# Brook trout fishing?



## Trout chaser

How could you find your own brook trout creek? Most do say with a topo map but I want to know the specifics of finding them, like what to look for when searching with a map. And what baits should u use for these trout, with either fly or spinning rod?


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## The mtn man

Find a remote stream, mostly 3,000ft or above in elevation, with a series of waterfalls, go above falls and see what's there.


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## NCHillbilly

What he said^. As for catching them, I don't see why you would use anything but a fly rod. Many of the creeks they live in could almost be soaked up with a good dry shamwow.


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## westcobbdog

I have my Dad's mounted brookie from the 80's, around 5lbs, he caught it outta the upper Hooch below Helen.


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## northgeorgiasportsman

westcobbdog said:


> I have my Dad's mounted brookie from the 80's, around 5lbs, he caught it outta the upper Hooch below Helen.



Post up a pic of that hawg.


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## The mtn man

westcobbdog said:


> I have my Dad's mounted brookie from the 80's, around 5lbs, he caught it outta the upper Hooch below Helen.



State record? I think the nc record for a wild brook was around 13" for years.


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## Tentwing

A pic of that Brookie would be awesome. That is a monster Brook trout. If I remember right the Georgia state record is 5 lb and 10 oz.


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## northgeorgiasportsman

The mtn man said:


> State record? I think the nc record for a wild brook was around 13" for years.



Do they make a distinction for "wild" fish vs hatchery supported?


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## The mtn man

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> Do they make a distinction for "wild" fish vs hatchery supported?



They use to. I'm not sure if the two are separated now. When I was about 15 years old, i was fishing with a buddy over my way, he caught one 13 1/2". At the time, i think it was maybe a fraction of an inch shorter than the record. I haven't looked at the records in several years, nc had two trout categories, the wild fish, and hatchery, i think the dough belly record was around 5 lbs.


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## The mtn man

I just looked it up, they do not differentiate anymore, it only says the record is 7lb 7oz. Now we all know that brook trout didn't come out of palmer creek. Haha


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## JonathanG2013

Just looked it up. 

The Georgia brook trout record was caught in 1986 at 5 pounds 10 ounces. Caught in Waters Creek.  

Wonder if the one your dad caught was bigger?


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## The mtn man

JonathanG2013 said:


> Just looked it up.
> 
> The Georgia brook trout record was caught in 1986 at 5 pounds 10 ounces. Caught in Waters Creek.
> 
> Wonder if the one your dad caught was bigger?



I remember when I was growing up, waters creek having some huge trout down by the first bridge, a guy that lived there fed them, we would throw rocks in the hole and those behemoth trout would snatched the rocks before they hit the bottom they were so hungry. I think he had a sign that said something to the effect that he would shoot anyone that fished there.


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## Unicoidawg

The mtn man said:


> I remember when I was growing up, waters creek having some huge trout down by the first bridge, a guy that lived there fed them, we would throw rocks in the hole and those behemoth trout would snatched the rocks before they hit the bottom they were so hungry. I think he had a sign that said something to the effect that he would shoot anyone that fished there.



That's not Waters Creek, that's Dick's Creek, but yes there used too be some big fish in there and yes that guy would shoot a gun if he thought someone was in his creek. lol. For some reason a lot of people call that entire area Waters Creek. Waters Creek is a small stream that pours into Dick's just above the falls there. It is supposed to be the "premier" public trophy stream in the state. Back in the 80's and 90's there were some GIANTS in there now it is a shell of what it used to be. If the brook trout from above was caught below Helen it's not a true "brookie" as we call them. A great fish non the less, but not the same as a true native fish. Hillbilly I catch them all the time on a small 5ft spinning outfit, I like the flyrod,  but prefer the spinning set up in those tight spots.


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## whitetailfreak

The Southern Appalachian Brook Trout south of the New River in VA are genetically different from their northern cousins. The planted Brookies that are stocked in local streams are of the northern variety and can't be compared to the pure southern strain Spec. It's apples to oranges.


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## whitetailfreak

With that being said, the stockers sure are fun to catch.


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## lampern

The state of GA quit stocking brook trout in the mid 1990s.

However the Feds do throw a few out on occasion and SC stocks them in the Chattooga.

I'm gonna say the GA brook trout record will be very hard to break if ever.


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## Buckman18

If GA kept ladies records, I'd say my wife would give it a good run for the money on a SABT with this 14 incher she caught in Dec 2014. She was 7.5 months pregnant btw crawling through those thickets... Obviously I put a piece of tape on the creek name...


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## Unicoidawg

Now that's a big speck ^^^^^^^


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## NCHillbilly

whitetailfreak said:


> The Southern Appalachian Brook Trout south of the New River in VA are genetically different from their northern cousins. The planted Brookies that are stocked in local streams are of the northern variety and can't be compared to the pure southern strain Spec. It's apples to oranges.



Yep, the stocked northern strain brooks are a totally different fish. I caught an 18"-er last weekend that probably weighed three pounds. I would rate it considerably below catching a 7" native speck. It did make a nice tasty tikin xic.


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## glue bunny

My daddy caught a 3 1/2 lb. Brook trout on the hooche opening day of trout season back in the late 70's at Jones bridge.  It was 16 inches long. He had to quit fishing that morning because so many folks wanted to see it. He caught it on the bank fishing with corn. It's hanging on the wall at my mama's.


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## whitetailfreak

Fine looking vittles NCH. Headed to Bone Valley on Hazel Creek tomorrow for a Decoration. I'm trying to decide if taking my flyrod is worth the tongue lashing I'd get from my grandmother. I sure would like to slip up to Desolation Branch before dinner. I can hear her now "boy you orn't be a fishin' on Sundy".


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## NCHillbilly

whitetailfreak said:


> Fine looking vittles NCH. Headed to Bone Valley on Hazel Creek tomorrow for a Decoration. I'm trying to decide if taking my flyrod is worth the tongue lashing I'd get from my grandmother. I sure would like to slip up to Desolation Branch before dinner. I can hear her now "boy you orn't be a fishin' on Sundy".



Sounds just like my Grandma was.


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## westcobbdog

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> Post up a pic of that hawg.



if I wasn't tech challenged I would...will see if I can get some help.


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## 1eyefishing

According to family lore, one of my dad's cousins (would that be my second cousin?) held the Georgia state record for a while. 19 inches. Marion (Cantrell?) He lived near the base of Tray Mountain between Helen and Batesville. I believe that fish was from Waters Creek.
According to this chart I found, it would weigh a little under 3 lb.
He also reportedly had a 34 in Brown from way up Dukes Creek at a point where the creek was less than 34 in wide, he said.
I always loved his stories, he was the true mountain man (in MY mind) of the far reaches of my family. Cannot think of him these days without a prayer in my heart...


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## Tentwing

Took a while to find this pic. Then I had to figure out how to post it.This was from about 1996. 

Tentwing


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## NCHillbilly

Tentwing said:


> Took a while to find this pic. Then I had to figure out how to post it.This was from about 1996.
> 
> Tentwing



Man, that's a fat one! I bet he put up a tussle on that fly rod. That's a stocked northern, though-not a SA native.


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## whitetailfreak

Tentwing said:


> Took a while to find this pic. Then I had to figure out how to post it.This was from about 1996.
> 
> Tentwing



That's a dandy there. I've caught several 16-17 inchers in the hatchery supported streams than feed South shore of Fontana Lake.


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## The mtn man

whitetailfreak said:


> That's a dandy there. I've caught several 16-17 inchers in the hatchery supported streams than feed South shore of Fontana Lake.



Yep, and fires creek delayed harvest has some real hogs in there.


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## Tentwing

NCHillbilly said:


> Man, that's a fat one! I bet he put up a tussle on that fly rod. That's a stocked northern, though-not a SA native.



NCHillbilly,

I'm certain that Brookie started out life living on the tax payers dime. , yes even for a stocker she put quite a bend in that 70 year old bamboo.... I didn't have a measuring tape, but I can tell this. That rod is a 9 foot 6 inch 6 weight Heddon model #35 , and from the winding check to the signature wrap is exactly 16 inches ,and there is plenty of fish left over.

To this day I wonder how that fish came to be in the little creek where I caught her?

Tentwing


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## NCHillbilly

Tentwing said:


> NCHillbilly,
> 
> I'm certain that Brookie started out life living on the tax payers dime. , yes even for a stocker she put quite a bend in that 70 year old bamboo.... I didn't have a measuring tape, but I can tell this. That rod is a 9 foot 6 inch 6 weight Heddon model #35 , and from the winding check to the signature wrap is exactly 16 inches ,and there is plenty of fish left over.
> 
> To this day I wonder how that fish came to be in the little creek where I caught her?
> 
> Tentwing



They show up in some funny places, and have the instinct to head upstream. Looks like that one spent some time on the lam.


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## ripplerider

Tentwing said:


> NCHillbilly,
> 
> I'm certain that Brookie started out life living on the tax payers dime. , yes even for a stocker she put quite a bend in that 70 year old bamboo.... I didn't have a measuring tape, but I can tell this. That rod is a 9 foot 6 inch 6 weight Heddon model #35 , and from the winding check to the signature wrap is exactly 16 inches ,and there is plenty of fish left over.
> 
> To this day I wonder how that fish came to be in the little creek where I caught her?
> 
> Tentwing



Ran upsream in search of cooler water. I caught an 18 1/4" brookie out of Nottely river years ago. They had stocked some brood fish that winter, my buddy caught a 16"er the same day. All I have is a Polaroid picture of it I'll try to get it scanned in to my computer.


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