Effective trolling lures for both rainbow and bull trout are Luhr Jensen Krocodile spoons, Apex Hot Spot Trolling Lures, and Tomic or Lyman plugs (the four-inch size mimics the lake’s one-year-old kokanee). Another great method for catching rainbow trout in Kootenay Lake is trolling bucktails.
What is the best bait for bull trout?
The best lure actions for bull trout are ones that resemble baitfish. Spin casting with jigs, minnow imitating crankbaits, spoons, and spinners are all productive methods of fishing for these trout. For fly fishing, Minnows and any larger streamer type flies that represent minnows.
How fast should I troll for trout?
1.5 to 2.5 mph
Typical trolling speeds vary from 2.4 to four kph (1.5 to 2.5 mph) for trout, and 1.9 to 2.9 kph (1.2 to 1.8 mph) for kokanee. However, when trolling plugs or bucktail lures, you can speed up to as much as 5.6 kph (3.5 mph).
What depth do you troll for trout?
The best trolling speed depends on several factors including the type of fish, water conditions and lure choice. In general, trolling speeds between 1.5 and 2.5 mph, as measured by GPS, are a good starting place for most species like walleye, trout and salmon.
How do I make my lures deeper when trolling?
If you need to go deeper, just let out some backing until your target depth is reached. On the lure end of the line, remove a short section of lead as before and tie on a size 18, or smaller, barrel swivel. Now use a 10 to 15 foot mono or fluorocarbon leader to tie on the lure.
How do you troll for trout without a downrigger?
If you don’t have the tackle already, then trolling rods with line counters are the way to go. If you already have gear, then spinning or casting rods can be used. Try to pick longer rods with heavier backbones and soft tips, as they seem to be best for this type of fishing.
How far behind the boat should I troll?
20 feet to 150 feet
Bait Position and Distance Behind Boat
Proper distance for most boats will be anywhere from 20 feet to 150 feet behind your boat. Whether you have inboard diesel or outboard gas engines, your power dictates the distance you troll your baits and lures.
How long should a trolling trout leader be?
This fishing method uses one or more lines with lures; the lines are drawn in the water from a moving boat. According to professionals, the best trout leaders should be from 12 to 18 inches in length; however, some may argue that the best is just 5 to 6 feet.
What size trolling motor do I need?
General rule of thumb: you need at least 2 lbs. of thrust for every 100 lbs. of fully-loaded boat weight (people and gear included). If things like wind or current are major factors where you fish, you’ll want a little extra thrust.
What is flatline trolling?
Referring to trolling; to fish a lure or bait behind a boat without adding any weight or directional device to the lure or line. If a diving lure is trolled behind a boat with no weight, diver or other means of altering its depth or direction, an angler is said to be flatlining.
What do bull trout feed on?
Bull trout begin their lives living in gravel in rivers, eventually emerging to feed on insects and plants. When they do, they provide food for a wide variety of predators including fish, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Do bull trout eat dry flies?
Adult Bull Trout like their food in big bites, so the majority of their food is other fish. But, young Bull Trout up to about 16-inches in length often feed very much like rainbow or cutthroat trout. Their diet is mostly aquatic insects. Sometimes young Bull Trout are caught while fishing dry flies.
Do bull trout go to the ocean?
Bull trout may be either migratory, moving throughout large river systems, lakes, and the ocean, or they may be resident, remaining in the same stream their entire lives.
How do you fish for bull trout at Lake Billy Chinook?
A common method of fishing for bull trout on the Metolius arm is casting lures toward the shore and then reeling the lures in quickly over and over again, which is much more physically taxing than fishing with herring on the bottom of the lake.
How much line should you let out when trolling?
Let out 50 feet of line and clip into the release. If that’s not enough distance to prevent your lake’s wary walleyes from seeing the ball…then let out 150 feet of line! Just remember, the flat-line diving depth of your crankbait still applies behind the ball!
How fast do you troll with a Rapala?
“We troll at two miles-per-hour and all we catch is white bass and sheephead,” Holst explains. “We throw a little speed at these fish, and all we catch is walleyes.” Lots of walleyes.
How long should a trolling rod be?
between 5.5 and 10 feet long
Trolling rods tend to be longer than your average fishing rod. More specifically, trolling rods tend to measure between 5.5 and 10 feet long with the perfect length depending on your specific conditions and angling skill.
Are downriggers worth it?
Downriggers are an efficient way to put live bait and lures in precise zones of the water column, and all anglers know that being in the right depth leads to more fish in the box. Downriggers are consistently used to target king mackerel, amberjack, cobia, grouper, among others.
Is it better to troll with the current or against it?
Wanting to mimic nature, the best presentation results from trolling Against the current. The ‘With the current’ crowd say all you need to do is look at what works when stream-fishing for salmon. You float a lure down the current to give the fish a long look — he’ll do a quick turn and grab as the bait floats by.
Should you troll with or against the current?
7. When in an area with current, troll crosscurrent as opposed to with and/or against the current. Going crosscurrent, you don’t have to worry about how the current is affecting your lure’s or bait’s speed through the water. Plus, fish generally swim into the current.
Do you troll with the tide or against?
Troll with the Tide: Always. It will allow you the most control and the ability to drop on bottom dwellers. It also looks the most natural in strong current since most baitfish have no option but to ride the tide. Your lures, therefore, will look the most natural.
Lorraine Wade is all about natural food. She loves to cook and bake, and she’s always experimenting with new recipes. Her friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of her culinary skills! Lorraine also enjoys hiking and exploring nature. She’s a friendly person who loves to chat with others, and she’s always looking for ways to help out in her community.