A rookie Trout Fishing question - night crawlers?

Question

Just switched hobbies from GOLF to fishing. Its cheaper, more relaxing, not as stressful, and wastes more time, lol.

I'm looking to find out some info on trout fishing. I've been reading tons of things online.

Getting night crawlers for bait, on 6lb test line, buying a $30.00 pole, and putting some split shots on it .

Is that going to catch me some fish? or do I need some power bait, a bobber, and an overall understanding of where the fish will be (behind some rocks, to not right the current), etc.

Any other ides to give to a rookie?

Thanks.

Answer 1

I've caught plenty of trout on a good old redworm. They're similar to nightcrawlers but are smaller in size and have a dark red tint to them.

For somebody just getting started, reworms, maggots, mealworms and salmon eggs will probably be the best bait you can use. If you know anyone else that fishes, have them teach you how to use a rooster tail or a minnow rig or something like that. Still baits work okay sometimes, but you'll have a better chance catching something with a moving lure. If you don't have anybody to teach you, just buy a couple little rooster tails at the sporting goods store and start throwing them out there, you'll catch on eventually.

As for where to cast in a stream - I'll tell you what I tell everyone else when I take them fishing. Trout are wherever they feel like being. I've caught trout in moving and still water, shallow and deep water, fast and slow water. That's why it's important to cast in everywhere and not just concentrate on the deep holes.

Good luck! You've just begun a very exciting and rewarding hobby!

Answer 2

Are you river fishing or lake fishing? That difference will make a HUGE difference between your tackle. If you are lake fishing, either top fish or bottom fish. Meaning use a bobber on the top with a worm or fly, if nothing then fish at the bottom with either split shots or a sinker and a worm or power bait.

If you are river fishing for trout, look into drifting or float fishing. I personally enjoy drift fishing eggs, and sometimes a fly will work. Worms definitely work in the slow pools. To plunk for them, just get a sinker weight above your leader, put a fat worm on your hook, throw it out there and let it sit. Might want to put some scent on it too. You can use a float or bobber with a worm, salmon eggs, or fly but getting a fish to rise is the tricky part. Drifting requires a lead or slinky weight on top of your leader, then a drift bobber or bait on your hook. Throwing it up stream a bit and letting it drift down the current at the bottom where the fish are. The trick is knowing the difference between your weight hitting rocks and a bite. Also snagging up is frequent, and that is why more are turning to float fishing.

Buying cheap gear when you are first starting out is good. I broke lots of poles before I had someone actually show me my errors. When you get more experienced, I would definitely buy the good stuff. This "sport" is not cheap at all, and if you are river fishing, expect to lose 70% of your tackle each time you go to the river. That is why most of us have learned how to make our own spinners, weights, and drift bobbers.

Answer 3

Night crawlers, power bait, or salmon eggs will all do the trick. Use only one small split shot between a sliding sinker and the hook. Sounds like you have everything else in line. Good luck. If you decide to take up fly fishing, I can send you in the right direction.

Answer 4

You will catch a few trout with worms, but I use spinners, mostly gold size 2 Blue Fox Super Vibrax and a size 3 in places where I expect big trout to be. I use 8 pound DuPont Magnathin. It casts like 4 pound line and has the 8 pound strenght.
If you go with spinners, try to make them look like a scared minnow trying to get away from a hungry trout. Work it around rocks and logs, making sure to cover all places a trout might be hiding. Big brown trout sometimes hide beside the bank in shallow water, so don't ignore those places.
I have a brook trout on my wall that was tied for the Virginia state record. I caught it on a Rebel plug that looked like a baby bass. I normally use spinners, but try other things too, and remember that big fish don't get big by always eating little flies. They like meat to match their big mouths.
Trout are predators. Remember that they are hunting while you hunt them. Look for places you would hide if you were a trout wanting to ambush a minnow, and be sneaky so you don't spook them.

Answer 5

Fishing With Nightcrawlers

Answer 6

i suggest hooking a bobber up about 2-3 feet from hook. Put a couple of split shots about 6 inches above hook. String a crawler on there, cast it out, and take a nap. you cant go wrong with this method. i was outfished by a 6 year-old who was doing this, while i had my fancy-schmancy spinning rig.

Answer 7

This link will give ya' somewhat of a headstart, because I ain't into the keyboards tryin' ta' give you the "all's", about Trout fishin' ; )...
http://steelheader.net/home/default.shtml
Scroll down page and viola' Trout...

Answer 8

You need to use gang hooks to rig your worms. Size 8 or 10. Tie them yourself or buy them, but they are the best way to present a live worm. I use 4lb test, but 6 will work.. There is more info here...http://www.jrwfishing.com/gang_hooks.asp

Answer 9

That's an interesting question!

Answer 10

power bait works good