Is it Trout Swimbait time?

[airborne_angler]

The Arizona Game and Fish website says that the local lake I fish will be stocked with Trout for the first time this season the week of 25 October.

Would this be a good time to start throwing "Trout" patterned Swimbaits,such as a 6 inch HUD in a Juvenile Trout color?

[bweave09]

I would assume it might take a little time for the bass to realize the trout as a definite prey, but that should not stop you from throwing a trout patterned swimbait. Hell, that swimbait might work in a lake that has no trout. Another thought: I don't know much about stocking trout, but it seems to me that they would be stocking lots of fingerlings, so a smaller presentation might work better right away, but I could be wrong.

[s13john]

id say yes .. if you can find were they let them go it might be really good.

[airborne_angler]

Well in April they dropped em right out of the truck from the boat ramp. The fish they normally stock are about 9-12 inches long. According to the Az Dept of Game and Fish,the Trout dont naturally reproduce in this lake so there are several stockings from October until April.

You can still catch a few straggler Trout through the summer as well. I think that normally by summer,most of the Trout have all been caught,eaten by predators or died naturally from the heat.

[NorcalBassin]

Definitely... start throwing them now and see what happens. Fish that regularly feed on planter trout start moving into the areas where the stockers go in anticipation of the plants. They basically learn that the change to fall winter = trout plants.

As bweave mentioned, bass in lakes without trout will still hit trout swimbaits. This happens at Clear Lake all the time (no trout, but they hammer trout baits). 

[SPEEDBEAD.]

It's not going to hurt to throw them now, but my guess is that with an abundance of fresh stocked trout swimming around you are less likely to get bit than say.....a week or so later.

You'll see.   

[airborne_angler]

Speedbead,

so what you are saying is that when the trout forst get planted,the Bass will have a feast and my bait "might" be ignored. But a week later,theyll wonder where it all went and will be searching for it,that may be a better time to throw a trout swimbait when they have thinned out the herd and are searching for more?

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Correct.

Don't forget though, they "might" ignore it or they also "might" just eat it when there are fresh trout.

Personally, I would go to either end of the spectrum with baits.  Hudd 0 and Hudd 12/16.  Deadstick one, bottom bounce one.

[Hammer 4]

I've thrown the Hudd 6" trout baits during, before, and after trout plants. In a city park lake, fishing from shore. The best time for me was just before the plants. It seems that during the plants, the bass would ignore our swimbaits. After the plant, I've had some good follows, with smaller bass hitting my Hudd, seems the big girls never wanted to play at that time. But, I still throw em, cuz you never know..