After I was a child, the one factor I ever needed to be was an expert bass fisherman. On Saturday mornings whereas the others have been watching cartoons, I might get up, pour myself a bowl of Fortunate Charms, and activate ESPN to look at the bass tournaments. It was an obsession, to the purpose the place I had posters of Kevin VanDam on my bed room wall and a pair Jimmy Houston motion figures on my toy shelf (mint, nonetheless within the field).
I additionally grew up within the Northeast, which meant that I didn’t have a number of bass lakes round (not to mention a bass boat) the place I may emulate my heroes. However I did have a bunch of trout streams. So, armed with a few baitcasting rods and a deal with field full of sentimental plastics, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits, I might exit and make a lip-ripping assault on the native rivers, the place I’d catch trout … some actually massive trout.
It was throughout these early days of catching monster trout on bass gear that I had an epiphany. As a lot as we emphasize delicate shows and stealthy tools for trout, the reality is you may catch among the greatest trout of your life utilizing strategies and lures carried over from the bass fishing world.
Why It Works
Picture by Kubie Brown
Trout have historically been regarded as these finicky little creatures that flat out refuse to strike something that doesn’t match with their delicate sensitivities. Numerous anglers consider the fish have to be finessed and wooed into biting a wonderfully matched (and typically tiny) fly. Which is true a number of the time. However trout will even change their habits as soon as they get really massive.
Whether or not you’re speaking about brown trout, rainbows, or cutthroats, the actual fact is as soon as a trout reaches a sure dimension (say 20 inches or so), consuming a whole bunch of tiny bugs isn’t at all times definitely worth the effort. Within the perpetual treadmill of a river’s present, these massive fish are spending nearly as a lot power looking for bugs out as they acquire from consuming them. So, they’ll typically change their weight loss plan to higher go well with their caloric wants and go from insectivores to voracious meat-eating predators. Briefly, they’ll act extra like bass.
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Similar to the most important, bucket-headed largemouth, a big trout will eat all types of prey. This consists of small baitfish, crayfish, frogs, mice, and different, smaller trout. Virtually something that swims within the river that a big hungry trout can cram of their mouths turns into honest sport, which is why sure bass fishing strategies work so effectively on them.
Flip and Pitch the Banks
Within the early season, rivers grow to be swollen with rain and snowmelt and trout get pushed up tight towards the financial institution. Should you deal with the overhanging brush, undercut banks, and log jams alongside the river just like the boat docks, brush piles, and flooded timber in your common bass lake, you may catch a number of actually massive trout. Particularly when you’re adept at flipping and pitching with delicate plastics.
Picture by Kubie Brown
Flipping and pitching have been developed as brief, correct underhand casting strategies for getting massive baits near cowl. You are able to do it with simply your rod on a brief line (flipping) or by taking the lure in your off hand to bend the rod tip earlier than the solid so as to add a little bit of spring and distance (pitching). Similar to your brief sport in golf, flipping and pitching requires a little bit of follow to grasp, however when you do, you’ll be capable to knock a flea off a fowl canine’s butt with a tube jig.
Massive trout holding tight to cowl are reluctant to return out to feed, so that you want a major providing to tempt them. A big soft-plastic bait just like the Zoom Fluke or creature bait like Brush Hog on a Texas rig, a chunky tube jig just like the Magnum Elite, or perhaps a easy wacky-rigged plastic worm, are sometimes simply what the physician ordered to get these fish to return out and play. Flip your baits alongside the financial institution, beneath overhanging brush, and in any gaps between massive boulders or logs, dropping the lures as near cowl as you may. Then because the bait sinks, give the rod a few jigs and hold on, as a result of it normally gained’t take lengthy to your bait to be slammed by a marauding trout.
As with bass fishing, you’re going to need to flip and pitch for trout with heavy gear. Strikes come onerous and quick, and it doesn’t take a lot for an enormous trout to interrupt off in heavy present. You’ll need to use a reasonably stiff medium to heavy motion rod rigged with 20- to 30-pound take a look at to make sure you can preserve the fish out and away from cowl.
Buzz the Floor
Buzz baits have lengthy been a favourite amongst bass anglers who love seeing massive fish boil simply beneath the floor. Nevertheless, not many people notice that these loud and flashy lures can be extremely efficient for giant trout, particularly when you fish them on heat summer season evenings. Throughout sizzling brilliant days, massive predatory trout will normally gap up in deep water and wait to feed till the solar goes down. Then, like ravenous aquatic vampires, they’ll go away their darkish haunts to return out and hunt.
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The loud and gaudy flash of small buzz baits just like the Mini Professional Buzz are the proper lure for these conditions. Solid them alongside the sides of sharp drop-offs and deep holes, focusing on the quickest water attainable. These are splendid spots for predatory trout to lurk as they will simply maintain within the deeper water, ready to smash any fast-paced prey merchandise that cruises by within the quicker present.
You can even snag some massive trout in slower water utilizing topwater bass lures. Lures just like the Bullet Pop, the Jitterbug, and the traditional Torpedo can deliver some explosive strikes from trout, particularly whenever you rip and pop them via gradual swimming pools and again eddies within the center and alongside the sides of larger rivers.
Throw Jerkbaits, Swimbaits, and Crankbaits Throughout the Fall
Throughout the fall when the water temperatures begin to drop, trophy-sized trout actually placed on the feed bag. In low chilly water, massive trout will act like sharks that scent blood within the water, chasing baitfish of all sizes and styles. It is a nice time to throw massive baitfish imitating lures reminiscent of jerkbaits, swimbaits, and crankbaits.
Picture by Kubie Brown
Jerkbaits just like the Husky Jerk and the X-Rap are improbable for fishing close to the tailouts of fast-paced swimming pools, the place trout collect to select off baitfish which have been swept up by the present. To fish them, solid your jerkbait up and throughout the pool in order that they land in the primary present. Then retrieve them again with a number of frantic jerks and pauses, imitating a poor baitfish that’s misplaced and confused within the present. Numerous instances, these massive fall trout gained’t have the option to withstand.
Crankbaits and swimbaits are nice for overlaying a number of water. You possibly can solid them throughout deep swimming pools and holes in the course of the river, or you may splash them down and crank and twitch them via pockets and drop offs alongside the financial institution. In deeper water, from 10 to fifteen ft, crankbaits just like the Gravel Canine are splendid. Their fast transferring and closely wobbling motion are excellent for calling massive trout up from deep water.
Swimbaits just like the Actual Picture and the Chad Shad are greatest for shallower water from 3 to six ft deep. You possibly can solid and crank them via lengthy runs, twitch and stall them via gradual swimming pools, and even drift them via quicker currents. All of that are nearly assured to attract out an enormous trout on the lookout for an enormous meal.
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Taking It Again
It’s humorous the best way life works typically. Regardless of my childhood bass fishing desires, I by no means grew to become a professional bass angler. As a substitute, I grew to become a fly fishing information on the wild rivers in Montana. I like the job and contemplate it a pleasure to look at trout slowly stand up and sip drifting bugs from the floor of the water. Nevertheless, from time to time I nonetheless really feel the necessity to break free from the clandestine nature of dry flies and nymphs and I’ll exit to attempt to catch some lunkers. So, I’ll seize my bass gear out of the closet and head all the way down to the river the place I can fish like a child once more.