More Success!!

[Love Life]

Looks like fresh trout for dinner.

[Digger]

Dog gone , wish I had time to go play .... they look nice there Love Life !
Lots of places around these mountains to drop a line ..... is the snow melt slowing down a little in your part of the Sierra's ?

digger

[Love Life]

The walker river and desert creek are still running fast, but have at least cleared up. The majority of the snow melt is done. The fish are hungry and have been hitting pretty much anything I have thrown in.

[redneckdan]

nice fish. bottom and 2nd from top look like stockers. color and fin wear are indicators.

[Love Life]

It wouldn't surprise me if they were stockers. I believe they stock all the bodies of water in my area. I didn't eat them yesterday, but they will be for dinner tonight.

[firefly1957]

I wish I could catch some nice fish lately it has been hard to even find them with the fish finder.

[Southern Son]

I have been really slack. I moved to Rocky last November and I have not been out fishing once. The Fitzroy River runs through here and during summer, it fishes pretty good for Barramundi. I got an impeller kit for my outboard today and I might have to go out on Tuesday. Water is too cold to have a good chance of Barra, but a day on the water should be good anyway.

[PatMarlin]

Excellent.

If any of you guys troll, I've got the "never fail" knock em' dead trout rig. I never rely on the fish finder for seeing fish. I've got a good one, but use it to see conditions- bottom structure.

[waksupi]

Tell me, Pat!

[PatMarlin]

This rig has never failed me in several lakes for trout. Most everything is at WalMart...


The good old Ford Fender:
http://www.luhrjensen.com/products/lake-trolls/ford-fender-lake-troll

My favorite is the Nickel/Silver Prism-Lite. Hammered and non Hammered Nickel- large. But some areas prefer brass or 1/2 brass.

The Spin-N-Glo:
http://www.terminaltackleco.com/prod_detail_list/455

My favorites are 1/2" metallecs- pearl, red, or green.

I make up a leader starting with a #6 hook, small red bead, then the spinglo with bout' 18" of 4-6lb test leader.

Tie that to the end of the Ford Fender rig. The secret is to cut a SMALL piece of worm (red worm) and put it on your hook. No bigger than 1/2". If you go longer, most the time they will not hit it. Troll fast enough to get a good spin action. If you can get it down deep enough with a pink lady, or down rigger (preffered) and drag it past them- fish on!

On all of my fishing rigs, I tie the Duolock type snap to the end of my line. They are the best. I size it to the size of my game. So every pole rig has one. Then all you have to do is pre-rig your Lure leaders and you're ready to go. There needs to be a swivel at the top of the leader rig. Ford Fenders have them attached.

Duolock Snaps
http://www.terminaltackleco.com/prod_detail_list/462

[PatMarlin]

The secret to using a fish finder, and most any will do- is to know where your bottom is, and to see snags to keep enough away from them.

The next secrete to a fish finder is to note what depth the fish are hitting at, and what speed you are trolling at. Find the magic depth, speed, and water temp and you will be into fish! Document notes just like your shooting records every time you go out. I keep a record on the tides (if in the river or ocean), time of day, date, moon, water temp along with your rig data.

I run 3 down riggers on my boat. I drop in my rigs at 3 different depths. Soon you will find the magic depth and stick to it. Forget looking at the finder to see fish. I also run different rigs on each down rigger until you find out what's the flavor of the day as well.

You have to troll the right speed. Drop drop your rig over the side and watch what the action does at different speeds.

If you are dragging lures like Flat Fish, make sure the rig is balanced and running absolutely true. Not cockeyed or sideways. If it's is fish will never hit it. Taylor your speed to the action. I drag large flat fish or Quick Fish for salmon at a ridiculously low speed. Creep. Just enough to get a nice smooth slow wobble. The Ford Fenders much faster. Sharpen your hooks. Use quality line. I use Maxima.

One thing I'm good at is trolling. My favorite. When I was a regular off shore, I used to have guys trying to figure out where we were, and follow us. Announce "Fish On" over the radio with big salmon consistently, and soon you will have a daily entourage... :mrgreen:

[PatMarlin]

Here's a nice little Lost Coast- Shelter Cove salmon-

http://www.patmarlins.com/1salpatmon.jpg