Need some trout help...

I've only targeted trout twice in my whole life....bothtimes at Lake Poway. The first time i hooked into a nice one but the fish broke off once i handed th rod to my GF lol.

I'm not looking to get into trouting like some of you guys but would really like to catch a few so I can add a new species to my list.

Any general info on how to target then? Shallow, deep, bottom or top? I just need a little guidance and I'm sure I'll be good. Last two times i targeted them in the shallows....i tried in deeper water but without a fish finder it's really hit or miss.

Both times i used one rod with power bait and the other time threw rooster tails, small kastmasters, and an assortment of small trout jigs in pinks and a lime green color. I was using a 4lb fluro leader as well. Another time i tried drop shotting some pink trout power worms. Do trout follow similar patters of other fish...suchaas going deep when the sun is high?

Normally up here when fishing for trout I tend to find a spot about 15-20' deep and use just a black grub bait.
They tend to like them alot, as for the time of day I find early morning mid afternoon is a good time to get them striking. But they are also known to be hunting just before dusk as well.

Hope the info helps you!

with our local lakes you wanna stick closer to shore because the bass are waiting in the depths

"Garilc rainbow" powerbait..... shhhhhhh its my secret fav trout bait . N try dropshotin a lil red or orange power worm that will do the trick.

I have been trout fishing a lot lately and usually get 3-4 from the pay lakes. Not hard to catch, but sometimes you need to match what they are feeding on. The last LNL report I posted here out of at least 40 shore fisherman only 2-3 caught fish and they where all using powerbait. Out of the 20 or so guys fishing in tubes and boats I would say only 10 had fish. Out of that only 3-4 fly fisherman had good sized fish and more than 1.

I fish from 10-20 feet and after trying several different lures and bait it was the large super duper that produced fish. The only other lure catching fish consistently where midges and wet flies suspended about 10 feet in water.

If you ever want to hit up a pay lake let me know. I don't mind paying because I enjoy eating trout and as long as I can get at least 2 good sized fish it's worth the admission in my opinion. Plus I have free tube passes for SARL also.

2lb test and nothing higher.
orange or red 3" trout power worms drop shot.
power bait works too in orange.
with the water being on the cold side still they will be shallow, once the water warms up then they will dive down deep to cooler water.

here in so cal waters I havent had much luck with lures.
its mostly bait.

LGHT wrote:I have been trout fishing a lot lately and usually get 3-4 from the pay lakes. Not hard to catch, but sometimes you need to match what they are feeding on. The last LNL report I posted here out of at least 40 shore fisherman only 2-3 caught fish and they where all using powerbait. Out of the 20 or so guys fishing in tubes and boats I would say only 10 had fish. Out of that only 3-4 fly fisherman had good sized fish and more than 1.

I fish from 10-20 feet and after trying several different lures and bait it was the large super duper that produced fish. The only other lure catching fish consistently where midges and wet flies suspended about 10 feet in water.

If you ever want to hit up a pay lake let me know. I don't mind paying because I enjoy eating trout and as long as I can get at least 2 good sized fish it's worth the admission in my opinion. Plus I have free tube passes for SARL also.

lght, the next time you go to LNL try salmon eggs. salmon eggs use to work very well here for some reason. better than power bait.

Dont forget the fly rod!! White or black wooly booger nice slow strip

Thanks for the tips everyone....im gonna stock up on trout gear next paycheck.

And LGHT ill let you know....its annoying paying to fish but if you catch dinner it is definitely worth it.

miller wrote:

lght, the next time you go to LNL try salmon eggs. salmon eggs use to work very well here for some reason. better than power bait.

I had a pole with eggs soaking for almost 2 hours and didn't get a nibble. Along with several other shore guys I talked to. From what I found out by one of the workers at the lake is the fish are brought from a farm that are allowed to run in deep streams. As a result they feed on a lot of insects, bugs, etc. Apparently the location was right in the middle of a "hatching" and the fish had been feasting on live insects. As a result the only thing they really wanted where live insects. Which explains why almost every fly guy out had a full basket while just about every one using dough, eggs, power worms etc. couldn't get anything. As a result I've invested in a few flies, and midges, and read up on how to rig them using certain types of bobbers to mimic that of what fly fisherman do. I know it's raining Saturday, but if I can get a hall pass I may go out again Sunday if I can figure out how to get my fish finder setup this weekend.

In the warmer weather u have to fish deeper for trout...the colder water makes them more active...and they will actually swim around for food..Powerbait works very well but so do lures and jigs if fished right...
I used spinning lures like rooster tales and panther martins.. The fire tiger rapala also works very good on a slow troll.
When using trout worms diff. Brands have different buoyancys drop shotting works best and also i favor "wacky rigging" my worms use a very slow retrieve with these. About 2 reel rotations a minute.

If u use flies remember to "match the hatch".

Mikem909 wrote:
If u use flies remember to "match the hatch".

Trout that are stocked in local city lakes will almost hit any fly.

U have any favorites that never let u down

Since you are not a die hard trout finatic, and it sounds like you aren't into the fly rod, I will give
you my go-to secret that always caught
trout when visitors would come visit
me when I lived in Colorado. Many times these people weren't fishermen or women) at all, but I wanted them to get a taste of the full Colorado experience. Ok, are you ready for this? A Mepps Spinner. If you can't
hook into a trout with a Mepps Spinner
there probably aren't any trout in the water you are fishing. Just cast
it out,reel it in,repeat process until
you have enough trout for a nice dinner and go home happy.

I actually meant to put mepps spinners in my earlier post...
N i actually fish trout more than any other species of fish...ive just never tried the flyrod...
All my rigs are spincast.

2lb test line, and a trout worm rigged any of the usual ways you fish for bass only with smaller sinkers and a light rod.
Scents are allways good as well...

Hi massfisher, probably trout in Oz are a bit different to trout in the US due to conditions but som things are pretty much the same.
I'll put what I have learned in point form to make it easier and remember these are my opinions only so i hope I don't upset anyone.

1.Fish like structure, in lakes they hang around submerged trees and logs, or weed beds where they can forage for food. If fishing weed beds, cast along the edges where things such as worms beetles etc are accessable to the fish. Rivers are slightly different and the fish may hang out under trees waiting for something to drop off them, along the edges of eddys or around rocks facing upstream waiting for food to float down to them.

2.Time of day can be important as is the weather, early and late in the day fish may be in shallower water, rising or feeding as the water temperature cools down, later in the day the fish may move into cooler deeper water.

3.Line choice is important, trout have extremely good eyesight most times in shallow water they see you before you see them and I reckon they are pretty good at seeing a line attached to bait. You can use anything between 2lb to 10lb line usually in a monofilament, and if bait fishing use a small running sinker with a flurocarbon leader about 2 foot long. (this will depend on where you are fishing lakes and rivers require different methods sometimes. The leader can be from 2lb to about 6lb depends on the fish size. If you can afford it you can use flurocarbon as the whole line, Monofilament line does have a reflective index that the fish can see, whereas flurocarbon line becomes invisible in water due to its reflective qualities. Line colour is important also as if fishing in dirty water, brown or a coloured line may be better.

4.Bait: If using Powerbait Trout dough the leader length helps to float the bait up off the bottom. A size 10 ganged hook or a 12 treble with the dough (either fluro orange or fluro red is ok) or a size larger if you wish, using baits such as local bait fish or worms (night crawlers I think you call them). trout like lve baits. Powerbait can be attached using berkley dough molders which compress the dough into a ball around the hook without leaving any "human" smell on the bait. Powerbait dough , eggs and nuggets are very effective it seems with trout that are stocked as juveniles to a water source.

5.Spinners are a matter of choice and a little homework may be required to find the right ones. Dependant on what the local bait fish look like get something similar, sometimes they like a spinner or lure with a few red spots similar to small brown trout. i read somewhere that rainbow trout like silver spinners, brown trout gold and salmon copper. The choice is endless and you may need to ask a local what colours they catch them on.

6.Give your line a bit of slack as trout like to run, back the drag off initially, weight on the line spooks them, keep your weights light if possible, but not to the point where you cant cast for distance, if required.

Hope this helps, these are my experiences and I am no expert, you will find dependant on where you fish that be it, a Lake or a River/stream, the method you employ will vary. I suppose the best thing is if you see other guys around you catching trout ask them what set up they are using. I have always found other fishermen pretty chatty and only too happy to share baits, tips etc.
If you want to use flys then that is a whole new story.

In all of my tackle boxes there is a weapon just designed for the spin fisherman when the fish are tearing up an insect hatch. These are clear teardrop shaped floats made for using flies and bug imitations on a spinning rod. These are tied with the slender end directly to your rod , a 3 ft. leader preferabally flourocarbon not to excede 6 lb. test and a most often a dry fly that resembles the hatch. Cast one of these out a good distance, turn your tube into the breeze (if any) and move ever so slowly into the wind. If there is a slight ripple on the water this works best as the fly will hop ever so slightly on the top of the ripples and most often you wont see the take. If the water is like glass lengthen the leader to about 4 feet and give a slow sporadic light jerk retrieve as makes the fly easier to spot and more apt to be eaten. I have caught eveything from panfish to salmon using this technique. Also get an array of rubber bug imitations to include grasshoppers, black and brown crickets, mayflies and stoneflies and their larvae forms as well, helgarmites and large black ants. Many of these dont float but the winged Mayflies and stoneflies can be touched up with dry fly dressing such as "gink" and make them float. This is in my "top 5" list of all time fish producers. Works well in streams too if bank fishing but requires a different technique and quite often a colored casting float. Dont be afraid to rub some scent attactant on the rubber bugs,,, increases your odds.

Excellent advice...thank u Tojiack...
I'm gonna try that next time i go to Montana.

I target mostly trout myself. Here's what works for me:

Fly Fishing: I use a 9ft. 5wt. with floating line for most of my wet fly fishing. I sometimes switch to a sink-tip or full sinking line if I really need to get deep to get to the fish (but that's not often). I use a 9ft. 5x leader and add a second fly with 12" to 18" of 6x tippet tied to the hook bend of the lead fly.

Favorite Wet Fly Searching Patterns: Bead-head Woolly Bugger with a nymph trailer (Prince Nymph, Pheasant Tail Nymph, or Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear Nymph).

If the fish are rising, I use my 9ft. 4wt. with a floating line and a 9 - 12 ft. 5x or 6x leader. I usually start with a traditional Adams Dry Fly or Parachute Adams. If they won't hit the Adams, then I try to figure out what they are looking for. Elk Hair Caddis is probably my next most common dry searching pattern after the Adams. It depends on if I'm seeing mostly Mayflies or Caddis when I get on the water.

When I'm tubing, I bring out two fly rods (one rigged for wet and the other for dry) and my ultra-light spinning rod. I do use a fish finder on my tube so I know the water temperature, depth, and what the bottom structure is like.

You can use any of the above flies with a casting bubble if you don't fly fish. I saw some folks doing quite well using "Pistol Pete" flies and casting bubbles while I was fly fishing in a mountain lake in Central Utah last week.

When I'm not going after them with my fly rods, I'm usually using the ultra-light spinning rod and throwing a 1/16 oz to 1/4 oz spinner like a Panther Martin on 2 - 4 lb test. This works great in rivers and streams where you can cast across and let the spinner swing until it's almost directly downstream before you begin your retrieve. Try to bounce off the bottom as the fly swings. Also try to look for seams and fish in front of and behind any boulders or logs that break up the current (trout like to ambush from these locations). My favorite Panther Martin colors are black with gold blade and yellow spots, and yellow with gold blade and red spots.

For lake fishing from shore, I like to throw something a little bigger so I can reach the trout. I have had great success with the following spoons: Jakes Spin-a-Lure (gold with red dots), Thomas Boyant (several colors), Lip Ripper Z-Spoon (Red & Gold), and my old favorite - a Daredevil spoon (fished slow and deep).

When the fishing is slow, I slow down too. I try to keep my spoon or spinner as close to the bottom as I can without constantly getting hung up. You have to expect to loose a few lures when fishing like this on 2 lb test, so bring some extras with you.

If I feel like eating trout, it's hard to beat night crawlers or power bait (any color) on a size 12 octopus hook and 2 lb test. I fish my power bait about 1 foot off the bottom with a split shot or two to keep it down there. I never fish with bait if I plan to release the fish or I'm fishing where there is a slot limit.

I know guys who swear by meal worms, crickets, or hellgrammites, but I'm not that into bait fishing. I practice C&R with barbless hooks 95% of the time.

I hope this gives you some ideas for things you can try.

Tight lines,

RetsofNV

Massfisher,
Remember that trout are cold water fish and they move with the water temperature and dissolved oxygen, often in thin layers, transition zones called thermoclines. They are therefore a moving target. Right now many trout are near shore and thinking about spawning. It is a good time from now until Memorial Day. In summer go deep. Oct-Nov can be the best time because the cooling temperatures and shorter days induce them to feed and hit hard. Good luck.

It is really handy to fish for trout with a fishfinder so you can find them and figure out the depth. Then design a way to fish at a known depth. That makes all the difference.