Need help with fresh water plugs
 

I was hoping to get some suggestions from anyone who cares to help me out. I got a request from someone who fishes for rainbow trout way up in Canada on a very large long lake, I guess they troll slow like we do for stripers 1-2 mph but must use downriggers because they are 150' down in the water. He said he uses 4" mostly but also 6" and the best color is pink pearl( white with pink stripe down the middle).

I guess I could do some with some micro glitter in the epoxy also.

I am not sure what to make for bodies? should I use lexan for lips or metal? how big are the eyes?
So does anyone have any picture, ideas?

thanks

Rainbows eat little fish...google rainbows and see what comes up for their happy meal.

will do Steve
he says he catches them about 20 pounds

something tells me they like rocky bottoms..I'd do metal lips....wonder how old a 20 lb'er is.

I have fished for this species alot including with down riggers, slip the best suggestion i can give is look and modeling repala's, they are made out of bulsa wood and are very effective, i would also suggest lexan lips.
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PM Muskyslayer.... he's a fresh water guy and would have the right input from a luremaker's point of view.

I second Skips view on using the rapala shaped body

a pink body at 20' depths would look silver to them
and have a much higher profile

you can troll them with great success UNTIL
the great winds blow all the leaves into the water

then the plugs get "leaf fowled" sliding down the line
when trolled....so you have to wait til they sink

then resume

a 3" pikie works well on Brown trout and salmon... I just dont think I've come accross a rainbow( trout) yet big enough to eat one yet... Rainbow flash and goldfish( as close as I could get to CCB's original color) have worked the best on 'em..I've got the specs at the house if you like.. make them slim, not like we make striper pikies..

In our neck of the woods, I troll stocked ponds in my canoe using a 3" rapala with a rainbow pattern. that's little to whittle, but they are effective.

Slipknot,

I agree with the previous posts...rapala sized plugs are very effective as are spoons and J-plugs fished deep. I agree with the lexan lips as well, very durable.

:)

MS

i did catch a nice brown trout one afternoon on an orange crawdad imtation wart plug

smelt is what there eating in some of the lakes in maine

thank guys

rainbows can get up to 53 pounds in 7 years or so

this guy gets them about 20 pounds and also gets some salmon too.

I came up with a rapala type design so far.
I made it with AYC and made a plexiglas lip as I have no lexan.
I did not put weight in it and it swims pretty good. I might try a touch of lead to see the difference.

Maybe I will try more of these and try red cedar too.
I think i will make a metal lip for them and see how that goes.

Looks good Bruce!!
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Slipknot,

Looks awesome! should dig deep and with the thru wire, should be able to tune it up nicely. i have been using metal lips for my cranks in the past and like them a lot for their ability to be tunable.
Would love to see it finished up, How big is it?

MS

put the Pats logo on it
and they'll try to kill it... :uhuh:

nice - plug there Bruce

I know what you mean Raven
but these plugs are for a former Bruin player - "the Chief" number 9, so he will be getting their logo :)

been way too busy this week to do any more, but I will get back to them soon

Looks nice.

Slip never used wood , we always use these or other "wobblers" for lakers / trout/ salmon, down deep , they move "wicked"
toss a few in with your Home Made :)

Cool stuff Bruce. Have you swam it yet?
What I've found in making that type of plug is a bigger lip is needed as compared to a similar sized plastic or balsa constructed lure. Ive wanted to try circuit board for the lip. There was a couple selling pre-cut lips but I lost the link and the drive to look. Let us know how it turns out.

Png it swam pissa w no weight
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I guess these actually caught for him
I got a small envelope in the mail today and did not recognize return addy, thought it was a chain letter but inside was a photo of him holding a nice fat rainbow and he said it was on my hook
and said he finally got out fishing.
Glad they were a success.

I trout fish but not in such deep waters, the only 2 cents I feel I can give is coloration.

For brown trout I literally only use 1 lure and only need that 1 lure, the Rapala Baby Brown Trout. Brown trout are territorial where I'm at and it has given me great success.

Rainbows don't mind nailing the same thing. For color, I'd try one lure being a baby brown trout and the other being a baby rainbow. Maybe they are the same way in your neck of the woods.

Whoops, I forgot that the only other lure I'll use is a Yozuri little Crystal Minnow which is alright but the Baby Trout are by far the main killers

Bruce, does the top one with the plastic lip swim different than the ones with the metal lip?

How long are they?

Sometimes you only need 2.5 inches for trout. Orange flourescent works good.

The lazy Ikes work good too. The brownish color on the lower right is the best IMO.

yes, it had a tighter wiggle
but they were tested before epoxy and paint

I think these were around 5"
he said he uses 4" and 6" minnow type baits


The plugs work like I said, he got a 12 pounder on it