Trout stockings
- Thread starter David
- Start date
fishestoomuch
Member
guy told m,e just to get a can of whole kernal corn and use that
gil1
Well-Known Member
So funny, I had Christmas on my mind. I was thinking the thread was going to be about a stocking for Santa to stuff with trout on it.
catman529
Well-Known Member
Can of whole kernel sweet corn. The trout like to stay in a group for the first few day after stocking (from my experience). At Kroger you can get a 6 pound can of corn if you want to go all-out and have plenty to share.
catman529
Well-Known Member
bobber works well, or drift it with a couple split shot, just use a small bait holder like a #6 or #8 eagle claw and light line. the hard part is getting your line out among the other lines.
striperhunter90
Well-Known Member
David said:
Where are yo0u from? i would be willing to hook up with you and go sometime. i usually fish caney fork and am always looking for someone to go with
Crosshairy
Well-Known Member
I assume you are talking about the stocked trout in the suburban ponds that they do in winter...
I typically use my bream fishing rod (4-6 lb test line) due to their finicky eating habits. Heavier line is a deal killer.
Most common method that most folks I see use is to put weight about 12-16" above the hook. Some folks just use split shot, but that can get annoying when the weights slide towards the hook. If you crimp them too hard, you can put cuts in your line and lose fish. You can get around this by using a bullet weight and a barrel swivel, and using an extra piece of line as a "leader". That way the weight is guaranteed to stay put at the location of the swivel.
Use enough weight to cast a bit, and realize that windy winter days can cause your line to pull around, so plan on that. I generally use a 1/8 oz bullet weight, but sometimes go lighter if I can.
I would go to a sporting goods store and buy a couple of other baits in different colors, in addition to the corn. Trout fishing for stockies is similar to crappie fishing in that sometimes color is key, and sometimes it doesn't matter at all. I generally get some of those dyed marshmellows and a small can or two of the pre-formed floating Powerbait made by Berkley (comes in strings of little balls that are pretty tough and won't come off the hook).
Corn works OK sometimes, but when fishing these lakes/ponds, you often have issues with leaf litter on the bottom - it's not rocky like a typical trout stream. Corn doesn't float, so it will lay directly on the bottom, and can get obscured by the leaves. Many times when I reel in my line the corn-baited hook is covered with crap, and obviously no fish was looking at it. The point in the distance between the weight and the hook and using the floating bait is that the presentation will float off the bottom by about a foot, and trout hang near the bottom in the ponds (usually).
I've never done that well with floats, but sometimes they work in the right conditions. They can be really handy when trying to locate the fish, if you try moving it across areas or letting it drift with the wind.
Make sure to buy small hooks - no more than 2 pieces of bait to cover a hook seems to be a good rule of thumb. Some folks swear by the gold ones - again, color *sometimes* matters. I generally use whatever bream hooks I have laying around that are on the small side, but I've seen guys do really well that were doing the same thing as me except for hook choice.
Cast it out, put it on a rod holder or prop it against something, and don't touch it. The first couple taps are often them "lipping the bait", so usually you have to get a harder strike. It's relatively common to miss strikes, so don't be too surprised.
Trout have small mouths and swallow hooks a lot when using bait, so be sure to have needle nose pliers at a bare minimum. Even better are the medical-style "hemostats" due to the narrow ends.
Be sure to know the regs/limit and have a state trout stamp if you don't have a sportsman's license (in addition to the regular fishing license).
Only keep what you plan to eat, because trout aren't particularly tasty after frozen. They have a lot of oils (in the skin especially) that cause them to get extremely "fishy" tasting after freezing, but are decent table fare when cooked fresh. Cutting off the head, pulling out the guts, and grilling whole while wrapped in foil with seasoning & butter is a common method.
I know, I know... I'm long-winded.
I typically use my bream fishing rod (4-6 lb test line) due to their finicky eating habits. Heavier line is a deal killer.
Most common method that most folks I see use is to put weight about 12-16" above the hook. Some folks just use split shot, but that can get annoying when the weights slide towards the hook. If you crimp them too hard, you can put cuts in your line and lose fish. You can get around this by using a bullet weight and a barrel swivel, and using an extra piece of line as a "leader". That way the weight is guaranteed to stay put at the location of the swivel.
Use enough weight to cast a bit, and realize that windy winter days can cause your line to pull around, so plan on that. I generally use a 1/8 oz bullet weight, but sometimes go lighter if I can.
I would go to a sporting goods store and buy a couple of other baits in different colors, in addition to the corn. Trout fishing for stockies is similar to crappie fishing in that sometimes color is key, and sometimes it doesn't matter at all. I generally get some of those dyed marshmellows and a small can or two of the pre-formed floating Powerbait made by Berkley (comes in strings of little balls that are pretty tough and won't come off the hook).
Corn works OK sometimes, but when fishing these lakes/ponds, you often have issues with leaf litter on the bottom - it's not rocky like a typical trout stream. Corn doesn't float, so it will lay directly on the bottom, and can get obscured by the leaves. Many times when I reel in my line the corn-baited hook is covered with crap, and obviously no fish was looking at it. The point in the distance between the weight and the hook and using the floating bait is that the presentation will float off the bottom by about a foot, and trout hang near the bottom in the ponds (usually).
I've never done that well with floats, but sometimes they work in the right conditions. They can be really handy when trying to locate the fish, if you try moving it across areas or letting it drift with the wind.
Make sure to buy small hooks - no more than 2 pieces of bait to cover a hook seems to be a good rule of thumb. Some folks swear by the gold ones - again, color *sometimes* matters. I generally use whatever bream hooks I have laying around that are on the small side, but I've seen guys do really well that were doing the same thing as me except for hook choice.
Cast it out, put it on a rod holder or prop it against something, and don't touch it. The first couple taps are often them "lipping the bait", so usually you have to get a harder strike. It's relatively common to miss strikes, so don't be too surprised.
Trout have small mouths and swallow hooks a lot when using bait, so be sure to have needle nose pliers at a bare minimum. Even better are the medical-style "hemostats" due to the narrow ends.
Be sure to know the regs/limit and have a state trout stamp if you don't have a sportsman's license (in addition to the regular fishing license).
Only keep what you plan to eat, because trout aren't particularly tasty after frozen. They have a lot of oils (in the skin especially) that cause them to get extremely "fishy" tasting after freezing, but are decent table fare when cooked fresh. Cutting off the head, pulling out the guts, and grilling whole while wrapped in foil with seasoning & butter is a common method.
I know, I know... I'm long-winded.
57bear
Well-Known Member
Yea, You about covered it. Any other questions.
Bone Collector
Well-Known Member
Where are you going to fish? one of the rivers? If Nice Mill use a white rooster tail with a white frost blade.
Crosshairy
Well-Known Member
bump to the top for folks just getting started with the new stocking.
WVBulldog
Well-Known Member
Crosshairy said:
I agree with Crosshairy unless you're fishing the Duck. Apparently if they are hungry enough they will eat anything. Had this happen twice Sunday.
