Pre-Season Catch and release!

If you aren’t quite sure about fishing open water yet, you might just consider giving the two week period just prior to the Trout Opener a shot! This is strictly catch and release, but you’ll have a fine opportunity for some nice photos! Remember to crimp your hooks, especially during catch and release seasons. Make it a point, during the regular season as well, why not????

This “Pre-season” allows a guy to avoid the mad dash of opening day, catching nice trout and being alone on the water!!

Do any of you stream walkers take advantage of the Pre-season??? ALso, what is your favorite pre-season destination and presentations????

Just a couple weeks out now!!!! Definitely itchin’!!!

Keep the rods bendin’!!!

Jim W

Well Jim…..I have fished the early season and my best bait was bucktails…spinners got a few but the water was still cold and clear. I tie my own hair jigs in 1/32 & 1/16 in buggy looking colors..

Jim, in Wisconsin our “preseason” runs for 2 months. Your right though, the numbers of people fishing are alot less than after the “keeper opener”. I’ve been out a couple times already with some success. Lost a real hog the other night on a silver rapala. I usually use Rebel Wee Rs but they haven’t produced for me yet this year. The plastics I’ve tried so far have not produced yet. It seems that this year rapalas and thundersticks have been my hot lures.

Could some one set me strait on this pre-season fishing?? I thought it was illegal to pre-fish game fish before the season in Wi. our isn’t trout a game fish. Any thoughts on this!!!! Bass Bull

Bassbull,

Pre-season in Minnesota( I can’t speak for the “Sconny” regs)is a legal time-frame, fishing for stream trout. Trout is a game fish. This is strictly Catch and Release and all hooks must be either barbless or crimped!

Minnesota has a wnter season and a pre-season. Great opportunity to get out before the crowds!!

I hope this cleared things up a little?

Jim W

Bass Bull, in Wisconsin the catch and release season opened March 2nd on many of the states trout streams. You can only use artificial lures and all hooks must be barbless. The catch and keep season opens May 4th in Wisconsin.

Today marks the first day of the Catch and release Season!!!! I hope I can get a couple hours in this evening!!!

Definitely, the streams will see me sometime this week!!!

ANyone else getting out?? LEt us know how you do!?

Jim W

Jim, been fishing SW Wisconsin this last two weeks. Catching alot of trout in the 12 to 16 inch range but have been having trouble finding the big boys. This last weekend the streams have been infested with green moss or some other weed. Your lucky to get two casts in without pulling the slime off your lure.

The streams are so clear right now that I wonder if that might have an effect on the bigger trout biting during daylight hours.

Birdman,

You lucky dog! I haven’t made it out yet!! I am literally going crazy, envisioning my rod bending hard to the weight and fight of a big bull brown!!!

This year might create a “stealth” fishing mode for most if we don’t receive some inundating rains!

Drawing out the larger fish isn’t the easiest nor for the impatient at heart! Attack faster water areas, first throwing larger gear, then skimming down! Drifting a juicy Crane fly larvae or night crawler, might just tempt a nice fish to come out of hiding! I have had success in the grass lined(water cress etc.) streams, letting my presentation sit below the weedline or near the bottom for a longer period of time, letting the fish become accustomed to it, while losing it’s increased level of spook!

Try going slower, try going real fast as well. Oh, there is nothing wrong with a fish that falls in between the 12-16 inch range!!! Those are nice trout!!!!!

Remember, with less rain, there will be less food. SO being on the water at the right time, might help too. Sooner or later a trout will get sick of eating invertabrates all day!!! ANd with a lack of minnows ,shiners and chubs……..?

Try searching for a new stream with less grass??

I just wanna get out!!!

Keep the info flowing!!! See ya on the water!!

Jim W

Made it out yesterday. 7 trout one hour, 12 inches to 17 inches, Original floating rap in shiner pattern!

FIsh are currently congregated in pools and deeper holes adjacent to faster moving water. Very aggressive!

Have fun!

Jim W

Jim, I made it out Saturday and like you I found most of the fish in the deeper water in pools. Very few fish caught in the riffles. It seemed the secret was to approach from the downstream side of the pool and cast before you got too close to the pool. With the clear water the trout were very spooky. I caught most of mine on a gold rapala with the biggest being 18 inches. Hopefully with the recent rains the big boys will come out to play this week.

With the long casting it really helped to have fireline on my reel. No stretch definitely helped with the hooksets with that much line out. Do you use fireline for trout too?

Birdman,

An 18 inch fish is a very nice fish!! DId you get a photo before releasing her?? I have not tried fire line while fishing for trout, but it sounds like a good idea!! I missed several nice trout yesterday, casting a “mile”!!!

Jim W