Need help landing a trout hitting surface lures?
Posted on Jul 02, 2010 under Rapala Trout Lures | 2 Comments
I was fishing off of a creek feed today in a river (6 feet deep, narrow width) and had a 24inch trout snap at my floating cricket crankbait (2"). He hit a couple of times but not enough to get a hook set. He only hit when I slowed the presentation to a near stop (twice as slow as the slowest rotation you can get on a floating rapala). It hits about 4-5 inches from the surface of the water but it just either isn’t taking my lure completely or the hooks are two small (size 12’s). Any suggestions on what lure to switch to? I could be wrong, but I think a skitter pop or topwater popper wouldn’t get down the few inches to attract the fish to hit. I am chasing a giant trout here, I appreciate any tip you can give landing this bad boy. He came within 5 feet of me chasing my slowly reeled in cricket lure and didn’t notice me. I am very slowly crawling this lure to get the fish to hit, stretching line with one hand and slowly moving it in the other. It’s the only way it’s hitting.
redheat – thanks – when they defend their territory, will they just play with the bait or completely take it?
Well, you don’t mention what kind of trout this is and what kind of water you’re fishing. Minor points, but it could be useful info.
I agree with Red — it could be just aggressive behavior with no bite. If you’re fishing in a stream for rainbow trout, then you could be encountering spawning fish who are trying to keep their redds clear of egg predators, which can include minnows, crawfish, sculpin, and other trout. Even if the rainbows are staging to spawn somewhere upstream of you, they will exhibit the same "chasey" behavior, where they chase and butt and nudge at lures without actually biting down. I once saw a big brown chase a little minnow lure into an inch or so of water — his caudal fin and back were well out of the water and he just kept after it. Whenever I fish during spawning times, I get a higher proportion of foul-hooked fish, too. If this is a spawning fish, it may be just a matter of chance as to whether the fish puts some mouth parts on the lure. It also means that you don’t have all summer to catch him — he’ll be gone within a week or even a few days.
If the fish is actually mouthing the lure, then you’ve got to calm down a little when setting the hook. With small fish, a lure or fly can be in and out of the fish’s mouth in a second, so you have to move fast but set lightly. With a big fish, you do sort of the opposite — move a little slower and set harder. I have a friend from Australia who told me his rule for fish over 18" is to say "God save the Queen!" before setting the hook. Even if you say it really fast, it can help prevent misfires.
I would definitely switch lures. Don’t worry so much about finding THE ONE right lure, just try them all. However, I would try something that swims lower and slower and looks like a baitfish. Shiny or red coloration may help. Spawning redds are down in the gravel — that’s the territory spawning a fish is defending. Staging fish hold close to the bottom to rest and feed. So, in either case, whether this big boy of yours is hungry or angry, you want to get right up in his face, and that means going lower.
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:11 am
I suggest using single point hooks they have better penetration and maybe a number 8 would be a good size. Also I believe he is just hitting to defend his terrority they do that. So if it okay put some kind of bait on it or use grasshoppers since that is similar to your cricket. If you can see him hook him once he strikes and then lower the rod into the water to pull him down so he doesnt try to jump up to spit the hook out
They will play with the bait if it does not look familar(Same as flyfishing) but if they recognize it or if they are hungry they will take it right away. Chad pointed out to retrieve slower and that is the next thing I would do.
References :
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:52 am
Well, you don’t mention what kind of trout this is and what kind of water you’re fishing. Minor points, but it could be useful info.
I agree with Red — it could be just aggressive behavior with no bite. If you’re fishing in a stream for rainbow trout, then you could be encountering spawning fish who are trying to keep their redds clear of egg predators, which can include minnows, crawfish, sculpin, and other trout. Even if the rainbows are staging to spawn somewhere upstream of you, they will exhibit the same "chasey" behavior, where they chase and butt and nudge at lures without actually biting down. I once saw a big brown chase a little minnow lure into an inch or so of water — his caudal fin and back were well out of the water and he just kept after it. Whenever I fish during spawning times, I get a higher proportion of foul-hooked fish, too. If this is a spawning fish, it may be just a matter of chance as to whether the fish puts some mouth parts on the lure. It also means that you don’t have all summer to catch him — he’ll be gone within a week or even a few days.
If the fish is actually mouthing the lure, then you’ve got to calm down a little when setting the hook. With small fish, a lure or fly can be in and out of the fish’s mouth in a second, so you have to move fast but set lightly. With a big fish, you do sort of the opposite — move a little slower and set harder. I have a friend from Australia who told me his rule for fish over 18" is to say "God save the Queen!" before setting the hook. Even if you say it really fast, it can help prevent misfires.
I would definitely switch lures. Don’t worry so much about finding THE ONE right lure, just try them all. However, I would try something that swims lower and slower and looks like a baitfish. Shiny or red coloration may help. Spawning redds are down in the gravel — that’s the territory spawning a fish is defending. Staging fish hold close to the bottom to rest and feed. So, in either case, whether this big boy of yours is hungry or angry, you want to get right up in his face, and that means going lower.
References :