advice for trout?

[scottb]

Hey fellas--

I live in upstate New York. A couple days ago I had one line with red worms and another line casting lures, mostly spinners, and didn't get so much as a nibble. Yet fish were jumping all around me--what am I missing?

I should mention that trout, pike and salmon are all new to me. I grew up catching bass and panfish but I'm having to relearn some things now.

I fish catch-n-release with spinning reels. Fly fishing is fascinating to me but I don't really have the time and $$ to add that to my re-emerging addiction to "regular" fishing (and shaving gear...)

Since the season opened I've caught a couple trout on spinners and spoons but none too large. The live bait has been favored by sunfish and shiners, but I'm discouraged because most of those are so small. It seems a little cruel to yank in a fish that can barely pull a bobber down.

Thanks in advance for any info.

[The Nid Hog]

I used to get good results in Western PA with a kernel of canned corn early in the season. I know that you do catch-and-release, but if you keep the first one you do get, you can check to see what it's been eating.

[HDPaul]

There may have been an insect hatch going on which means buffet time for the trout. They werent interested in worms or spinners.

[Greyfox]

There may have been an insect hatch going on which means buffet time for the trout. They werent interested in worms or spinners.

Yep.

[slooby_doo]

First....realize that you probably will want to use ultralight gear. Smaller rods and line weights of no more than 4lb test.

If you don't want to invest in fly fishing gear, try a bubble and fly rig. You can find many diagrams online, but essentially you get a bubble float (the kind you can put water in) for weight. Tie it behind a barrel swivel. Then tie anywhere from 2-4 feet of tippet. Tie a fly on the other end. This can be substituted for fly fishing with spincast gear.

If that doesn't work, I recommend getting a small 6 inch trout worm, cut it in half. Rig it on a size 10-12 aberdeen hook and cast/retrieve with jerking motions. Add as little weight as necessary to cast it.


My second piece of advice is look on the internet for forums (like this one) that cater to the geographic area, and body of water you intend to fish. There are tons of such forums out there and they are full of advice. Any advice here would probably be more general than specific.

[ackvil]

It may be that these are hatchery bread fish which when first released seem to have strange tastes in what they want.

When I lived in NJ the trout their seemed to like salmon eggs the best - particularly those eggs that were in garish colors!

[goby]

I fish catch-n-release with spinning reels. Fly fishing is fascinating to me but I don't really have the time and $$ to add that to my re-emerging addiction to "regular" fishing (and shaving gear...)


This is seriously my advice.......

Stop spending money on "regular" fishing and shaving gear. Invest in some decent fly fishing gear. You won't regret it. :thumbup1:

[Indaco]

It may be that these are hatchery bread fish which when first released seem to have strange tastes in what they want.

When I lived in NJ the trout their seemed to like salmon eggs the best - particularly those eggs that were in garish colors!

It sounds like they were hitting insects this time around. I've had luck with hatchery-bred trout in the Sierras using salmon eggs and brightly colored Powerbait. In fact, my first association with chartreuse was that the trout always seemed to bite it when I was younger!

[Memorex88]

Match the hatch! That's how you go about catching Trout.
I got into fly fishing over 20 years ago because of the experience your going through right now.
It was frustrating trying worms, Mepps spinners, yes I tried corn too and all on 4 lb test line with very little luck.

Then I tried a fly on the end of my spin-casting setup and standing on a bridge, letting the fly bounce on top of the water got me 3 gorgeous brown Trouts! That sold me on Fly Fishing.

I would try the smallest Rapala you could find and cast it around big boulders in the stream.

Good luck!

[Alraz]

I have seen and used a couple of times a spinning rod and nymphs with good results.

Al raz.

[Navig8tor]

One thing to remember is they are all distinct species and are fished for in different ways.

Pike can be caught on most bass tackle. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits work well for them. It is advisable to use a wire leader or high # test line for them, their teeth can really do a number on your line. They like to prowl transition areas like bass do to.

Trout can be caught a number of ways. Some people use small spinners and lures, others use baits. Some of the popular baits are corn, red worms and small marshmellows. I like the powerbait nuggets the best. You can get a lot of colors and they seem to stay on the hook well. The most important thing to remember is that they are very leader shy. Even stocked trout usually won't bite well on any line over 6# test. If you don't want to respool a whole reel for them you can use a long leader of 2# or 4# test. If you don't want to get a whole flyfishing outfit but want to try flies I would suggest using a float rig. They are cheap and they work.

I really don't know much about salmon. I would suggest you talk to some of the guys at a local sporting goods store and see what they say.

Don't forget smallmouth bass. If they are in your area they can be a lot of fun. They are great fighters and jump more than a largemouth, at least around here. Most largemouth tackle works well for them too. We have caught a few here already while trolling lures for walleyes.

Don't forget to look on the web for info.

Good luck.

[slooby_doo]

I'm paraphrasing......but most of what a trout eats is brown, fuzzy, and about 5/8" long.

Keep that in mind always when trying to "match the hatch"

[scottb]

Thanks fellas, this is all good stuff.

It's been raining here a lot so the water is high and murky for now.

So far this season I have caught:
1. couple trout
2. smallmouth bass
3. handful of shiners
4. enough branches to build my own wicker furniture
5. my left pants leg
5. old bag of Popeye's chicken.

(Guess which one I had an audience for?)

[The Nid Hog]

You should mount that Popeye's bag. Most people can't catch something that's already cooked!

[Crixus]

Just for kicks, rent and watch A River Runs Through It. Gets the fever going.:wink2:

[ryan020406]

In Minnesota I have always had good luck with corn, pink spoons and other variations, as well as pink and orange powerbait.

Ryan

[ScoutHikerDad]

Scott-Though I know you said you didn't want to add another expensive hobby (fly-fishing), you don't have to be a walking Orvis catalog to get into the sport. You can borrow some gear, or better yet get some used stuff off CraigsList, (my brother stumbled onto a steal this way, bringing home probably $1200 worth of stuff, literally everything he needed, for $250!). Best to find a friend who is already "addicted" to take you out and show you a few things. Honestly, if you catch Cabelas on a sale, you can probably get some basic gear for a couple-hundred bucks, and then add other gear gradually as funds allow, and experience dictates.

And if you take the trouble to find some wild streams and put in some "boot time," you can leave the crowds who follow the stocking truck to catch some "real" trout (meaning wild). Those hatchery trout get educated very quickly when they don't get cleaned out over a busy weekend, and are then harder to catch than the wild ones! Leave the corn to the kids (though Panther Martins and Rooster Tails on an ultralight spin rod is a lot of fun!), get some help on a wild stream, and once you catch a colorful, scrappy wild one on a dry fly, there is no turning back! Most fly-guys I know are only too happy to take someone along to convert to the dark side. Have fun. Aaron in SC

[scottb]

Today's catch (really.) Jealous much?

171530

[Blue Raccoon]

you can get a very serviceable rod and reel combo from Cabela, LL Bean, etc.. around $100 +/-. But, frankly unless you are prepared to learn the casting and get waders, yadda, yadda (I have a ton o'crap stashed around here) you can do just as good using a ultralight spinning reel and a bubble (clear bobble) when using dry flies and skip the bubble when using small spinners particularly Panther Martin's. Be sure to check regulation where you are fishing lots of trout water does not allow 'live bait' or barbed hooks or trebble hooks on spinners. Don't know about NY but lots of states besides a regular fishing license you also need a trout stamp.

[scottb]

fellas, I've been catching fish, but mostly small guys--bass, trout, shiners, etc., but 3 out of 4 are little guys. Is there something else I'm doing wrong?

I've been told that trout require smaller lures and smaller hooks than most bass and have switched a lot of my gear, but it seems like there's something I'm still missing.

BTW, for those of you that recommended taking the plunge into fly fishing, I'm definitely thinking it over. Hopefully I'll find some gear on craigslist or a yard sale or something.

[MrMurphy]

I grew up in a 'trout state' (California) and moved to a bass state (Texas) for quite some time.

Trout generally do require smaller hooks. I don't fish really anymore, but i've caught hundreds of trout over 20 years and the default for hatchery trout is salmon eggs, powerbait, etc on a small treble.

If they're wild, bubble-dry fly as Blue Racoon suggested works well, you can 'flyfish' without the fly rod.

I tied my own in high school, and even caught some wild trout with them in the CA deserts (Sierra Nevadas and high mountains). Doesn't take a fortune, just some time and patience.

[madcap3693]

In Minnesota I have always had good luck with corn, pink spoons and other variations, as well as pink and orange powerbait.

Ryan


I agree. You can get into fly fishing fairly cheaply (The casting does take some practice). It's like any hobby, however you can spend tons of money on very high quality gear if you want to. Nevertheless I find it to be much more rewarding to catch a trout on a fly that I tied by hand, myself then on bait or a store purchased spinning lure. Ultimately it doesn't matter how you fish, but that you fish. Good luck on the water!

[madcap3693]

Just for kicks, rent and watch A River Runs Through It. Gets the fever going.:wink2:


I LOVE that movie! The book is really good as well!:innocent:

[Yuritau]

I'm nowhere near New York (mountains of British Columbia), but I don't think there's a whole lot of difference between your trout and my trout. I have two tackle boxes full of fancy crap that I've collected over the years, but when it comes to trout fishing, that's what it is: crap. Lures and baits might be the right choice if you wanted to fish specifically for the record breaking trout, but for enjoyment fishing, or getting a couple fillets, there's one piece of tackle that's ALWAYS worked for me, and often been the ONLY thing that worked: a simple black fly. Shape don't really matter, just as long as it's mostly plain black.

I only have spin casting gear myself, so I often just put a plastic float on the line about 3-4 feet up from the fly. If I'm fishing from a canoe or kayak, I use the same setup but with about 6 feet in between.

I know this only helps the argument that fly fishing is better, heh, but imho, doing it this way works just fine too, cause I keep coming home with dinner.

[attime6]

Try a small tube jig on light line, look for berkley or leland trout magnet.

[scottb]

I'm still learning how to cast a fly rod without snagging my ear/waders/every tree in a mile radius. In the meantime, I caught this one on a tiny spoon. I am switching out the treble hooks for singles and interested to see how this effects hook-ups.

This guy was happy to get back in the water. Since catching him they look more interested in the insects than any spinning lures, so I should get back to learning how to cast.

237785

[Memorex88]

Nice catch and release! You'll be fine with a single hook and it makes it that much easier to remove. Practice make perfect with the fly rod.
If your snagging trees and yourself, try roll casts until you get a better hold of it. Above all... keep that fly in the water as much as possible.
Cheers!

[goby]

Nice catch and release! You'll be fine with a single hook and it makes it that much easier to remove. Practice make perfect with the fly rod.
If your snagging trees and yourself, try roll casts until you get a better hold of it. Above all... keep that fly in the water as much as possible.
Cheers!

I've never caught a trout with anything other than a fly. I love fly fishing. I love everything about it, from the tying, to the casting, to the books and science of both trout and aquatic insects. It's been my passion for 15 years.

It can be expensive (especially the tying), but it is a hobby, and I'm blessed to do it almost 100 days a year. I have the same reel as Memorex88 has in his profile pic. $200.00 may seem a lot for a reel, but after 10 years and hundreds of outings, it still looks brand new and performs like it did on Day 1. And most importantly, it puts a smile on my face. And it's certainly going to my son after I'm gone. That's the value of quality reels. But for $25 you can get one that will work just fine.

Its a lot more affordable now than when I started. Imported rods and reels are a great value. You don't need a $800.00 rod. I picked up a $100+ vest off ebay for $25 shipped. Buy from ebay during the off season for the best values.

[fccexpert]

Advice for trout:

Don't attempt to eat anything that includes a hook.

Or did you mean advice on catching trout?

[KarlMaldensNose]

I don't know about NY but a lot of states and particularly National Parks require barbless hooks for trout. No treble hooks or live bait.

Catch and release with barbed hooks can really tear up the inards of a small brook or brown trout. If you're using small (#10) hooks (and you shoud be), they tend to suck them right down into their gullets if baited with something natural and succulent like a worm. And while we're on the subject, any worm works -- small red, giant garden, whatever. Just cut 'em into manageable sized chunks if too big. The key is light line (4 lb.), natural presentation (i.e. no jerking, just drift with current) with next to no weight if possible, and leave the floats for the boats. Just as important as gear is a light step on the banks and managing your shadow if it is cast across the stream. Should be noted that this set-up is highly specific to location, and mine is small, cold tributary streams which hold decent populations of easily spooked native brown and brookies.