BIG trout baits....

[mauser06]

i found a few BIG trout(for here atleast) hiding out....the one i want BAD is a rainbow....looks to be atleast 20 inches....pushin 2 foot i bet....and the girth is bigger then a football......big ole stocker....dont know if it was just dumped in or if its a hold over....think its a fresh one being the stream almost dries up in the summer....and isnt good water....peoples drains seriously run into it.....hes in a hole where the creek bends....floods in the fall dropped a BIG tree down across the stream....about a foot above the water...its a undercut bank with roots and such....when i saw him he was hiding under that tree...hugging the bottom near the far bank....the waters maybe 3 foot deep or so.....all week the water been LOW and clear....no rain for almost 2 weeks....but it stormed a fw times today...quick heavy rains...i think the water will be PERFECT tomarow if its not muddy...if not friday.....i heard night is the best time for a biggun..and a big 3-4 inch shiner would be a good bait....i can fish baits and lures....just dont know what to do....i was thinking a big shiner...under a bobber at night...i hate using bobbers on streams...but the current isnt THAT fast at all....and thats the only way ill know where my bait is at night.......figure i can get parallel or just upstream and let my bobber out up by the bank and let it drift downstream...when it is hit i take him....but anyone have any beter tips for BIG trout...tips...bait...lures...tactics.....ect...i never fished for BIG trout...never caught one over 16inches.....so anything will be helpful......time of day...tips...tactics...lures..baits...ect....thanx guys.......i want this more then anything right now......im loosing sleep thinking of that big guy...saw him monday....i HOPPPPPPPE hes still there!!!!!!not many people fish that hole....a few do..but they limit out on the small ones in a few minutes if htey can fish...and i hope the rain didnt wash him down stream....its so shallow after that hole the little ones couldnt go downstream monday....so i bet hes holding tight if he wasnt caught....any info is much appriciated.....thanx guys

[Jimmy S]

mauser, I am a fly fisherman but I'll put on the "spinning hat" now. If using live bait.lures etc. I would simply try a large nightcrawler tied on a #6 snelled hook. Let a lot of it hang off the hood but also make sure it is securely hooked. I would use a couple small split short sinkers and let it drift in the area you know (or hope) him to be. I do know people that have caught some really big (2-3 pound) browns doing that. Good Luck.

[fatsbucknut]

I've been lucky enough to catch a good many large trout, about 95% of them fell for a redfin or just a regular fathead minnow. You cant beat a needled minnow. A trouble hook sticking out of their butt gives you alot better chance of hooking them than just a single hook. Good Luck.


Zach

[CanWoodsman]

Most of my large trout have been caught (when not trooling) on a # 10 or 12 egg hook. For bait either a small floating egg sack or an inflated dew worm using a slip sinker set up.

Good Luck

[Mattiac]

Early in the morning and late at night....(Like 4AM and 11pm)

2-4 lbs test line (something thats next to invisible)

Size 16-18 treble hook

1 bb sized split shot about 14" from the hook.

Sparkling chartreuse power bait rolled into a tiny ball, just enough to cover the hook.

Stand off to the side and upstream, drop it in and let it float past him. If he doesnt hit it on the way downstream, slowly SLOWLY drag it back upstream. Rainbow trout almost ALWAYS hit a lure or bait going slowly upstream.

Big browns are more likely to hit lures going across the pools (bank to bank), whereas the rainbows hit the lures going upstream.

Ive caught three rainbows this year that were over 19" using the above methods...none as thick as a football, but one was a pretty good brute.

Last year I caught about 130 trout using the method and so far this year I have 52. If I spent more time fishing and less time hunting and working...Id probably get close to my friends catch....last year he got over 300 trout. I catch and release, and Im hoping you do the same with this brute. Just dont forget your camera. Or no one will believe you! hehehe

Oh and another thing is, dont let the fish see you, and dont disturb the streambed when wading in. You have to be a LOT more stealthy when it comes to catching the big trout. If hes a holdover, he is no dummy. Stay low, stay quiet, pretend you are stalking a big buck.

Good luck, and I hope you post pics when you catch him!---Matt

[PacNWhunter]

Try using a 1/32 or smaller marabou jig under a float no bait needed. Colors might try black, olive green, brown or red. You want it to be just up off the bottom about 6 inches. Cast it up steam and let it float past him, mend your line and keep the float as up and down as you can.

[Mattiac]

Any luck yet?

I got another really nice fish last night, if I ever get the film developed, I will try to post pics.