quote:

Originally posted by Dreamerx4:
Lots of great advice...

I would add, if you are used to bass, you do not set a hook in trout like you do in bass. You will rip their lips ( whatever they are) off their face, rendering it nonsurvivable.

When you have a fish on, just keep tension on line.

Just my experience with rainbow trout in Colorado. Not sure honestly how they compare to cutthroat trout.

This is good advice. If you feel a hit just raise your rod tip up. No hard set. If you follow the advice of another post and use a bubble and tie a leader on with flies make sure you use a swivel below the bubble. Tie the leader on the other end of the swivel. Fill the bubble half way up with water and you'll be able to cast a fair distance.

Maybe a crazy question, but stream, river, or lake fishing?

I’d start by using one of your crappie rigs with 2lb green line.
Trout will eat anything, the insect hatch going on, live bait, artificial, etc.
A bobber with a small treble hook and a pea sized ball of power bait is easy. Add a small bb weight to get down in the water column. Fur balls in bright colors works well to.
My favorite way to fish streams is with small marabo jigs. Black/yellow, ginger, tan, black and white are all good in 1/16 or 1/32 oz. add lead bbs to fish deep, just above the bottom. Find a cadence and jig it back in.
Wooly worm spinners or rooster tail spinners can work at dawn and dusk. Good luck and let us know how you did.

I bass fish a lot here in IN...had a chance to go trout fishing for the first time this summer out in WY. I'm a spinning rod guy, so I used a lightweight rod with a small spinning reel. I had decent success with small trebble-hook spinners...I crimped the barbs, which caused me to lose quite a few fish (not something that happens to me much with bass), but it was the law where I was, and it did make it easier to get the hook out, and was easier on the fish. Every one that I released swam away.

Trout are fun...they hit fast and hard, and fight all the way in. The ones I caught were way smaller than the bass we get around here, but it was a blast to try something different, and a big part of the enjoyment was hiking out into the middle of nowhere with gorgeous scenery and pristine streams to just relax and catch fish.

Something that's always worked for me is to kick over a rotted log or stump and fish the grubs or bugs I find under them.

I liked small streams because I could read the water better. Brushy overhangs, holes behind tree stumps, log jams etc.

valkyrie1 has good advice. You will catch fish when nobody else is.

Power bait and a hook sized appropriately for the waters you’re fishing. I tend to fish small mountain creeks and use a size 12 hook. The fish I catch tend to be 8-12 inches and under a pound.

Gold blade black body with yellow dots Panther Martin spinner.

Thanks for all of the recommendations, lots of information to digest. We will be fishing in the tail waters below a dam known for some pretty awesomely large trout. Unfortunately, heavy rains this week may turn this into mostly staying warm while consuming quantities of Yuengling and bourbon and Jack. Pictures if we catch anything other than hangovers

The only time trout fishing was when camping with friends at Wolf Creek Dam in Ky. They have a hatchery there where they release fish into a small man made creek. We had a few dinners that week. They weren’t huge, maybe 12 inches, maybe smaller, but it was legal. They had a schedule for releasing the trout so everyone knew when. We used a kernel of canned corn on a small hook. It was basically throw your line out and let it float. There was probably 15 of us and we ate good a couple of times.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Thanks for all of the recommendations, lots of information to digest. We will be fishing in the tail waters below a dam known for some pretty awesomely large trout. Unfortunately, heavy rains this week may turn this into mostly staying warm while consuming quantities of Yuengling and bourbon and Jack. Pictures if we catch anything other than hangovers

Tail water vs. Free Stone fishing is a huge difference. Generally speaking (condition dependent) tail water fishing is almost like fishing an aquarium. If the fish are feeding and you use the right tactics and gear you can have a banner day...however, it also very much depends on how much fishing pressure that area gets. If it is well known and heavily fished the trout can be much more selective and cautious.

I've had some great days fishing tail waters, but I've also fished a couple of well known tail waters in which the trophy trout wore 4-cornered hats with tassels and carried degrees in how to spot and avoid obvious fishing ploys. You gotta bring your "A" game for these guys.

If you are fishing where there are a lot of native trout and not a lot of stocked trout. I would use Nightcrawlers or red worms.

They worked real well here at above 7,000 ft

We will be fishing the Norfolk tail waters below Norfolk lake. Tail waters empty into the White River. North Central Arkansas.

I think I am geared up for 3 days based on recommendations here.

quote:

Norfolk tail waters below Norfolk lake

I just pulled up a map. Great. There's a hatchery by Norfolk Lake.

Lots of logs and overhangs near the lake.

Any bass in the river? Looks like a lot of fun.

Best of luck Mitch

Mitch, Never fished there, but if the bass are there, I'll find em. Lubs me some bass fishing. The guys I'm going with are after trout.

I took some trout over to a friends house and his mother just couldn't contain her glee. She was born and raised in Austria. She took the fish and said we're having this for dinner tonight. She got out a big pot and boiled water. What is that for? She was going to cook the fish in boiling water. She left the heads on. About 10 minutes in the water the eyes turned white and popped. She cut the heads off and served them with a butter sauce. They were so good that's the way I've prepared them ever since. Give it a try if you're so inclined.

Ultralight rod, I had good luck with Rooster Tails (brown or yellow) for clear water and a shiny flatfish type lure for "muddy" water (great in the rain and when currents churn up the bottom).

Check in the area which lures work the best and go from there. Nice thing about trout fishing, you can usually see the trout and know you aren't wasting your time.

Update: Day one. Nothing

Day 2: 18 inch rainbow on a silver and white Roostertail. Freaking water is cold!

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Update: Day one. Nothing

Day 2: 18 inch rainbow on a silver and white Roostertail. Freaking water is cold!

Nice! I caught a lot of fish on Rooster Tails on the Buffalo River, not far from where you are. Beautiful area that I would love to get back to someday.

My day was made when a mature Bald Eagle sitting in a dead tree across the river from me, launched and flew low over the river, snagged a fish and flew away. AMERICA!