# Summer Rainbow Trout - Small Inland Lake Tips



## z9ack (Jun 25, 2013)

Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

I have a small inland lake near my home that they stock with Rainbow trout. I am looking for some tips on how to catch them. 

The only success we have had is we used a small glow in the dark jig tipped with a crawler. We did this with a drop light and fished at night in about 25-30 foot of water. We caught our limit, but I feel this was due more to luck. We have been unable to catch anymore since. 

The water temperature is currently 81 degrees. 

Any tips or tricks out there would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

The temperature at 30 feet is a lot different than the surface temp. Read up on Chironomids, then think outside the box. Think about slip floats.


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## wildlife chaser (Mar 4, 2005)

you can fish them many different ways and at different times of the day or night. me I like to troll for them use o-dippys divers and small stinger spoons but there are other ways to troll for them too. you can still fish them early in the morning start shallow and work your way out, dusk start deep and work your way in. a fish finder helps a lot set up over the fish,fishing normally strait down you can use a slip bobber or drop down to the bottom and come up a crank or two. baits to use wax worms, red worms wigglers if you know how to dig them your self, minnows and some use corn in the can (I don't because the other baits do better for me). hope this will help you.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

We troll small spoons (Cleos, Stinger Scorpions), rapalas, and spinners from 20-30' down over 50-90' of water on the lakes we've fished. Catch a lot of the just planted 9-10" fish that way, but on some of the lakes we've taken some dandy holdover rainbows from previous years that were measured in pounds and not inches.

Downriggers with rubber band releases to see the small fish hit, and 3 ounce snap weights were our best techniques.

We've pulled many nice perch doing this as well, and a 9" bluegill 35' down over 90' in the middle of the lake. Still scratching my head on that one.

No need to wait until dark, we would often go to the lake about noon, have lunch, let the kids swim, and then grab some fish.


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## o_mykiss (May 21, 2013)

We've pulled many nice perch doing this as well said:


> shhh don't tell anyone, big gills often suspend just like that


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## iceassasin (Jan 27, 2009)

As was said above, trolling is a good option. However, if you don't have the means to do that productively fishing at night has been very productive for me. I usually fish over the deep water and use my electronics to figure out the depths they are roaming that night. We all started bringing our ice fishing flashers and ice fishing poles off the boat! It's a blast. Lantern and red worms or piece of crawler usually produces depending on timing. 


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## Jimbos (Nov 21, 2000)

What about slinging out canned corn, and then floating a hook with a marshmellow with a few kernels threaded on it and using a barrel sinker kept a few feet up by a small split shot?


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## carpslayer (Jan 31, 2009)

found these last night fishing bobbers 12-14ft over 25ft of water! I use red worms or a chunk of crawler and a piece of corn!


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## steelheader32 (Feb 27, 2013)

Ive never fished for em but have wanted to really bad..just waiting for the oppurtunity to join someone when they go xince i dont have a boat at this moment..i do have a friend that used to go in his younger days and swears by a redworm with a single corn kernal tipped on a slip bobber rig
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## MontcalmCounty (Apr 1, 2013)

What'd that top one measure


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## carpslayer (Jan 31, 2009)

Top one was just over 18 1/2..


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## fishman210 (Jan 10, 2008)

We went out last night. 38 ft of water. Landed the last bluegill @ 1:25 in the a.m. Biggest was 10 1/4. Every one still had eggs in it. Do bluegill skip spawning years like other fish species?!? The trout action was non-stop. Biggest was 17 inches. It literally jumped in the boat. Couldn't of asked for a better night to watch some fireworks!! Minnows out fished the crawlers. The gills all came on minnows.









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## carpslayer (Jan 31, 2009)

Nice catch fish! Bluegills don't all spawn at the same time doom guessing they are the late spawners! May I ask what minns u were using? Shiners or fatheads


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## carpslayer (Jan 31, 2009)

doom ***..should of been, (so I'm)


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## steelheader32 (Feb 27, 2013)

Man i gotta try this..soon! Anyone reccomend any lakes to give it a shot at? Im in kalamazoo
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## syonker (May 7, 2004)

steelheader32 said:


> Man i gotta try this..soon! Anyone reccomend any lakes to give it a shot at? Im in kalamazoo
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Check out the DNR fish stocking dbase.

That should get you started in the right direction.

Here's the link: http://www.michigandnr.com/fishstock/


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## fishman210 (Jan 10, 2008)

Blue or emerald shiners. I'm not a fan of the fathead, and neither are most of the fish. all I seem to catch when using fatheads are bass. Once in awhile you get lucky and get a different species, but I've watched the trout,crappie,perch, and bluegill swim bye and never attempt to eat the fathead. They can't resist a nice lively, shinny, blue or emerald! 


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## cedarlkDJ (Sep 2, 2002)

steelheader32 said:


> Man i gotta try this..soon! Anyone reccomend any lakes to give it a shot at? Im in kalamazoo


Little Paw Paw Lake, N.W. of Schoolcraft. DNR still stocks it with about 3500/yr. It's been awhile but, straight out from the boat launch at night. We used to just hang a lantern over the side of the boat and tight line over the side with a split shot and a kernel of corn (had to be Green Giant Niblets) and a red worm on the hook. Caught some up to 20"s but most are around 16". We used to catch them at Wolf Lake too. At the boat launch from shore with a slip bobber and a minnow.


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## steelheader32 (Feb 27, 2013)

How deep you have to fish em at wolf lake..i have fished that before for bass with little success
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## steelheader32 (Feb 27, 2013)

Thanks for the info btw..me and a buddy just picked up a 14 ft aluminum boat and a trailer for a hundred bucks..cant wait to get it out
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