Favorite Presentation for Trout

Without question my favorite trout catching presentation for numbers of fish was launching blue fox #2 spinners on 4lb mono. What is yours?

For shear numbers…. a #0 brass mepps spinner w/o that little red tube on 4# mono. My mepps would kick your Fox’s tail hougie…LOL!

My largest stream trout ever came on a #13 black/silver CountDown rap. Caught that dandy on the White River down in Arkansas. 30″ long and well over 10 Lbs. 5# fish were really common.

With all the trout fishing you and I did as pups, why have we never pounded out a few river miles together looking for a couple brownies? We’ll have to make a point to do that this year. My waders still fit me… I think.

Ive got waaaay more time in as a trout fisherman than as a walleye fisherman.

My best friend from High School grew up on Timber Coulee Creek and he used to throw the same exact spinner as you did and used to cut the red thingy off and always outfished me. The reason I liked the #2 blue fox was I could launch that sucker a country mile. Another great friend of mine and I more recently used to spinner fish alot together and he was 6’7 and could launch those light spinners I think because when youre tall and have long arms you have the leverage. He was a competitive sob and we would rib each other all the time while wadin together. Great times man, great times. Especially when we would throw up a couple tents and make a weekend of it.

I couldn’t agree more. A man never sleeps better at the end of the day than after spending a day wading 10 miles… right into the current of their favorite trout stream. My question though is, “what’s with the red tube?” Seems like everyone I talk to with some trout time under their belts does the same thing… cut em off and stuff them in their pockets. Anyone else notice the same “fish repelant properties” these little red tubes seem to posess?

James,

What other spinners have you experimented with? For a significant time period early on I threw alot of Panther Martin spinners. The gold one ( I forget the size # of it) with the little orange hair on it seemed to work pretty well. But the one with the bug like pattern and no hair was not very effective. It seems as if Panther Martin and Blue Fox Super Vibrax were the ones I used the most. I was never happy with the rotation of the mepps spinners for some reason. And the same with Rooster Tails I noticed that they wouldnt roll over as nice as the martin and the super vibrax did. Is their some maintenance that you had to do to get certain spinners to perform correctly? Kind of like tuning cranks?

As far as those little red tubes I know some that would leave it on and still catch fish and I also knew others that strictly would throw the mepps 0 to #2 bucktail and that is all they would throw. Personally I think when you take the tube off you get a little faster sink rate and better direct line back to the rod.

About the only messing I did with my spinners, beside immediately removing that red tube, was to make sure the spinner shaft was perfectly straight… and then I’d sharpen the livin’ heck out of the hooks until they were down right dangerous. And I know exactly what your talking about when you say the mepps didn’t look like they turned quite as “nice” as some others… they have a bit of a rear-end wobble to them where others held motionless down the centerline with the blade in motion. Maybe that’s what the trout liked?! Who knows. I got to the point where I’d go to Fleetfarm and just shove my arm to the back of the rack of #0 brass mepps spinners and just pull towards me. About the time I was getting out of trout fishing and into walleyes, that’s all I really used. They just kicked fanny over all the other spinners I used… for average trout though. Bigger fish required different tactics…. larger spinners and the use of more crankbaits like #11 & 13 floating raps and little deep divers like small warts and bombers.

Remind me…. did we add this forum for the visitors or for us?…LOL We should have done this some time ago!

Yes this is way over due!!! However, pleasantly appreciated now that it is here!

I use to use 4# test, and on occasion I still spool it on, but after losing to many nice fish on it’s lack of strength I more often use Trilene 6# XL. I guess, depending on the body of water I am fishing determines the line strength I tie on. For example, If I can jump across the stream 2 or 4 will be used.

On the occasions I have fly-fished, I would prefer a dry fly to catch trout on. Hoppers or elk hair caddis imitations.

My specialty(at the present) is spin fishing. My opinion alone will tell you that your chances of a larger trout will be had on spinning tackle. Numbers??? Flyfishing, bar none! That is why you often see guys keeping track of how many they caught in a season etc. Ask those same individuals how many trout over 18 inches they caught out of the 1000 trout they C P R’ed? DOn’t get me wrong, I am not trying to start anything here. There isn’t anything more pure than flyfishing for trout!

SPinners: What ever I usually tie on that day, until I lose it or bend the hooks out on foolish casts. However, my favorite would be the white/silver rooster tail 1/6 oz. This size is hard to come by and I have only found them at Cabellas. So if I was you, get there before me, since I will buy them out when I get there. This weight has a larger blade and moves through the water like no other size of rooster tail. It can be worked in faster moving current and pulled through deeper runs at more equal rates of speed. Again, size of stream matters.

For large trout! I have yet to find something more effective than the #9 and #11 rapalas. PLEASE CRIMP YOUR HOOKS WHEN USING RAPS!!! Last Season I took 3- 20 inchers in the first week of pre-season catch and release on a #11 vamp Original floating rap. Oh, I am getting worked up, so I better get going!

MOre to come I am sure of that!!!!

Keep the rods bendin’!!!

Jim W

I am a trout junkie. I spent my formative years living on the French River north of Duluth. The favorite bait bar none was a mepps spinner. Never any native trout there bigger than 13inches but it is a neat little creek. Flyfished a little this year on some wisconsin streams, just starting to get the hang of true flyfishing.

My favorite trout are the lake run rainbows (steelhead) from lake superior and Michigan. They can be addicting (just ask bluefin). It is a short season but if hit it right you can catch great numbers of nice fish. The method we use would be known in fly fishing circles as chuck-n-duck, using egg flys. We modify it in ways that would make the fly fishing purist cry but you can’t argue with success.

My favorite trout fishing memory was two falls ago with my dad in Canada. In three hours, on a fairly small river, one morning we caught 7 specs (brooktrout) between 19-24inches and lost a bunch more. These were all caught drifting crawlers. You could have heard two grown men giggling a mile away.

There is nothing better in life than getting your rear end kicked by a 10 lb + steelhead. I usually have to sit down and let the shakes wear off after landing one.

The rig couldn’t be simpler – a couple hunks of yarn snelled on a octopus hook.

If I was told I could only take one fishing or hunting trip a year it would be steelheading – no questions asked.

I have fished trout..all my life and never threw anything other than rooster tails for a …very long time…depending on the time of year and the water conditions is what dictated what I used for the day..”or untill a threw it where they ain’t….TREE”

A few years ago I switched “up” to Panther Martins and the likes. No hair…I guess I just liked the rotation of them better…or I “worked” them better in the current…Or maybe I just over educated the trout where I fish…But theses Hairless wonders put hoards of fish on my hook..whenever I’m using them

Anytime you two “Old” trout junkies turned walleye Gods want to go Trouting……Give me a call…Would love to show you some of my “neck of the Streams….LOL……SWANY

My favorite presentaion is ” trusty Teddy” I carry several Teddys in my box. What is a Teddy you ask? Its an orange rap. I have caught more trout on my orange raps than any other colr hence my nickname for them. Nothing like tossing ole teddy in a great looking pool and seeing the flash of a dandy trout as it looks to inhale poor teddy. Alas the meal is cut short by my swift hookset. Wading a stream on a summer day is a treat as I spend most of my time in a boat. What has been the most productive for you all Fly fishing or spinning rod?

My favorite lure is the Rebel Wee Crawfish in the Stream Crawfish color. It seems to be great for the bigger trout although I’ve had alot of luck with the jointed floating rapalas too. If I throw a spinner a gold panther martin would be my spinner of choice.

I like the little 3″ Rebel minnow in addition to the Wee Craw and of course the Rapalas for crankbaits. My vote would have to go to the Panthers also for spinners. The convex/concave blade runs through current great, spins on slow retrieves, and casts well. Just real versatile for me. Some people use small ball bearing swivels to cut down on line twist. I just invest in quality ultralight reels with good line rollers and usually change my line five times a season or so(4# test for trout,6# for smallies) Line is cheap and it doesn’t take much to fill up smaller reels. I do like the french blade Mepps at times also, for more thump.

Before I had a boat I used to negotiate the big rip rap boulders along Lake Pepin, throwing Panthers to lots of walleyes, BIG smallies and even an occasional channel cat! Oh, and I used to find tons of Wally Divers and Shad Raps that would float into the rocks after the trollers lost them to snags. I bet I found 30 one year. I still have a few in my crankbait box!

See ya!

gosh… now I dont feel so bad about using every kind of spinner…. and let the fish decide what they wanted… I used mepps, panther martins and rooster tails…. and they would ALL work… sometimes one would work better.. and I never really knew why!!

Great Forum!

I don’t have any experience fishing in streams for trout, but have a passion for fishing many of the stocked inland waters. I’ve used small mepps spinners, but have had my best fishing on a blue size 5 faceted bead and a # 10 sunfish hook with the head of a night crawler. Place a 1/16 ounce splitshot about 3 feet up from the hook and you got em eating out of your hand. I’ve used this technique from the boundary water lakes to the pits over in Crosby Ironton, from shore and out of a boat. Kids just love these squirmy little things, very acrobatic fish!

Love those grilled rainbows!

I’ve been told the blue bead works so well because when these little critters are being raised before they are stocked there fed little blue food pellets? Don’t know if thats true, but blue anything works, blue and white rapalas, blue hair on your mepps, beads……..

Any of you ever tried fishing a rapala by standing at the head of a pool and allowing line to play down with the current until the plug is in the slack water of a currnet seam or near a deadfall, etc. With a longer rod a guy can basically “steer” the bait where you want it to be by holding your rod out to one side of your body or the other. At that point you close the bail on your reel…. current causes the plug to dive and wiggle right in that one key spot. Add in some seductive twitches and the fact that the plug never leaves the strike zone while its wiggling and dancing in the face of a fish…. and you get bit! I’ve used this technique to catch a slug of 20″+ trout. Early in the AM or from dusk until you legally have to get your hinder off the water is PRIME-TIME to use this technique and catch a new personal best brownie.

My all time favorite for bigger trout is the #7 countdown rapala brown/gold. You can toss the bugger a country mile. When I work em I really jerk em hard. I also am very partial to the #2 vibrax spinner in silver, it cast well, runs true, and doesn’t twist line nearly as much as other spinners. Another over looked lure I use is a ” tinsel tail” jig. I use in a normal jigging fashion, but I have found that by swimming it like a baitfish it also puts some trout in the creel. If you are looking for a bait they have not seen, I would highly reccomend it!!! God I feel the need for a trout fix now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~alkfish

duh spinners hands down………….bucktails don’t work haha

hey…bucktails do work!!!!…….just ask dustin ..I took him troutin..last year when the Big river wasn’t fishable …..I nailed trout after trout on Black 1/16 oz. jig heads and black with yellow…and a little red…hair….go figure….<*}}}}}}}.{

Yeah, we did do pretty good that day. It wasn’t the river but it was the next best thing to it. We also did ok on just a small black and silver twister tails when we lost all the black buck tail jigs. As fun as it was……I hope they never close the river again!!

AHHH….come on now Dusty….you know you had a GREAT time……you just didn’t like The 4 mile hike I took you on….Lmao… Your right about the twister tails though…I had forgotten….Another trick I’ll use this year…..And yes the bigger raps work very well….I like to take them and pull back up the current…With qiuck little jerks…..Unconventional….but it works…

Gee Swanny I didn’t know Dustin was so whiney.

You take the guy out and catch oodles of fish and all he can say is we did good but it was not the river. You even did it on jigs. His favorite way to fish. Some peole just don’t appreciate a good trout guide. LOL

I got out last spring when we could not get on the river also. In a few trips we managed several 20 inchers. Jigs got mine and crawlers got my buddies. Spinners did well also.

Several 20 inchers? How much do you charge for trout guiding??

A favorite bait that I used to use a long time ago and just about forgot about was the super dooper (spelling) I believe first ones were made by south bend. I ‘ll have to see if they still make them. They used to work great on trout in England,Germany and along the north shore of Lake Superior. Lived in England,then Germany,then Duluth. Over seas they used this bobber that had little corks on the sides that you could pull out and fill bobber part way with water you could then cast that with a fly or crawler have way across some of the ponds we used to fish.

no guiding!!!! Just a way to get away!!

I always feel mentaly refreshed after a long day trout fishing.

hougie….I’ll take you out…no charge….I owe you one anyway…..maybe not 20 inchers…but loads of fun…we can even take Dusty…He needs to walk off some of the winter fat hes gained eating all Those wonderful breakfast I cook for him ever day at work….<*}}}}}}.{