I used to fish trout in winter by drifting live shrimp on slip corks. This winter I’ve gone all artificial and had some success in shallower 2-6’ of water using jigs & shrimp imitations. I think I’ve been lucky that it’s been relatively warm up till now.
I think I’m gonna need to learn to fish deeper if I’m going to have any success in the colder water. I’d also like to learn to use minnow imitation plugs in the theory I’ll get bigger fish. However, I’m having some trouble fishing them.
First, I keep hearing that the Mirrolure Mirrodine series and the Paul Brown Corkys are good winter baits, but they run relatively shallow at around 2ft. If I’m fishing in 6-8’ of water do I need deeper plugs or will they trout come up to eat them? Switch to a deeper diver?
I get that I’m supposed to fish them SLOW but that means it takes 3 min. or more to fish a cast. If I make 8-10 cast I might spend a half hour in one spot. So, are you guys only using them where you feel confident there are fish?
Am I trying to run before I walk here? How do you artificial guys fish for cold water trout?
The best search tool for deep water trout is a 1/4 oz. jighead and 3-4 inch boot tail grub. Let the grub sink to bottom, reel 1 turn, then let fall back to bottom. On the fall, I put my right index finger on the line to feel any slight thump or tick as this is when most strikes occur. A long cast fishing slowly with the current should only take about 30-45 seconds. When you get a bite, mix up different style grubs and weights. Old school Mirrolures (52MR) can be fished as deep as 10 feet effectively in current but get snagged a lot.
JLee your questions are on point. Its real hard to get a suspending or lipped plug deep enough. Like RAD said the old 52MRs since something like a half foot a second, so you could count down then retreive but will all those trebs you’re likely to hang your $10 bill on a branch. I’d second RAD’s suggestion, but also suggest a Z-Man Trout Trick. The elaztech makes the tail float straight up. Try the Mood Ring (original) color, as I think it mimics the worms that burrow in submerged lumber. Seems to work well for me anyway. If the water is stained, try the rootbeer/chart-tail TT.
I’ve taken to spending my evenings lately reading about trout, it’s become a bit of an obsession. I’m on board for fishing jig heads and paddle tails and they’ve been my go to bait lately. The last fish I caught last week was just as Raddaddy suggested. Slightest twitch on the fall with a paddle tail grub. I also got my first good fish on a Trouttrick last week when I found some clear water. In fact, just ordered a bulk supply of Trouteyes. But, I have had trouble feeling them in strong winds we’ve had lately.
I was just afraid I was missing something not using more hard baits. I read some theories that trout see all grubs as shrimp and that larger fish primarily eat minnows. I also have read tons of reports of how successful fishing these hard plugs can be. I guess what I need to understand is when you use which method? Should I regulate the suspending plugs for warming trends when fish may have moved up to feed on the flats? Would really like to learn to target bigger fish but don’t know if that’s more about location or method?
You’re on your way, I can tell, with the questions you’re asking. In windy weather, you can sometimes position the boat directly upstream or downstream from where you want to cast to help minimize the bow in your line. If that is not possible, keep your rod tip low to the water.
Even in winter, on a sunny afternoon the big girls will come up on a flat to warm up. Then you can use suspending lures. You can easily get frustrated using them because you will go long stretches without a knock. But then…wham!.. and you got yourself a gator. That will wake you up real quick. I think as a general rule that most of the true gators caught in charleston come on suspending hard baits. Please consider releasing them when you get one - they have good genes and create many millions of eggs. All gator trout are female.
And you are correct, the big trout feed mostly on finfish, not shrimp.
6-8 lb. braid is a HUGE advantage over 10-15 lb. braid for feeling light, deep bites. Suffix 832 (6 lb.) is the best I’ve found. As Optiker said, catching larger trout is like going after BIG largemouth. You fish all day in hopes of getting a few key bites. Topwaters and jerkbaits on warming trends will catch the biggest ones around.
Thanks for the help guys. You’re both a great resource to an aspiring trout fisher. I caught a few good 18+" trout late summer on live bait and started researching them. Then in Sept. my study paid off with PB trout at 25" on topwater and I really got the bug. Have had a few 20+ fish days since then but they’ve mostly been small. Fun, but catching those bigger fish is getting to be an addiction. I guess I’ll just have to expect to have some blank days when I decide to gun for them.
Raddaddy, I’m gonna switch from the 15lb powerpro to the 6lb Suffix on one of my reels and give the lighter line a try. As light as they’re biting, there’s no telling how many I’m missing right now. I have a feeling I’ll be a student of these fish for years to come.
If either of you find yourself on the North end of our coast and are willing to give me a lesson, drop me a line.
Try free lining 1/4oz DOA’s. I constantly get mine down to 8-10’. When the water gets cold, the fish naturally are more lethargic and less aggressive. This is also why they are holding in deeper water, because it’s warmer than the surface water. Ma-nature tells them to not expend much of their energy reserves chasing bait. That’s why slow fishing techniques and slow moving baits are more productive when it’s cold. The baits look easier to catch.
I bet a 25" trout on topwater was a riot! I would love to find a trout that size around here – it’s a lot tougher than many people realize to go out and target larger trout.
Thanks Bryson. Things kindof came together for me on that fish. Probably more luck than skill. I’d caught a couple of nice trout in that location the week before and had learned the bottom structure at low tide. A low front was moving in, the tide was right, and the water relatively clear. I’d decided that I was going to throw nothing but topwaters that afternoon. I approached the flat quietly and cast as far as I could. She hit in about 2’ of water. Really thought I had a red and when she shook her head and I saw that yellow mouth my heart rate went through the roof. A good day. Now I want more!
Well, I just found my next trout lure to buy/order. I have always liked Larry Dalhberg’s show and I know he makes and test his own lures which gives me more faith then just some large corporation, and he has a bait called a Wide Glide which is described as a combination of a swim, walking and twitch bait on steroids and is available in 4" and 7" and top water or slow sinking and can produce up to 8ft side to side action. It is not marketed as a trout lure but does everything most trout baits do on a larger scale and has color patterns that looks like a mullet and one that looks like a Redfish, seems promising.
Although I’ve never tried this for trout, it should work when they’re deeper. It has worked for me with flounder, Stripers & bass particularly when the waters not especially clear.
Try using a floating type jerk bait on a “Carolina” rig. The idea is the weight drags the bottom while the lure rides above the bottom.
You can use worm weights ahead of a swivel & bead, and the leader attached to your lure from the swivel can be varied in length.
Fairly easy rig to use & can be fished very slow. I prefer 20 lb braid with a baitcaster for this, plus a 8 or 10 lb fluoro leader.
In the winter (when the water is clear), I fish a lot of suspending hard plastic lures. Lucky Craft Pointer series is hard to beat (but they are pretty expensive). Rule of thumb is fish a lure that suspends at about half the depth of the creek you are fishing. Retrieve with a sharp jerk and very long pause. Very effective for big Trout.
Thanks fishtales. I have a handful of suspending pointers from my smallmouth days I could put to good use. I guess my main question is under what conditions and time of year to fish these lures? Should they be regulated this time of year to warming trends where the trout may move up shallower to feed, and not when they are stacked in the deeper holes?
Just a little update. With a day of sunshine and a little warmer temps, I decided to give the Mirrodine 18 (3" heavy) version a try. Dang if it didn’t work! Caught 10-12 trout ranging from 13-18". Fished it cross current in creek mouths that were about 3-4’ but near deeper channels. Waited for it to sink till it ticked bottom, would give it two short jerks and then just dead stick it keeping slack out of the line. All hits came on the dead drift. Some were just “ticks” while other hits were solid thumps. It was a fun afternoon learning to use this bait. For you North coast guys, I’ll post a full report in the Little River forum.
Thanks PeaPod. Ever noticed how some people just have the knack for catching fish? Well, I’m not one of them and it pisses me off! I try to make up for it by studying hard and paying my dues on the water.
