Help With Spring Trout Fishing

[dropaline]

Hey just starting on getting stuff together for a May trout fishing trip up west of Ottawa. My being new to trout fishing i dont really know wat tip of tackle to bring nor wat type of rod. If anyone has an ideas or tips on spring trout fishing trips plz help me.

[urbanangler1990]

simply get a browning six river rod, 10 6 Ultra lite, small spinning reel, or float reel, light line 4-6 lb main line, 2-4 leader, usually flurocarbon, tiny split shot, tiny hooks, and a clear river floater... im sure other guys will help ya out some more...

[irishfield]

Might wanna specify if you're river fishin or lake fishin.....will certainly make a difference

[Spiel]

....Also would help to know what kind of trout, brookies, lakers, rainbows?

[dropaline]

the lake is called Grand Lake, its west of Pembroke about an hour. i think i'm going to be doing mostly lake fishing for specs n i might go over the dam to the Barren river for brown. the lake i think is 3km n is some where between 150' to 350' in the deepest part. there r some bays n islands on the lake. so any hints

[Cookslav]

Putting the fly rod aside...

Smaller Rapala's Matching the local minnow population, allthough I find Black & Silver, perch, and Speckled Patterns work best for me.

Blue fox spinners, in Strait silver and thunder bug work decent as well both spring and summer.

But Thats generaly Algonquin lakes, not quite the same area.

But in the hot Hot dog days of summer I know some who swear by crawfish....

 

I may not be the formost expert but the browns I have found in rivers behave quite similar to the Specs...Generaly I find them in the eddies, or just before a fast water break, and the lure choices would remain the same.

 

I'd stick to a fast action medium or light rod and run a 6lb test....but thats just me

Edited February 12, 2007 by Cookslav

[Spiel]

....I totally agree with Cookslav the only thing I might add is some big fat dewies on a single hook with a little shot for those river browns.

[huntervasili]

You have or going to be buying a fly rod for the river?

[camillj]

At that time of year (May/early June) you can have a lot of fun dragging a black woolly bugger around on top (sharpen your hooks).... or (take a lead line if you have one) and fish 10-20 feet down with small (2 - 2.5 " ) silver/blue flutter spoons ... the longer then line (I often fish 100 - 150 feet + behind the boat) the better they can get shy of the boat.

 

Later on (June/July) you'll need to get down to 30 - 50 feet so lead core (or downriggers) are a good bet.

 

Enjoy !

[Gerritt]

simply get a browning six river rod, 10 6 Ultra lite, small spinning reel, or float reel, light line 4-6 lb main line, 2-4 leader, usually flurocarbon, tiny split shot, tiny hooks, and a clear river floater... im sure other guys will help ya out some more...

 

 

Dont get yourself a Browning....trust me they should stick to making firearms.... Browning rods = pure utter garbage....

 

 

Perhaps Look at a Raven, Loomis or St. Croix rod... whatever you do Dont buy a BROWNING!!! They are a gun manufacturer and know jack all about rods.

 

 

Good luck though man!

 

Gerritt

Edited February 12, 2007 by Gerritt

[BabyHerc]

I disagree with Gerritt. They Browning Six Rivers is a great river rod, and at a price that can't be beat by anybody. For lake fishing, however, a faster rod between 6'6" and 9' long, and rated on the lighter side (1-6 lb line, 1/16 to 3/16 oz lure) is perfect. I enjoy my 6'6", but I have used a friend's 9 footer, and liked it much more. In spring, algae blooms haven't started too heavily yet, so water should be clear. I don't like to go more than 4 lb test. It is possible to still find 'em shallow until late May, so start by searching shorelines with deeper water close by. Five feet is not too shallow this time of year, and twenty feet is not too deep... ya, they could be anywhere if the water temperature is fairly uniform. Pack some silver, gold, and greenish/brownish spinners on the small side for shallower water, as well as some smaller Countdown Rapalas to search deeper. It is advisable to pack along some smaller black, brown, and white twister tails, tubes, or marabou jigs, as well as some nymphs, even if you don't have a fly rod. A nymph can be fished on a spinning rod by tying it to a 6" to 2' length of light mono or flourocarbon, then tying the length to either the bend of a marabou jig being suspended from a float, or by removing a treble on a floating rapala and tying to the open loop. Some better spots to fish the nymphs would be around new weedgrowth, and over muddy flats. And don't forget live bait; a medium-sized dew worm or small minnow drifted across the bottom of shallow bays will produce if trout are in the area. Use a swivel, and fashion a miniature bass-style Carolina rig with the lightest weight tha still maintains bottom contact.

[carll2]

i just use a 7 foot rod...6lbs test and as far as lures i just use a mepps spinner with a worm or another hot lure i use in the pembrooke area but on the quebec side is just a williams spoon silver/blue with a 1 or 2 foot lead with a worm , always does the trick with 1-2lb specs

[Marc Thorpe]

"a williams spoon silver/blue with a 1 or 2 foot lead with a worm , always does the trick with 1-2lb specs"

 

What Carl said,is about all you need for spec,make sure you have silver, and gold

When I've fished em,incoming rivers,new emerging weeds,at times just off Rice beds or cat tail beds in May

 

I pretty sure DanC could give good advise on general locations for specs which would apply most anywhere,DanC problably displays the best speck pics I've seen,me thinks he knows what he's doing

[dropaline]

i don't have a fly rod n am not thinking of fly fishing on this trip. n i think i will stay far from Browning. so i guess the next time i'm at the local bait shop or Bass Pro Shop. i will get me a rod about 7 feet in length. but i heard some news about Grand Lake. that it is a "heart break lake" from some people that know the lake. have anyone had good luck fishing that lake. like is the dam good, or where the lake narrows, or at the rapids????

[danc]

Lots of good advice has been given here. Probably the most important thing that I look for at any time of year is water temperature (for Brookies). Mid 50's F is prime. A simple thermometer can save you lots of time finding the fish. If the overall lake temperature is lower than this, then the fish will most likely be scattered. But if you can locate the prime temperature, or any cooler water in a lake that is generally warmer than this, you can find the fish concentrated there. One day last June I had a difficult time finding the prime temp zone. The water seemed to be mid to upper 60's everywhere I tried. Finally, several miles up the lake I found the magic temperature and began catching fish. It turned out to be a good day.

 

 

[blairwill]

i used a browning fly rod for 15 years for many fish. just retired it . alittle slow but fought everything bw

[Dabluz]

Early season brook trout fishing in lakes.

 

Start out fishing on the north shore of the lake. This area gets more sunlight and warms up faster. Fish over black or dark bottom. This stuff is full of insects that have been waiting to hatch all winter. Large rock faces or large boulders in this area also accumulate a lot of heat and transmit it to the bottom of the lake thus increasing insect activity.

 

If you are fly fishing, the best fishing starts quite late in the morning. Keep your flies small. Size 18 to 14 dark grey emerging or dry flies work best. If you want to use nymphs, use large ones because there are lots of large swimming nymphs like dragon fly nymphs at this time of the year. Anything large (size 4 to 8) that is ugly, dark coloured, bushy works good. These things resemble all sorts of large insects and even small crayfish. Use a floating line and a leader just long enough to reach bottom. Then twitch the nymph on or close to the bottom.

 

I like to use 2 to 4 lb test good quality mono on a small spinning reel, a number 10 or 8 Gamakatsu Octopus (black) hook baited with the head of a large nightcrawler. Put nothing else on the line. Not even a swivel. Cast it out and let sink to bottom while letting out line. You will see the line going out till the bait reaches bottom. Then, tighten up the line and lift the rod tip about a foot to lift the bait off the bottom then lower the rod tip. Recuperate the foot of line on the reel and repeat. Don't worry, you wont snag on bottom if there is nothing else on the line.

 

If you see some new weed growth sticking out near shore and there is a dark bottom, this is a great place to fish. Fish at the mouths of small streams. Often, these streams have warmer water than what is in the lake. Also, many insects are swept into the lake.

 

Noise, most definitly scares brook trout. If you want to use a motor, use an electric motor, otherwise paddle your canoe and keep the noise on the bottom of the canoe to a minimum.

[dropaline]

thanks everyone for the help i'll let u know how i do on the trip in may