Photo Source: Erik Hanson, Flikr

Rainbow trout are finally returning to fishing holes in Texas

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To be more accurate, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is about to kick off its annual winter rainbow trout stocking. For the non-fishing aficionados, that means state wildlife officials are ready to stock nearly 300,000 hatchery-reared rainbow trout at more than 140 spots throughout Texas.

The trout stocking project begins in late November and runs through March. It occurs in the winter months because the fish require the cooler water temperatures to survive. Texas Parks and Wildlife has been stocking rainbows every winter since the 1970s.

Rainbow trout will bite at nearly anything immediately after stocking. They will go after a wide variety of bait and lures so catching them is relatively easy, even for kids and novice anglers.

All anglers 17 and older must have a valid freshwater fishing license. The daily bag limit is five fish, state officials said.