Getting cold outside? Its trout time

Boats are winterized and still water ice caps are forming. While others are resigned to be stuck indoors till Spring I look forward to the cold season for ruff country river treks when the ground snow melts enuf to allow passage & temp is above line freezing. Altho most of the river monsters of yore have been rudely dispatched a few still remain along with fresh dropdowns from a reservoir outflow. The 8-10" Spring stockers are now a decent fun size 14-17" & I'm getting a fair share.

As usual, 1/16 #6 dark mink fur jigs have been the ticket, this year tho water is cleaner with minimal broken weed drift so been able to deploy Boolie versions of the mink jig. Learned to use a bit of super glue to keep the thread wrap secured to the hook shank with the bonus of reducing the # of thread under wraps by 50%. Also a drop of glue to fasten the mink fur hide to the under wrap makes a neat tie quicker & EZer.

The BooHu jig as posted a dozen years ago remains effective. Same black 1/14 oz tin head with bent to fit Gami 604 #2 hook tho original rabbit fur has been replaced with shorter fibered mink and dispensed with the gold Flashabou tail. Because I don't lose very many jigs trout fishing still have a decent supply of the excellent painted heads from the previous owner of the Jigcraft website. Thanks again Russ !

Last chance in the public access area yesterday as most of the slower current water is ice capped and meathead harvest has pretty much wiped out the trout. For example the reduced for Winter 47 cfps inflow into the river below the dam which formerly yielded a fish on nearly every cast got nuthin after a guy kept 4 of the few trout remaining. He mentioned those 10-12"ers are good eating baked wrapped in foil with onions & lemon juice.

Covered a lot of water for hours to get seven 12-15" which ain't bad considering the over a month long bucket brigade rampage. Was a bit breezy so upweighted to 1/11 oz bead collar black Hooksup BooHu #1 gold propeller head pinned with a cut down from 2" to 1-1/2" black back gold glitter Berkley Powerbait Ripple Shad which seems to get bit well especially by larger fish.

Few little brown trout in my area but it's rare to catch them.

Still kickin' eh ? What kinda trout have you caught where & how ?

Looked it up, OK has some nice running water trouting.

Like y'all I'm always on the hunt for the magic jig that works anywhere anytime. Elusive so far, tho many latest greatest have been successful right time right place right conditions.

Right now been surprised how well the aforementioned shortened to 1-1/2" from original 2" black back gold glitter Berkeley Powerbait Ripple Shad had been getting bit by decent trout. Mounted on a 1/11 oz #2 hook BooHu head with #1 gold propeller seems the spinning blade flash + kicking paddle tail triggers the biguns . Last trip on the river few days ago was getting a couple of decent ones 15-18" & when the dependable 1/16 black ball head black mink jig snagged & broke off switched to the BooHu jig and like magic a now rare river monster smacked it on the first cast after apparently ignoring the smaller fur tie jig. Looked like an easy 10# maybe more dunno I don't measure or weigh anymore. After a few more nice ones decided enuf was enuf and called it a day even tho fish were still biting.

In fact for enticing bigger trout I now have more confidence in the loud plastic jig than finesse simple fur ties. For now anyway.

Temp today mid 40s & SE 30 mph gusts mitigated by choosing stands on the south bank of the river with wind mostly at my back. Decided to test plastics and all 3 got bit well - Powerbait Ripple Shad black back gold glitter & black shad colors + Bobby Garland blue ice Baby Shad all trimmed down to 1-1/2" from original 2" which cuts down on short strike missed hooksets. All mounted on bead collar #1 gold propeller #2 hook 1/11 oz Hooksup heads total 11 nice trout 15-20". Best spot was 3 miles down river likely beyond the comfort range of trespassing poachers.

Takeaway is that mini plastics are as effective as my former go to half the size 1/16 tied mink fur jigs enticing bigger trout 15"+. In the usually windy conditions this Winter the extra weight 1/11 oz head jigs casts & handles better than the 1/16. The pinned plastics also add weight.

Day after last post decided to take it EZ at the drive up paved walkways + floating pier public trout fishing park on a spring fed corner of our local trout stocked lake. Entire lake was almost totally ice capped but the spring feed kept the water open there. Decided to test the plastics on smaller stockers and they got bit well. Switched to a 1/16 #6 sickle mink jig to compare and tho it got bit well lots of missed hooksets so switched back to plastic jigs which seemed to stick & hold better maybe due to the larger hook. Had my preferred area to myself maybe due to the breezy chilly temps in the 30s & luckily the trout were maybe attracted to the open water so ended up with 40 12-14" which are the Fall 8-10" stockers grown up a bit.


Looks like Feb is done after that as temps have not gotten above line freeze likely to the end of the month. Coming up single digit high days & double digit below zero nights.

OK, shared how to catch open water Winter trout in both moving and still water and what jigs get bit. May get to squeeze in a session or few in early March but when the night temps are above freezing I'll be chasing walleye in the dark.

Hawnjigs said:

Still kickin' eh ? What kinda trout have you caught where & how ?

Looked it up, OK has some nice running water trouting.

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Just got brown trout that I know of . Since catching them is rare I never targeted them . I'm still kicking around but haven't been in the shop for so long Some of the stuff on peg hooks are breaking through the bags and hitting the floor.

toadfrog said:

Just got brown trout that I know of . Since catching them is rare I never targeted them . I'm still kicking around but haven't been in the shop for so long Some of the stuff on peg hooks are breaking through the bags and hitting the floor.

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Never have traveled my entire state to fish . Either I was working or prohibeted in my travels for one reason or another . I retired thinking it was time to get out and about . Wound up being a family member care giver .

Whatyah got close to home ?

4 lakes within 25 miles . None of which are known for trout . Bass , Crappie , Catfish are the big the woohoo around my parts.

Plastics continue to be pleasantly surprising. Few days ago was getting skunked at our local trout park corner of a small lake when a stocker tank truck showed up. Boss man Darrol mentioned due to transportation gliches the trout had grown in the hatchery from their usual 8-10" to 12-13". Flymaster Kevin was there waiting and immediately started catching as soon as the trout poured in. I've never fished fresh off the truck stockers before & would have preferred a 1/16 oz 1" mini fur jig but started throwing my big fish 1/14 oz BooHu white head with a cut down Bobby Garland blue ice Baby Shad since it was already tied on.
Kevin usually outfishes me when small trout are predominant but the plastic jig kept up with his #14 brown Wooly Bugger and outfished two other flyers (guy & a gal) of apparently lesser skill. Pretty much one on every cast on the jig, can't get much better than that. Guessing they had missed a meal or few and were hungry enuf to bite despite the transport trauma.

Yesterday fished all day with plastics and only got 3 short bows with lots of missed hooksets. So today tried something I haven't used in many years downsize #8 2x hook in a 1/16 JiggerJohn Boolie jig #0 gold prop, off white mink fur, pearl Flashabou accent. Practically all bites stuck & held as evidenced by the catch uptick 23 trout mostly decent shorts + a 14 & 16" at the same spots as yesterday all on the same jig.which tie is now worn to a useless nub.

Lesson being what works one day may not the next and its good to have an open mind considering options.

Soooo, cold season almost over & wild country ticks will be waking up soon so almost time to switch to wallys in the dark. Been an eventful learning season for trout with some jigs and tactics of heretofore limited use now tested and proven.
1. Plastics very effective at times speshly for larger trout. Best use was cut down from original 2" to 1-1/2" pinned on #4 or #2 hook heads.
2. #8 hook mini ties significantly reduced missed hooksets compared to the above mentioned plastics & even #6 hook ties. Best choice for public water stockers.

In general the adage "go small or go home" applies in most situations Winter trouting around here anyway.

Today I have permission to fish another section of private river front for the first time. If there's anything significant to contribute to YOUR knowledge base or motivation to try or continue Winter trouting I will post.

Main takeway is that most of the time jigs can be as effective as flies and less potentially damaging than treble hook hard lures. I've not had to but I suppose that when mini fly ties are the best/only option to get bit they can be presented on spinning gear with the addition of an accessory floater or sinker for casting weight.

Anyone else think that "cowboy" sounds sissy and the tuff MFs that work the ranches could better be labeled "bullman" or at least "bullboy"? This AM was chatting with bullman Doug who advised that biting spiders have been active & ticks might be waking up. They apparently can live in trees and drop down on you so no more sitting in the shade to take a break. Getting bit by a brown recluse might be unpleasant at best.

As mentioned got out on a new section of a cattle ranch wild river yesterday and suffice to say that plastics were again effective sticking bigger fish. Worth sharing is that walking and casting in a downstream direction didn't get much attention at a nice long and deep current gouge but on the return trek back casting upstream some big girls started hitting me up. Since my previous experience was that trout bite regardless of casting up, across, or down stream this was a wakeup that maybe at times casting and retrieve direction matters to the exclusion of others.