Trout

[Jonas Staggs]

Lakes been stocked and I want to give it a go. Never trout fished before. Can you guys tell me what type of rod line hook setup to use? Any other tips in regards to baits or how to fish them? I have trout worms, mice tails, small tube jigs, and lots of panfish plastics. 

 

I don't know what kind of trout they have. I see pics of what I would call regular trout and also pics of giant trout that look like salmon.

[TnRiver46]

4-6 lb line. Small hooks medium or ML rod 

[roadwarrior]

Most likely the stocker trout are rainbow. The giants are lake trout.

#1 artificial for me is the Panther Martin, black with chartreuse dots.

 

[Jig Man]

Fly rod, 2# line, 1/100 oz jig in tan, brown or black.

[GaryH]

For stocked trout around hear we always use ultra light rod and reel with 2 or 4 lb. test line. Kast masters in either silver or gold 1/8 oz. If there not cooperating power bait in either pink or yellow under a small bobber. Good luck and enjoy.

Merry Christmas

[Laredo]

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

Most likely the stocker trout are rainbow. The giants are lake trout.

#1 artificial for me is the Panther Martin, black with chartreuse dots.

 

Second that. 

[soflabasser]

I have caught lots of trout on inline spinners and 6 pound test line. Live worms is another good choice.

[MN Fisher]

When I regularly fished for trout it was one of two ways

 

Fly rig with 7x or 8x tippet using streamers or nymphs depending on how/where I worked them.

ML rig with #0 or #1 Mepps Comet or a VERY light Mojo rig with #18-#14 hook and redworms.

[BassFishinBrandon]

Is it worth investing in any kind of dough bait if most of the ponds around my area are stocked with Trout? I've had minimal success in trout fishing and I'm looking to begin to actually attempt trout fishing in the colder months here in Connecticut. I think most of the trout in our state are stocked including the rivers, and have some crazy regulations, heck we even have to pay an additional 5$ for a "Trout and Salmon" stamp on our licenses in order to fish "target" them.  Any suggestions on whether light tackle or fly rods would be better suited as a beginner in this fishing craft?

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, BassFishinBrandon said:

Is it worth investing in any kind of dough bait if most of the ponds around my area are stocked with Trout?

I never had luck with dough baits in MA. when I lived there. You could try it though.

7 minutes ago, BassFishinBrandon said:

I think most of the trout in our state are stocked including the rivers, and have some crazy regulations, heck we even have to pay an additional 5$ for a "Trout and Salmon" stamp on our licenses in order to fish "target" them.

Cheap - our trout stamp is $10, and you have to have it if you fish designated trout lakes...even if you're not targeting them. One of the lakes I fish is such, so even if I didn't target trout, I'd still need the stamp.

9 minutes ago, BassFishinBrandon said:

Any suggestions on whether light tackle or fly rods would be better suited as a beginner in this fishing craft?

I'd start with light spinning tackle - it'll double for ultra-finesse bass or panfish if you decide trout is not your thing. Fly tackle is like swimbait tackle for bass...it's specialized and gets really expensive very quickly.

[BassFishinBrandon]

24 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I'd start with light spinning tackle - it'll double for ultra-finesse bass or panfish if you decide trout is not your thing. Fly tackle is like swimbait tackle for bass...it's specialized and gets really expensive very quickly.

Thanks for the tips. I've maybe caught a handful of trout on dough bait.  My best success was on a daredevle that I some how acquired before I even knew what to toss haha.  Guess I need to head out and check out some finesse set ups.  

[The one that got away]

Not sure where the OP is located, but the majority of the trout I catch here in MA are caught on Joe's Flies spinners and spoons.  Kastmasters and small Rapalas also work well.  I use a 6' St. Croix Triumph light action rod with a cheap Shimano Sienna 1000 size reel and 6lb mono.  I don't use live worms or the trout nugget/dough stuff, but plenty of people around here do. 

[TnRiver46]

5 hours ago, BassFishinBrandon said:

Is it worth investing in any kind of dough bait if most of the ponds around my area are stocked with Trout? I've had minimal success in trout fishing and I'm looking to begin to actually attempt trout fishing in the colder months here in Connecticut. I think most of the trout in our state are stocked including the rivers, and have some crazy regulations, heck we even have to pay an additional 5$ for a "Trout and Salmon" stamp on our licenses in order to fish "target" them.  Any suggestions on whether light tackle or fly rods would be better suited as a beginner in this fishing craft?

$5 is cheap, ours is $21. Trout are a giant waste of time and resources to me but I still buy the stamp and try to catch them for some reason 

[BassFishinBrandon]

1 hour ago, The one that got away said:

Not sure where the OP is located, but the majority of the trout I catch here in MA are caught on Joe's Flies spinners and spoons.  Kastmasters and small Rapalas also work well.  I use a 6' St. Croix Triumph light action rod with a cheap Shimano Sienna 1000 size reel and 6lb mono.  I don't use live worms or the trout nugget/dough stuff, but plenty of people around here do. 

So our weather and waters should be fairly similar then.  I'll have to look into those lures.  I usually fish in the southern half of Connecticut.  I've tried a few lakes up towards the MA border but we have "Community" ponds near here that stock trout.  Connecticut has some strict laws on certain portions of the Farmington and Housatonic Rivers.  Fly rods only, non barb hooks etc etc.  Figured I'd practice some of the stocked ponds to dial in a new set up once I can purchase a light rod.

[Bluebasser86]

You can catch gobs of them on a 1/8-1/4oz Little Cleo or similar spoon, 1/8 inline spinner, or a micro jig under a bobber just floating on whatever ripples there are. A light or ML/F rod with 4lb test works well for that.

 

Or you can just throw a jerkbait for bass and the stupid things will eat those over and over again, at least they do here.

[mrmacwvu1]

I used to tie flies that look like fish pellets for stockers. They looked liked little brown rat droppings. I would slay them when no else was catching a thing. You have to think that is all they have eaten since they were hatched. When I would guide for wounded warriors if we were having a tough day I would go upstream and chuck trout food in the water and then put on that fly so they could catch some fish. It is cheating a little bit but to see those vets eyes when they landed their fish made all the difference. If you don't have a fly rod you can still do this by using a small bobber and drop the fly about three feet under the float. 

[DitchPanda]

I have a pond about 15 miles from my house they stock with rainbows every fall. Ill use a silver or gold 1\8 oz kastmaster or a small lipless crank bait and wear them out. I've had several days of 40 to 50 fish in a few hours.

[TnRiver46]

Our stocked trout on a particular tail water won’t eat any fishing lures and sometimes won’t eat live bait. They eat midges almost exclusively and very small midges at that. It’s one of the worst places to fish ever been . Luckily there are one or two other places you can some stockers but it’s slim pickings. I don’t think I’ve caught a single stocked trout in 2020 with my $21 stamp. Now the naturally reproducing trout in the smoky mountains, they bite like sharks and don’t require the stamp. 

[Russ E]

16 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

You can catch gobs of them on a 1/8-1/4oz Little Cleo or similar spoon, 1/8 inline spinner, or a micro jig under a bobber just floating on whatever ripples there are. A light or ML/F rod with 4lb test works well for that.

 

Or you can just throw a jerkbait for bass and the stupid things will eat those over and over again, at least they do here.

East Kansas stocked trout are not the sharpest crayons in the box. they will hit literally anything that moves. they are also a pain to hold onto, while you are trying to unhook them.

[VolFan]

Stocked ponds always equaled gold blade brown/yellow/white body roostertail. Tailwaters - white body, silver blade. I start 1/16th ounce and go up if theyre active. 

@TnRiver46 if thats the Clinch below Norris, a white roostertail never failed me when theyre generating, sometimes with crazy results. If theres no screws turning, its as small as you can go and tough sledding.

[Bluebasser86]

3 hours ago, Russ E said:

 they are also a pain to hold onto, while you are trying to unhook them.

The very first fish my dad ever caught on the first and only Megabass jerkbait he's ever bought was a trout at Wyco, which promptly flopped and buried the hook under his thumbnail and sent him to the ER to get it removed. Got to love those outbarb hooks!

[TnRiver46]

9 hours ago, VolFan said:

Stocked ponds always equaled gold blade brown/yellow/white body roostertail. Tailwaters - white body, silver blade. I start 1/16th ounce and go up if theyre active. 

@TnRiver46 if thats the Clinch below Norris, a white roostertail never failed me when theyre generating, sometimes with crazy results. If theres no screws turning, its as small as you can go and tough sledding.

You guessed it. Been running spinners through there for the last couple years with no hits (when water is on). We can catch them when the water is off but I never make it there when that’s the case 

[mrpao]

In ponds, I've caught trout on spinners, small crankbaits, crappie jigs and Berkley trout powerbait.  My best two would be small crankbaits and powerbait. Small days they want the small crankbaits. Other days, they hit the powerbait better. 

[Jonas Staggs]

19 hours ago, mrmacwvu1 said:

I used to tie flies that look like fish pellets for stockers. They looked liked little brown rat droppings. I would slay them when no else was catching a thing. You have to think that is all they have eaten since they were hatched. When I would guide for wounded warriors if we were having a tough day I would go upstream and chuck trout food in the water and then put on that fly so they could catch some fish. It is cheating a little bit but to see those vets eyes when they landed their fish made all the difference. If you don't have a fly rod you can still do this by using a small bobber and drop the fly about three feet under the float. 

 

 

I have heard about doing something similar, with a bait that mimics pellets, cause as you said that's all they have been fed their whole lives.

 

These trout I'm going for are stocked. They are meant to be caught, any that don't will die, they can't survive here.

 

The only trout I caught was a dying one with my hand that didn't get caught a few days after a derby

[James Pondscum]

 I do a lot of trout fishing oct. to april.  If not using a fly rod number one choice little jake spoon. Black with yellow dots or gold with red dots. Rattle spoon and eco pro spinners[like a panther martin except heavier]. Panther martin and joes flys with split shot to get out farther or little cleo's.   The little jake  is my favorite. Icut the trebble hook off and put on a number two barbless hook as I only catch and release.