twra had a great compromise here: 2 species for those wanting meat on the table and 1 for trophy fishermen like me. I also support with $135 sportsmens license and trout unlimited license plate. I personally do not like the taste of trout from the caney now a walleye is a different story. This is win win. Take away these regs and my money and many others go away which means no more fishery