Top 5 Virginia Trout Stocking Myths

Spring has sprung and we are in the peak of our stocked trout season. There are a lot of misconceptions about the way we stock trout. Watch us debunk the top five trout stocking myths.

[@wesreid8685]

I had not heard some of these but it was good to watch. Some of those trout in the video were LARGE. I'm going fishing.

[@sethradus9858]

Thank you for your commitment to the environment and VA’s fisheries. We appreciate it.

[@yipez]

Awesome video! Love learning about how you disperse the fish. Thanks for the good work!

[@liewho5344]

Kampuskop made a good point. Virginia has roughly 10 percent public land. Which is nothing compared to other states. Virginia has become nothing but another place for the wealthy to buy up land then post NO TRESPASSING on The rivers and streams. Guys the days of riding down a river road and pulling over and fishing are gone. Quit stocking trout that is considered panfish. Quit bragging about the trout stocking programs. Raise some fish that will make your legs shake when you hook one. Yes, it can be done. Prove me wrong!! I have traveled out west to fish, awesome programs out there. Traveled down south, awesome fishing. Pay attention to the youth! You need to bring people out of state. Guess what VDGIF I DON'T LIVE IN YOUR STATE!!! IM trying to help you with what I have seen with my travels. I come to Virginia to catch brook trout. But I would stay a little longer if you would change it up a little with fish that will give me a fight. But honestly, I would say that most of your employees agree with me. But do to Virginias politics. The state is going downhill. The upper tier of management needs to go out west and see what an outdoor program is really like!!

[@kampuskop]

You are absolutely spot on correct about the efforts of other states.... Let's take Washing State for an example.... Washington has some of the best wild trout fishing in the world, but it is supplemented by a stocking effort 16 times larger than Virginia.... Yes... You read that right.... 16 time as many trout... From a state that Virginia out ranks both in population and wealth... Here is a quote from each states website as proof.... "16.5 million trout The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will be stocking or has stocked over 16.5 million trout and kokanee into 546 water bodies across the state to provide for excellent trout and kokanee fishing opportunities during 2020." The above is from Washington State. And now Virginia. "The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) stocks more than 1 million catchable-size trout annually to support trout fisheries in more than 180 streams and lakes. Approximately 100,000 anglers fish for these stocked trout in Virginia each year." It costs the same for a fishing license and trout stamp in Washington as it does Virginia. Think about that!!!! I'm not trying to slam Virginia, or put anyone down.... I only seek improvement... Honestly... I would gladly pay $100 per year for a trout stocking program that produces 16 times the fish. Let the trout stamp cost $100, in exchange for a 16 times increase in trout and a salmon stocking program.

[@liewho5344]

@@kampuskop I'm not bashing Virginia VDGIF employees. It just seems that your leadership is politicians not outdoorsman. Do your homework people, your farm owners are stocking better trout than the state of Virginia. Also, the farm owners are reaping the benefits. Which is fine by me, at least I can catch a decent size fish. I don't know what part of the state you're in but I don't even go past Roanoke anymore. GEEEEEZZZ Its a beautiful state focus on the fish worth catching.

[@wednesdaystatic1057]

This is all 100% true and perfectly said. I agree they are stocking minnows here in Virginia and playing them off as trout.

[@kampuskop]

I would LOVE to see additional species variety in Virginia.... If you think about it, neither the Brown or Rainbow trout are native to Virginia. So why not stock cut throat, Dolly Varden, etc.... Heck, some states even stock salmon... CT for example, stocks 3 or their lakes with a landlocked variety of salmon. I would pay double or more the price of a trout stamp if more trout and a greater variety were stocked. I also wish that more streams were stocked.... It seems to me that we have many missed opportunities here in Virginia.

[@nachopretzel3533]

They have stocked Coho in Philpott but they also look at how the fish do. No point in making fish struggle in an water body. Animals have rights to.

[@skeezeball6662]

@@nachopretzel3533 ^^^

[@scottlytton5328]

​@@nachopretzel3533 that's what a lot of folks don't seem to understand. Most of Virginia's waters get wat to hot to sustain trout year round. I've read here that a few places do but the majority of the state cannot support trout year round.

[@fished6702]

It would be helpful to keep the stocking dates close to the vest. I have heard stories of caravans of fishermen following the stocking trucks, particularly up Big Stony Creek. Not exactly sportsmen.

[@Cwb-bt7lr]

It should be illegal to follow the stocking trucks. Some of us have to work and can't get out in time to have a fair chance at catching any. It's at the point where it ain't worth my time standing out in the cold for 3 hours to come home empty handed

[@happycamper4429]

I will routinely see a caravan of retired guys following the stocking trucks leaving the hatchery in Ft Chiswell VA. I always think how many fish do these guys eat?

[@scottlytton5328]

​@@happycamper4429 hi, I'm curious about fort chiswell. Is that near pulaski co. Or claytor lake maybe? I fish the lake a lot but just smallies and stripers. I'd love to catch something different for a change. I know nothing about trout but I'd love to catch a few.

[@happycamper4429]

@@scottlytton5328 It's just up 81 from Pulaski just before Wytheville.

[@donnieproffitt5355]

I have lived in virginia & fished its trout streams for 45 years. Trout stocking has always been lacking. I actually gave up trout fishing a few years ago when I witnessed VDGIF stocking trout out of a YETI COOLER. That's what I said a YETI COOLER. I asked the warden about the amount of trout that they could 've possibly stocked in which he started to get snippy & mouthy with me. In short I haven't bought a trout stamp since. It's just not worth the time, effort, & hard earned money to try & compete with 20 other anglers for the 15 fish that they have just stocked

[@Lane24884]

I can honestly say Donnie you are correct. It's sad to know that a warden sets in the woods to watch an angler catch a stocked trout that outfights a sun perch!

[@samuelritchie4593]

Them lieing SOB VDGIFall the trout gose up to northren part of VA . here in wise county and scott county thay put all 25 trout to 50 people i go to state of TN to trout fish fk the state of VA and there stocking

[@BillJutz]

Thanks for doing the work you do, so we can have happy healthy fish!

[@williamcollins2232]

Great video. I'm old and remember DGIF before it became combined with West Virginia and the year round stocking. I even remember Game Wardens and was friends with some GREAT ones. The new Conversation Officers are ok I suppose. Does anyone remember two stocking a year and the two week closure to restock, and the two openings? Everyone in the western part of the state (and people from out of state) bought a license if they fished or not just to go "Trout Drinking ". What Circus. Greatest gathering of the year and an end to winter. Wish you could have been there. Wish I could go back. But that's progress. I hear Cancer is progressive.

[@backcreekcabin4994]

Need to stop announcing stocking dates. Need to establish a good wild population so we have year around fishing.

[@charlieblankenship6380]

I agree 100%

[@C.R.W]

Be careful what you wish for :)

[@thomastrain7311]

You'd be surprised at how many that there are. I got into fly fishing several years back and it opened up my eyes. There are quite a few sections that are fly fishing only, catch and release etc. . There's a lot of places to go that are away from the highway and require some effort, and once you figure out a few of those places to go it's well worth the time .

[@rodbelding9523]

Virgina water gets like 85 degrees in the summer, theyre not gonna establish, theyre just gonna die.

[@aceboardtheangler5252]

@@thomastrain7311 I would love to see some of those places 🤙🏾

[@donniedarko1345]

Keep doing what your doing. I scored in VA with Trout in June/July of 2020

[@user-uy6kg2tc8l]

Washington state and the west in general were mentioned as having superior trout management and fishing. Of course the trout fishing is better in the west. There are vastly more miles of streams that are cool enough to maintain trout populations. Our trout streams originate mostly in the mountains, the source of that cool water. Here in the south the water warms very quickly downstream. We are lucky to have trout at all, they are mostly stocked fish with few exceptions. Those great western streams I have fished hold mostly wild trout, sometimes for hundreds of miles in the same watershed. One river flowing through more than one state is often trout all the way. This is the SOUTH yal. We don't have the Rocky Mountains or the Sierras as water sources. The overall altitude in much of the west is thousands of feet higher that Virginia and average temperatures much lower. Snowmelt from the mountains generally runs onto May and June. Did someone compare apples and oranges? Go DWR! Keep up the good work.

[@chuckcregger8527]

Wonderful program and love the stocking efforts to distribute trout over large area. perhaps the Commission should look at ongoing unsanctioned bass tournaments that ultimately stockpile fish in the same areas. The fish are showing many battle scars and ongoing mortality. no tournament permit, no distribution boat, no weigh in tanks (oxygen, slime care) , no tournament.

[@patriot8347]

Can't believe that people actually think that you would not want the fish to bite, great job guys.

[@angkit216]

Love to work in that field.

[@adammitchell3462]

Great video,not a big trout angler but i love to fish and its good info to know

[@jayyycee]

*Thanks*

[@liewho5344]

Just to clarify something I'm not bashing the workers of VDGIF. It's just the state that is outdated when it comes to trout.

[@samuelritchie4593]

STATE of VA can't afford to buy the trout from the hatcheries.all VA money gose to the state workers

[@hankdog001]

Some of these aren't myths. Like how they used to stock the gorge at Big Tumbling Creek and can't be bothered with doing that section anymore. Also like when I went to Little Tumbling years ago a day after it was stocked just to see it littered with dead fish. It's amazing how the state says it does such a great job yet we have less and less water to fish and the licenses keep getting higher. In NC it's not that much more for me to buy a non resident permit than a VA resident permit.

[@XenoEditing]

I never heard of any of these until this video.

[@scottlytton5328]

I never have either and I don't believe these rumors even exist

[@jasonjason1539]

Love to trout fish in VA

[@nachopretzel3533]

I'm under the impression that your trucks are not being fully emptied at the streams of scheduled locations. I'm willing to bet that many times you have had stocking trucks leaving with held back fish going to secret and bribed locations.

[@mackgalliher7544]

Question :How could someone get a job working with the hatchery?

[@vlcheish]

bribery

[@Evershear]

thanks for clearing that up.

[@waredskinfan]

Currently in Tn but fish Va a lot. I watched the fish truck stock here and the fish were like in shock when first put in the water. Lifeless about 10 feet from the edge of the stream. I fished that hole for over 2 hours. No bites. What causes that reaction? Is it a change in water temp from the truck? Enquiring minds would like to know.

[@danielcannaday2207]

In Franklin county Virginia where I fish a lot we only have two streams now and y'all put so few fish in them it's not enough to go around for the different anglers and I have personally watched them stock they do not spread the fish out good they just throw them in the holes they can get the truck right too,mostly they're caught out the first day or day and a half y'all used to stock over a thousand fish at a time now you're probably aren't doing half that. If it doesn't improve me and a lot of people I know are going to quit buying licenses and going

[@landonyoder6710]

Me and my uncle were going trout fishing up at elk horn lake and we came across stocking truck stocking the river that flows into it and the trout were definitely biting.

[@manifestgtr]

LOL “no bite”, I feel like 80% of that is people blaming their lack of skill on some hatchery nonsense. The remaining 20% being that fish have just been introduced into an ecosystem for the first time and the water chemistry is probably a little wacky for them.

[@samuelritchie4593]

I belive in that no bite thing.where i live thay don't put but 1 or two trout in and thats why you don't get no bites

[@russclark5150]

It's simple if somebody wants to catch fish the best time to go is the next morning. The fish of adapted to the temperature change if there is any from the hatchery to the truck to the stream basically stop following the trucks

[@wednesdaystatic1057]

I can catch them the very same evening they were stocked. Which usually pisses the ones off that followed the truck around looking for one or two citation size trout if any at all are stocked. Then when they see that one or two trophy fish being put in the water they will pressure those fish in that hole or section or day long non stop. Then here I come saying to myself yeah this is good fish holding water as well as my gut telling me there just might be a citation trout at this spot. I will approach the members of the social security club and welfare gang and make a conversation with them not even about fishing just about how life is so much different than it was 10 years ago. Within minutes they are telling me about how they wish we still had a opening day and trout season. Mind you I still have yet to even drop a hook in the water. At which point they will tell me the fish are not biting at all. How they have been there all day and that they have tried this bait or that bait perhaps this lure or that lure, or this fly or that fly. There's their mistake because I'm armed with knowing what those fish haven't seen all day. At which point I will ask them do you mind if I give it a try for a cpl of casts? Usually they say go ahead good luck but you're going to be standing here empty handed just like us; and if they don't give response I answering for them by saying well hell I'm gonna give it a go anyway since all have paid for the license and trout stamp to fish here anyway. Then proceed to tie on either a sliver little Cleo or gold little Cleo it just depends on the amount of sunlight hitting that spot we're at on which one I'm going to use. Then I cast down below where the fish holding at and then bam no more than five to ten feet up stream from where the fish was holding I have one hooked and the hook set and I'm catching it. With 30 minutes to and hour I've got my limit and leaving. Oh you can bet I'm getting I asked what I was using as bait to catch just one let alone my limit. With my creel of 6 fish containing the very fish they had been there all day for if not both of those fish if there was two citation size trout put in the section of the stream that morning. I simply tell them I did by doing what a wise old man once told me. I don't follow the stock truck around to every stop looking for where the biggest fish are put in at nor do I follow it for any reason what so ever. Doing that only causes you to go home emptied handed with no fish to eat but more than likely a little mad because you've been trying all day to get that trophy trout only for some one to show up late after noon and have that trophy fish on the stringer with their first cast and if not thier first cast they will have it on their stringer by the time they make their last cast if not the last cast of their day. But why was that late angler the man or woman lucky enough, or perhaps skilled more, or maybe it was both luck and skill for his or her success that day. Well the answer is simple the late angler is there to catch whatever fish is in the water and not after a trophy size fish as he/she is unaware of the trophy fish being there. So he/she isn't going after that one or two trophy fish only. He or she is just going after what ever fish they are able to land that meets the minimum size required to keep the fish. So he /she are rewarded for not being trophy fisherman and for being a fisherman who is in it for the food, and relaxation. However I can say this past October in Patrick county no one could had gotten near the stock truck no matter what they tried to do because they had two conservation police vehicles, a game warden, three county deputies and a state trooper with them following them to each and every place they stopped at to stock the fish to keep anyone who wasn't stocking the fish away from the area until they were done stocking it. They were kept at a distance far enough away from the stock truck that the size of the fish was impossible to know.

[@warrenmills7978]

Is it true when in wv if I pee in the road it would get stocked with brood trout

[@kbkesq]

So impressive.

[@jamesjackson7463]

How do you select a stream to stock? Walkers Creek is a beautiful creek with some deep pools against bed rock and a lot of aeration. I dont know the first thing about trout but it appears it would be a great stream for trout but have never seen VDGIF stocking it. Local rumor is it was tried once but for some reason it was not continued.

[@Mark-dx8rr]

It's really hard to believe that these myths even exist.

[@joebevex1320]

THANK YOU !!!!

[@metallicsilver]

Yup! Just throw em in the deep end!

[@josephmcgee8450]

Can trout stocking be included in Salt Water Rivers? Look at what happened at Bugs Island with Stripers?

[@Frank-Tammie97]

👍

[@Broman-pq9if]

Would be nice if y’all didn’t announce dates of stocking and allowed streams that can hold wild trout to do so(so don’t stock a stream if it can support a wild population)

[@WhiskeyLimaAviation]

Awesome work fellas!

[@dannyclevinger9747]

Works for me

[@WCHN2011]

It would be nice if game wardens would issue warning tickets and actual citations to known stock truck chasers so that *working* folks could have a chance to catch some fish especially when the creeks/lakes/ponds and rivers get stocked throughout the earlier part of the week. I understand that some, if not most of these folks, are retired, but some are just lazy people on disability who's too sorry to work.

[@elicooper660]

My dad is an eagle biologist for dgif

[@russclark5150]

Great video

[@pnw_element9822]

Damn Virginia anglers don’t let these fish acclimate to the water for them to say this I been fishing where the truck comes and dump then they don’t bite right away give them time to get used to the water then the bite will be hot

[@shyboyva2435]

Have y’all stocked this year?

[@vlcheish]

not until dodgers win world series

[@wednesdaystatic1057]

They ve been stocking since October first just like they do every year.

[@corruptedjewel7585]

Hello. Could you please explain why stocked trout have tail fin cut off. This fish can't fight and fun of fishing greatly reduced.

[@S_C_A_R_F_A_C_E]

Tails rub against the concrete walls of the hatchery

[@wednesdaystatic1057]

Most of them the fin is worn off from swimming in a concrete pool for the better part of it's life, however some do have that fin cut off if the damage from the concrete pond they are in is to the point of not being to a heal which would then cause far worse problems for said fish and all of it's concrete pond friends it has. Which leaves them with no choice but to cut that fin off before that one fin possibly kills that one fish or even worse the whole population of that one concrete pond.

[@thatv3xguy991]

That’s is such a lie on three I have caught them before and them have food in there mouth

[@felipecaceres4797]

Why you guys never stocking at northern Virginia. For instead. Goose creek,and the Bull Run, theses rivers are good for trout

[@angelobiviano1063]

Myth #7: State won't stock over wild trout

[@wednesdaystatic1057]

Even if they don't stock over wild trout the stocked trout will swim up or down stream into wild trout waters. Truth is there's only a 1% chance of ever catching a true 100% wild trout in Virginia anymore. At best a semi wild trout is what will be caught in wild trout waters any more

[@Scott.Farkus]

If the grease doesn't hurt'em when you throw'em in it the water surely won't.

[@dougrogers3062]

What if the fish hit a rock and they get hit in the head also good video.

[@jacoblyonsgrimreaper5075]

Well BY GOD why in the hell don't you stck here in scott county

[@maxmears8216]

Why dislike?

[@leroybaker1373]

It amazes me how dumb people can be. Why would they do harm to them. It takes a lot of work and time to get the fish big enough to release for us to enjoy them. I think it's more of a lack of ability to catch fish, not the people that release them.

[@juanhernandez-qd9fx]

WHERE ARE THE TROUT!!!??? LOL. Fishing is ruining my life...

[@trouterman420]

every single myth i picture a grizzled grey haired men saying them

[@betterbuypoints7327]

Holy crap that’s an embarrassing way to stock fish. Just chuck em in that brutally?

[@tftoutdoors6582]

they need to smack the water to wake them up or they will float down stream and die so its not brutally

[@timervine2986]

Some of these myths...REALLY?

[@Coachadm91]

If you can’t catch stocked fish you DO NOT need to be fishing 🤣

[@yousifhonar6980]

مووت

[@skaterhk213]

Every state needs to quit stocking trout, wild brook and brown streams are all we need

[@kampuskop]

Not only are Brown Trout not native to Virginia, they are not native to the United States or anywhere in North America.... You are able to enjoy them today from the stocking programs of the past where they were brought over from Europe. We need an expanded stocking effort, not less of it.

[@skaterhk213]

@@kampuskop no shiit but they do breed in the wild after being stocked and then you get streams like fishing creek or spring creek as an example, some of the greatest native brook, and wild brown fishing on the east coast, you stock fish over top of them you’re adding competition for the established fish in that stream, our lime stone spring creeks can get away with it but why would you wanna catch a stocked 20” brown or rainbow when you can catch a 20” trout born in that stream

[@wednesdaystatic1057]

@@skaterhk213 just because it's born in the stream doesn't make it a wild trout. A wild trout is a trout that has no ancestors what so ever that was a hatchery trout. So even if a trout is hatched out or even it's egg was fertilized in the river or stream if it has just one ancestor at all that was a stocked trout then it you don't have true 100% wild "native" trout. Instead the trout is only a semi/ partially wild "native" trout. Fact is it's highly unlikely that there any wild" native" brook trout at all in Virginia. And there has never been a wild "native rainbow or wild "native " brown in the state of Virginia at any point in time and there never will be.

[@brandonmaurer12]

Believe it or not but Virginia has some of the best trout fishing in the U.S.

[@scottlytton5328]

Proof?