early January trout report - Caney

[CreekWalker]

I've had mediocre results recently but figure any report is better than nothing.

Out of three outings in as many weeks we had two slow days and one interesting one. (slow days meaning landing a couple freak accident stockers and then maybe a big one or two chase &/or roll on the bait but never hooked well).

One day there was a bunch of dead shad coming out of the dam and both the gulls and brown trout were very active. It was exciting.

We don't really fish for small stockers but when they're active it's fun to watch them snip at large plastics! It's crazy but sometimes we downsize and only get them to chase but they'll sometimes hook themselves on baits seemingly as big as themselves AFTER the retrieve is done and the lure is all the way out of the water at our feet. Go figure.

I need to find something that mimics small, dead shad on the surface. Anyone have any ideas? I don't fly fish. I got plenty of snips on a white bucktail but unfortunately have to work it fast to keep it up because of the weight.

I could tell you about the one that got away but I don't want to re-live the heartbreak.

The guys on the steps seem to be doing well with numbers.

If anyone wants to PM me with any suggested tweaks I'd certainly appreciate it!

[agelesssone]

For stockers you need to scale way down.

2-4 lb. test line, trout magnets in white or pink with 1/64th or 1/32 jighead, or a piece of corn on a #10-12 bare hook, BB splitshot 6-8 inches from the hook. Cast upstream, bounce it along the bottom.

Should catch a bunch like that.

Or you can throw very small spinners (gold blades) on light line, steady retrieve, varying the depth til you find what depth they prefer. Or a 1/8th kastmaster spoon, blue and silver.

[TroutFiend]

Or a 1/8th kastmaster spoon, blue and silver.

X2.



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[spottedbass]

Go ahead and laugh but a banjo minnow will look like a dead shad on top. I have caught many a spotted bass by working a banjo minnow across the surface.

[jad2t]

I've had some very fun times fishing below that dam with a Kastmaster spoon, 1/4 oz chrome, but I'm sure other colors and sizes will work just fine. Cast about 45 degrees to the right toward the boils and pay close attention to your line. Don't let it get snagged, you'll lose A LOT of stuff down there. I think I've got at least 50 dollars worth of gear down there.

Reel in the slack as it starts to drift toward you, keep your rodtip high as to keep the spoon from getting hung. If you feel anything set the hook. It's either a fish or you're bumping into something and as mentioned before it's easy to get stuck. Even if it's not a fish you'll just jerk the spoon up a few feet and then let it fall back down. This mimics a shad trying to survive and prevents you from losing spoons. Just let the spoon drift and you'll feel the strike as long as you keep slack out of your line. This is important. Too much slack and you won't feel the strike. If you reel too much you won't let the spoon get deep enough or naturally flutter like a dying shad.

I tend to catch much larger trout using this method. Lots of 13" to 14" right on the nose, and FAT. They make for a great dinner. Got my first and only Caney Slam (catch all 3 species in the same day) doing this too.

[CreekWalker]

Go ahead and laugh but a banjo minnow will look like a dead shad on top. I have caught many a spotted bass by working a banjo minnow across the surface.

I wouldn't laugh at the banjo minnow idea especially if it works! Thanks. Again, I have no desire to catch stockers I don't mind striking out with big baits in effort to catch fish over 20". I won't complain, though, if I catch a few stockers during my hunt for THE ONE.

[Travis C.]

Go ahead and laugh but a banjo minnow will look like a dead shad on top. I have caught many a spotted bass by working a banjo minnow across the surface.

Dang it spottedbass.... :D

Yes, this technique works and works well.

What I do though since you're imitating a dead or stunned shad is not work it across the surface. Rig it on hook of your choice (mine is a circle hook) and put a float on it but not close to it. The float is to know when the fish has it and the circle hook helps them not swallow it. Pitch it at the boils then let it drift with no tension on the line and watch the float. For every big fish you see coming up for shad there are as big or bigger ones below picking off the shad lower in the water column.