[Billfish715]

Eddie is on the money about the stocking. Yes, there was preseason stocking in many places but not all places. Seasonal helpers were limited so help with stocking was also limited. Some places were stocked in the days just before the opener. I know of several streams that were stocked with almost a full truckload of fish all off one bridge or in one spot. The same truck would then drive about 400 yards farther and dump the rest.

Other places on the stream were ignored. The trucks can only hold so many fish for only so long and in many cases, multiple stockings had to be done in one day. They had to release a massive amount of fish during a very short timeframe. Stocking was limited because of time and resources.

During the preseason period and the week following the opener, I fished at one spot that had been stocked at least twice with almost a full truckload of trout. It was non-stop catching. A move to a favorite spot not far from there was almost a complete shutout.

By now, some of the fish have spread out but the numbers are thin. In places where there is put and take fishing, the taking seemed to be pretty good on the opener.......if you were in the right place. When you figure that 200 trout might have been stocked in one spot on the stream, and 25 fishermen each caught and kept a limit, that’s 150 fish. If that was on opening day or the next day, how many of those 50 that are left are still where they were put?

I don’t blame the state. They had a big job to do. What would have taken an additional month to do was finished in a few weeks by condensing the schedule. I do think fewer and fewer fishermen will be out until the next stocking period. Even then, the majority of stocked waters will not receive any fish.

If you like fishing, you’ll have lots of room to yourself. If you like catching, you’ll have to be pretty good or wait until they stock again.