Monster Brown Trout

Stan Crigger, a Marietta angler who fishes several times a week year-round, caught the huge brown two weeks ago on Feb. 15, 1993.

It’s a shame the GON Fishin’ Contest hadn’t begun yet. Be safe to say that an 18-lb. brown trout, at 99% of the state record, would have done pretty well.

Stan Crigger, a Marietta angler who fishes several times a week year-round, caught the huge brown two weeks ago on Feb. 15. Where Stan was fishing will surprise most Chattahoochee River fishermen. Stan says he was “way down the river near Six Flags.” The fish hit Stan’s gold/black Rapala at 10:30 p.m.

“It’s a funny thing, people don’t think trout get that far down the river, even I used to say that,” Stan said.

Water suitable to hold trout is generally thought to end at Peachtree Creek, though in the cold winter months suitable water could extend much farther south.

Twenty-two years of fishing the river has produced dozens of trout over 10 pounds for Stan, but this monster is his largest.

The fish just missed the state record of 18-lbs., 2-ozs., which was caught by William Lowery on May 5, 1967 at Rock Creek.