How does one fish with "Power BaitŪ"?

[Colorado_Ice]

I've always used flies, spinners and worms for trout. Now I hear a lot of people talking about "Power Bait". I know it comes in a jar and is moldable but how do you rig it?

I fish with an 8 year old and a 14 year old who are new to the sport and am interested in the Power Bait so they could catch some stocked rainbow trout. Am I on the right track here?

[suskymusky]

I use a size 14 hook and a small split-shot for streams, and a small sliding sinker for lakes.I prefer the nuggets in chartreuse.There are times when the trout won't hit anything(wax worms,mealworms,live and salted minnows,redworms) and if I cast a powerbait in there I get fish.Somedays you have to switch colors to see what they want.

[Cider]

Yes, power bait fishing is pretty effective for stocked trout and a great way for youngsters to catch fish.  But, don't loose sight of the good old nightcrawler and slipbobber fishing!  Use a worm harness like a green moutain grabber if you want to cast and retrieve.  If your kids are squeamish about using worms, you could try the Berkley Gulp worms.

For rigging power bait, slide an egg sinker on your line followed by tying on a small treble hook (size 8-10).  Then simply mold the power bait around the treble hook until all the barbs are neatly hidden!  Don't use too much as it doesn't require a lot and you want to mimic the size of hatchery pellets for stockies.  Then cast it out and let it float off the bottom.  You can add a stop to your line as in slipbobber fishing if you want to maintain a certain depth that you know the trout are holding in above bottom.  Make sure to put the stop on before you add the egg sinker and make sure that the stop knot is large enough so that it won't pass through the egg sinker.

I prefer to use the power bait nuggets which are preformed at the factory instead of the dough/paste.  I think they hold together a little longer in the water and are already about the right size to mimic hatchery pellets.  In this case, I would switch the treble hook out for a single hook point.  Try using both sizes of nuggets (trout and crappie sizes) and switching up the colors until you dial in what they want.

The best colors I have had luck with are rainbow, rainbow glitter, chartreuse, fluorescent orange, and bubblegum!

If your egg sinker is small (light) enough you could also rig a slipbobber to detect subtle strikes.  Or, you could use strike indicators that fly fishermen use when fishing nymphs.  Or, you could use a release that you zip tie to the butt of your rod and run your line through.  When a fish hits, the line should be pulled from the release.

The slipbobber should make it a lot of fun for your kids.  It also gives them something to focus on and keep them occupied while waiting for a bite!  I would also suggest a good quality spincast outfit that has an audible bait alarm.  When set properly, the fish will pull line out slowly when it picks up the bait and you will hear the reel start clicking to alert you that you have a fish on!

Berkley has power bait rigs similar to what I have described above, but why pay the $4-5 for them when you can tie your own easy enough?!

You can also work the finicky trout by tying on lighter test leader material.  Use an 8 lb mono for the main line and a 4 lb leader if you want.  I would even use fluorocarbon or cortland camo so that it is harder for the fish to detect your leader.

Good luck!! 

[Mackdaddy21]

Powerbait works well for stocked trout in lakes. I don't use it however because I fish for wild trout. It isn't effective really for wild trout. I really would recommend sticking with worms and minnows and the like, as they catch other species too and seem to work better for trout. But powerbait is great for stockers.

Tyler

[TroutFishingBear]

cider and mackdaddy hit it right on the nose. Don't forget, stocked trout like flashy gold and silver spinners too!

[Colorado_Ice]

Thanks everyone,

We'll give it a try as one more technique. I appreciate all the tips and advice especially hook sizes and rigging options.

And yes, we'll also keep using the spinners, worms, slip bobbers and flies too.

[TroutFishingBear]

Fish will swallow up to about 25% of the time while using this power bait technique, so DON'T USE IT unless you plan to KEEP THE FISH

[fishersofmen]

a little different species but i just came back from a wk of fishin with berkly power bait micro minnows...2"....first day used one rod with artificial berkly and jig...and the other with a jig and real minnow caught 6/1 ratio on artificial...don't know why they would prefer artificial...used the minnow and jig on a tip-up bobber which is balanced so that it lays flat and if fish takes the bait the bobber stands up w/o fish being able to feel the pull of a bobber...worked really well...steve...indiana

[Colorado_Ice]

...Or, you could use a release that you zip tie to the butt of your rod and run your line through.  When a fish hits, the line should be pulled from the release...

Cider,

Are there any web sources for these releases? I'd like to see a picture of one. It's the only item you mentioned that I am not familiar with.

Thanks again.

[Cider]

Cider,

Are there any web sources for these releases? I'd like to see a picture of one. It's the only item you mentioned that I am not familiar with.

Thanks again.

I'm not sure.  I don't even know who makes them (can't remember off the top of my head anyway).  The local bait shop carries them to use for catfishin' at night on Champlain.

Next time I am in I will buy one and take a picture of it still in the package to post for you.  Should be sometime this week as I am planning on doing some walleye fishing before the weekend.

[Colorado_Ice]

Cider,

No big hurry but a picture when you have the time might be worth the proverbial thousand words.

Thanks

[camo_fish]

Try this site for some power bait techniques.

http://www.kayakfishingsport.com/advanced_power_bait.htm

[Groum]

Thanks for the link some great ideas.