Big fish alert!

State record brown trout seekers have – if history is any indication – perhaps their greatest opportunity of the year to land a monster fish in the few weeks left of this month.

It was at about this time last year – Oct. 3 – that a state record brown trout was hauled out of Paulina Lake. It weighed 28 pounds, 5 ounces.

The fall ”has been a pretty consistent time, and second only to opening weekend as far as catch rate on large fish,” said Steve Marx, a Bend-based biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. ”It’s going to be hard to beat a 28-pounder, but it wouldn’t surprise me.”

Paulina Lake is located, along with East Lake, in Newberry Crater about 25 miles south of Bend. The current state record fish was caught by Ronald Lane of Olancha, Calif. His fish was 9 ounces heavier than the old state record brown trout, which had been caught at Paulina Lake in 1993.

Both Paulina and East lakes have a history of producing massive fish. Early in the season, brown trout weighing in the teens are pulled from each lake. In early June of this year, a 26-pound, 6-ounce brown was caught at Paulina.

”I haven’t heard of as many large fish coming out of East,” said Marx. ”But certainly from our net samples we know they’re there. There are lots of fish in East in the teens.”

Fish of more than 30 pounds have also been recorded, but none on sport tackle. A half-dead 33-pounder was netted in Paulina a number of years ago, said Marx, who also noted a 35-pound fish that was captured in East Lake in 1952 when the ODFW was collecting brood stock.

”We know they’re capable of producing fish in the 30-pound class,” said Marx.

Fall is historically a productive time for catching large fish because big fish are more susceptible.

”One (reason) is the reduced angling pressure,” said Marx. ”And second, a lot of those fish are starting to mature and cruise the shoreline looking for spawning tributaries. They’re in shallower water for a longer portion of the day.”

The brown trout in Paulina and East lakes are not naturally reproducing. Instead, 10,000 fingerlings are stocked. The fingerlings are the progeny of wild fish from Wickiup Reservoir – another highly regarded trophy brown trout destination.

Large brown trout, Marx said, are feeding on tui chubs, crayfish, and probably kokanee.

”The standard is to troll large plugs,” said Marx. ”To fish imitation baits. But it’s hard to say what they’d be attracted to on any given day.”

With large fish in the shallows, shore fishing can be productive. But a boat can provide access to much more of the lake, and trolling has proven most effective when going after big fish.

”If people are trolling, use long lines behind the boat,” advised Marx. ”(The fish) will be disturbed when the boat goes over, so give them a chance to swing back in. Use long lines and work the perimeter of the lake.”

The window of opportunity to land a big brown is quickly closing. Paulina and East Lakes will close to fishing for the year on Oct. 31.

Should an angler be lucky enough to land a fish that might qualify as a state record, a few procedures should be followed to make sure it is eventually recognized as such.

An application form must be submitted within one month of the catch to the ODFW. A photograph with a clear side view of the fish is needed to verify the species. The fish should be weighed on a certified scale, and the application form must include the signatures of two witnesses to the weighing, including the person who weighed the fish. It is the weight of the fish that will determine whether or not it is a state record.

For anglers who do make the trip to Paulina or East lakes, even if a new state record brown trout doesn’t show up on the end of the fishing line, there are other rewards.

”It’s a nice time to be up there,” said Marx. ”Low pressure, no congestion at the boat ramp. There are some awful nice fall days up in the crater.”

Keith Ridler can be contacted at 383-0393 or kridler@bendbulletin.com.