I've read that brown trout will feed in water up to 75 degrees. About ten years ago I was bass fishing with my son (Braun Bay) using night crawlers. He got a birds nest on one reel and I left the hooked night crawler in the water while I worked on the tangled line at the reel. Gave the kid another set up so he could keep fishing. After about 15 minutes I get the line untangled and reel it in, we had a huge salmon that took the night crawler in 3 to 4 feet of water on the 4th of July!! He was a good 3 to 4 pound fish but I think he had health problems, should not have been in 70 plus degree water. Fish long enouh and some things won't suprise you. Tight lines to all & happy 4th - remember our sevice men and women, some are doing difficult work as we enjoy our freedom!!
4 years ago bass fishn in the evening; I took a hard fighting 20 inch brown out of a 4 acre farm pond in mid July on a Zara Spook. Fish hit in 5 feet of water that must have been 75 deg+. I was told they can tolerate the warmest water in the species. Fish had very dark coloring and was also released.
A few weeks ago I was fishing off of Rattlesnake in the middle of the afternoon and had my line about 15 feet behind the boat dragging the surface. Much to my surprise, while I was trying to connect to my downrigger a 17 inch salmon grabbed it. Never expected him to be on the surface during the afternoon of a mid-June day.
I had a similar senario. Hot, 95 plus, spring fed lake in Mid ME for largemouth. Rowing a 12 ft dingy, decided to troll back from being wind driven about a mile from camp, threw a broken back back rapala, 6lb test, pole at my feet. Suddenly pole snapped against the back seat and I just grabbed it, was in 10 feet of water, maybe 15. Fought for 25 mins, finally got about a 12 lb brown to the side, no net, lost him when i tried to lift em over the gunnel. Great fun!
