Bass Vs Trout Techniques

[toddwchandler]

First let me apologize in advance if this question is off topic for a bass forum.

I normally bass fish but have been invited by my nephew to come trout fishing with him. We will be fishing for rainbow and brown trout, most of them stocked.

My question is, do the same techniques generally apply in trout fishing as bass fishing. Specifically, do you use a good firm hook set or just reel them in?

Any other tips A bass fisherman may need to know would be greatly appreciated.

[MO_LMB]

Generally you use lighter line with trout fishing, so you want more of a reel set. Too strong of a hookset and you will snap your line. You are also using lighter hooks so they penetrate easier.

 

Big trout will often go after jerk baits, but my personal favorite trout lure is the thomas buoyant spoon. Cast it up stream and yo yo it back to you. You always want to cast upstream b/c trout look that way for food. I like the black nickel and waterrmelon colors for spoons. Gold red is another good color.

 

http://www.basspro.com/Thomas-Spinning-Lures-Buoyant-Spoons/product/104191/

[Bluebasser86]

Are you fishing a stream/river or lake/pond? If they'll eat them I love fishing jerkbaits for trout but sometimes they just won't hit them, seems like they work better in moving water than still water. Inline spinners and small spoons are a good option also. Probably my favorite to just catch trout is a small marabou jig (1/16oz or smaller, down to 1/80oz or so) suspended under a bobber. In moving water the current gives the bait good action. In still water the waves will do it or you can give the bait small twitches. Usually you'll want lighter tackle for trout, I use a 6' 8" L/F spinning rod with a 1000 size reel and limp 4-6 pound line. It doesn't take a strong hookset and you'll want you drag set or be prepared to back reel because big trout fight fast and pull hard, kind of similar to a smallmouth. 

[slonezp]

They are very spooky. If they can see you, forget about getting bit.

[Scott F]

Stocked trout that have been raised on "trout chow" are not used to feeding on natural foods like insects that wild trout feed on. Not that this is the traditional way of trout fishing but, Berkely PowerBaits in the trout variety work very, very well.  A small ball of it on a hook with a split shot under a float has out fished anything else I've ever seen for STOCKED trout.  In the small lakes that I've fished for stocked trout, they swim in schools around the lake in circles. When the school passes by your bait, the action is on, Once they pass by, nothing happens until the group comes your way again. Maybe where you will be fishing, like a river, they don't use floats and dough baits, but if their methods don't work, this will.

[Jerry in SC]

I've caught many stocked trout over the last thirty five years with Rooster Tails. No hook set is needed, trout have a fairly soft mouth, but a light action rod is needed for casting lighter lures. Anything rated for 1/8 ounce is fine. Four or six pound line. Trout use structure just like any gamefish. Cast quartering upstream, work the entire run or pool thoroughly. Stocked trout usually take 24 hours after stocking to start biting. I catch my largest fish in the fall, from October through late November.

I fish many of the trout streams in NE Georgia. It can be great or frustrating.

[flyfisher]

When i fish for browns, which i do pretty often, i take my smallmouth fly box.  they are bigger meat eaters than the other species and will readily hit larger batis.

 

They have softer mouths so a hero hookset isn't really necessary.

[WRB]

Your ? Is too generic to answer. Trout fishing has more variables than bass fishing. It's like someone asking how to bass fish, the answer takes volumes of books to answer.

Be more specific; lake, river or stream. Bait or lures? Spinning or fly tackle???

We know stocked rainbows and possible hold over browns ( browns re rarely stocked on a regular basis).

Tom

[toddwchandler]

I will be using a spinning reel with either lures or bait. Both are an option. I will be fishing mountain streams in Northeast Georgia. These streams are stocked until Labor Day, so at this point I guess I will be trying to land what is left of the stock rainbows along with any native trout that just happen to be there.

What size and style of hook works best for trout when using baits such as dough balls, corn, salmon eggs, etc. ?

[Jerry in SC]

If you're keeping your catch, a size 10 Eagle Claw 214ELF is what I'd recommend. Don't discount red worms or crickets, both can be effective in the fall or during periods of high water. I can cover water more effectively with an inline spinner.

[CC268]

Hell when I trout fished I just threw inline spinners and caught a lot of trout...

[Gaerith]

One thing I'd like to add that hasn't been mentioned: when using in-line spinners you can cast them upstream and straight retrieve them, jerk/twich them, and also work them like a jig along the bottom.  Jigging them works pretty good if there's not a ton of foliage to hang up on.  The stream's current will push it down stream as up twitch your rod.

 

I used to use nightcrawlers 100% of the time.  Now I just stick with in-line spinners and dough ball type baits.  I feel like those 3 are the most effective baits for stream fishing trout.  Also always work upstream, and consider the clothing you wear.  Wear anything bright and you won't get a bite!

[bigbill]

I use an ultra-lite spinning rod with 4lb test. I like the 1/8 oz worsens inline spinners silver blade with a white body and a white bucktail. Or the mepps 00 inline spinners work too just reel them fast enough to make the blade spin. Joe's flys in his short striker spin fly works great they like the blackgnat.

I like trout fishing but it's easy sometimes when I fish a hole or a backwash I can limit out right away. It's very hard to fish for trout without my mentor, my older brother since he passed away. We fished every opening day of the season on. It's been over ten years now and I still miss him. My point is if you have a fishing partner enjoy the time and laughs you spend together before you know it it's gone. I fish with my kids now.

My daughter catches more trout than my boys and I do. She is quite the fisherman.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

When they stock trout in the creek by my house, your elbow to elbow with fellow anglers for the next 2 weeks.  While I've never used it, most of the people I see fishing for trout are using a ball of Power Bait on a small hook under a float.  However, I use inline spinners or small crankbaits with pretty good success.  I've caught them on inline spinners as big as a 1/4 oz. (because that's all I had at the time) but you'd be better off with 1/8 oz. or smaller.  As for crankbaits, I like the SK Bitsy Minnow.  I use a ML rod but that's just cuz I already have one and don't feel like putting out money for a rod that I'm only gonna use maybe a dozen times a year.  Ideally, I'd go with a light one.  For line, I use with 4 pound test.

[flyfisher]

I will be using a spinning reel with either lures or bait. Both are an option. I will be fishing mountain streams in Northeast Georgia. These streams are stocked until Labor Day, so at this point I guess I will be trying to land what is left of the stock rainbows along with any native trout that just happen to be there.

What size and style of hook works best for trout when using baits such as dough balls, corn, salmon eggs, etc. ?

One quick request....if you catch a native or a wild fish, don't keep them and release but keep all the stockers you want

 

Not trying to derail or get into a C & R discussion just giving my thoughts.

[MacP]

I've fished that area lots.  I always have good luck with Husky Jerks and Shallow Shad Raps. 

[Dylan L]

My non fly fishing trout outfit is a Bass Pro ultralight rod paired with an ultralight reel (I don't remember the brand) spooled with 4 pound mono. I use small (1/24-1/16 oz) rooster tails. Just what works for me. Hope it helped!