Baiting for rainbows

[nhbooner]

With the derby fast approaching I have been cutting and baiting a bunch of holes.  My question is I have been seeing a couple of nice fish and was wondering if they will stick around if I keep baiting the holes?  I have weeded out some of the smaller fish and I was just wondering if any of you seasoned fisherman have had luck keeping a "certain" fish around if ya know what i mean....
Thanks NHBOONER

[wautuhguy]

I think if you keep it there for a week you get to name it.If its big enough you can call it money.

[james]

It sounds like you are sitting on an area where the salmon spawned out last fall.
i wouldnt give the rainbows too much food just enough to keep them coming back for more and then derby time you know what to do 

[nhbooner]

Yes exactly "ostridge fishing" is what im doin lol.  Its just my luck that come derby time he will be gone.  I snapped a pic with an underwater camera. (disposable) Im going to pick up the film later and see if it came out.  If it did ill try and post a pic somehow. 

[nhbooner]

James there is smelt everywher, hundreds of em so i assume thats whats bringing them in.  It helps that its a sandy bottem too.

[james]

James there is smelt everywher, hundreds of em so i assume thats whats bringing them in.  It helps that its a sandy bottem too.

I would try some berkley power eggs. that will get them when the time comes

[nhbooner]

never tried the berkley power eggs.  How do they compare to the green label egges that begin with a P

[james]

I fished smelt for the derby and my wife fished the power eggs and she got way more flags than i did and caught rainbows i got crap

i also tried the ostrich method at the same time in the same holes as the traps were in, with salmon eggs, and nothing was touched but the power bait and we even tried both colors of salmon eggs, green and red label alternating them for four days and no eggs were ever touched the whole time we fished,for four days. 

[nhbooner]

huh do the berkley eggs sink?

[james]

They sell both kinds floating and non floating. i fish with the floating kind this way you can put just enough split shot to hold the eggs down and control how far off bottom you want them.

[oak]

My great grandfather used to fish with PEAS and a baseball bat. He would cut his hole and put peas all around the edges on the ice,  and when a rainbow came out to take a pee he would wack um with his bat.........

[salmotrutta]

stay with the Pautzkes.

[NH Trout Fisherman]

All bets are off when it comes to derby time.  Spots you've picked, pre-fished, and protected can be comprimised quickly... it's unfortunate to say the least.  On the other hand you won't know for sure until you try.

I've never heard of baiting rainbows.  The most I've seen is what slip knot referred to as "ostrich fishing" where you punch a bunch of holes and deposit salmon eggs at the bottom.  On several accounts, people have refered to one hole as the honey hole.  It all leads me to believe that rainbows return to certain areas to feed, perhaps out of habit.  If one of the holes you're chumming is getting robbed consistently and it looks like it is a decent fish, the best you can do is continue chumming it until derby time, then put a trap in the same exact hole.  Good luck.

Oh, and obviously... when you put your tip up in, make sure the only bait down there has a hook in it.

Once again...ya took the words right outta my mouth

The "ostrich method does help when fishing bows, I kinda look at it a feeding the birds or deer...If they know there's food they may not always be there but they'll come around when they're in the area/hungry

[nhbooner]

side note*  disposable underwater cameras are junk...........  No pics of the fish.       All i can do is hope for the best.  I hope all you guys on iceshanty have a lot of luck come derby time.  It would be nice if someone from here took the big prize.
NHBOONER