Issue 3922 | Page 9

Oct 23 , 2020

9

gives you a distinct advantage and this is when a longer rod really shines . A longish rod also provides better leverage for fighting fish when you hook into one of the big boys . Once you ’ ve settled on a rod , it ’ s time to pick out a reel . As with rods there are a large number of quality spinning reels on the market today . The first requirement is that the reel has a smooth drag . At times 4 pound leader material is required to draw strikes . When fighting good sized trout on line that light you don ’ t want the drag to stick at all when the fish runs . If it does the leader will likely snap . The reel should also have a high gear ratio . The gear ratio refers to the number of times the line is wrapped around the spool for each revolution of the reel handle . At times trout will run straight toward you at the hookset . When that happens a high gear ratio allows you to keep pace with the fish , preventing slack from forming in the line . A 5 to 1 ratio is ideal . The final consideration in selecting a reel is its line capacity . An average size trout isn ’ t going to pull a lot of line off the reel . So a very small reel with a modest line capacity would do the trick most of the time , but what happens when you hook the trout of a lifetime ? When that happens you need plenty of insurance in the form of line capacity . My largest rainbow pulled about 100 yards of 8 pound test line off my reel with its first two runs . If I ’ d been using an ultra light reel with a 90 yard capacity that big rainbow would now be known as the big one that got away ! Since trout spend most of their time holding near the bottom , that ’ s the most effective zone for presenting your bait . The basic bait fishing set up is the sliding sinker rig . To construct sliding sinker rigs

that meet a number of different situations and conditions you ’ ll need a selection of hooks , weights , beads and swivels along with a with some fluorocarbon leader material . I keep my various bait fishing supplies in a plastic compartment box . I like to have both bait holder and octopus hooks on hand in sizes 8 , 10 and 12 . It is important to use super sharp hooks Gamakatsu hooks are my favorite brand , but they are a little pricy . You can save a little money and use Eagle Claw Lazar Sharp hooks without compromising much in the way of performance . Egg sinkers are the most popular choice among bait anglers , but I prefer to use the tapered bullet sinkers popular among bass anglers . I find that egg sinkers with their fat round shape tend to hang up in the rocks more than the tapered bullet weight and they also produce more resistance as they move through the water . A selection of sinkers from 1 / 4 to 1 / 2 ounce will cover most situations , but I like to add a few in the 1 / 8 and 3 / 4 ounce sizes as well . For a swivel go with a black or anodized model in size No . 1 . As for beads , simple plastic ones with an eighth inch diameter work just fine and their color isn ’ t a factor . Once you ’ ve gathered all the necessary components , putting together a rig is simple . The first step is to pass the line of your spinning rod through one of your sinkers going in from the narrow end and out through the wide end . Next pass your line through a bead and then tie on a swivel using an improved clinch knot . The bead acts as a spacer between the weight and the swivel , protecting the integrity of the knot . To the other end of the swivel attach an 18 to 36 inch section of fluorocarbon leader with an improved clinch knot . The final step is to tie a hook to the end of the leader using a palomar knot .

There are several popular and productive baits and bait combinations for tempting trout , but the best baits all have one thing in common , they float up off the bottom . Trout will seldom pick a bait directly off the bottom . You want a bait that floats up and away from grass and debris , so that a cruising trout can find it easily . Worms are low down and dirty . After all , they spend their lives crawling around in dirt or worse … manure ... Yuck ! However worms do have a positive side , namely their value as top notch fishing bait . Bass , trout , panfish , catfish and even bright fresh from the sea steelhead have a soft spot for fat juicy worms . You ’ ll want to float your worm off the bottom too . This can be accomplished by teaming your worm with a marshmallow or injecting your worm with air using a worm blower or hypodermic needle . In most cases I prefer to float my worms with an injection of air , because this makes for a more natural looking offering . You can buy commercially produced “ worm blowers ” that are simply a small plastic bottle that has a needle attached . My only complaint about worm blowers is that the needle is usually thick . This punches a big hole in the worm allowing a good portion of the air injected into the worm to escape . A hypodermic needle does a better job , but they are difficult to get . Farm supply stores are the best source for hypodermics that I ’ ve found . Three plus decades ago , worms , salmon eggs and soft cheese were the kings as far as trout baits were concerned , and then it happened . Floating dough baits arrived on the scene and things haven ’ t been the same since . PowerBait is the most popular

Dough baits , worms and salmon eggs are the most consistent trout producers of trout for bank anglers , but when the trout are feeling aggressive lures can work well too .

Photo by CAL KELLOGG , Fish Sniffer Staff .

and certainly one of the most effective of these putty like concoctions . Most dough baiters have handful of colors that they have a lot of confidence in and as a result they use these personal favorites almost exclusively . Rainbow is very popular as is chartreuse . My strategy is to keep things simple . I like to have chartreuse and orange colors on hand for stained water and subtler yellows and pinks when the water is clear . The nice thing about dough bait is that it ’ s relatively cheap so you can afford to carry solid selection of colors . The most successful bank anglers are the ones that take a systematic approach to selecting fishing spots . Since there is only a limited amount of ground that a bank angler can cover it makes sense to focus on plying high percentage areas . The most productive bank fishing spots are generally located near transition zones that feature an abrupt depth change , in areas where the lake narrows or where small tributaries flow into the lake .

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