I need a trout tutor.

[Skipper]

Hey everyone, I am as green as a dollar bill for trout fishing and sure would appreciate some pointers. It may be a different situation that some of you are used to because the lakes I have been fishing are really flooded open pit iron mines. They they are not real big, but they run super deep. The big pit is 525 feet deep and most of the chain is well over 100 feet deep. The water is incredibly clear too! You can honestly see bottom in 20 feet if the sun is at your backk!!

Pennington Mine Info
Mahnomen Alstead & Arco Mines Info

Map Of Mines

All fish in these pits have either been stocked by the DNR or tossed in by the locals. From what I have gathered, they abandoned the mines about 30 years ago for various reasons and they quickly filled with water. The DNR bought the land and created a huge park for bikes ATVs, and 4x4 trucks and Jeeps. Being the pits were perfect for trout, they stock them yearly. It's a really cool and fun place.

I would consider the angling pressure to be quite low in these pits, but the water is incredibly clear. Are trout spooky and line shy by nature? The only productive strategy we have found is just trolling around with our lindy rig rods. A tiny floating rapala has been the top producer. Nearest we can figure, they suspend over deep open water and shoot up to grab out baits. It seems like they pay no attention to structure.

This is a fun and relaxing type of fishing and I would like to do more of it. The scenery is breathtaking and is is as quiet as death out there. A 10mph speed limit keeps the jet skis away! I have a feeling we can do better that for 10'' trout for our troubles though! You can fish these pit when the wind is howling out of control, so they are a really nice back up plan.


Jigging and drifting, slip floats, or trolling?

If trolling, with what? How fast? How deep? Technique?

No minnows allowed.... Plastics or worms?


Any tidbits are appreciated. If you have fished trout, you have probably fished them more than me!
 

[pontiac787]

If you can use live worms I would try drift fishing while bouncing a trout worm off the bottom.  You should be using 4-6 lbs. test line with about a size 8 hook.  Add just enough split shot to get it down.  Depending on the forage and holdover rates in the pits the trout might get much bigger than 10-12". 

[Skipper]

When you say bottom bounce, do you mean I should be fishing in very close? I don't think I could get to the bottom in 90% of those pits without a very large weight and very slow speeds.

Carry over is supposed to be pretty good. My friend says he catches many in the 16'' to 18" range in the fall.

Will they venture below the thermocline? It will often set up 18'' to 20'' deep over 200+ feet of water.

[fontona19]

I think trolling with spoons would be the thing to do. Fish whatever depth you are marking them with your fishfinder. Speed is regulated by which lure you chose (usually 1mph - 3mph).


 I will send you a PM with some additional tips.

[Skipper]

Thanks for the tips. I got something to start with now.

[pontiac787]

When you say bottom bounce, do you mean I should be fishing in very close? I don't think I could get to the bottom in 90% of those pits without a very large weight and very slow speeds.

Will they venture below the thermocline? It will often set up 18'' to 20'' deep over 200+ feet of water.

I would try bottom bouncing in 10-30 feet of water.  At least this time of year.  Definity try trolling some spoons as well as fontana suggested.  They will be around the thermocline once it sets up.  More specifically, they will be where the water temp is around 55-65 degrees.

[surflizard]

Here are a few tricks that work during the summer on our deep water trout.

  In summer, you’ll increase catch rates by trolling spoons, stickbaits, spinners and night crawlers through the thermocline. It’s also effective to drift salmon eggs, dough baits, worms, crickets and grasshoppers. Locating the thermocline isn’t as challenging as it might seem. Most reservoirs take daily or weekly readings to keep track of it, and the officials often make their findings public. High-end fish finders can also indicate where the zone is. Your best bet may be to call local marinas, tackle shops and lake offices to ask how deep the thermocline is. Most can give you up-to-date information, which will help you catch more trout.
 If you are a troller, you’ll probably need downriggers or lead-core line to fish the thermocline, which wanders from 30 to 150 feet or deeper, depending on water temperature, elevation, recent wind and weather patterns, the size of the lake or reservoir and its depth. The thermocline can vary by week. From July through September, this will likely be the zone you’ll want to target for the best trout-fishing action. When working the thermocline, experiment. Try running some lures near the top of it, others in the middle and a few towards the bottom. Once you discover where the fish are most active, then it’s safe to concentrate your efforts close to that depth.
   Whether you’re fishing in an urban area, lowland reservoir, mountain lake or natural pond, two spots you’ll want to focus on during the heat of summer are inlets and outletsand springs. These areas serve to transport oxygen, food, cool water and nutrients into the lakes. Trout are naturally drawn to these sections.
   Keep in mind, trout aren’t restricted to one part of the water. During the summer, you’ll have them around springs, near dams, off ledges, close to inlets and outlets and launch ramps (because they are stocked here). Therefore, any of these spots are go-to areas when anglers are overrunning other areas of the lake,

[Skipper]

One last question... how spooky are these things? Lets put it on a scale of one to ten, one being catfish in deep fast muddy water and ten being walleye in gin clear, shallow, still water in full sunshine.

Keep in mind that the viability is nearly 30 feet this time of year. I was wondering how effectively I need to ninja fish!

[fontona19]

In my opinion it varies. Stocked trout dont seem to be near as shy as wild trout. So I will say 7 on stockies, and 10+ on wild trout. Just like any other fish though, they hungrier they get the more bold they will be. 

[Skipper]

7 means I will be using a long fluro leader... Thanks!

[DIRTBALL2]

It used to very nearly drive me crazy when I would be fishing on a trout lake and a hatch would come off! Trout rising everywhere as far as the eye can see! And not one of them interested at all in the presentation I happened to be using at the time! :cursing:One of my fishing buddy's gave me a good tip on how to deal with that situation. This presentation will work the best if you use 4 lb test Flourocarbon. For this I use my regular spinning rod and reel. Tie on most any good sized dry fly. My personal favorite is the Goofus Bug, also known as the Yellow Humpy. Then give the fly a good shot of dry fly spray. Just to help it float nice and high for a longer period of time. Then let out a nice long flat line. Say about 75 yard's or as close as you can judge. Then troll or paddle very slowly in a S pattern, so as not to spook any more fish than you have to. Give your rod an occasional small twitch while trolling. Then hang on for dear life! I swear those trout must start from the bottom of the lake to get a good running start! Most will come up and just smash the living daylight's out of that fly! Don't let the fact that you are only using 4 lb test line intimidate you! You can offset that somewhat by using a 7 or 8 foot long rod. Play your card's right and you will be able to land a MONSTER trout! Good luck! :thumbup_smilie:DIRTBALL2

[Skipper]

Dirtball, I'm not sure if you are familiar with the mine pits, but there are places that the shoreline is extremely steep. The trees hang over the water quite a way. I was noticing allot of trout rising to eat or check out the stuff that is falling out of the tree tops. It is a unique situation from what I've seen because there is 80 foot deep water directly below a canopy of trees. Most of our hits (mostly bumps or misses) came from near those areas.

With your suggestion of trolling with a fly, do you think it would be worth casting the shoreline with a fly rod? If they are using the shoreline like bass, why not fish them like bass? Or is it more important to cover allot of water to find active fish?

[DIRTBALL2]

Skipper, I am familiar with the mine pit's but have never actually been there. They sound like a tough place to fish. There certainly is no reason that you shouldn't try using your fly rod and casting to these fish. If no one has tryed that, how would we ever know whether or not it's a good idea. You really can't compare a bass to a trout! Trout are a whole new ball game unto themselve's. Many time's more spooky than a bass! I don't happen to fish for bass, except for smallmouth. They are almost as much fun as catching a trout! To answer your last query, I think you would be far better off using the method I outlined for you. Not only because you would be able to cover more water but also because you would stand less chance of spooking the fish you are after! I hope I've answered your question's adequately. If not, ask more. As many as you please! Good luck! DIRTBALL2

[MickeyFinn]

Id invest in some wabblers and give them a shot...You can use flys behind them with great success primarly nymphs, buggers and other attractor patterns...

[gotabig1]

How far behind the wobbler would I run a bugger or should it be a beadhead nymph?