tactics for big browns

[nightfshr]

Anyone have success for wild, big browns (over 20") and if so, how did you catch them and where (if you are willing to say)?

[Rebelfisher]

i can tell you for open water downrigging...but you probably want to know thru the ice. and i wanna know for that too!

[JigginRon]

don't fish the bottom exclusively. most of the browns i've caught have been suspended. biggest one was 27", 10 feet under the ice in 35 feet of water. what exact depth to fish is still the mystery.

[JiggerMan]

if your in a spot where you know browns are going to be and all it is a matter of finding them......  set your tip-ups at different depths.  like 5, 10, 20, and on the bottom in 30 foot of water.  remember that fish can always see above them but can not see below them. 

when your jigging keep the bait moving around in the water column.  i like to loosen my drag up enough that i can easily pull it out by hand and slowly pull line out a couple of feet at a time and pause a little and jig and continue down to the bottom. 

good luck

[salmonrebel]

I too, along with Rebelfisher, troll for them, with very much success. I've been really itchy to try it at one of our local lakes(Harvey's), for the BIG ones. From what I know. I would start with a flutter type spoon, tipped with a fathead minnow. I would probably fish this higher in the water column, but this time of the year. trout could quite possibly be found anywhere in the water column that there is good oxygen. If you don't have a sonar, I would say experiment with the depths, as you adjust your depth, mark it on your line...I do this, by leaving a bobber stop on my line, and just adjust it, as I go to a diff. depth. When you get into them, just keep lowering your bait back down to your marked spot on your line. With that said. I've caught all species of stocked trout by doing what I've just explained, Waxies,spikes and mousees also work very well for trout, along with multiple diff plastics that are out there. Brownies seem to like minnows much more though.

Good Fishin'...SalmonRebel.

[salmonrebel]

When I posted my last reply on this. I totally forgot about mentioning the tip-ups. Exactly how Jiggerman explained it, is how I would do them as well. When you see that your picking them up more so, on one or two tip-ups, then change the others accordingly.

[nightfshr]

Lol I have to catch one first but I hear what you're saying and it makes sense (about moving the tip ups)

[salmonrebel]

Lol I have to catch one first but I hear what you're saying and it makes sense (about moving the tip ups)

I would for the most part, start closer to the top of the water column, and then work my way down for trout. But really, they could be throughout the water column this time of year. If you don't have the electronics, you got to experiment. Because you really never know from day to day. Once you find the depth, and what they want, just keep it repetitive, and you should produce. Naturally, you are going to want to be somewhere where they harbor good numbers of these big-boys to greater your chances at a trophy fish.

Good Luck..SalmonRebel., Let me know how you make out.