Northwest Fishing Reports

feeling the winter trout season coming up fast, i was just wondering what all your guy's favorite go-to lures(or baits) for fresh stocker trout (or holdovers). for example mine are my special super-secret wordens rooster tail in a magical color that works great on browns. or i also use kastmasters in the all silver color or rainbow blue fox's in size 2 or 3. all these lures produce great when the trout are hitting. i have heard panther martins are a charm but i have yet to try them. any other recommendations??

for stocker trout? Anything works when they are freshly planted. Literally as long as they see it and theres a hook, you'll catch fish. They all sit in the top 10 feet of water and fishing for them is a piece of cake. I only fish for them for CnR purposes, hatchery trout meat = thumbs down...Wait a few weeks for them to key in on natural foods, then I'll enjoy real trout meat...

Lure choice: Nothing beats an F4 flatfish for me. Bright red or pink, or coachdog or rainbow trout color all do the job for me. Hot Shot 70's also do the trick too. These lures have consistenly outproduced any spoon or spinner I've tried, every time...They are hard to get used to fishing and since they have more drag to them, it's a completely different feel when trolling them and there is a learning curve to try and figure out how to get them to the right depth.

I like needlefish, canadian wonders, DN's, and Wedding rings though....

Oh no pop gear or dodgers or any other trolling gear for me 95% of the time. Ruins the fight and they don't help in most of the waters I fish. I do have a few of them for certain lakes though...

SAM, I was surprized to hear that you dont use any " POP Gear" while trolling. I have also started to shy away from using the larger, long flashers & trying smaller & smaller attractors.

I like to fish for Kokanee at Lake Merwin in SW Wash. & I have started using Salmon sized spinners in front of my wedding rings or other
lures. Cant say Ive had a lot of success yet , it was very late in the season when I started with them.

I am planning on trying more things this spring, like using flashers on hand lines tied behind the boat. I guess I just like to fool around with different things & it gives me something to do in these winter months!

I use it occasionally like when I'm fishing for kokanee (once maybe twice a year if that) and a handful of lakes down in So. Cal...
I haven't had any better success and feel like the fish are a bit smaller and they don't pull as hard when fighting the pop gear and me...

well i cant troll until christmas has come because lets just say i got a sneak peek at one of my presents and was pleased to find a nice new fishing raft with motormount and rod holders. fun. yea i was planning on just trolling flatfish by themselves and perhaps also trying to troll rapalas and spinners such as panthers or blue fox's. also has anybody trolled "casting spoons" such as kastmasters and kroc's?

My go to lure all around has to be the Panther Martin for casting. Super Dupers for trolling, moving water, or if I see a lot of dimpling fish.

yea i heard super dupers work pretty good. do you recommend any special colors for different water conditions or somthing?

I prefer the 501 size in gold or brass, whichever they call it with the red tip.

I think the copper and red head super duper is one of the most deadly trolling lures. The brass ones kind of look the same but the copper ones stay bright and are killer. Red and white needlefish sizes #1 and #2 are also deadly, as are Triple Teazers also copper and red. I troll with a Penn 209 and leaded line with four or six pound test. I usually use a light rod to feel the fight. I never use flashers or wedding rings when trolling for trout because I haven't had to. I have also trolled Rapalas on spinning gear with good luck too.

I think most of you guys are calling out summer and spring gear for trout. Would you use these same lures and methods for winter trout. I would think you'd want less action than a super duper for winter trout. Most super dupers I've seen dart all over the place and might be a bit much in action for winter fish.

Me, I'd go for something that put out flash or vibration without much forward movement. My personal preference for ice-out trout in the spring is a Hildebrant Flicker in either gold or silver. All sorts of flash but you could move it as slow as you want. A bonus is its a short spinner so if the fish hits the blade...it also gets the hook. Water is about as cold when the ice goes out as it is right now.

Sam really got me turned on to flatfish/hotshots earlier this year. I had a couple and used them from time to time but now I have a nice little collection going and use them quite often. They are a lot diffrent to troll with from other lures. You have to troll a lot slower, they will roll instead of wobble if not. Use a good swivle and nothing smaller than 6 lb test or you will get really bad line twists.

Wedding rings will catch trout for sure, and any other fish for that matter. Dont buy them though. Get the beads, blades and clevis and tie them yourself. I tie mine with 4lb test and a good quality hook, who knows what Macks lures use. And you pay a fraction of the price. Wedding rings in my opinion are the best trolling set up for trout.

When in the boat I like to take advatage of the lures that arnt meant for casting. Needlefish, dick nite, tripple teaser and so on. I rarely troll with rooster tails or kastmasters, just because you can fish those just as well from shore where as the other lures dont seam to have the same effect when casting.

Durring the winter the fish might be really slugish so still fishing might be your best bet. 3 power eggs single file on your hook for the stockers and 2 garlic mallows and a hafl a nightcrawler for the holdovers would be my go to.

Dont forget krill grease by pautskie. It makes a huge diffrence.

bill w,
I was looking around at Joes the other day and I've seen thos Hildebrant flickers before, but this time I definetely thought about buying one...

Seems like you do quite well with it, so I think I'll pick up a pack of em...

Sam Kafelafish wrote:bill w,
I was looking around at Joes the other day and I've seen thos Hildebrant flickers before, but this time I definetely thought about buying one...

Seems like you do quite well with it, so I think I'll pick up a pack of em...

Don't punch the barb down on the hook as the tiny little willow leaf blade will slip off.

Shoot. I gotta pinch my barbs at the next lake I plan on fishing...Oh well I'll pick em up anyways before I forget...They look like a good little cold water lure...

Just picked up a pack of the Hildebrant flickers... the silver in the 0 size I think it is...Two per package for $3.99 seems like a good deal. Can't wait to try em out...

I have found a little crankbait that does wonders on catching trout.Its called a Diawa SC Shiner in the rainbow Trout fry pattern.Theyre pretty new and they look like a fingerling.I dont like the stock hooks though they bend pretty easy.i just like to long line them out the back of the boat.

does anyone know where to find the kwikfish in smaller sizes i cant find them anywhere

I've found small kwikfish and flatfish in just about any tackle store. Try Joes....Outdoor emporium should have em too out in Seattle...

thanks sam ive looked all over for the kwikfish and only found k-10 and bigger kwikfish sorry for the late reply these luhrs are hard to find the small flat fish are easy to find..

Kwikfish and flatfish are literally the same thing...Just different manufacturers...