Speckies in the spring?

[jedimaster]

Ok, so I am gonna go for a 1 day trip into a small lake that is known for good speckle trout fishing but I haven't been for specs for so long I am not sure what I should bring? I was gonna just bring a spinning rod and some spinners, maybe a few casting spoons etc... We were gonna canoe around and cast, maybe slowly troll, and fish the feeder creeks into the lake from shore.

 

Any tips would be a big help. We are going on April 24th for the day.

[TDunn]

As you have mentioned spinners and spoons. A few brands I like are mepps, vibrax,panther martin, little cleo, williams and various hildebrandts. If you are going to be doing some trolling maybe try using a williams with a worm slow rolling 18inches back. Give Mustads slow death hook a shot.They were producing for me last year, its something a little different. Also tiny minnowbaits can be deadly. Original, countdowns and small jointed raps are usually close to me when Im out for brookies. April 24th is still 2 weeks away so just keep an eye on the weather patterns. If you are experiencing a heat wave I recommend being on the water at both sunrise and sunset. Low light conditions are amazing for early season brookies. If its cool and over cast, the fish should be coming up into the shallows throughout the day. There should also be some sort of bug hatch going then, so you may want to match that hatch also with some flies. The flies can be trolled just as a worm would be behind a spoon. I'd also have a small slip float handy for pitching to over hanging tress, beaver houses any kind of wood structure really. Or even just to use when your taking a break so you always have a line in the water.

 

Hope you hook into a bunch...OH! Bring a few bucktail jigs!

 

TDunn

Edited April 9, 2010 by TDunn

[anders]

That is some great info right there!

[fish-miester]

awesome info!

[jedimaster]

Thats great info thanks. I have a few smaller cranks, and I'll throw in some of the slip bobbers as well. I'll be sure to post a few pictures if we manage to get into some. I was thinking about bringing some flies with us and use a few small split shots on the line so we could cast them. Has anyone tried that? We will be using spinning gear.

[singingdog]

Great advice. The only thing I would add are some small jigs: bucktail or marabou. I do really well with spring specks on a minnow imitation bucktail, or a black/olive wooly bugger pattern on a small jighead.

[troutboy]

Some of my goto spring brookie lures are,mepps aglia,mepps aglia long(size 1-3),williams wobblers,panther martins,rooster tail spinners,little cleos,daredevils,diferent soft plastics(my favorite is a 3inch white tube jig with a pink trout worm trailor.If they are large brookies toss a few firetiger,or perch rapalas.Check out Gord Ellis website,there are articles on brookie fishing there also.Another good bet is a red or pink jig head with a twister tail,minnow bait,or live worm/minnow.

 

http://www.gordellis.com/articles/index.htm Theres the link,just look at the trout articles!

Best of luck,

Chris

[smitter]

TDunn said everything worth saying on the subject. But, just to throw my two cents in, for flies to troll behind the williams warbler I use brown or black woolley buggers, black nose Dace, Black ghost, or muddler minnows (occasionally) in sizes 6 to 8. A selection of representative nymph patters for around the beaver dams can also be good. Early seasons brookies are the most fun you can have while fishing (in my opinion)

[Sinker]

I almost always slow troll worm harnesses for early season specks. I would never leave home without them.

 

All the above info is bang on too!1

 

s.

[irishfield]

Don't forget a gold buckshot spoon.. or the smaller forage minnow ..

[jedimaster]

Hmm sound slike I better get lifted in with a helocopter. I have some nice worm harnesses, Floating ones that I rig with a lingy rig sinker and slow trol with a worm for walleye. would that same rig be good for trout?

[Sinker]

I troll them weightless, and they don't float. You wanna be fairly shallow,and around some wood/rocks/cover. The lindy rigged harnesses will just get snagged.

 

Troll slow, no weight, long line.

 

I tie my own on 8lb mono, with #12 trout hooks. Simple: silver hammered colorado blade, red beads..........never fails. Next up would be a silver panther martin with a tiny little piece of worm on the center hook of the treble.

 

S.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

as opposed to much of the season where i would troll, in early spring i almost exclusively cast. mepps black fury's (my favourite of MANY good spinners), small rapalas and dace jig flies are personal favourite brookie lures. lots of good advice here. can't wait to get a canoe on my back.

[Cookslav]

as opposed to much of the season where i would troll, in early spring i almost exclusively cast.

 

I agree 100%.

Spring Speck fishing is a lot like fishing for summer bass....working structure.

[singingdog]

as opposed to much of the season where i would troll, in early spring i almost exclusively cast. mepps black fury's (my favourite of MANY good spinners), small rapalas and dace jig flies are personal favourite brookie lures. lots of good advice here. can't wait to get a canoe on my back.

 

Another vote for this approach....that's why I love jigs for early brookies: much easier to fish around logs and rocks without hanging up. I spend 90% of my time casting to structure. There have been many days that we don't get hit if we aren't casting to withing 1-2' of the bank. My buddies dad, one of the best speck fisherman I know, casts mepps black furys right onto the bank and tugs them in.

[camillj]

Number one producer in the lake I fish ..by a country mile ... is a black woolie buggar tipped with a tiny piece of worm ... you can cast it or just drag it around behind you ... best along the shorelines and dont be afraid to get into 3 ft of water ...

[plncrzy]

As you have mentioned spinners and spoons. A few brands I like are mepps, vibrax,panther martin, little cleo, williams and various hildebrandts. If you are going to be doing some trolling maybe try using a williams with a worm slow rolling 18inches back. Give Mustads slow death hook a shot.They were producing for me last year, its something a little different. Also tiny minnowbaits can be deadly. Original, countdowns and small jointed raps are usually close to me when Im out for brookies. April 24th is still 2 weeks away so just keep an eye on the weather patterns. If you are experiencing a heat wave I recommend being on the water at both sunrise and sunset. Low light conditions are amazing for early season brookies. If its cool and over cast, the fish should be coming up into the shallows throughout the day. There should also be some sort of bug hatch going then, so you may want to match that hatch also with some flies. The flies can be trolled just as a worm would be behind a spoon. I'd also have a small slip float handy for pitching to over hanging tress, beaver houses any kind of wood structure really. Or even just to use when your taking a break so you always have a line in the water.

 

Hope you hook into a bunch...OH! Bring a few bucktail jigs!

 

TDunn

diddo

[tjsa]

Hmm sound slike I better get lifted in with a helocopter. I have some nice worm harnesses, Floating ones that I rig with a lingy rig sinker and slow trol with a worm for walleye. would that same rig be good for trout?

 

Ummmmmmmmmmmm........... yup!!!!!!!!

 

Got this one trolling a hammered brass 2 bladed, 2 hook walleye harness, no float beads, 18" behind a 1/4 oz. bottom bouncer out of a stocked lake. You can see the lure below the fish. Another pic of it is also my avatar.

 

[plncrzy]

Ummmmmmmmmmmm........... yup!!!!!!!!

 

Got this one trolling a hammered brass 2 bladed, 2 hook walleye harness, no float beads, 18" behind a 1/4 oz. bottom bouncer out of a stocked lake. You can see the lure below the fish. Another pic of it is also my avatar.

 

Thats one fat Brookie! Nice