John Kranick: The Essential Trout Fishing Guide

cast up and across. I talk about this several times as You can find these in sizes from 1/8 ounce to well because it’s an important element in trout fishing. 3/32 ounce. More than likely they’ll have a size Of course, just where you cast depends on the speed 8 treble hook attached.

of the current as well as the depth.

They’re successful because they produce a

wobbling action that trout think is really cool. Of

2. Spinner and Worm Rigs

course, the hook itself can be removed and replaced

Try this particular spinner the next time you’re with a spinner fly pattern. This creates a different fishing and the creeks are swollen with spring runoff. lure with an entirely different action. Using this The Secrets Professionals Refuse To Share17

THE ESSENTIAL TROUT FISHING GUIDE

produces more of a rocking action which acts as an either way there is one rule, and that is to retrieve it attractor for the fly.

with erratic stops and starts.

Your best bet is to fish “up and across” the stream

You may find that your strike occurs when you’ve

with spoons. They also see better striking action when stopped reeling and the lure begins to rise in the you reel them in fitful stops and starts.

water. Some say at this point, the lure looks very

much like a wounded, dying minnow.

If you’re fishing clear water, then you’ll reach for

the more realistic hues because these draw the most 5. Panfish Jigsstrikes. But if the water is muddy or murky give thought

to a spoon that’s silver on one side and fluorescent

You might be surprised to see this listed. Quite

green or even orange on the other.

frankly, if you surveyed trout fishermen, you’d discover

that very few of us actually jig for trout. And that’s

And if you’re fishing on a particularly sunny day, probably because of the composition of the bottom take out that red-and-white wobbler. That classic can of trout streams. They’re just too rocky for the jig to net you some nice size trout!

be effective.

Don’t know quite when to bring out a spoon?

But one angler I know wouldn’t fish any other

Consider this as an appropriate guideline. Spoons way. Perhaps you’ll have good luck with this too. He are most effective when used in currents of medium hangs a small jig right below a Styrofoam float. The speed. They can then be retrieved slowly enough lure can then drift at the same speed as the current, without causing them to gyrate in a manner that and it can drift a few inches above the rocks. He’s would be unnatural to an insect’s movements.

able to move the float either up or down the line

which enables his jig to “swim” at just the right level

4. Mini-Stickbaits

for the trout.

It may not seem like it when seen from your eyes,

He uses jigs that weigh from 1/32 to 1/16 ounce.

but through the eyes of a trout, a mini-stickbait Sometimes you’ll see these in the store labeled actually resembles a shiner minnow or even a “teardrops”. Other times they may be packaged as fingerling trout. The slim body, with a floating or “ice flies”.

diving plug, as well as the subtle action, along with a

good paint job, all work together. Okay, so you may

The spinning rod is manufactured from graphite

not see the resemblance. That doesn’t really matter. or even fiberglass. The handle can be made of cork The trout will.

or a PVC foam. The standard length varies from five

(5) to eight and a half (8 1/2) feet.

In fact, in trout fishing you may want to first reach

for one with a black and gold finish. Though I have

Along the underside of the rod, you’ll find a guide

to tell you that many a trout angler swears by the that helps control the line. The eyes decrease in size mini-stickbait with the rainbow trout pattern. They starting at the handle, which has the largest eye, to even say this works in creeks holding no rainbow the tip, which has the smallest. This allows for less trout at all!

friction as the coiled line leaves the reel. It also is

effective in gathering the very large loops of line

Performing best in slower water, this spinner can coming off the spinning reel’s spool.

be cast upstream or downstream equally well. But

18 The Secrets Professionals Refuse To Share

THE ESSENTIAL TROUT FISHING GUIDE

Another difference from bait casting and spin

Trolling is the best method around that affords

casting reels is the placement of the spinning reel you the option of so many lures and a variety of itself. In this particular instance it’s located beneath depths in addition to covering a large area of water.

the rod instead of sitting on the top. The spinning It really doesn’t get much better than this.

reel is held in place with a sliding or a locking reel

seat.

The first approach is called downrigging

downrigging. I mention

this first because it allows you to troll deeper than

When you operate this, you’ll usually place your any of the other methods. In some cases (and granted second and third fingers on either side the “leg” of these are the exceptions), you may find your lure the reel, in the location where it is attached to the going down several hundred feet. Most commonly seat on the rod. This allows the weight to hang though, you’ll be fishing at depths between 30 and beneath the rod. The bottom line is that it’s more 60 feet.

comfortable for longer periods of time.

Another aspect of downrigging which many a trout

This positioning of the rod in the hands,means fisherman loves is the light-tackle approach. When a that you can hold it in your dominant hand — in fish strikes, the line releases a clip next to the trolling your right hand if you’re right-handed for instance. weight and the fight begins!

And this is great because it increases your control,

which increases your accuracy.

Downrigging can be used with great results in

deeper ponds and lakes with powered boats at least

T

15 feet long.

ROLLING

So you think trolling is easy. Just sit in the boat, TELL ME MORE ABOUT

drop the line in the water and let Mother Nature do D

the rest while you kick back and relax.

OWNRIGGING

A downrigger is a large reel which holds a thin

Well, wake up! You’ll never catch the trout of your wire cable. This cable passes through a pulley located dreams trolling that way. But, I do have four (yes, at the end of a short boom. The cable is then attached count ‘em four) effective methods of trolling for trout. to a ball usually weighing between 4 to 12 pounds.

I so wish I could take credit for knowing all of The ball also has a fin or a vane. This helps to maintain these myself, but I learned some of these thanks to proper tracking.

the wonderful resources of Field and Stream ’s online

All of this sits nicely on the back of a boat. Usually

magazine. It’s a great place to read about trout fishing a permanent feature, there are some downriggers

— regardless of your level of expertise.

which are just clamped on.

Trolling can be one of the most effective

The ball is at the surface and the boat then begins