Trolling for trout?

[fingerlakesfisherman]

Anyone know of some good rigs or color patterns for trolling?

[Troutski]

I am a believer in long lining, a small gold spoon; maybe a Lil Cleo or a Superduper 1/4 oz to 2/5 oz. About a hundred to a hundred and fifty feet behind the boat with no weight just the lure. Slow troll with the typical s-turns and speed up and slow downs.. It has been very effective for me in my neck of the woods. Oregon is full of USACE flood control res. and it is dynamite. I use a spinning rod with 6# braided line, along with about a 20 foot 6 # mono leader from the main line to a swivel and then another 4 feet of mono for the stretch and then the lure, I like to troll about 1 to 1.5 mph in the summer and a bit slower in the winter. I use shrimp oil for scent mainly to cover the human scent...another hint I have learned over the years is keep the sun to your back or the side...seems like the fish don't like to look up into the sun. Tight lines to you.

Chuck

[fingerlakesfisherman]

Thanks for the tips man. Ill be sure to try them out this weekend and all through the summer. Went out today behind my house and caught a few brook trout on a panther martin size 3, yellow and red body with a silver spoon. Good luck to ya!

[Troutski]

Man that is my favorite fish to eat, can't help it...I catch a Brookie and it's chow time...
They aren't as prevalent on this side of the mountains as the central part of Oregon. A few places but not many, at least eating size.

Chuck

[bestrainbows1]

"Go slow for trout and then go even slower". I have read this statement more than once and in a variety of trout fishing books. That might be good advice when fishing familiar water where one knows where the fish are, but when I start fishing on a "new" body of water, I use a technique that allows me to search for fish and puts them in the boat at the same time. I have been with guys that search the water to find fish before they even wet a line. Sometimes, they hardly ever fish. I was on a new body of water once and this guy was trolling (I could see rods out) but compared to me he could have been pulling a water skier LOL. When I got a chance to talk to him, he told me that it was also his first time on this lake. He showed me what he was using...three way swivel with a Rapala or lipped lure on the downward ring and then a small flutter type spoon about 4' behind off the back ring. He was trolling about 2.5 mph. At this speed, the lipped lure controlled how deep he rig went. Wow, I tried using it...what a trout catching combo. The rainbows always hit the spoon. I still prefer to troll with my fly rod and sinking lines...but if I am out to catch fresh trout for supper...I use the 3 way rig. You can see some of the trout I am chasing at Best Rainbow Trout Photos. Try this combo next Spring...you will love it. I like to match the colors of the diver and spoon.

[Mutt]

I can only say about the areas I troll. On one lake we use 5 bladed flashers then a rubber snubber then 18 inches of line and a wedding ring tipped with a night crawler. We never go home without a limit. if the wedding rings dont work then same rig just a octopus hook with a night crawler. On this other lake we fish same rigs and other times we use needle fish or shad colored spoons and then we use down riggers on this lake as the trout hang out real deep. Speeds run around 1 mph less and a bit over vor variables. Always keep my bait end out around 100 feet from the boat also.