Rainbow trout fishing on the Llano River in the Texas Hill County of Mason County
Mason County WinterFisch announces the 7th annual Mason County WinterFisch rainbow trout fishing event, and the opening day WinterFisch Celebration.
The 7th annual Mason County WinterFisch will run from December 2, 2023 through March 17, 2024, and includes the release of 2500 rainbow trout, sponsored by businesses in Mason and Gillespie counties, as well as many friends of WinterFisch.
“We are pleased to announce the 7th annual Mason County WinterFisch rainbow trout fishing event in Mason County for the benefit of local residents, our visitors, and our business community,” said Tony Plutino, Organizer of Mason County WinterFisch.
The trout will be released by TPWD in two batches. The first 1,500 will be stocked on December 2, with an additional 1,000 to be stocked on February 1, 2024. A consortium of businesses and individual supporters are sponsoring the bulk of the trout, with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) donating 500 trout.
The location of the Mason County WinterFisch rainbow trout fishing and the WinterFisch Celebration is at the James River Crossing area of the Llano River on State Highway 2389, which features a very large natural island at the crossing.
The WinterFisch Celebration kicks off the annual Winter-Fisch season and takes place on December 2. The WinterFisch Celebration will feature rainbow trout fishing, fishing, various outdoor and nature demonstrations, loaner poles, live music, fresh-cooked-catch, food trucks, campfires, and a variety of prize categories.
“I took my son to WinterFisch to get away from the big city and relax,” said Gerardo Huerta of San Antonio, Texas. “We enjoyed a fun, beautiful, sunny day of fishing. We caught numerous fish that day and my son and I sat riverside eating our ramen with fresh trout. It is a great memory, and it was a wonderful day!”, Huerta elaborated.
Cash prizes will be awarded for tagged fish during the WinterFisch Celebrations and throughout the WinterFisch season. Submitters of tags will be automatically entered into a post-season grand-prize drawing in mid-March 2024. The six grand prizes include two-night stays on the Llano River in Mason County at; Dos Rios RV Park and Campground, River Sounds Campground, and The Fish camp, as well as a $200 Gift Certificate from Lowe’s Markets, a Day Sailing Adventure aboard the Tranquility in Galveston, and a fly fishing rod and reel combo from Living Waters Fly Fishing of Round Rock.
Gift certificates of $100, provided by sponsoring businesses, will be given to the catchers of the first five golden-colored rainbow trout. These goldencolored rainbow trout, often call “Palominos” or “Lightnings” are rainbow trout with a genetic mutation that gives them the color of a goldfish.
Cash awards and gift certificates to Backwoods BBQ of Fredericksburg will be given to the five kids under age 12 who catch the five smallest rainbow trout and enter the Big Joe Martinez Small Fry Competition during the WinterFisch Celebration.
“We are excited to again feature our Big Joe Martinez Small Fry Competition, a memorial event to honor our good friend, Joe Martinez and his family,” said Pete Munoz a longtime close friend of Mr. Martinez and a member of Team WinterFisch. “Joe who was a huge advocate for kids, with an extra soft spot for the underdog,” added Munoz. “Joe was an avid fisherman and outdoorsman,” concluded Munoz.
Parking for the WinterFisch Celebration will be available on the natural island at the James River Crossing and at the James River Icehouse. Attendees are encouraged to carpool if possible. While the location is at the end of State Highway, attendees are reminded to use care and caution while accessing the event and throughout the WinterFisch season. Attendees are also asked to not fish from the bridge, which violates state law.
About TPWD’s annual winter rainbow trout stocking in Texas
TPWD’s Winter Rainbow Trout Stocking Program was created to provide a fishing opportunity during a time of year when native fish are less active. The hatchery-reared trout are 9-12 inches long and create a put-and-take fishery with the expectation that most fish will be caught within a few weeks of being stocked. In the spring and summer most Texas waters are too warm to provide suitable habitat for rainbow trout, so there is no reproduction of this species.
About Mason County WinterFisch
Mason County WinterFisch provides a fun and engaging family-oriented outdoor experience for area residents as well as for our many visitors. Local businesses are encouraged to promote WinterFisch, which is designed to encourage visitors to Mason County in a normally slow part of the year for tourism. Fishing is an affordable and enjoyable family activity and often acts as a catalyst for other outdoor pursuits.
TPWD releases the trout at the bridge crossing the Llano River on Highway 2389 as well as on the upstream end of the island at that location. Fishing can be enjoyed on the public gravel island at this location or on the properties of the James River Icehouse and Dos Rios RV Park and Campground during business hours. Access fees apply at the Dos Rios RV Park.
The fishing is free, with the trout paid for by our sponsors, but all adult fishers must have a valid Texas Fishing License in their possession. Children under 17 do not need a fishing license. Fishing licenses may be purchased in Mason at the Mason Feed Store and Lowe’s Markets. Licenses may also be purchased online from the TPWD website at https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/ licenses/online_sales.
WinterFisch is made possible by the generous support and contributions of TPWD as well as many Mason County and Gillespie County businesses, and the Friends of WinterFisch.