First Fish Of 2014 Or A Shallow Victory

[hoosierbass07]

  Oh man, at first I get a high then I get kicked in the stomach.  

 

  I caught my first fish for 2014 today.  I went to a city park that is stocked with bass and trout.  I have not had any luck there this year for bass but heard and saw videos of people catching trout already.  So I went for trout.  I was using a pinkish rooster tail and I manged to get my first fish of 2014.  It was also my first ever trout I have ever caught. 

 

 So I swing it in and it flaps around a lot.  I lay it on the ground and try to hold it down in the grass so I can take the rooster tail out.  It flips more and throws the rooster tail out of its mouth.  I finally grab the trout and hold it up for a few seconds to look at it.  It was bleeding a tad from the mouth.  I put it back in the water and it flips upside.  I turn it back over and hold it a few seconds and then it swims off.  I thought - sweet.  Then I see it again and it flips over and after a few seconds sinks to the bottom and dies!  

 

 What is the deal with these trout?  Last year my nephew caught a trout behind a dam and I was with him.  That trout had a hook deep in it's mouth and after we got it out we put it back in the water and it flipped upside down and died.  

 

 So, I get my first fish of 2014 but it dies on me!  I do have my trout license.  But still, it would be nice to catch those pretty fish and be able to release it healthy and all.  

 

 I'm wondering, are trout stocked mostly for people to catch and take home and eat?  Also, am I doing something wrong?  

 

Thanks  

[michang5]

I believe most stocked trout are meant for people to keep and eat.

I went in a trip last year and fished a mountain lake. I caught a handful of smallish trout -- my first ever -- and all but one of them died. They either swallowed the hook too deep and/or were just too delicate for any hook removal.

Bummed me out, but the guides I was with assured me "this just happens with trout." They also strung them up and later cleaned and cooked them for my group and me.

[michang5]

Oh... And you tried your best. It comes with the territory. Birds and turtles need to eat, too.

[flyfisher]

Trout are not nearly as hardy as bass.  Generally if the trout is on the ground flopping around as you stated, it won't make it 9 imps out of 10.

 

I have never had a brookie die on me in the mountains that I have seen.  I go wit the biggest flies i can and still catch fish and always barbless to make hook removal easy.  I also rarely take them out of the water unless they are picture worthy, which isn't often really as they are all beauties  

[mjseverson24]

I am with fly fisher, if i fish trout, i always go barbless, and i am wading in the river or stream so it never comes in contact with anything other than my hand, i also keep them in the water unless it is picture time. the big ones are more resilient, but the small ones die very easy...

 

Mitch