a little weekend trout report w/ pics

[adolson]

Saturday I spent far too much time trolling and casting around a rainbow trout lake.

 

I have fished this lake before, and the closest I've come to catching anything was seeing one rainbow following into shore. And of course, I've seen them jumping all over the place. This was decidedly my last try here, as the lake is a good hour away and down a pretty rough road. My tires spun a couple times on a really bad rocky portion of said road, and I nearly backed out and went elsewhere. But I made it up eventually. My old Achieva made it into the lake more easily in the past, but the van is now my fishing vehicle and it seems to struggle.

 

I didn't catch anything from my Sportspal, but I did get very close to a cub - much closer than it appears in the picture. He was alternating between watching me and another guy who was launching his canoe. I've seen the other guy at the lake three times now. But all he had to show for his efforts this time was a little sucker fish. I'm more persistent than to leave after just a couple hours, though.

 

 

It was a nice day, at least, despite being a bit chilly at the start and ends of the day.

 

 

At the end of the day, as I just finished packing up my gear, the trout started jumping like mad all over the lake, even as shallow as 3-4 feet of water. So, I grabbed my rod and put on a bobber and worm and made my way around to the defined shore-fishing spot. Cast into the rings... Wait a minute... Then re-cast.

 

After about three casts, I hook into a fish. It breaks the surface and I see it's a little rainbow trout! I get it right up to the shore line and I can see the pink on him. I hadn't grabbed my net from the van, having just packed everything away, and so when I reached to grab it, the hook came out and I lost it. I watched him swim away slowly - a reprise of what happened the last time I caught a nice brookie. What a heart-breaker. At least I had one, and I saw it. Even in the stained green waters it was pretty. I cast a bit longer and caught two suckers and took that as a sign it was time to give up. Tomorrow was a new day.

 

When I got home, I had a message from Rod Caster asking if I wanted to meet up and fish with him and Joeytier. But since I knew my van wouldn't get into the lake they were going to (and I kinda doubted his truck would too - but he proved me wrong), plus I couldn't rustle up a fishing partner of my own to save my life, I woulda never made it into the first lake. So I went to the planned second destination, to which the boys never showed (and were rewarded with a nice, big bow).

 

I made it to this speck lake unscathed, though the road in was pretty rough. I am noticing a pattern, here. I got there and unloaded all my gear and took to the water. I trolled a worm-crawler as I got an idea of the depths along the shoreline and in the middle of the lake. I switched to a Little Cleo and drifted with the wind along the shore I figured would be my best shot. I had a couple definite bites, but lacking stinger hooks, my worm went missing.

 

Continuing to drift, I reached a little bay area with lots of nice submerged logs. Casting a silver Mepps #3 dressed with piece of worm into 2 feet dropping quickly to 11 feet, I caught two speckled trout. I had many other bites and follows, but these were the only two I landed. They seemed to be pretty methodical with stripping the worms from my hooks. The water was so clear, I could watch one of them do it.

 

 

 

It's not a 28" rainbow trout, but it's a little over 28" of specks, and that's almost as good to me.

 

These are also the first trouts I've caught on Mepps gear. I've seen them work before, but never for me until now, when my Little Cleos weren't cutting it.

 

---

 

TLDR; I caught two specks and heartbreakingly lost a rainbow on the shore.

[Christopheraaron]

Two specks like that are always better than one huge bow.

[Roy]

You're in heaven there Dana...good for you!

[BillM]

Good job Dana, those are some nice specs!

[Rod Caster]

Great Bear shot!! I was feeling like you when I hooked into that rainbow early in the day, only to lose it to a bad hookset.

 

Nice work figuring out that speck lake! The male fish is a real beauty and obviously well-fed. Sorry we didn't meet you there, but the drive and portage into our lake was enough to hold us there for the day.

 

What's next? Lakers? Splakers? More brookies? Or continued punishment on rainbow lakes?

[adolson]

Thanks everyone! It was a gorgeous day. I figured I'd catch more than two, but any day you catch a trout is a good day.

What's next? Lakers? Splakers? More brookies? Or continued punishment on rainbow lakes?

Good question. I haven't caught a soft-water laker yet, so that's appealing. There's also a lake I am considering trying out that has splake and rainbow stocked into it regularly. I tried it twice in the winter and got nothing but a couple weird orange OOS smallies. And another rainbow lake I PMd you about.

 

Aside from that, I'm thinking I'm going to focus on specks and splake, since they're closer and easier for me to get to without a helicopter or ATV. And they taste great.

[Jds63]

wow beautiful specks there Dana !

 

thanks for sharing

[fishnsled]

Couple of nice specs! Very cool bear shot as well.

[jimmer]

Thanks everyone! It was a gorgeous day. I figured I'd catch more than two, but any day you catch a trout is a good day.

 

Good question. I haven't caught a soft-water laker yet, so that's appealing. There's also a lake I am considering trying out that has splake and rainbow stocked into it regularly. I tried it twice in the winter and got nothing but a couple weird orange OOS smallies. And another rainbow lake I PMd you about.

 

Aside from that, I'm thinking I'm going to focus on specks and splake, since they're closer and easier for me to get to without a helicopter or ATV. And they taste great.

The next time you go after those rainbows try various sizes of white twister tails on a jig. I have caught some smaller rainbows on panfish sized ones when they were active and near the top of the water. I also had luck with larger rainbows through the ice using a walleye size twister tail. Give it a shot, it can't hurt and isn't a big cost.

[adolson]

The next time you go after those rainbows try various sizes of white twister tails on a jig. I have caught some smaller rainbows on panfish sized ones when they were active and near the top of the water. I also had luck with larger rainbows through the ice using a walleye size twister tail. Give it a shot, it can't hurt and isn't a big cost.

 

Thanks for the tip. I actually eyed a white jig that somehow got into my trout tackle tray, but I didn't try it.. Maybe I should have.

[S.M.05]

Nice specs.

One of my fav trout.

[camillj]

Man those specks are gorgeous ... never get tired of catching them (or even just lookin at the pictures

 

 

Anyhow little "secret" on the softwater lakers ... dont fish on bottom ... they are gonna be suspended more often than not when they are eating .... I have had my best luck trolling at the 30 - 35 foot range and at the 60 - 65 foot range ... lately the magic depth of water has been 80 feet plus (but mostly has to do with temperature) ... and DO NOT put worm on your spoon .. it kills the action

[mirogak]

beauty trouts ....