Finicky Trout - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

bart · 03-31-2005, 10:29 AM

yesterday myelf and member JPlugz managed to stumble onto some monster trout hanging out under a railroad bridge. they were facing into the current and drifting from one side of the stream to the other. i'm not sure if they were waiting for food to pass by or if they were washed downstream with the high water and were trying to get back up. whatever they were doing, they were BIG. we threw every spinner, spoon, and small jig we had at them but they wouldn't budge.

anyone have any ideas how we might connect with one? i might even go buy some shiners or dig up some worms cause i gotta see how big these things really are. maybe we were presenting our offerings wrong? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

ThrowingTimber · 03-31-2005, 10:42 AM

dry fly

The Dad Fisherman · 03-31-2005, 10:54 AM

Inflate a small dilly worm on a small hook and throw it upstream and let it float on past them......

bart · 03-31-2005, 10:54 AM

lol, yeah we tried that. tough casting wiht the spinning rods tho.

maybe if i stand upstream and let it free spool down past them?

bart · 03-31-2005, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Inflate a small dilly worm on a small hook and throw it upstream and let it float on past them......

excuse my ignorance but what is a dilly worm? thanks...

tynan19 · 03-31-2005, 11:02 AM

Bart dilly's are small garden worms. What the dad fisherman is saying is to use a worm inflater. They sell them at Wally or any tackle shop. It is just a needle attached to a plastic container. You insert the needle into the worm and squeeze. This adds a little air into the worm causing them to float.

Try floating power eggs also. The solid eggs not the power bait. Or as suggested just drift the worms in the current. Start upstream from them and just drift.

Skip N · 03-31-2005, 11:16 AM

Bust out a fly rod and try some different patterns, you'll hook into one of them for sure.

rizzo · 03-31-2005, 11:40 AM

Use some sort of live bait, thats the best bet. I would go with a nightcrawler with no weight at all with a light leader. You should be able to cast the night crawler far enough without weight, if not your setup is too heavy. Fly rods will work too but its tough to get a perfect presentation.

Nebe · 03-31-2005, 11:58 AM

M-80

Striperknight · 03-31-2005, 12:07 PM

I'm into trout big time. Here's my general rule with trout.
If you can see them ...they can see you.
Once they spot you they get lock jaw.

Sneak up on them. Approach from downstream if you can .

bart · 03-31-2005, 12:08 PM

thanks for everyone's advice!

Fishpart · 03-31-2005, 12:16 PM

They might be suckers, I have been fooled into thinking I was seeing big trout during high water and they turned out to be suckers........

mikecc · 03-31-2005, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishpart

They might be suckers, I have been fooled into thinking I was seeing big trout during high water and they turned out to be suckers........

I agree.
We are seeing a lot around here right now.

RoyL · 03-31-2005, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishpart

They might be suckers, I have been fooled into thinking I was seeing big trout during high water and they turned out to be suckers........

I also agree I have been fooled a lot of times by suckers especially in rivers and brooks with Brook trout. the best way besides bait would have to be a fly rod. I would go with some type of streamer or nymph. And yes Striperknight is right your going to have to sneak up on them. trust me.

tynan19 · 03-31-2005, 02:29 PM

I just got back in from Trout fishing. Well actually I didn't get to fish. Went to about 4 diff ponds. All the ponds are still frozen over. Nothing was open. Some still have 8 inches of honeycombed ice.

There was a few guys who were about 100 ft off shore jigging through some cracks but I was all set with maybe taking a swim.

Most of the rivers are in a raging torrent also.

Clammer · 03-31-2005, 03:46 PM

if they arn,t suckers odds are they are browns // get up stream /usually on the other side of the road or further up if its just a small bridge //
float down stream a live mummie[minnow, chubs , whatever you want to call them // hook them thru the lips /if they don,t take it on the drop ==which they will if they are browns / then very S L O W L Y retreive

Christian · 03-31-2005, 03:53 PM

i cant wait till ponds round here open up, ive got mobility this year, go whenever i want

small worm or small shiner. take a picture. trout are awsome.

Crazy Alberto · 03-31-2005, 04:51 PM

I’ve been trout fishing all winter long and under the normal circumstances, they are finicky! It is also true that if you can see them… they can see you and your odds of catching them are slim.

If you are fly fishing, try to use a dark olive wooly bugger (#8) and work it really close to the bottom. Short strips (3 “) with a light tippit (4 lbs. fluorocarbon) with a sink tip line usually does the trick.

If you are using a spinning outfit, DOWN SIZE IT! Use fluorocarbon leader tipped with a small “gold” kastmasters or gold bladed rooster tail is a killer.

Hope this helps.

“Crazy” Alberto
NonStopFisher@Optoponline.net

rizzo · 03-31-2005, 05:57 PM

A good point was brought up of them being able to see you. You can try to sneak up on them now that you know where they have been holding.

I've learned a lot from fly fishing for trout, and grew up learning on a crystal clear river where you can see every fish you target. At first things were tough, but after a while I had it down to where if I could see a fish I could catch them, no matter how hard they have been pressured. I would fish small nymphs size 20-16 without an indicator with very light tippet. The water was clear enough to actually see the nymph drift in the water. At times it would be best to purposely get the nymph stuck on the bottom in front of the trout, and then suddenly lift it off the bottom like it were being washed away or ready to hatch. Since the trout were given a split second to make up their minds they almost always fell for this technique. With the fly rod if you get a perfect drift and presentation more often than not they will hit the fly if it is something they would realistically be feeding on. Its amazing to see how fast the fish can eat the fly then spit it out right before your eyes.

Nebe · 03-31-2005, 06:26 PM

Pickeral and large mouth... all day long today

bart · 03-31-2005, 07:28 PM

thanks for all of your responses, i appreciate all the pointers.

i just got back a a little while ago and unfortunately we did squat. we pretty much tried every technique mentioned. we tried to sneak up from the otherside of the bridge/tunnel but they were stacked up on that side as well. i could see them as soon as i cleared the brush. we drifted worms, power bait, shiners and again they wouldn't budge. i'm almost positve that they're trout, i can make out the pink coloration when they flash in the current. i think these fish might've been washed downstream and are trying to make their way back up. theres's a dam on the otherside of the bridge, so i'm guessing they're trying to get back up it. they didn't seem interested in eating at all.

wish i hadn't sent my waders back a coupla days ago, i could really use them right about now. thanks again...

scoobe · 03-31-2005, 11:50 PM

That's too bad. Usually the shiners will do the trick on the bigger trout for me.

livewhya · 03-31-2005, 11:56 PM

they love em! they normally hit on the return swing of the cast as it goes bye them.
Marty

Adamfishes · 04-01-2005, 10:34 AM

http://ledger.southofboston.com/cont...ront/photo.jpg

tynan19 · 04-01-2005, 11:47 AM

Now that is stupid fishing. That would be great if non of them got one.