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BROWN TROUT COME TO DIAMOND VALLEY -- jim matthews column -- 01nov06
Brown trout planted in Diamond Valley to create trophy fishery
By JIM MATTHEWS Outdoor News Service
Diamond Valley Lake is arguably Southern California's single best fishery, with world class largemouth bass, an incredible year-around rainbow trout fishery, and some of the best bluegill, redear, and crappie fishing in the West.
You can now add brown trout to the list of inhabitants of this western Riverside County reservoir -- a new resident that is just going to increase Diamond Valley's fame as a fishery, according to Mike Giusti, a Department of Fish and Game biologist in charge of the lake. Last week 10,000 subcatchable brown trout were planted in Diamond Valley, and Giusti said the lake will receive another 40,000 browns early next summer.
Subcatchable trout are five to 15 to the pound, or roughly three to seven inches long. They won't stay that small for long.
"I figure that within six months, some of those fish might go a pound and in a year close to two pounds, if we're lucky," said Giusti. "We have really good forage in the lake right now."
But it's not this first year or two the browns are in the lake that interests Giusti much, he's interested in seeing what will happen in four to 10 years.
"After a year or so, we won't see many of these fish, then someone will stick a big one," said Giusti. "I expect them to get eight to 10 pounds -- or bigger."
The problem will be educating anglers on how to fish for these bigger brown trout. When browns were planted at Silverwood Lake in the 1970s, it took nearly five years before the fish started being caught regularly and then brown to 10 pounds and better were landed by anglers who developed trolling techniques that worked for the browns. A few fish were caught by the same tactics that worked on rainbows, but it took bigger baits, more stealthy approaches, and enduring patience to get the big browns.
The browns are not slated to be stocked every year, according to Giusti, but the current plan calls for an allotment of 50,000 of the subcatchable every three years. Since the DFG couldn't provide the full 50,000 fish for this first plant, Giusti said the remaining 40,000 fish will be planted next year, probably in June. Giusti said the rotation might be every other year, but that a steady supply of these difficult-to-catch, large-growing trout will be planted in Diamond Valley as part of the plan to keep it the region's premier fishery.
Brown trout planted in Diamond Valley to create trophy fishery
By JIM MATTHEWS Outdoor News Service
Diamond Valley Lake is arguably Southern California's single best fishery, with world class largemouth bass, an incredible year-around rainbow trout fishery, and some of the best bluegill, redear, and crappie fishing in the West.
You can now add brown trout to the list of inhabitants of this western Riverside County reservoir -- a new resident that is just going to increase Diamond Valley's fame as a fishery, according to Mike Giusti, a Department of Fish and Game biologist in charge of the lake. Last week 10,000 subcatchable brown trout were planted in Diamond Valley, and Giusti said the lake will receive another 40,000 browns early next summer.
Subcatchable trout are five to 15 to the pound, or roughly three to seven inches long. They won't stay that small for long.
"I figure that within six months, some of those fish might go a pound and in a year close to two pounds, if we're lucky," said Giusti. "We have really good forage in the lake right now."
But it's not this first year or two the browns are in the lake that interests Giusti much, he's interested in seeing what will happen in four to 10 years.
"After a year or so, we won't see many of these fish, then someone will stick a big one," said Giusti. "I expect them to get eight to 10 pounds -- or bigger."
The problem will be educating anglers on how to fish for these bigger brown trout. When browns were planted at Silverwood Lake in the 1970s, it took nearly five years before the fish started being caught regularly and then brown to 10 pounds and better were landed by anglers who developed trolling techniques that worked for the browns. A few fish were caught by the same tactics that worked on rainbows, but it took bigger baits, more stealthy approaches, and enduring patience to get the big browns.
The browns are not slated to be stocked every year, according to Giusti, but the current plan calls for an allotment of 50,000 of the subcatchable every three years. Since the DFG couldn't provide the full 50,000 fish for this first plant, Giusti said the remaining 40,000 fish will be planted next year, probably in June. Giusti said the rotation might be every other year, but that a steady supply of these difficult-to-catch, large-growing trout will be planted in Diamond Valley as part of the plan to keep it the region's premier fishery.
