Tips & Techniques
Bass Fishing for Trout |
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November, 2009
By Tom Redington
In an effort to escape the Texas heat in the summer, my family and I pack
up and head to the mountains for a couple weeks each year. Not only is the
climate cooler in the summer, but most of these areas harbor excellent
trout streams. Although I have yet to master fly fishing, I do take along
a bass rod and some lures each year and I’ve developed a simple system to
catch a lot of trout from streams. The beauty is that you only need a few
basic baits and since the trout aren’t accustomed to seeing these lures,
I’ve often had great success when fly anglers on the same streams are
struggling. Moreover, with all the public lands and small streams, you can
easily fish without a boat. So the next time your travels take you to
trout country, here’s an easy way to add some angling fun.
Trout are famous for eating insects and many fly fishermen love to catch
them on dry flies, much like topwater fishing for bass. Although they eat
a lot of water-dwelling and terrestrial insects, the diet of larger trout
is often predominantly small minnows and baitfish. Accordingly, many trout
are caught each year on small in-line spinners, like Mepps or Rooster
Tails. Fishermen have thrown these for years and the trout seem to be
somewhat conditioned to them, so I’ve found a number of better performing
baits. For me, small jerkbaits, swimbaits, and crankbaits produce very
well.
Basically, I use my favorite bass lures, but I just go to a bit smaller
sizes. Small jerkbaits, like Lucky Craft Pointer 48 work great for numbers
of fish. A fast retrieve with 3 or 4 snaps followed by a pause triggers
active fish. Other days, small crankbaits work great and I use the Lucky
Craft RC 0.5 in water that is 2’ or less or if there are a lot of weeds,
switching to the RC 0.5 DD when the water is deeper. Just cast these out
and reel them back with a few pauses like you would bass fishing. Finally,
swimming a 3.5” Live Magic Shad rigged on a ¼ oz Screwball jighead will
catch the very biggest trout when you’re on rivers with fish 18” and
bigger. Simply swim the Live Magic Shad on a steady retrieve for active
fish or hop it along the bottom when they are more finicky. Since most of
these streams are very clear, I stick with natural baitfish colors for all
of my lures, with mostly white or silver bodies and natural accents.
Because you’re fishing in very clear and normally shallow water with light
baits, this approach requires long casting spinning rigs with light line.
A long rod with a soft tip not only flings 1/8 to ¼ oz lures a mile, but
it’ll cushion the impact from hard runs and big jumps while using light
line. Dobyns Rods’ 702SF, a classic medium light action rod, is perfect
for this application. In addition, I like Lake Fork Trophy Lures’
PowerSilk monofilament line for this fishing in the ISO 10 lb/US 6lb
rating. This line has zero memory and casts like a bullet, yet it has low
stretch for good feel and enough abrasion resistance to fight fish through
rapids and over rocks without breaking. This light setup presents small
baits better, plus you’ll also enjoy a more sporting fight.
Once you’re rigged up, the pattern is much the same as fishing for bass in
rivers. Feeding trout often hold in or on the edge of current around
little current breaks. Big rocks, laydowns, humps, underwater points and
island, and deeper holes all deflect the current and allow trout to dart
out of these small slack water areas and grab their meals. Eddies formed
by river bends and the areas around rapids at the beginning and end of
slower, deeper pools are normally hotspots. Make long casts to these wary
fish and use your long rod to guide your lure along the edge of where
swift water meets the slack water created by the current breaks and you’ll
be in business. Just like bass fishing, pay attention to the types of
areas that you catch your first few fish from and you’ll likely be able to
develop a consistent pattern to fish up and down the river.
Although they fight valiantly and produce some great leaps, trout aren’t
as hardy as bass, so handle them with care. Pinching down the barbs on
your hooks makes releasing fish easier on you and the trout. Furthermore,
hold trout out of the water a little as possible, preferably removing the
hooks while keeping the fish in the stream.
Most of the better trout streams are beautiful rivers that run through
quiet forests with a panoramic mountain view. Wading a cool mountain
stream in a beautiful setting is a great way to beat the heat. And if the
fish are biting, it is downright divine. If I can be of assistance, please
contact me at 214-683-9572 or e-mail me through my website,
www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com.
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