Big Trout Discussion
 

Ok, here's a scenario for all of our resident experts out there: You're after big trout. You get to your hole (or potlikin) and you start catching trout, but they're small, keepers, but small. Do you A) keep fishing, or B) look for greener pastures in search of that big un'?

Just curious on everyone's opinion as I am sure you have em'

:eek:...Set the hook and slam W trout baby....hell with big ones...you cant eat em and you dont catch as many..... :D

I could have put good odds on that response :p

Big trout are loaners. They do not hang with W trout. Trout over 2 lbs eat fish. Not that they won't eat shrimp though. Just as a general rule, big trout eat big fish. A trout will eat a fish up to half it's body length. Bigger bait = bigger trout. Big trout don't live in schools either. They don't live under birds feeding on shrimp. If you wanna catch a monster trout, use 4-6" mullet, croaker or ladyfish. just my $0.02

just read a book that claimed trout and redfish hang with fish of similar size. the book claimed if you catch dink trout that will be the only fish caught in that area. i say based on the book that seems to have valid information I would move.

This is true and false in the same way.... Big trout will school with smaller trout....Big trout will also chase shrimp.... I my self have pulled trout out from under birds in the 6lb range..... And I know that one of the 10lb trout that were caught was chasing bait under some birds working.... BUt your right Big trout dont move from area to area like smaller trout....but they will school up with other big trout also.... I saw a 32lb 5 trout stringer that was all pulled in from one school and they let 6 or 7 more 5lb trout go..... Bruce can tell you about a trip he went on last year where they caught around 20 trou over 5lbs..... Lot of this also has to do with whats area your fishing....

Trout Masters is a great book to read for this type of information. Alot of different opinions on the subject of sow trout, but it is all good info. I highly reccomend getting the book.

I missed making the book by 7lbs:(

I would love to be able to leave fish to go look for other fish, the problem is , by the time i find the fish it is time to go home.

BTW Im a rookie. But I did catch (3) 4.5lb trout in weeks bay 2 weeks ago, so i've got that going for me.

:cool:

What I want to know what size trout would yall consider a wall hanger?

Atleast 8lbs

try again

depends on the time of year, structure, bait, etc...

i will throw a lure that will filter out a lot of the 12-18 inch fish to begin with. i don't really eat a ton of trout and it doesn't matter to me whether i get my limit or not. I would rather catch one 26 inch plus fish than my 15 barely legal trout. now dont get me wrong i have fun catching numbers too.

I fish for sport and food. I love to eat fish. I love to catch fish.
If I get on the dinks, I catch dinks.
I always got fish frying at my house.
My wife is getting tired of fried shrimp and fried fish. I never get tired of dat.
I will move if I ain't catching, but if I am, I will stay right there.

I also fish for the sport...... I dont care if I catch 100 12inch trout...I catch and throw back but its action.,..... I did make a promise to my self that I would catch a 8-9lb trout this winter just to prove I can.....SO I will have to waist sometime and fish!!!

throw bigger baits under birds and you'll find a few nice ones. Thats what i do in Vermillion Bay. When I'm in some fast action dink trout I pull out the spook and usually i'll get one or two. Nothing huge but usually 3+lbs.. I caught a 5lber a few months ago reeling in a small white trout lol It was awesome. I thought it was a shark at first

This discussion is really just a matter of opinion. I feel like you will catch bigger fish with bigger bait. That certainly doesn't mean that you won't catch a sow trout on a 3" shrimp. There are alot of things that need to happen in order to catch a monster trout. Luck is a huge part of it. Finding the fish is the hard part. I suggest doing alot of reading. Trout masters is a good book along with a book called "specks". You will see that there are alot of different opinions on the subject. The area you are fishing also has alot to do with it.

i catch 23 and then go looking for 2 other monsters.

Here are a few quotes directly from chapter 1 of the book "Trout Masters".

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/5760/bookquotes.jpg