Opening day of trout season didn’t sound all that great on Green River or Broad River. I haven’t heard of anyone catching limits, but the state usually does a good job stocking both rivers throughout the spring and early summer, so hopefully fishing should improve there. But thankfully there is always the delayed harvest section of the Green River, still one of the best programs, in my opinion, the state has done in recent years.

Most of the area lakes are fishing well, Wylie, Hickory, Hartwell; it’s a long list. This time of year it’s more important to just be fishing, than to worry about where to fish.

As always, think about the years ahead. Handle all fish carefully, quickly, and return them all. They each have a role to play in their annual spawning ritual. Give them a couple of months to raise their brood, and then keep some for the frying pan. And I can’t stress the importance of releasing the big female brooders.

These fish have the genes to grow more big fish. And a vast majority of people I have questioned agree that big fish don’t eat as well, and a photo or replica is better than a true mount, so please, let ‘em swim!