Trout Week 2013 TECH FALL!

Massive amounts of apologies need to be made to all of you.  Due to highly unexpected technical fallout and difficulties, Trout Week 2013 was interrupted earlier this week.  Please excuse my errors.  Look for the additional Trout Week 2013 blogs to appear throughout next week.  I hope that you will continue to visit my blog, read my articles, remain entertained, and follow up with angling questions.  Have a great remainder of your weekend.  Fish On!

Trout Week 2013 Day 2

Trout Week
Day 2

Alright, it's time to finally get things right and set everything strait.  Nothing bothers me more than people wrongfully identifying trout or improperly calling a wild trout a "native".  So read this, learn this, and get it right!

Native Vs. Wild
Today, people are still confused with the difference in the classification of fish.  Often times anglers still misuse the proper description when speaking about a fish they caught or a stream they have fished.  So just to clarify things...

Wild Trout:  A trout that is the product of natural spawning in a stream from previously stocked fish.  An example of a wild trout stream is a stream that was previously stocked but is no longer stocked, allowing for the fish to naturally spawn and continue to live without any assistance.  Spring Creek is an example of a wild trout stream in Centre County.  Within this stream you catch WILD trout, not NATIVE trout.

Native Trout: A trout, (specifically brook trout only in PA), that has naturally lived and reproduced in a particular stream since the arrival of European settlement.  Native trout are often much smaller than stocked trout.  Native trout frequent smaller streams with class A water quality.

Stocked Trout:  Neither of the above.  Trout put in a stream through stocking.  These trout lack intelligence and are a great way to introduce children to fishing.  Many ignorant adults fight over their "spots" on stocked streams and often complain about the amount and size of these fish every year.

Now that we have cleared things up, here is a complete list of WILD TROUT STREAMS in Pennsylvania.  The Facebook page: PA's Wild Trout, often receives questions on "Where is a wild trout stream around me?"  If you have every asked this question or are wondering, be sure to view that complete list.  It is second to none.

Trout Week 2013 Day 1

Trout Week

Day 1

Welcome to Trout Week 2013!  Now that the Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" is finally over, we can get to some information that actually matters.  Every blog each day will focus on something trout and Pennsylvania related.  The blogs will also be specially designed as to not take up too much time out of your day, but still bring you pertinent information.  This is so all you trout bums can sneak a peek while at work and not get busted!

Today's Topic: Trout Lures

In March of this year, Outdoor Life came out with an article entitled "Top Trout Lures: 13 Best Trout Fishing Bates of All Time"  Click here to see the article.  This article had some good information, but was lacking substance for what it was worth.  To be honest, I don't understand why Outdoor Life chose the lures listed for their article as they are all generic lures that produce a limited amount of time.

Below I have compiled a list of the top go to trout lures that need to be in your everyday trout tackle box.  I have also narrowed the list down from 13 to 5.  Because, quite honestly, 13 is an unlucky number and too drawn out.

1) Rapala's - You can't go wrong with any Rapala while in search for big trout.  Any combination of these Rapala styles will catch you fish in any fishery.  Ultra Light Minnow.  X-Rap.  Original Floating.  Ultra Light Shad.

2) Rooster Tails - These spinners come in a wide range of colors, patterns, and sizes these days.  You can even find them in UV patterns.

3) Blue Fox Minnow Spin - This is the best of two worlds.  Combine a Rapala style body, with a spinner, and your left with this hot lure.

4) Woolly Buggers - These work all year, in every season, in just about every stream, in most conditions.  Providing a variation with your patterns can be crucial sometimes.  Leave a bit of a tail, mix up the colors, or add some extra flare.

5) Jigs - When all the above fails, and you're having problems catching trout, pull out the light finesse jigheads and throw on a soft plastic.  Worm bodies or tubes can both be effective when other baits are busted.

Catch & Release Providing Big Results

Everything has it's place.

There is a reason for the trees.  There is a reason for the butterflies.  There is a reason for illness.  And there is a reason for predators.  This is the same in the world of angling.  There is a reason to keep and there is a reason to release.

This past weekend presented an opportunity for myself to head back to "God's County" and fish a small lake that a friend had introduced me to last year.  Rose Lake.  Despite the distinction of being named a lake, this body of water is more of an oversized pond.  Though small, this prime fishing water provides some big catches, all of which is a direct result of Catch & Release practices.
(Pictured right, largest mouth of the weekend on a Livetarget trout jerkbait)

I fish this water for two reasons:
1) It is quite.  You do not often find many people at this location.  This area is peaceful and the wildlife is abundant.
2) The bass are big and abundant.  It's almost impossible to have a day without catching any fish.

I have read that there is a multitude of different species swimming within this warm water fishery.  Perch, crappie, and catfish round out the diversity.  I have not personally caught these species, but from hearsay, I can share that anglers can expect these catches.  My main pursuit lies within the lunker largemouth bass and pesky pickerel.  Both can be caught in good numbers, but the bass provide good size.


(<--Doubleheader caught on a Livetarget jerkbait)

Once entering the property of Rose Lake you will be met with a sign asking you to only keep the pickerel that you catch.  If you wish to keep them, of course.  All other species, specifically bass, are to be released back into their environment.  This is not a place to fish if you want a meal to take home, unless you are seeking pickerel.  This is a lake that is being preserved in a way that offers anglers with a relaxing afternoon of catching quality fish in the same way that parts of Penns Creek produces the same adventure.     (Pictured right, a hefty bass landed with the use of a Berkley Crazy Legs Chigger Craw on a football head jig)

By the catches provided within the article show, if people are willing to make the investment, catch and release will produce in the end.