Big Browns - Lake vs Streams

[Sweet Caroline]

I regularly fish both the lake and tribs. Is it just me or does it seem that more large browns (>10lbs) are caught out in the lake rather than the tribs? I have seen and caught many, many browns in the tribs but have always consistently caught larger browns out in the lake. Browns I catch in the tribs seldom exceed 10lbs but browns I catch out in the lake often exceed 10lbs. I see folks fishing the lake consistently posting pictures of 14+lb browns but I can honestly say I rarely see browns this big in the tribs. Would make sense that the larger browns should be caught in the tribs since this would likely be where the largest concentration of mature spawning adults would be but that doesn't seem to be the case. Just asking out of curiosity if anything.

[LongLine]

IMO, there's some reasons big Browns got that way.  They're very wary;  they don't like daylight; they prefer small fish over bugs; they're more territorial than other salmonids; some spawn in the lake.

 

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[Sk8man]

Browns are also highly nocturnal and many of the big boys may be in and out before the guys fishing for them

Edited January 2, 2015 by Sk8man

[canadadude]

I catch 10+ browns consistently through the winter, run streamers and fish my local harbour, the big boys come in for smelt in the winter months, fish the lower current sections, my biggest brownies in the winter come off white 2" twisters 

[GAMBLER]

You would be surprised how many browns spawn in the lake.

[RD9]

Agreed about lake spawning fish. I have a friend who runs the Argo on lake Eire and he told me he believes by netting that the majority of fish spawn on the soft bottoms in conjuncture were the gravel/reefs intersect. I always seen the best concentrations late November and through December on the erie tribs.