5 Reasons to Stock a Lake With Rainbow Trout
Fall is here and for AES that means trout season! Stocking your lake with rainbow trout has many benefits. Let's review each one a little more.
Hardiness
Rainbow trout offer a unique game species for half of the year in Georgia. Trout are usually stocked in November/December and will typically live until May or until water temperatures reach 75 degrees. Being a cold water fish, rainbow trout feed best when water temperatures are between 55-65 degrees.
Fast Growing
Rainbow trout are feed trained and will not compete with largemouth bass or bluegill for forage when a supplemental feeding program is in place.
Rainbow trout will respond voraciously to quality fish food and will grow extremely fast when provided with a high protein fish food such as Purina AquaMax 600. Purina AquaMax 600 is a nutrient-dense high protein fish food that gives clients great results. Subsequently, many clients grow trout when they use this quality feed over the winter months.
Good Eating
These fish make great table fare, tender and full of flavor. They are also a lean protein, full of omega 3 fatty acids. Using high-quality fish food will not produce off-flavor.
Fun to Catch
Rainbow trout are aggressive fish that bite well during the colder months of the year when other warm water fish, such as largemouth bass and catfish, are not as active. Rainbow trout put up a fight, making them a fun challenge to reel in. These trout provide great fishing opportunities for novice and advanced fishermen using small spin casters or fly rods.
Forage Option
Stocking smaller rainbow trout provides a great forage option for largemouth bass over the winter months. Rainbow trout have slender bodies and do not have hard spines in their fins making them very easy for largemouth bass to consume. In addition, a largemouth bass can consume a trout over half the size of their body, making them a great protein source for bass growth.
Summary
In conclusion, Rainbow trout are a great choice to stock your pond. Being a hardy variety and easy to feed, they are easy to grow in Georgia. These fish are fun to catch and make an excellent dinner.
Ready to Stock?
AES offers a variety of sizes of smaller and larger trout, contact us to discuss sizing options to fit your fisheries goals. Talk to us. We know fish. Working with all budget sizes, we can help develop a plan to stock your pond.