As the snow melts and tulips start to sprout from the ground outdoorsman in central PA start to think about one of the most popular things to do in the spring: trout fishing.

The Pennsylvania Fish commission stocks a total of 4,197,700 brown brook and rainbow trout to the lakes and creeks in Pennsylvania and they will also be stocking 8,570 trophy trout. Trophy trout are golden rainbow trout that average 1.5 pounds and 14 inches.

There are two opening days for trout in Pennsylvania.

The first falls on April 4th and includes the southern counties of Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill and York counties.

The state opening day is April 18th, which is when the local county like Blair, Centre, and Huntingdon County open.

“I plan on going to Licking Creek for the first time on the southern opening day I never been but I think my buddy will put us on some fish,” said junior Dakota Fink

What all you should need to be ready to hit the water and get your limit of trout?  Here are the essentials:

• Hip boots which will let you wade into the stream.  Especially important in the early season.
• Small size trout rod (I recommend a 5ft-6ft spinning rod with 4-6 lbs. test line).
• Fishing vest to store hooks, split shots, spinners and live bait.
• Hooks: size 10 for wax worms and size 6 for night crawlers.
• A stringer for your catch.
• A pair of needle nose piers.
• Live bait (wax worms, night crawlers, and/or red worms).
• Power bait and/or salmon eggs.

“I plain on taking my son Kolton to the fishing rodeo at Reservoir park opening day but we won’t keep the fish.  We will release them so we can catch them again,” said Dan Plummer.

Last year was a warm spring and I had more luck with spinners than I had with live bait.  But with the colder weather this spring I think that live bait will work the better spinners but you never know until you get to the creek and see what the fish are hitting on at that time of day.

I usually bring everything but the kitchen stink with me when I go fishing because you never know what’s going happen at the water.

Many of local creeks in the area are being stocked for the opening days. Bald Eagle Creek, Canoe Creek, Little Juniata River, Vanscoyoc Run, Wallace Run are some of the creeks being stocked but if you want to look and see the other creek being stocked go to the fish and boat website and go to trout stocking.

To find out specific locations, dates and times of stocking click this link.