Trout Questions..

[bankguy315]

Okay, so they just began stocking one of the local lakes this year with trout. Im excited! But i have a couple questions. First, how soon will some bass turn to eating trout as its main diet instead of the regular forage thats been there? Next, how long does it take trout to settle down and "set up" after coming off the truck, or do they at all? Do trout go deep or stay shallow once things have calmed down? Thanks.

[Jtrout]

The bass know the truck pulls up and waits for the trout they usually bite once dumped out and they stay in the area for a few days

[clayton86]

Trout will bite soon as they are released I do a trout derby every year for stockers they dump Friday we fish saturday

[WRB]

If the lake has a population of big bass they may target the 6"-8" rainbows, northern strain bass may not if the lake already has abundant prey fish. Just because trout plants start, doesn't always mean your lakes bass will respond to hunting trout.

Tom

[Jon G]

I lived in California for awhile and I have a little experience with trout as forage. Trout are nomadic and tend to travel around the lake in search for highly oxygenated water.

 

I see we are in the same area. What lake has trout in it?

[WRB]

I lived in California for awhile and I have a little experience with trout as forage. Trout are nomadic and tend to travel around the lake in search for highly oxygenated water.

I see we are in the same area. What lake has trout in it?

Rainbow trout are pelagic, require cool to cold water with good DO levels.

Tom

[gobig]

I don't for one second buy into the fact that northerns don't eat trout. I have caught smallies, spots, northerns and floridas all on big baits. In my opinion the key is a constant presence of trout. The lakes that seem to produce have a year round population of trout or consistent planting. As far as how fast the bass will key in on trout really depends on the body of water. The trout will go deep they like the cold water. 

[WRB]

My statement is based on personal observation while working 6 summers at a marina where weekly catchable size 10"-14" rainbow stock plants occurred. The lake is a hig elevation trout lake that had a good NLMB population to 8 lbs, some resident bass living under the docks. The big bass would swim out and look at the few hundred planted trout swimming around, didn't witness any bass attacking these trout, they were curious. They prey these bass preferred were small crappie and constantly chased and ate them.

Later years fishing local lakes like Casitas prior to the 70's, before FLMB were introduced, I never witnessed a bass chasing trout. After the FLMB were introduced bass chasing trout was a common site and continues to this day, FLMB definitely eat trout.

You can catch NLMB on swimbaits, I caught a 4 lb smallmouth at lake of the woods, Canada fishing for musky using a 10" swimbait, doesn't mean they are eating trout.

Tom

[gobig]

Tom, I totally respect your experience you have a lot of good information and will probably forget more than most people know about bass fishing. However just because you didn't see it does not mean its not happening. Why would a bass eat an 8in swimbait but not an 8in trout? I think all lakes are different. Some are good swimbait lakes and others are good jig lakes. I know of a lake in Oregon where the trout anglers complain about the big bass that steal the trout as they are fighting them. No Floridas there. 

[WRB]

Having lived in Washington Seattle area for awhile in the early 70's when bass were considered trash fish and the trouters blamed bass for everything.

A lot has changed over the years especially the size of stocked trout. Back in the late 50's early 60's planted trout were catchable size, a pound or more. The past 30 years planted trout are smaller, weaker and average 3 trout per pound. 6" trout are prey for average size 4 lb bass, if they learn to eat small trout then trout become sought after prey. The key is learn that trout are prey.

When lake Casitas stopped planting trout a generation of bass starved with threadfin Shad population all around them, the big bass were looking for trout. Today the trout plants have resumed and this generation of bass haven't started to hit swimbaits yet, it's all about Shad. Takes time for bass to make preferred prey adjustments.

Tom

[jjconnaire]

I honestly think that it comes down to big fish eat little fish... Not that it's rite, but when I was younger I used to use goldfish from the pet store for bass in a tidal creek... Bass and cats used to crush them. I don't think goldfish are in the tidal creek, but I caught multiple fish on them. Again, I was 13-14 when I did this and didn't know any better.

[everythingthatswims]

I don't for one second buy into the fact that northerns don't eat trout. I have caught smallies, spots, northerns and floridas all on big baits. In my opinion the key is a constant presence of trout. The lakes that seem to produce have a year round population of trout or consistent planting. As far as how fast the bass will key in on trout really depends on the body of water. The trout will go deep they like the cold water. 

I had a bass try to eat a 16" rainbow that I was hooked into a few years back. I'm going to quote a trout angler that saw me fishing a swimbait this year... "Yeah I guess using that bait makes sense, every time they stock here in the spring the bass pin trout on the bank and hammer them."....NLMB

[Shanes7614]

Wouldn't a bit of logical thinking tell you that NLMB would eat a fish more readily available the further north you go? Why would Florida strain bass be accustomed to eating forage rarely seen in Florida waters? Most of central to south Florida waters get way too warm for trout to survive yet thrive? Fish in general will eat whatever available forage is around that has the highest fat content. FLMB have thrived in south Cali because of the depths of those reservoirs allow the trout to go deep enough to stay in cooler water. NLMB eat trout and have been for years. I grew up fishing a small trout stocked pond and whenever the hatchery truck showed up the larger bass started to school around and would crush anything rainbow trout colored and large baits as well. Another favorite of NLMB to use patterns of are herring. Another high fat content forage fish.

[Jon G]

I agree. I don't think a NLMB will see a trout and go "pshh I'm not going to eat that thing I've never seen it before." If it will fit in his mouth he will try and eat it.

[hawkoath]

Here in Washington State, the bass feed on stocked trout fairly heavily. During the first few days after the trout have been planted the bass hit just about everything. I was fishing for trout the other day and got a 2.5lb bass on power bait and lost one twice as large just as I was about to flip it on shore. Powerbait, the new secret bait for bass. 

[Jtrout]

My local 37 acre lake in maryland stocks rainbows no less than 11-12 inches and have seen 5-6 lb bass caught with trout tails hanging out of there gullets! Greedy suckers!

[Shanes7614]

I agree. I don't think a NLMB will see a trout and go "pshh I'm not going to eat that thing I've never seen it before." If it will fit in his mouth he will try and eat it.

NLMB are more used to seeing trout. Therefore just as likely to eat them. I think FLMB may be a bit more aggressive feeders and see the stocked trout as easy prey.