HOW TO:A beginners guide to Trout fishing...

[fishnfool]

First of all let me say I absolutely love trout fishing, and then let's get right into this.

Let's talk about rods and reels. We call them Ultralights. The reason is the size...they are small. Most major rod and reel manufacturers produce at least a few different models which to choose from. A starter set-up should cost between $20 to $50. A very good set-up will run you app. $100 to $150. The biggest difference in cost will usually be like any other rod and reel combo you have purchased...the number of bearings in the reel, the quality of the drag system, whether the rod is glass or graphite, and a lot of times the length,or type of warranty. Believe it or not you could actually spend close to $900 on an over the top ultra light, ultra sweet set up...no joke. The size reel you are looking for is between 500 and 1500. Most reel companies produce them in these same sizes. These reels are designed to fish 1-6# test line. I believe that you need an extremely smooth drag to be successful in fishing the 1 to 2# test line. A little jerkiness in the drag will cost you fish on this light of line. Match the reel up with an ultralight rod..ones with line ratings from 1-6# test. You will have a choice between one or two piece rods. This is purely your preference. I personally like the one piece rods because there is no flat spot when the rod is loaded up. The rod lengths vary from 3 ft. to 12 ft. and this usually again is personal preference as well as application. Longer rods are great for improving casting distance, and for mini jigging.

As in any type of fishing having 2 or 3 setups would be ideal. I recommend at a minimum one for bait, and mini-jigs, and one for throwing lures. I would setup a 1 to 2# combo for live bait, and mini jigs. Trout can be very wary, and the smaller diameter line works best for fishing live bait and small jigs. When fishing bait there are many varieties out there, Berkley Power Bait, and Crave are two of the most popular brands of floating bait. These baits are usually fished on the bottom with a leader, allowing the bait to float up off the bottom. The leader length will vary from lake to lake, and even day to day on the same lake. I recommend to ask the Ranger, or person at the concession what has been working lately before you put a line in. If no one is available then I would start out with a 3 ft. leader, and adjust from there. To make your leader simply tie on a size 12 or 14 swivel, cut above swivel desired length of leader, put on a small slip/slider sinker (usually 1/8 to 1/4 oz will do), tie tag end to the swivel, tie on hook. If you are not getting bit then either shorten or lengthen the leader to try to determine what depth the trout are feeding in. Believe me sometimes only a 6" adjustment can mean the diferrence between a totally frustrating day, and providing dinner. Watch what other anglers are doing, and don't be afraid to ask questions. I have found that most fellow anglers are more than willing to share their technique with you. If not...just pay attention to their leader length, and type of bait and copy what they are doing.

You will need small treble hooks for the floating bait, I recommend size 18 to 20. Remove a small amount of bait from the jar, and roll it into a ball then push the treble hook into it, or place it on the hook then roll it in the palms of your hands. You can also use night crawlers. I find it best to use 1/2 a nightcrawler. Put the worm on the hook, and using a worm blower...insert the needle into the worm and squeeze. This will push air inside the worm causing it to float. You can also combine these two putting the worm on the hook first...then the floating bait on top sliding it down onto the treble, and then blow up the worm.

Fishing mini jigs can be very productive. I have personally caught, and seen people catch more large trout on mini jigs than any other bait or lure. The key here is to use 1 to 2# line. These jigs are very light 1/64 to 1/32 of an ounce are the most popular sizes. There are several presentations you can make with mini jigs. You can tie directly to the tag end and fish them by shaking your rod tip vigorously causing the jig to really jump around, or lift up and drop slowly. This will vary from day to day depending on the mood of the fish. If one method isn't working try another. The key here is to wind in the jig very slowly. This presentation keeps the jig in the strike zone longer. You can also use the old Crappie fishing method, and place a bobber above the jig. Not only will this allow you to cast these very light jigs further, it will keep them in the bite zone longer as well. I like to make my cast...let the jig sink to the bottom of the leader...then begin jigging back slowly. Again some days the fish are more aggressive and will like a faster presentation, and other days you have to slow it way down. You can use the bobber method with live bait as well. Either nightcrawlers, or meal worms can be very enticing to our little trout friends. Although not technically considered a mini jig, I think I should include Berkley Power Worms, and Lip Ripperz in this category. Both of these are small, thin, worm type lures. You fish these in much the same way as mini jigs, however you will need small J hooks for them. The mosquito type hooks are a good choice in sizes 6 to 8. Another good hook choice especially if you are getting short bit is the Aberdeen hooks. This style of hook has a longer shank which will put the hook further down the worm, and should help increase your hook up ratio.

On to lures. There are many, many, many lures out there for trout. When using lures I prefer to use 4 pound test line, especially when I am throwing "iron". That's right iron. Lures that I find consistently effective are Thomas Bouyant spoons in the 1/6 oz, Kastmasters in the 1/8 and 1/4 oz size, Super dupers in the 500, 501, 502 sizes, Tazmanian Devils in the 7 gram, Needlefish in size 2, and Phoebes in the 1/6 and 1/8 oz. There are many more to choose from but these have been the most productive for me.

Crank baits are also very effective for trout. The ones I recommend are floating Rapalas in size 5, and the small Rebel minnows. These have been particularly effective for me trolling. They are difficult to cast far because they are very light. You can overcome this problem by rigging them up with a water bobber. This is a float that you fill with water. When rigged with a crankbait tied to the end of a 2 to 3 foot leader the added weight of the water will allow you to cast these particular lures farther. Since the sinking rate of the water bobber can be controlled by the amount of water inside you will be able to adjust the water level so you can retreive the crankbaits at an appropriate speed to acheive the correct depth to put your lure in front of the fish.

Next you have spinnerbaits. Again there are many to choose from. The single most effective spinners in my personal experience are Rooster Tails in the 1/8 to 1/6 oz sizes. Panther Martin and Mepps are also very good. These are very straight forward to use. You can cast and retrieve, or troll these lures. Both of these methods are very effective.

What about colors? All of these lures come in numerous colors. My recommendation is to start out simple. From experience I have learned in general that gold, red, and fire tiger colors all work well in clear water, and on sunny days whereas silver, blue, green, and rainbow trout colors work well in not so clear water, and on overcast or rainy days.

Rainy? Yes rainy...some of my most productive trout fishing days have been in the rain, or at least overcast days. Just make sure you have a good set of rain gear so you can stay dry, and enjoy the fishing. There are many different types of raingear available. I recommend purchasing the newer light weight, breathable, wind proof, washable type if you really want to be comfortable as well as dry. The older rubber style will often make you hot and sweaty especially when pulling on all those fish.

I believe that barometric pressure effects all types of fishing, especially in fresh water. There is data available, (collected by fisherman), that I have used and found to be very reliable. When BP is on the rise the fishing will slow. When it is dropping the fishing will get better..to a point. The data collected indicates that the prime BP for fishing, or when the fish will be feeding the best is between 29.80 to 30.16. Above 30.16 can still be good but 29.79 and below...if you expect to catch fish you will be very disappointed. They seem to get lockjaw at this level. I am not saying don't go...just don't expect a limit. By all means still get out there and enjoy nature whether it be by yourself, or with family, and friends.

There you have it. By no means is this all inclusive, however if you use the info provided here it should give you a solid base to build from, and help you put some fish in the freezer. I would also like to quickly address the catch and release issue here if I may. Many of our lakes have a no release policy. This is for good reason. Trout, especially stocked trout, do not have a very good survival rate if not handled with great care. In fact there is a very high mortality rate on released trout. That is the reason behind the no release policy. If you think that you will be saving these fish to be caught another day, or continue to grow bigger for next time chances are not very good that that will be the case. More likely than not these fish will die shortly after you return them to the water, and will not serve any purpose other than possibly feeding that big 'ole Catfish laying around on the bottom of the lake waiting for an easy meal. Wild trout on the other hand is a different issue, and handled properly have a much higher survival rate. I do support C&R on wild trout so please take only what you will eat, and put the rest back for next time.

Flyfishing??? Someone else will have to step up to the plate on that method. That's a whole different ball game but wouldn't mind learning.

I hope this will help those of you who are interested in finding out what trout fishing is all about but were afraid to ask. I go just about every weekend so if you would like to give it a shot, or are already into it and want to hit the lake let me know.

[sdangler]

I'm not sure how to catch a catfish...

How about a liitle A to Z on that? Oh and please leave out the "F" off section!

Good read anyway. I think grenades would be much more effective, especially when they are spooky.

JMHO, I could be wrong,

Mark

[Ali]

Nice write up Kev.

I used to love to throw spinners for Trout. (don't tell anyone)

The Panther Martin Bumblebee and the Mepps Classic used to out fish all others for me.

Makes me want to fresh water fish again.

[Buttchaser]

Yep, Trout fishing is a lot of Fun ,I Like using Mini Jiggz. Btw Nice Right up, Very informative..

[Saluki]

Very nice write up Kevan, thanks bro!!
I started trout fishing last year and Kevan & Curtis have been teaching me their tricks............. one tip per fishing trip

Thanks again for all the help, the kids are having a blast and want to be on the water pulling on trout every weekend, it's a pretty cool thing!

[Hellbear]

Nice write up and very informative. Would like to add that all gold Panther Martin spinner's work really good too and is pretty much the only lure I use now. If you want to buy Panther Martins get them from here http://www.panthermartin.com/flash/cover.asp . If you buy atleast 12 they are about 1/2 the price they are in the stores.

[greeper]

usually the best part of trout fishing is the scenery, man I love the eastern sierras

[apcrew45]

Make a nice and long camping trip to Rock Creek every year. And always kill them with the sliding egg hallow bobber.
I have two set ups
1.Berkley lightning 6'6 LRS662ML w/ a daiwa reel that looks like the new Sweepfire very small and light 4lb test
2.Berkley lightning 5 LRS502UL w/ a Shimano graphite reel (even smaller) 2lb test

- I usually fish the hallow bobber on the slide and fill it half way with water to increase casting distance. Wade out to the rock creek inlet on the south side and cast away with 4lb fluro mosquito hook with a small piece of inflated nightcrawler. This is a killer set up I always will limit out within an hour or so on good quality rainbows. After that i resort to barbless jigs and fish untill the lights go out C&R always after my limit, no matter how big or small.

[dockboy]

I love and fish the Eastern Sierras often. Luckily my hometown is not too far from them, and it is much easier to get there than for many in the LA area.
I grew up fishing trout, and Im convinced the skills and patience it took to catch wild fish in our Western states is what bouyed me to become successful in freshwater bass fishing and every other fishing Ive done. Trout are a whole other dimension when it comes to fishing.

Remember to upgrade you hooks on your baits if you plan to fish spoons and other similiar lures. You will catch more fish if you change your stock hooks out to premium quality ones like Owners. And remember that your bait, no matter if you are soaking powerbait, jigging a tube, rippin a minnow bait, or flyfishing, must look 100% natural. No drag on the water, no unnatural movements. Any faults in your presentation, and you can almost be assured failure. If the fish see you, the majority of the time you'll never catch them. Light line, soft cast, natural presentation and small shadows= trout

[Wandering Blues]

Good write up. Everything you mentioned is tried and true. I would only add that a cold pale ale on the bank for between casts is a must have!

[Rip]

I'm headed to June loop or bridgeport area in May or June, any fishing tips or pet friendly places to stay or camp would be appreciated.Thanks in advance.

[apcrew45]

Originally Posted by Rip

I'm headed to June loop or bridgeport area in May or June, any fishing tips or pet friendly places to stay or camp would be appreciated.Thanks in advance.

I haven’t fished the June Lake Loop, but I know there are allot of resorts, cabins and motels you can stay at...just do a quick search online... As to fishing...If you are fishing from shore... try to find the inlet or the outlet of the lake this being where the end of the river or creek comes flows into the lake or where the lake flows out into a creek or river (I don’t know if there is any at June Lake...but I'm sure there is because most of the lakes in the Eastern Sierras are Natural. If you have a boat, try trolling along with small rappalas. Back to the shore fishing, have two set ups (remember there are many ways for fishing trout) but if you are fishing inlets these are my favorite. 1. Have a sliding sinker setup depending on wind and your casting abilities determine the weight, with a stopper and about a foot to 2 feet 4lb top shot with a small sized treble hook, curl your favorite choice of power bait into a ball or worm and cast out as far as you can towards the inlet, this is your wait and see pole. 2nd setup should be a sliding hallow bobber fill either half way or full with water with a stopper and again a foot to 2 feet of 4 lb leader with mosquito hook of choice (red is my favorite) good sized healthy night crawlers (check before you buy) cut the thickest end part off and bulge with a syringe. If you can get your hands on a diabetic syringe they are useful because the ones that are sold at tackle shops are to thick and not sharp enough (but keep them away from kids).. Reel the bait in slowly towards the inlet. HOOK-UP and scream for a net! fficeffice" />