The statewide Pennsylvania Trout Season opens today and the weather forecast was for a sunny day with the temperature around 50 degrees … love it!

The 8 a.m. start time for fishing would be more like 38 degrees, which is a little cool for some people, but we planned on a having a warming campfire and steaming coffee to help us start the day out right. The Bryan Boys would have some homemade deer and pork sausage on the griddles and PK would have some fried bologna and egg sandwiches working as well.

Even if we couldn’t catch a fish, we sure planned on some fun social time and camp food. I almost forgot the hot dogs and cowboy beans that are a favorite of the kids and grownups alike.

I’m sure that this scene is playing out all over the state as anglers young and old, male and female, rookies or old hands hit the waterways of Pennsylvania for both stocked and wild trout. Every stream has its own characteristics and can hold trout to match the waterway.

Larger creeks usually hold rainbow trout and brown trout while the smaller runs are home to the brook trout and some browns. The fishing strategies are really diverse depending on the waters and the trout species.

Rainbow trout are more likely to be found in lakes and larger creeks like the Slippery Rock Creek or the Connoquenessing Creek in Butler County or the Big Sandy Creek or Sugar Creek in Venango County. Brown trout and Brook trout will likely be found in the North Branch of Slippery Rock Creek or Bear Creek.

The PA Fish and Boat Commission will sprinkle in some Golden Trout that will stand out like a neon sign and have every kid on the creek casting a line to catch these unusual colored trout that are golden yellow with a rainbow hued streak along their sides.

Depending on your waterway preferences and species, you will need to match the bait, lures and equipment to be successful. Live bait can really catch some fish, but trout can be very selective in what they will hit on any given day.

The live bait that is available is very expansive; you can choose from red worms, crawlers, maggots, meal worms, butter worms, salted minnows, live minnows, and wax worms.

The other kinds of baits include your trout eggs in every color and flavor scent, your dough baits and your cricket and shrimp offerings.

The fly fisherman and spin cast fisherman have a lot of variety to throw at the trout as well, these include spinners, spoons, flies and nymphs of many actions and looks that a trout can’t resist at times. That’s why an angler has to not only know the trout, but the waterways and fishing structures.

What works one day can be a bust the next, minnows or worms, power bait nuggets or salmon eggs, a spinner or a spoon? Sometimes you only need one choice, then other times you need five!

I had an opportunity to talk to our Butler County WCO as he was on the job covering one side of the county and moving on to the other side to check on waterways and making sure anglers were following the rules for the 8 a.m. Saturday starting time. Anglers have to have a valid 2022 PA Fishing License and a 2022 Trout Stamp to be on the waters that have been stocked with trout by the PFBC.

In-season stocking dates are published in the PFBC Home Page under Trout Stocking. The daily limit is five trout of any combined species. Try to know your fish so that you aren’t getting yourself in trouble or embarrassed by mistakes.

Years ago, I came upon an angler who was really excited about his stringer of trout. He was showing it to anyone he came across along the stream. I gave his stringer a good look and much to my surprise, he had a stringer full of creek chubs who were quite nice for chubs.

When I told him that his catch was nice, but he would need to keep trying for trout … he didn’t believe it. I don’t know what he did with those chubs, but I guess it was his choice to make. That is why it really is a good idea to hit the streams with an experienced angler who can share some fishing knowledge.

Until we meet again, wet a line and get ready to yell fish on! I always have a bet on the first morning with a few fellows about who is going to land the first trout. The trout has to be in the net or on the bank to really count for the money. Be safe and have some fun on the Trout Opener!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle