Trout Help

[1 2 many]

Can someone give me a few tips on trout .  I'm fishing a lake that has trout and salmon. I can understand they don't hang out on the bottom. Everyone  I talk to says the same thing there just under the ice or between 3' & 5' below the ice. We've  tried setting up that way with very little susses. Here's my question should we drop and temp. gage in and find a preferred temp. This lake has a max. dept. of 100'.  Would it be unrealistic to find water say 40 to 50 degrees. Help!!!

[lunkahville]

I fish brook trout close to shore, with worms.

[315stickbow]

I can't give ya trout advice, but there's a whole board on here dedicated to trout. May be able to find the answer there. Down below the state boards there are species boards.

[gnatboy911]

Trout tend to cruise drop offs.  I start with a small piece of crawler on a jig, or salmon egg.  Sometimes a combo.  Start fishing just off the bottom.  No action for a bit, bring it up 2 cranks of the reel handle and wait.  Keep doing that till you contact fish.  Keep track of how many cranks off the bottom you were.  Unless you have a sonar unit, then you can gauge depth based on that.

We usually find drop offs and like to fish the 20 foot depth range.

Not saying this will work everywhere, but just my tactics on Colorado lakes that have been successful for me.

Good luck!

[missoulafish]

Do you have a flasher of some sort? Fish were it tells you to:)

[Maddog]

x-2 a flasher will help alot.

[Fontona19]

Try setting them just under the ice, like 6". Many of the trout I have caught through the ice actually have a spot worn on their heads from rubbing against the ice. Mix it up though. I have seen browns and rainbows come off bottom as well. The other piece of advice I will offer is to make sure the spool on the tip up is almost free spooling. Trout tend to drop baits once they feel the slightest amount of resistance. Good Luck!

[1 2 many]

Thanks to all for your help . Going fishing.

[St Croix17]

X2 on cruising drop offs especially salmon, salmon are consistently found cruising the ice above sharp droop offs. For the trout try this I use small fat heads but I hook one on a treble then I smush the Belly out on another and place him facing the same way as the other fat head on one of the other trebles . I've caught three trout this way on different days at a place I fish only way I've been able to catch em but small white Swedish pimples work great as well

[JBL44]

We fish trout a lot out West, Rainbow, Cuthroat, Brookies. ll are carnivores, especially when they get big. I use a 1/4 oz jig head with a Mister Twister tail, put on a meal worm or two & you are good to go. They suspend because they are cruising for din din.

[FishADK]

Stocked?

[1 2 many]

Yes stocked . Fished all day today 15 tipups live bate shiners not one trout.  Fished all depts. from 1 ft to 20ft . Maybe next time. 

[missoulafish]

Why are you using live bait for trout that have eaten pellets there entire lives?

[1 2 many]

Your right. I should have used power bait. I hate using the stuff most of the year I fish the rivers float fishing using Butter worms. Catch them all year.  I have been with people using power bait almost every hook up they have it down their throat. I know it works but I also release all my fish. Next time out on the ice I'll give it a try. Better than sitting all day with no action. Also tried worms as well nothing. Didn't try Butter worms waiting for a shipment. 

[Fishrmn]

Piece of a nightcrawler on a jig.



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[missoulafish]

Try a bead head leech patter.

[bobby1772]

I fish brook trout close to shore, with worms.

Lunkahville he is asking about trout silly and brook trout are not trout lol

[Osage]

Once stocked trout are placed in wild waters,they will aclimate to natures food sources in a week to three weeks.The power bait most folks use is not enough to keep them fed,so they become natural feeders as time goes by.Floating night crawlers,jigs tipped with mealworms,spikes or any morsel is good.Small gulp flukes work well,I watched a group of fellows jigging with marabou jigs recently,( black mostly) they caught as many as anyone else.

[skifisher]

For trout think small...small jigs, light line and a wax worm, or mealworm with the tail pinched. If you have electronics, use them. Otherwise, start at the bottom and crank a turn or two until you locate the trout. I'd bypass the tip-ups for a jigging rod. Usually the take from a trout is very, very light, and if they feel any resistance it's game over. Use an indicator or small bobber to show the bites. That's how we do it out here in the West, but I don't see where it wouldn't work out East as well. One other thing...sometimes the trout won't hit a jigged lure and take it on a dead-stick. Just watch that rod tip and Good Fishing!

Ski