CatfishKev Report post Posted February 12, 2018 I know flatheads at Patti and that's about it. Outside of that im pretty much a noob with everything else. Is there a recommended online forum that focuses on southwest fishing you guys would recomend? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesPursuit Report post Posted February 12, 2018 For general fishing, this forum has great fishermen and the best advice without the nonsense you see elsewhere. I would come up with pointed questions and ask away. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted February 12, 2018 I fished sag from shore yesterday afternoon, caught 0. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CatfishKev Report post Posted February 12, 2018 Yeah I figured that might be the case. First I'm wanting to learn trout but being green I don't even know what I don't know so I'm not sure what to ask. Thanks for the input. I'll give it some thought. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossislider Report post Posted February 12, 2018 I okay at best with bass fishing, not much experience with cats, but I've got a ton of experience fishing for trout with a spinning reel all over the west. Haven't dabbled much in to fly fishing. Happy to help you out if you have any questions. Anywhere you are looking to fish in particular, are you interested in fishing with lures, bait, etc.? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesPursuit Report post Posted February 12, 2018 I fished sag from shore yesterday afternoon, caught 0. Sag from shore? how about next time i just kick you in the nuts we'll call it a day. The rat bass are probably going off at Bartlett Lol 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CatfishKev Report post Posted February 12, 2018 Right now Parker canyon trout is the target, however were trying to move to Payson so I will soon switch focus to high country lakes. For trout do you guys pretty much find yourselves using the basic stuff you can get at wal mart? Do you guys bedazzle your kastmasters with hair and beads. Do you find you have to special order the things that work? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted February 12, 2018 Yeah I figured that might be the case. First I'm wanting to learn trout but being green I don't even know what I don't know so I'm not sure what to ask. Thanks for the input. I'll give it some thought. you can catch those stocker trout so easy on powerbait or small castmaster. i was at sunrise last weekend and caught limits of some nice sized rainbows. light line and light weight is usually about the only tricks to catching more than other people. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesPursuit Report post Posted February 12, 2018 For bait fishing trout, I've done well on a meal worm and a kernel of corn together on a treble hook. Crayfish will pull any worm under a rock if they get a chance so I used to check by lifting your rod tip up for slight resistance, sometimes they aren't a problem and sometimes you need a bobber or powerbait to stay off the bottom if you can't avoid them. Benefit of meal worm and corn to powerbait is catching Browns. Inline spinners and kastmasters are good for casting. A swivel helps reduce with line twist. Also agree on light line and small tackle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossislider Report post Posted February 12, 2018 Honestly, for someone who is new to lake trout fishing, my suggestion would be to get some small treble hooks, probably size 12 or 14, some Powerbait, sliding sinkers (sinker size depends on a lot of things like how far out are you looking to cast, how windy is it, etc), and swivels. Everything you need is at Walmart. Put your line through the sinker and attach the swivel. Then run a leader line from the swivel to your treble hook (slip sinker rig). This way you can get away with using a little bit heavier weight if you need it, but the fish won't feel the weight when biting. The leader length can vary depend on where the fish are feeding, but I usually start at around 18 inches off of the bottom and adjust from there. Cover the hook with just enough bait to hide the hook and cast it out there. Sometimes the fish are biting out far in the deep water, and sometimes they are closer to shore, so try both. Most AZ lake trout are small stocker fish so go with an ultra light pole with about 4 pound test and adjust up if you are into bigger fish. Cast out and get your line tight. With the smaller stock trout, you will never know if they are biting if your line isn't constantly tight. With this method I've taken my young kids many many times and pulled in trout after trout while other around us weren't getting as much as nibble. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossislider Report post Posted February 12, 2018 Also keep in mind, that when it is colder, the fish's metabolism slows way down so they eat less and the fishing is slower. So don't get discouraged if the bite is a little slower this time of year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
W.O.T Report post Posted February 12, 2018 Check out azcastnblast . Com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
W.O.T Report post Posted February 12, 2018 Or get longshooter to give you fishing lessons 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted February 12, 2018 Yeah I figured that might be the case. First I'm wanting to learn trout but being green I don't even know what I don't know so I'm not sure what to ask. Thanks for the input. I'll give it some thought. you can catch those stocker trout so easy on powerbait or small castmaster. i was at sunrise last weekend and caught limits of some nice sized rainbows. light line and light weight is usually about the only tricks to catching more than other people. Not much to add to that. My trout rigs are ultralights with 4-6# P-LINE Floroclear. Poles are Shimano Stimula and Shakespeare Micro Graphite and reels are Pflueger Presidential and Shimano Sedona. I will fish one pole with power eggs on the bottom, split shot, #6 octopus hook about 18" up and one or two eggs since they float. Fish will usually hit them as they sink when you first cast out. If not once the line sinks after the cast, takes anywhere from 1-2 minutes. I reel up the slack and wait, if I don't get a strike in 10 minutes I recast. I also will use a bobber, same size hook and a mealworm or piece of worm with a small split shot about 12" above the hook which is about 3' below the bobber. Castmasters are really hard to beat and I use gold, silver and silver/blue. WHen fish are finicky I will toss on a Super Duper, pink/blue or Rooster Tails or Mepps black/gold. It all just depends on what is working but when they are biting just about anything that hits the water will catch fish. One word of advice on P-Line is that the clear is hard to see when reeling in the fish so I also have the chartreuse line on some reels. I won't use small treble hooks because the fish will get hooked down into the gullet and won't be able to be released and you will catch more smaller fish. Get some forcepts to get the hooks out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wish2hunt Report post Posted February 12, 2018 Yeah I figured that might be the case. First I'm wanting to learn trout but being green I don't even know what I don't know so I'm not sure what to ask. Thanks for the input. I'll give it some thought. you can catch those stocker trout so easy on powerbait or small castmaster. i was at sunrise last weekend and caught limits of some nice sized rainbows. light line and light weight is usually about the only tricks to catching more than other people. I cant seem to ever catch any trout. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
