07-13-2004, 09:28 PM
[cool][blue][size 1]As a fellow tubaholic I will be the first to admit that dunkin' yer donut is not always the most effective way of catching all species, at all times. [/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]I think before you blame tackle, tube or anything else, you need to assess what the fish are keying in on and how they are feeding. Trout are like bass and other predators. They "pattern" on specific food sources and tend to look for their food to be served up in a natural manner.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]What that means at Scofield and Strawberry is that sometimes the big fish are herding the minnows into shallow water and are waiting in ambush for one to try to break free...or watching for one that is injured or distressed. If you are dragging a dead minnow around in water deeper than the fish are feeding, you are not in the "zone".[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Some fish, at certain times on some days, tend to want their food coming "downslope"...like a crawdad moving from shallow to deep. Then, a cast into shore and hopping the bait out into deeper water will be more effective than casting out from shore and either soaking it or reeling it back "upslope". [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]At other times, the fish are watching for food to come into the shallows at their regular times. They wait for the dinner bell to ring and chow down. On still other occasions, the bait will be cruising at a certain depth, a certain distance away from shore. That is when you want to cast parallel to shore and retrieve your fly or lure to keep in in the "killing zone".\[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]There is no one system that will catch most of the fish, most of the time. You have to be able to watch what is going on and figure out what the fish are feeding on and how they will want a lure, fly or bait served up. That's where you apply a lot of both art and science in your fishing.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]You can fish flies with a spinning rod, drop shot style, by attaching one or two small split shot on the end of your line and then making a dropper a few inches long from 18" to 3' above the sinkers. You can either cast and bottom bounce them or you can drag them behind you as you kick along. If you just want to troll a fly deep...like a streamer or wooly bugger...pinch a small split shot a couple of feet ahead of the fly and then let out enough line to get the fly to whatever depth you want to troll. You can also tie in a short length of fast sinking fly line or even a yard or so of lead core. The latter is a great way to slow troll big flies from both a float tube and a boat.[/size][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][size 1]I think before you blame tackle, tube or anything else, you need to assess what the fish are keying in on and how they are feeding. Trout are like bass and other predators. They "pattern" on specific food sources and tend to look for their food to be served up in a natural manner.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]What that means at Scofield and Strawberry is that sometimes the big fish are herding the minnows into shallow water and are waiting in ambush for one to try to break free...or watching for one that is injured or distressed. If you are dragging a dead minnow around in water deeper than the fish are feeding, you are not in the "zone".[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Some fish, at certain times on some days, tend to want their food coming "downslope"...like a crawdad moving from shallow to deep. Then, a cast into shore and hopping the bait out into deeper water will be more effective than casting out from shore and either soaking it or reeling it back "upslope". [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]At other times, the fish are watching for food to come into the shallows at their regular times. They wait for the dinner bell to ring and chow down. On still other occasions, the bait will be cruising at a certain depth, a certain distance away from shore. That is when you want to cast parallel to shore and retrieve your fly or lure to keep in in the "killing zone".\[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]There is no one system that will catch most of the fish, most of the time. You have to be able to watch what is going on and figure out what the fish are feeding on and how they will want a lure, fly or bait served up. That's where you apply a lot of both art and science in your fishing.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]You can fish flies with a spinning rod, drop shot style, by attaching one or two small split shot on the end of your line and then making a dropper a few inches long from 18" to 3' above the sinkers. You can either cast and bottom bounce them or you can drag them behind you as you kick along. If you just want to troll a fly deep...like a streamer or wooly bugger...pinch a small split shot a couple of feet ahead of the fly and then let out enough line to get the fly to whatever depth you want to troll. You can also tie in a short length of fast sinking fly line or even a yard or so of lead core. The latter is a great way to slow troll big flies from both a float tube and a boat.[/size][/#0000ff]
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