What is you opinion of trout fishing?

[The Meat Fisher]

Seeing as this is a bass fishin forum, I thought I'd ask about the possible opposite of bass fishing:tout fishing. Are you able to quickly adapt to more finesse focused trout fishing or does it take you a while? If you specialize in bass fishing do you find less success in catching trout? Or are you a generic fisherman like myself and find little difference between fishing for any species.

[WTL]

It depends on the methods.

A bass fisherman who routinely throws large power baits, plastic worms and jigs may have trouble at first getting the subtlety of dry fly fishing but might be ok with Mepps spinners.

As a trout fisherman, my most success came doing very little differently from bass - I had 1 day with over 30 browns on a yozuri jerkbait. Flyfishing success was slower, although I caught a few, but my understanding of nymphs and wet flies is still poor cause there is no like lure in the realm of bassfishing.

[nofearengineer]

I think you need to break down trout fishing into stream and river fishing, and lake fishing, because unlike bass fishing, they are distinctly different.

Lake fishing for trout is much like bass fishing, albeit takes some extra care in lure selection, given that trout lakes tend to be a lot clearer water. I think your average bass fisherman could pick up trout fishing in lakes pretty quickly, and assuming he developed a taste for the pink meat, enjoy it too.

Stream and river fishing...now that's a different story. Like WTL hinted at, nymphs and wet flies don't really have an analog in the bass fishing world. Probably only the bass angler who has occasionally side-stepped and thrown small poppers and flies at bluegill on ultra-light spinning tackle would really succeed quickly here. Smallmouth bass fishermen might have some potential weapons up their sleeves though, if they've ever fished cold, clear, moving water.

I kind of had to make this transition as a kid. I got my start fishing bass and bluegill here in Southern Indiana, then got dragged out to Wyoming by my loser stepdad. Lucky for me, I had used a lot of spoons fishing for bass (mostly because they were a lot cheaper than crankbaits at the time, and my stepdad was none too generous with fishing tackle money ). I remember buying a Kastmaster spoon and throwing it like mad. Even then, I never once got to fly fish, but spinning tackle worked just fine.

I think it's not too hard of a change.

[zooker]

i trout fished for long time..i like a challenge bass are a bigger challenge..


zooker

[brushhog]

Originally Posted by zooker

i trout fished for long time..i like a challenge bass are a bigger challenge..


zooker

Interesting Zook, if you get a chance expand on that. I find Trout fishing, streams and creeks, to be equally as challenging. I know you've trout fished up my way, what makes bass fishin' more challenging to you..

[BassinID]

Well, I started as a trout fisherman in high alpine lakes and fly-fishing rivers and streams. It is totaly a different world out here, unless you're a worm drowner or something. I always have a little chuckle when throwing a 5" watermellon colored worm on a dropshot or shaky head on 8lb and calling it finesse. I grew up fishing silver creek with size 24-28 midges on 2lb test so its a little different category.

None of this is to say that a bass fisherman cannot adapt, but it's not a whole lot better than someone new picking it up, although bass fishermen are already skilled with spinning tackle, a fly rod is a totally different instrument.

[nofearengineer]

I still watch "A River Runs Through It" and wish I could be fly-fishing. I always wanted to as a kid, but my stepdad wouldn't let me within a mile of his special custom bamboo fly rod. I think he was trying to maintain his hold on at least one kind of fishing he could still do better than me.

I think it broke that man's spirit the day I outgrew him and could whoop his butt.

[BassinID]

Its never too late to start Brice.

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by zooker

i trout fished for long time..i like a challenge bass are a bigger challenge..


zooker

Man you gotta try Musky fishing one day if you like a challenge. Talk about fishing all day for one fish, or maybe just a follow or two.

BB

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

Man you gotta try Musky fishing one day if you like a challenge. Talk about fishing all day for one fish, or maybe just a follow or two.

Hey, I'm glad you brought that up! I also did some reading on Muskies recently. Now, I tend to try to find new information on fish, coming mostly from scientific avenues, moreso than from fishermen, just for a fresh perspective.

I read that the optimum forage size for Esox species, pike, pickerel, and muskies, is 1/4 to 1/3 of their body length. Esox grew the fastest when they ate this size of food, and preferred it in lab conditions.

So if you want to catch a 48" long muskie, you should be using a lure 12"-16" long??? Now I know muskies have quite a reputation for being hard to catch, and I'm sure it is mostly well-deserved. However, I wonder how much of it has to do with using lures that are too small? I mean, I'd feel goofy throwing a 16" Rapala for muskie, though I know they make them (or did at one time, not sure about now). People fish for Blue Marlin with smaller lures that that!

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by BassinID

Its never too late to start Brice.

Man, if I had the time and resources...

I'll make a deal with you. I'm hoping to do an extended vacation next year, if I can stay out of the doctor's office in the Winter and save up my paid leave days. I'd love to stop by my old glory hole, the Miracle Mile. If I do, it'd be a natural to run through Idaho on my way to Arizona and California to hang with family. If I make it out your way, you can meet me and give me a Steelhead lesson or two if you're willing. When's the best time of year?

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

Hey, I'm glad you brought that up! I also did some reading on Muskies recently. Now, I tend to try to find new information on fish, coming mostly from scientific avenues, moreso than from fishermen, just for a fresh perspective.

I read that the optimum forage size for Esox species, pike, pickerel, and muskies, is 1/4 to 1/3 of their body length. Esox grew the fastest when they ate this size of food, and preferred it in lab conditions.

So if you want to catch a 48" long muskie, you should be using a lure 12"-16" long??? Now I know muskies have quite a reputation for being hard to catch, and I'm sure it is mostly well-deserved. However, I wonder how much of it has to do with using lures that are too small? I mean, I'd feel goofy throwing a 16" Rapala for muskie, though I know they make them (or did at one time, not sure about now). People fish for Blue Marlin with smaller lures that that!

It's true. Some of the lures they use make swimbaits look like bluegll bait. There's one lure called a bulldog. They make it different sizes, but the biggest one weighs a pound. Can you image throwing a pound of soft plastic all day. They look like this:


BB

[Jim80]

I started trout fishing and made my way over to fishing for bass a couple years back so now when fishing for trout I do find myself thinking of bassing , although i would like to learn to fly fish one of these years


Jim

[MallenManson]

While I've never fly fished, I have seen some incredibly inexpensive, possibly cheap, fly fishing rods at places like Dunham's.
If I were to make an attempt at it, I'd buy cheap. That way, if I wrapped it around a tree I wouldn't be out much dinero
While there is a ton of trout around here, I've never fished em. Always been a bass fisherman and never really bridged the gap

[islandbass]

Trout are indeed a worthy quarry, no doubt. They fight very well too, reminiscent of a smallie with a torpedo shaped body. Many can be caught on lures used for bass.

spoons, inline-spinners, crankbaits, jigs (smaller ones), plastics. I have caught trout even with the drop shot.

They can be tough to catch and a blast to fish for, but I'm with Zooker. The wylie bass steals my heart.

[BassinID]

NFE, I would absolutely love to take you out for steelhead. I catch them from september to may so its up to you when you wanna come, but the 20 lbers come into the river in december.

[nofearengineer]

Oooooh....Idaho in December. Sounds balmy and tropical. Maybe I'll get some skiing lessons too haha. MY truck is only 2WD...I might not make it through Togwotee Pass in December! But if I can swing it, it is AWNN!

[kingfish]

You can get the same effect in northern Michigan (west coast) middle of dec. Been there done that, try a ft. or more of snow on the ground and snowing so hard you can't see the other side of the river or creek. we've had days where we landed 10 to 15 fish 5lbs and bigger and also been skunked! Gotta love steelheading!!

[BigBassin144]

Oh man, BID, now that sounds like fun! a 20lb steelie! hey, December in Idaho can't be much worse than Northern Ohio, lol!

BB

[BigBassin144]

Hey there kingfish, lol, now they're talking about something you're really good at!

BB

[bamabassman]

love to fly fish for trout, bream and bass. fly fishing is a setup that allows for all 3 types of fishing.....with the same fly too. i have 3 flyrods, had them at kentucky lake. never got the chance ot use em though.