Plugs First Time

[Bruce Litton]

Just a really nice day casting a plug for trout. Put on the Grateful Dead and remembered who I was. The job sucks. Never have cast plugs for them during winter before, and I see it works. I fished a hole I know is about eight feet deep, because I used to swim there, and I got hit when I let the plug pause & sink. Another spot looked really nice with its black belly. The plug swam in about four feet of water getting close to me when when I saw the wild brown--10 or 11 inches--turn on it, then felt the hit.

Missed both fish but there's life out there!

[FASTEDDIE29]

Twitch twitch pause and play with the speed of the plug. You’ll get em for sure! If all else fails drift a good old night crawler!

[thmyorke1]

Usually my go to is a black marabou jig but ive been adding in plugs, inline spinners, and a few other random things to put under a bobber.

[bigfishy]

Originally Posted by thmyorke1

Usually my go to is a black marabou jig but ive been adding in plugs, inline spinners, and a few other random things to put under a bobber.

Worm fish dont count!!😜

[thmyorke1]

Originally Posted by bigfishy

Worm fish dont count!!😜

you mean to quote ed? You wont find me using crawlers too yucky! EW! squirmy but my dad... all he uses when we go out for stocked trout. He wont go out unless I pick up crawlers on the way. He makes up for using 2 lb test and a 5 foot rod.

[Bruce Litton]

Originally Posted by thmyorke1

you mean to quote ed? You wont find me using crawlers too yucky! EW! squirmy but my dad... all he uses when we go out for stocked trout. He wont go out unless I pick up crawlers on the way. He makes up for using 2 lb test and a 5 foot rod.

In the spring, I stock up on salmon eggs & use a 3 1/2 foot microlight rod, tiny spinning reel, and two-pound test, but recent years, I've been using one-pound test. It's fun. They don't always hit the same way & that's half the challenge, hooking up. And if you hook a breeder--wow!

Back when they stocked browns, I used the same tiny one-inch Rapala I used today, but on an ultra-light. Or so called. An ultra-light is not true to the word, not when you compare a microlight.

[AndyS]

Just press down the barbs on those what, 2 or 3 treble hooks.

[Bruce Litton]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Just press down the barbs on those what, 2 or 3 treble hooks.

One little treble. Thanks for telling me. Because I always think of it but fail to do it. Next time, I hope I remember pliers. When I think of it--I'll think of you. So maybe I'll do it.

Maybe I should think of the law too! They do have Trout Stocked/Wild Brown managed signs up. Maybe that means you have to press the bards. But as far as I know, bait is allowed. Always was allowed before. I have no reason to assume it's not, except that's the first time I saw "Wild Brown Trout Managed" signs up. You'd think if they were completely serous about that, they'd quit stocking the stream.

[thmyorke1]

Theres no gear restrictions on "Trout-Stocked Streams — Wild Brown Trout Managed"

They only limit the # of brown trout being kept.
Why they stock where there's wild trout? Likely because these streams are already popular for anglers looking for stocked fish, removing them would probably piss off more ppl than benefit the few that like wild trout populations.

They did however removed stockings from less-popular streams with wild browns.

Question on pinching the barbs on treb hooks. Do you pinch all three barbs down or just two? The concept as I understand it is if you don't pinch the barbs and you break off a fish and one hook is lodged in a lower jaw and one in the upper jaw, the fish won't be able to eat and will die. If you leave only one barb intact and pinch the other two that should never happen plus you'll have a better chance of landing that trophy fish once you hook it if you have the non-pinched barb in its jaw. If you break off, that single barbed hook will eventually rust or fall out and I would think would cause little harm if any to the fish. I've never pinched all three and in many cases have gone to a single hook for the same reason but curious what people's thoughts are on the subject.