unccpathfinder Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 So since I've moved to CA i've been trout fishing 2 times (once on a river and once on a lake) and I can't throw a fly rod to save my life...the guy I went with doesnt really know what he's doing and it seemed like we were doing the same thing everyone else was doing but not catching crap... I'm going rafting tomorrow with work and after that I plan to do some fishing b/c I'm determined to catch a damn trout...so any of you got some pointers for trout fishing. I have used salmon eggs on a treble hook along with some Marshmallow bait and power bait I tried using a bobber set to anywhere from 1ft to 5ft deep...I've also tried some small spinners and had a couple of hits but no strikes... The next step is dynamite... Thanks for any advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 (edited) I would use a trebble hook spinner, then just use worms on it with a bobber close to the shore line. I'd find a deep spot and just lower my line in. The spinner is there mainly to glint a little, and the worm is the attraction, worked well in Nor Cal. I tried a worm lure and a spinner lure last week in WV with no luck, the river was all under 2' and fast moving so I couldn't use a sit and wait bait. The worm did look good to a few Bass, but not the trout I guess. Edited June 17, 2008 by GrimGreg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 deep cycle battery will do the trick too. lol just get you a long pole and attach some string to the end. attach a fly to the end and just throw it out there. the longer the pole and thus the line, the better reach you will have. old skool way but sure works like a charm. forget all this other stuff and go basic or go home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 For fast water use a castmaster lure, I have some small meps spinners that worked like a charm, but I'll have to look them up when I get home. Also when using salmon eggs, put on a single salmon egg hook (the round short shank kind), bait with 1 egg without mangling it, put a mid sized split shot 2-3 feet upline of it and gently lob it into a pool or near an eddy with the spool open so it can drift a bit... This works well!! I'll chime in more later. What weight line are you using? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 it's 5lb or 10lb test I believe...I've got to reline it b/c i found some bad line in it the last time I was out Thanks for the input...I look forward to hearing the rest later tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 you can use the eggs in a bunch if you use women's stocking to place them into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Hey Bud, I haven't been fishing for years, but used to fish every stream, river and lake in the area (other than the ones with boats on them). I'll never make it on bass pro channel, but I remember what worked for me. First off, the heaviest line you should use is 6lb test, unless you are going after giant lake brown trout, and even then 8lb would be max. You just have to lighten up the drag when you hook and/or walk down stream to tug if you snag. If they see the line, they won't bite. My fun was stream or river fishing, I've done some lake fishing, but almost never with bait. Thats just too boring and any idiot can puncture a worm, throw it in the water and wait. Thats just not my style. I prefered to play the streams, work the curents, eddies, etc. Sometimes it was amazing success, sometimes a failure. I did catch a turtle once... So, take a look at the photo. On the far left is a Roostertail lure that worked better in lakes, next is a Mepps Algae 1 that lived up to it's name in that environment. Both worth having in various configurations. 3rd is a Mepps black fury #00 (the one still in the package is #1). They work wonders in streams/rivers with 12"+ trout up to 20"(#1), used respectively. If you can find the same series with yellow dots/writing, BUY IT!!! I had better luck with those, but lost the last one on a snag. I had better luck with bare trebble hooks in rivers and fuzzy ones in lakes in general, but not always. 4th and 5th are labled Martins, Panther Martins, I believe. It is a very active spinner suitable only for standing water or calm pools. I've had good luck with them, but you have to know how to play the lure more than others. The last 2 (6-7) are the castmasters. They are weight and lure at the same time, to you can cast a ways without anything else. These are excellent in fast water as they fishtail and flop, mimicking little fishies. The first one (larger) is 1/2 silver and 1/2 blue to add to the visual effect. It does work at times... The little golden bobtail hook is a size 12, the perfect size for salmon eggs. Slip the hook in and rotate so it fits the curve of the egg. Try not to make a hole with the tip. There is an oil dot in the egg, make sure to puncture it, it will carry the scent much farther. On the whole, pay attention to the lure. You want it to seem fishy; not a steady pull, but a little bob and weave, a stall there, a lunge another. This is more important in lakes or calm pools, but carries over to streams. You need to know where to drop the lure and how long to let it drift/sink before you tease it in past an eddy where the fish are. Vary your reel rate, and sometimes ease your rod to manipulate the effect. It's not too hard, just practice and watch your lure when you can see it for feed back. TURN YOUR CLICKER OFF!!! Reel smooth, the clicker can send impulses down the line to the lure. This is NOT good!! Fish don't click!! Ok, enough for now, it should get you started. Let me know if you have any questions, and happy fishing!!! B B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted June 18, 2008 Author Share Posted June 18, 2008 Yea I was using spiderwire (and so was the guy I was fishing with) and i was thinking they may see the line b/c I had always heard trout had pretty good vision... I've always been a decent catfish/bass/crappie/bream (sp?) and a good saltwater fisherman...but this whole trout thing has thrown me for a loop Thanks for the photo and tips...great size references in there and I have a good # of rooster tails that size (lost my 2 best ones at the last lake which made me mad b/c they were good for small mouth but i'll just get somemore... Turtles are fun...especially when its a baby loggerhead thats on the endangered species list (caught 2 of those and they're much worse than snappers) one just ad a bite on the hook and wouldnt let go the other had the hook in good so we cut as much of the hook out as possible and never use stainless (unless shark fishing) so it would rust out in a matter of days got everything ready for tomorrow so hopefully we'll bag at least one fish...maybe fill a stringer...that would be nice...i'll try some of your advice and let you know how it turns out. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daftpup Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Yep. Trout are extremely wary, easily spooked and therefor, finicky with the bite. Like B and others said, small is the key. Single hooks are much better than trebles. I usually use 4lb test when I fish for them and try not to let them see you or they're gone. If you can get meal worms, try those instead of regular worms. You will need a very small hook for those and that's when the split shot is needed. I have even had luck with a minnow head or tail on a tiny jig and please, no snaps, swivels or leaders...tie the line direct....unless you have a spinner or spoon on but then use the smallest swivel possible. Also, if you use Fireline from Berkely, you will be able to cast those little hooks better. I know guys who have caught on roe sacks but it never worked for me. Marshmallows, cheese, corn you hear them all but I've always had the best luck with tiny spoons and spinners or minnow and jig. There definitely one of the most elusive species but when they're on, it seems they are really on and they're a hoot to hook. Keep your tip up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 The last 2 (6-7) are the castmasters. They are weight and lure at the same time, to you can cast a ways without anything else. These are excellent in fast water as they fishtail and flop, mimicking little fishies. The first one (larger) is 1/2 silver and 1/2 blue to add to the visual effect. It does work at times... That is exactly the spinner I was using in WV last weekend, since the river was all rock bottom it liked to snag really easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 Well I still had no success...I had 3 good hits (1 on spinner) and 2 on salmon eggs...There was this 12 year old girl next to us fishing with the exact same bait and setup and was catching a fish like every 5 mins...me and my buddy were getting pretty frustrated this one pissed me off...he would follow my bait in every time but never would make a strike...I almost jumped in and grabbed him (yea right like that would have worked) but he was just teasing me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 DOH!! Sorry to hear that. Thats the way it is sometimes. You have to question if she was doing anything different, sometimes the smallest factor can make a difference. It could have just been her line placement. As others said, trout are REAL finicky!! I've had them follow my lures right up to shore also, that gets really annoying... At least you got some hits, so you know you were close to what they wanted. Better luck next time. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Yeah, she might have cast a smaller shadow....it could be as simple as that. I had one Bass that was about 4" long, hiding under a rock 3 feet in front of me, that would attempt to bite my lure ever cast, but it was too small to hook its self (thankfully). At least it reasured me that they had some intrest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nissyota88 Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Since ima californian too, and we are fairly close... 1. Salmon eggs 2. Powerbait (green with the silver glitter) 3. spinners That shall be all... no ghey marshmellow bait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packie88 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 rapalas... lol i just usedr power bait out in my small lakes in washingotn to catch trout and we caught them like crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daftpup Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 rapalas... lol Actually, don't laugh. I caught a beautiful brown trout (1 inch short of trophy) on a floating Rapala a few years back. It was the smallest size they sell of course, but it kinda shocked me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westslope Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Stumbled on this post. Thought I would revive it. Folks who want to learn how to fly fish should ideally learn how to cast while not fishing. A municipal park with some empty grass lawns will do. Tie a small piece of wool on to the leader. Practice. There is material on the web. Your municipal libary may have books or videos. Articles, books and videos abound. Clubs sometimes offer free lessons. Trolling a fly with a sinking line can also be effective. You need a boat or a float-tube. Fly fishing can be most enjoyable but the apprenticeship is long and sometimes frustrating. Viewing the hobby as a cathartic ritual helps. It shifts the focus from caught fish to the process of fishing. As a personal choice, I fly fish and probably bait and gear fish about 2 or 3 times a decade. Spin-fishing is easier though not "easy" by any means. Jigs are horribly effective but tougher to fish. Bait can be multiples more effective than artificial lures. Bait has been well covered above. If legal, corn and marshmallows also work for stillwater trout. hehe Picking the right time of year when the fish are plentiful and active is important. Water temperatures are critical. In the southern USA, I would recommend finding a lake with plentiful bass and fishing it early in the season pre-spawn and mid-spawn. The bass are highly territorial and will readily attack lures. In fact, most Canadian provinces and many northern states outlaw fishing during the spawning season. Use a floating lure such as a jitterbug or a bass popper or slider or a floating rapala (deadly--cast out, let sit, twitch, wait, twitch, sweep rod causing rapala to dive under the surface). Hope that helps. In the southern USA, your early spring fishing starts in February and March. That doesn't leave too much time for the pre-fish preparations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 (edited) Well I still had no success...I had 3 good hits (1 on spinner) and 2 on salmon eggs...There was this 12 year old girl next to us fishing with the exact same bait and setup and was catching a fish like every 5 mins...me and my buddy were getting pretty frustrated this one pissed me off...he would follow my bait in every time but never would make a strike...I almost jumped in and grabbed him (yea right like that would have worked) but he was just teasing me... i usually trout fish with 4-5 lb test..... and..... well..... maybe they took the little girls bait just so she wouldn't cry and make her dads day a misery hehehe Edited January 5, 2010 by Slick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nismothunder Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Agreed with gg,warm with bobber in a lake or gentle river,in a swifter river I would use a spinner with warm(or waxie) and set it so its about a foot off the bottom(depending on depth of river) Theres a telescoping pole that is like a big stick with a line on it and while I have tryed fly fish and can cast pretty well I have never caught any thing with it. I cant coment on the line or the visabilty of spider wire sinces that is what I use but I gang bang dumb brookies and browns in lakes that havnt been fish for the last 20 yrs,But I took my limit(not legal limit,the limit the bucket would hold) last year every day for 3 days in a lake off of the rail line between gilbert and two harbors... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DantheMayun Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Damn I wish I was around to tell you how to do it. I love fly fishing. And its all in the wrist you want to throw your rod and stop with it in the air it's actually really hard to explain just takes alot of practice. this was 2 years ago tho doubt any advice would matter haha. I didnt even own a fly rod when it was posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 I was trying to figure out when you moved back to Cali until I noticed that this is another Zombie thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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