Winter Trout Stockings 2012/2013
 

Tentative Winter Trout Stocking Dates 2012/2013

(Dates are subject to change, so check back often)

November, 2012
30 - J. Percy Priest Tailwater (Nashville)

December, 2012 4 - Sulphur Fork Creek (Springfield)
4 - Shelby Bottoms Park (Nashville)
5 - West Fork Stones River (Murfreesboro)
6 - Lafayette Pond (Lafayette)
6 - Marrowbone Lake (Joelton)
7 - Lake Graham (Jackson)
7 - Nice's Mill (Smyrna)
11 - Cameron Brown Lake (Germantown)
11- Edmund-Orgill Park (Millington)
11 - Shelby Farms (Memphis)
11 - Johnson Park Lake (Collierville)
12 - Martin City Pond (Martin)
12 - Union City Reelfoot Packing Site (Union City)
12 - Paris City Park (Paris)
12 - McKenzie City Park (McKenzie)
12 - Stone Bridge Park (Fayetteville)
12 - Billy Dunlop Park (Clarksville)
12 - Cane Creek Park Lake (Cookeville)
13 - Davies Plantation and Yale Road Park (Bartlett)
13 - Munford City Park (Munford)
13 - Kingston Springs Park (Kingston Springs)
13 - J.D. Buckner Park (Dickson)
14 - Harpeth River (Franklin)
14 - McCutcheon Creek (Spring Hill)

January, 2013
3 - Lake Junior (Chattanooga) *Fishing allowed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays - daylight hours only -January 1 through April 30.
4 - East Fork Shoal Creek (Lawrenceburg)
4 - J. Percy Priest Tailwater (Nashville)
4 - Oneida City Park (Oneida)
10 - Lake Graham (Jackson)
10 - Athens Rec. Paark (Athens)
11 - Nice's Mill (Smyrna)
15 - Cameron Brown Lake (Germantown)
15 - Edmund-Orgill Park (Millingting)
15 - Shelby Farms (Memphis)
15 - Johnson Park Lake (Collierville)
16 - McKenzie City Park (Mckenzie)
16 - Martin City Pond (Martin)
16 - Union City - Reelfoot Packing Site (Union City)
16 - Paris City Park (Paris)
17 - Munford City Park Pond (Munford)
17 - Davies Plantation and Yale Road Park (Bartlett)
17 - Big Rock Greenway (Lewisburg)
18 - Duck River at Fisherman's Paark (Shelbyville)
18 - Duck River at Riverside Dam (Columbia)
22 - Cowan City Park (Cowan)
23 - Cane Creek Park (Cookeville)
24 - Shelby Bottoms Park (Nashville)
25 - McCutcheon Creek (Spring Hill)
25 - Harpeth River (Franklin)
31 - Lafayette Pond (Lafayette)

February, 2013
1 - West Fork Stones River (Murfreesboro)
1 - J. Percy Priest Tailwater (Nashville)
6 - Sulphur Fork Creek (Springfield)
7- Billy Dunlop Park (Clarksville)
7 - Stone Bridge Park Pond (Fayetteville)
8 - Nice's Mill - West Fork of the Stones River (Smyrna)
13 - Lake Junior (Chattanooga)*


*Fishing allowed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays - daylight hours only - January 1 through April 30. 14 - Pickett Lake at Pickett State Park (Jamestown)
14 - J.D. Buckner Park (Dickson)
14 - Kingston Springs Park (Kingston Springs)
15 - Marrowbone Lake (Joelton)
21 - Cowan City Park (Cowan)
22 - McCutcheon Creek (Spring Hill)
22 - Harpeth River (Franklin)
28 - Big Rock Greenway (Lewisburg)

March, 2013
1 - J. Percy Priest Tailwater (Nashville)
6 - Sulfur Fork Creek (Springfield)
8 - Nice's Mill (Smyrna)
13 - East Fork Shoal Creek (Lawrenceburg)
15 - Duck River at Riverside Dam (Columbia)
21 - Shelby Bottoms Park (Nashville)
21 - Cowan City Park (Cowan)
22 - McCutcheon Creek (Spring Hill)
22 - Harpeth River (Franklin)

They will no longer stock VFW Lake. I hate that. It was a lot of fun down there getting onto stocker trout and Gills getting ready to bed.


Regards

I wish they'd stock somewhere closer to Hendersonville. While Springfield is about the same distance from me, people that live in Hendersonville or Gallatin get screwed over. They have to drive over Old Hickory, around it or all the way to Springfield for the winter stocking program.

Based on census data they have the population to warrant it. Especially over a lot of other areas that do get stockings.

Yeah....it is my understanding that the capacity is only so many trout. I may be mistaken but I think the VFW trout went to Big Rock Creek Walkway in Lewisburg. There has been a move on to get trout in Marshall County and I guess the thinking was that since they put trout into the Little Buffalo they could take them away from VFW. Not many fish for trout in the Little Buffalo. Oh well....I am just glad they put them somewhere but I understand what you mean.


Regards

Question; how big are these stocker trout? I see they have 2 dates for Clarksville again. I gave it a shot last year but had no luck but then I was using an inline spinner and the current was super super strong.

Depends on what hatchery they stock from....and the body of water. At McCutcheon Creek in Spring Hill they stock bigger fish than say at Normandy. Many of them will hit the 13 inch mark. Most stockers are from 6 to 10 inches or so. But in all stocking locations they will put a few that can go as big as 18 inches....but not many of those. People that catch those size fish get the mistaken notion that the trout can carry over at that location....they just don't know the hatchery puts a few big ones in each time they stock.

Regards

The only place I know of that the winter stocking fish have held over is at Marrowbone Lake. There have been 5-6lb rainbows caught there in summer around the springs that feed the lake.

It has always been a wonder how big and how long they may have lived in the lake since it's been stocked from day one of the program.

Yeah Marrowbone is the exception. Have only fished it a few times but I had heard it was full of cold springs.

Regards

Thanks, Alpha.

I hate to hijack this thread, but since they stock trout in Marrowbone, does it contain some trout-eating LM bass? I have not found much about this place, but i know that the trout containing lakes in GA have some huge bass in them.

I know what you mean Alpha, they used to stock trout Jan, Feb and March here in Shelbyville now we are down to one stocking at a very small place with limited access, i guess if i want to catch some of these stockers I will have to go below Normandy or to Cortner Mill, but have to wait later in the year for them to start stocking these locations, I have not done that in a while but this time I will be armed with a good supply of TM's :D

The trout are already below Cortners Mill. My two sons were there last week and had a good day catching them and some Black Perch.


Regards

Watching people catch then in Shelby lake as I mulch leaves! Ha

Tried on the West Fork Stones last night. Few bites but nothing landed. We were fishing a mile or two downstream from the stock point, so they might not have made it there in numbers yet.

Went to Springfield today with the little one. I caught a limit in about 2 hrs maybe little less. Also caught few gills and a couple fingerling size smallies all on Trout Magnets various colors.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/i...9/IMG_5493.jpg

My neighbor sure was excited when I brought them over a few minutes ago. :)

Those are some fatties......did you measure any of them? Way to go.


Regards

Thanks, I didn't measure. It crossed my mind at clean up but by then couldn't match the right head to the right body. :D

Was at Ransom Mill M'BORO this early am. Caught 6 trout on tm. Had to leave at 8. Others wearing them out w power bait.

Travis, did you catch those above or below the dam? Where you using a float with the TM? What color was the best? Heading that way tomorrow.

Thanks.

Immediately below within 10ft of the wall pretty much anywhere from mid creek to right hand bank facing upstream.

Yes, using it with a float about 4ft deep also on 2lb test and 2lb fluoro tippet (18 inches). Caught on several colors (white, orange/chart, bright pink, light pink, brown). Hooked several and lost them trying to pick up from water to top of concrete wall.

I think bright colors was the way to go on dreary/rainy Thursday. If no hit on the drift give it a good pop to make it rise about 1-2ft the let it fall did the trick.

Don't mean to be so specific but I was the only one of about 7-8 people that caught fish. Good Luck.

They may be more spread out upstream a little but I imagine they are still packed below.

Also caught a couple lil smallies and some bream too in same spot.

Went to see the trout today at Nice Mill. A fun time and lots of fisherpeople. I was not one of them.

A man with Masonic Lodge he said was there with a large cooler collecting fish for the Room In The Inn. He was taking all trout given to him. One man gave him a limit and started back fishng.

What is your opinion of this? Possession limit etc. Something does not seem right even though the fish go to a good cause.

I have experience with this. A lot of you know I give a lot of my fish away to the Senior Citizen Center here and have been doing so for years. But before I did that I checked with TWRA as to what I could and could not do. Many times coming from Pickwick in the Spring I would have 2 Stripers....15 White Bass...less than a limit of Crappie and maybe 50 or more Gills. I was giving these whole fish to a man who had a fishing license. The way it was explained to me is that they are my fish and I can do as I please with them...with some exceptions. I can't keep anymore fish than what the legal limit is....meaning I can't give someone a limit of crappie and the same day get myself a limit. As for trout I don't ever bring trout home. But I have caught and given trout to a person fishing next to. But I would ask to see the guys trout stamp...and I would give him what the legal limit was and I told him no more and I did not want to see him trying to keep anymore. I have had many guys come up to me when they see me giving one man a limit of trout and they ask me for a limit...I tell them no. They sometimes get angry as I tell them I have kept all the fish allowed by law...even though I gave them away....I can't keep anymore fish that day. A lot don't understand that part of the law. So the guy that was collecting the fish is technically breaking game laws. The guy could have taken 7 trout....or what the legal limit is.....from the river bank if he had a license and trout stamp...and that is it. Now if you want to clean fish and give them to anyone that is your right also...but possession limits still apply. I confirmed my info...when originally given to me by TWRA on the phone......with several TWRA officers I know.


Regards

Thanks for the info Alpha, I will make a quick trip this weekend to Cortner mill, were they using TM's or flyfishing??

Dr Franken Travistein!!!!!:D that was funny man!!!

Lets use trout as an example.

If you were out some where fishing that fit the statewide creel limits you can keep 7 trout. That is all you can keep for that day. IF you were camping afield or staying afield multiple days then you can not have more than the daily creel limit in possession. IF you are not afield then you can have twice the number of the daily creel which would be 14 in the example.

Plus you can clean and give someone fish all you want but if its out on the water when your doing so then you'd better make sure those fillets can be identified (species/length) if a game warden walks up.

To fit your giving someone a limit example Alpha you're right based on how I read the regs they can't have more than a daily creel if they are sitting there on the riverbank.

After re-reading, I think we ultimately said the same thing...:D

They were fishing with the TM...casting, and fishing it under a 9 foot float rod also.


Regards

Alpha I'm sorry but I do not understand the last part of your statement, 9 foot rod with a float?, is that what you meant??

Yes both of us will use a 7 foot UL rod for casting and then if we want to put the TM under a float we switch over to a 9 foot long rod. It makes catching the trout much easier using a longer rod with the float. You don't have so much line laying on the water and you can get a quicker hook-set when the float goes down.....than if you were using a shorter rod.


Regards

OK, I got you!, thank you Sir, oh and btw you were so right, fishing on ultralight is the most fun fishing I have ever done, even better than those whippy long "carrizo" poles (a hybrid between bamboo and river cane) my Dad and I used to fish back home!!