Tips for catching more trout this spring

Posted on: April 8, 2017 | Bob Frye | Comments

One’s maybe 10 inches long and weighs about 3 ounces. The other probably averages close to five feet, 10 inches and 180 pounds.

So how are American robins and trout fishermen similar?

They’re both sure signs of spring.

The songbirds are here and have been around for weeks. Trout fishermen are likewise already plying the water from West Virginia to New York and Virginia to Ohio.

When Pennsylvania – the Northeast’s stocked trout king, releasing close to 3.15 million brooks, browns, rainbows and golden rainbows annually, more than anyone else – opens its statewide season on April 15, things will really heat up.

“The opening day of trout season is always a big event that anglers and their friends and families look forward to each year,” Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission executive director John Arway. “It’s a way to kick off spring and start another season of fishing and creating memories.”

Some of those memories will assuredly involve catching fish. There are a variety of ways to do that.

Fly anglers might want to try throwing wooly buggers, said Woody Banks of Indiana Angler in Indiana. Size 8 and 10 flies in a dark color are ideal.

“The chances of the water being off color are better early in the season than they are of it being low and clear. And the darker colored bugger has a better silhouette to it. It’s easier for the fish to see,” Banks said.

“It imitates a multitude of stuff. Because the marabou wiggles, it gives the impression of something alive.”

Nymphs in sizes 14 and 16, like the pheasant tail and hare’s ear, are productive early, too, said Dan McMaster of Ligonier Outfitters in Ligonier.

“And of course you can always throw a green weenie for stocked trout,” he added. “Or even a San Juan worm.”

Don’t overlook patterns meant for other species either.

“Steelhead stuff can work pretty well, your glo bugs, sucker spawn, flies of that type,” Banks said.

Spin fishermen can get trout using a variety of lures, too.

Bob Bernhardy of Shooter’s Place in Bridgewater said he enjoys some of his most successful trout fishing using an ice angler’s bait.

He puts a pinmin – a generic name for a small ice jig – 14 to 18 inches below a jigging bobber. Sometimes he leaves the lure, which may or may not have legs on it, as is; at other times he tips it with a maggot or other live bait.

In any case, he fishes it the same way.

“I work the waves,” Bernhardy said. “If there’s a little chop on the water, I cast it out and let the bobber go up and down and let the pinmin work its magic.”

Other jigs, like Trout Magnets, can produce the same way, twitched beneath a bobber, either alone or with live bait added.

When it comes to in-line spinners – like Joe’s Flies, Mepps spinners, Rooster Trails and such – the key is to cast upstream and work the lure down, usually keeping it as close to the bottom as possible.

The spinners don’t imitate any food source in particular. But they do prompt reactionary strikes.

“They entice a fish into striking by appealing to its basic survival instinct,” according to Mepps. “Spinners use flash and vibration to attract fish.”

Live bait, though, probably accounts for more trout caught in a year’s time than any other. Which is best is “regionally dependent,” said Mike Perrino, owner of Nicklow’s Bait and Tackle in Addison.

In some areas of the state, according to his distribution records, demand is highest for maggots. Elsewhere it’s wax worms. Meal worms, fathead minnows and red worms are all good sellers, too.

One bait that’s grown in popularity in recent years is in really short supply, though.

Butterworms are imported to the states from Chile, Perrino said. But wildfires have made them hard to come by.

“So there’s almost no supply of butterworms this year,” he said/. “We had some a few weeks ago but we haven’t been able to get any since.”

Bernhardy, though, expects people – whatever it is they’re casting – will find their way to the water. It happens every year at this time.

“It’s been busy, but the closer we get to opening day, the crazier it will get,” he said. “We’ll be packed eventually.”

From water to table

Catching fish is one thing. Making good use of them is another.

Trout intended for the table can be quite tasty, though, provided you follow some simple steps. The key is to think about what to do with your fish as soon as you take it off the line, how to prepare it and how to cook it, in that order.

Here are some tips:

Keep it cold

First, if you want the trout you catch this spring to taste as good as possible on the table, keep them fresh for as long as you can.

When a fish dies, enzymes naturally found in the body start to break down. That leads to the growth of bacteria that can change the look, smell and taste of flesh.

When you’re fishing from shore or a boat, put your fish on ice immediately after creeling them. The cool temperature slows those bacteria way down.

If you’re wading and it’s not practical to have ice on hand, try to keep your fish alive. Put them on a stringer or in a fish basket until you’re done, then transfer them to a cooler in your vehicle as soon as you get off the water.

You’ll know if your fish is fresh or not. Those that are will have bright, shiny skin, clear eyes and pinkish-red gills.

Use a different tool

Second, if you have a lot of fish to clean, consider using a deer hunter’s tool.

Fillet knives are great, but their thin blades don’t always hold an edge very well. Do a pile of fish and you’re constantly re-sharpening.

One alternative, especially if you’re dealing with bigger fish, is to use a boning knife. Their blades are also flexible, but they’re a little thicker and don’t require sharpening as often.

Less is more

Finally, when it comes to cooking fish, don’t overdo it.

Fish, unlike some other meats, is best served when it still contains some moisture.

A trout only needs to be cooked for about seven minutes per inch of thickness. A typical stocked trout, then, might need only four to five minutes of cooking.

Pay attention to a fillet’s color, as that will tell the tale. When it’s white, the fish is done.

Bob Frye is the everybodyadventures.com editor. Reach him at 412-838-5148 or bfrye@535mediallc.com. See other stories, blogs, videos and more at everybodyadventures.com.

Share This Article

Shop special Everybody Adventure products today!