# what is the deal? + rifle report



## troutfisher25 (May 7, 2011)

Saturday, I decided to head up to the rifle despite the rain. I thought that the rain would stir up the browns. I get to my spot and the river was starting to cloud up with the runoff and the stream was picking up momentum. I usually cross the stream, but earlier this year on a similar day I crossed and got stuck on the other side because the river rose so high. So I decided to see what was upstream. I walked along the bank and saw a log and casted along side of it really downstream with my spinner. Then a 15inch brown rose up and missed my spinner. I casted and casted, but he wasn't being fooled. I ended up getting drenched because of the rain. I kept having close calls with some nice sized browns. They would chase it and pull away at the last second. I missed a few good sized ones. Nothing came out of any holes. I dunked worms and spawn into them, but nothing bit. Biggest of the day was a little 11 incher. 

I am contemplating putting a bigger treble or a small stinger hook at the back of my spinners, because I am missing a lot of fish with them right now. Alot the fish are not really hitting the spinners hard either. The ones that comitt to them I catch, but a lot of them just nip the back. Sometimes I tip my spinners with worms to give them a little extra action, so that is where the stinger would come in. Anyone have any thoughts on if these are a good ideas?


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Take a couple smaller Rapalas with you next time, and changeup your offering if the spinners aren't getting strikes. Some days the fish want one particular thing. Some days bait won't get a sniff, but streamers stripped fast will get hammered. Trout can be very finicky.


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

With all the rain we have been having, they are not that hungry. I caught a few browns while steelhead fishing and they were so fat they looked like they were going to pop. A couple were puking out worms like mad. Why chase a spinner when they are surrounded by easy food. When trout are not real agressive I think rapalas do work better than spinners if fished properly.


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

Sometimes increasing your retrive speed will force the fish to commit.


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## quack head (Oct 23, 2007)

Tie on a P.T. Or Prince (any nymph really just smallish) trailing your spinner About 6 to 8 inches. Sometimes when the fish pulls off the spinner, it will hit the fly.


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## troutfisher25 (May 7, 2011)

Thanks for the advice guys.Haven't really used rapalas on trout.Any recommendations for rapalas? I like streamer fishing, but right now my 7'6 st. croix 5 wt broke and i had to send it in. That is my small stream rod and all I have is my orvis 9ft 5wt, which is a little harder to fit into places.


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## quack head (Oct 23, 2007)

Jointed floating brown trout or rainbow imitations. don't tell anyone. It's a secrete


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## troutfisher25 (May 7, 2011)

:lol: I have a couple of those laying around somewhere.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Try this it really works good for steelhead I tie on a #14 treble hook and no sinkers then hook a whole crawler in the head with just one barb. Toss it up next to a log or into a hole and let it float down naturally. I also do that with spawn bags and you would really be surprised the difference that it makes. I don't know if they see the sinker or what.


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## stockrex (Apr 29, 2009)

Robert Holmes said:


> Try this it really works good for steelhead I tie on a #14 treble hook and no sinkers then hook a whole crawler in the head with just one barb. Toss it up next to a log or into a hole and let it float down naturally. I also do that with spawn bags and you would really be surprised the difference that it makes. I don't know if they see the sinker or what.


[not from my experience] 
I have heard centerpin guys being more successful because the presentation is more natural, i.e. the speed it floats down is match to the water speed.


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## Fishfighter (Dec 20, 2009)

Robert Holmes said:


> Try this it really works good for steelhead I tie on a #14 treble hook and no sinkers then hook a whole crawler in the head with just one barb. Toss it up next to a log or into a hole and let it float down naturally. I also do that with spawn bags and you would really be surprised the difference that it makes. I don't know if they see the sinker or what.


For brookies and rainbows I do well fishing a crawler on a single hook with no weight on the line. I take the worm and hook it through the middle the slide it up all the way till it is on the line then it is ready to go.


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## mondrella (Dec 27, 2001)

I think you were very close in the right presentation if you were consistently turning fish. It could have been a many different things. Color of the bait you had on. Size,speed of retrieve. Cast placement. One has to always be adapting to be able to catch trout consistently.


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## troutfisher25 (May 7, 2011)

I went back to the same area with rapalas and maneged a 13.5 inch brown on the second cast. I lost less fish and the fish were more eager to hit the rapala. I lost a beautiful 17 incher. Had it on for about 3 seconds hit right next to me. Soon as I hooked it, she flew out of the water and shook my hook. :yikes:


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