# Trout Rapalas



## jmaddog8807 (Oct 6, 2009)

I'll be heading up north this weekend to fish one of my favorite trout streams near Luther. Always use worms, crickets, or panther martins but this weekend I kind of want to try and throw some rapalas for some big boys. Buddy and I are set out to find two fish over 20 inches this weekend. Kind of are thing every time we go out is to get at least one over 20 inches. I taught him how to trout fish and that 20 inch brown has eluded him the past few years. 

Not knowing a whole lot about rapala fishing for trout, what would be some rapalas you guys suggest I pick up before heading up there? Any tips would be great. Thanks.


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## o_mykiss (May 21, 2013)

countdowns and original floating, black and gold, silver and black... maybe some in brighter colors depending on weather/river conditions

i like husky jerks and x-raps too, in size 6 or 8 or even 10

if you're going after big fish, upsize the baits...


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

F-13 Gold/Black, F-13 Silver/Black and F-13 GFR if the water is really stained.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

Get some size 5 and 7's in silver, black and firetiger. If you are in Luther you are close to Pine and some big water there. That is where your 20 inchers are. This was a few years ago but a girl I work showed me a photo of a 30 inch brown caught in that area. I will see if I can dig it up.


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

I've been occasionally working on an odd trout technique with floating Rapalas, in small water. Rather than just walk back downstream to the truck, I try and fish it a little bit by hiding behind some good cover and then letting a little Rapala float down stream for quite a ways before clicking the bail over and doing a slow retrieve.

Where the Alder or a good boulder and the shape of the channel all fit together right, this seems like a good tactic for when you have to go straight downstream. But only in lucky little spots with the above-water cover.


When I am fishing normally going up stream and can quarter casts into trout spots, I sometimes like to use a floating Rapala with a split shot or two 12-18" in front of it.


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## zig (Aug 5, 2009)

Boardman Brookies said:


> Get some size 5 and 7's in silver, black and firetiger. If you are in Luther you are close to Pine and some big water there. That is where your 20 inchers are. This was a few years ago but a girl I work showed me a photo of a 30 inch brown caught in that area. I will see if I can dig it up.


30 inches!! That would be awesome.


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## redneckman (Dec 7, 2005)

My favorite is a #5 countdown in black/silver. Don't overlook small water for big trout.


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## jmaddog8807 (Oct 6, 2009)

boardman brookies....oh i know the river well...just figured i would add a new technique to the arsenal this year and throw some rapalas....some people may think it's crazy but i wouldnt doubt a 30 incher

thanks for the tips guys


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

Here is the picture. This is NOT a lake run fish.


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## JB85 (Nov 2, 2010)

oh my!!!



Boardman Brookies said:


> Here is the picture. This is NOT a lake run fish.
> 
> View attachment 79834


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

Holy chunky brownie!!!!!!!


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

That has to be one of the heaviest resident brown trout I've ever seen. Tough to believe he didn't have somekind of access to a lake of somesort to get that big. A true trophy!


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

drgulian said:


> That has to be one of the heaviest resident brown trout I've ever seen. Tough to believe he didn't have somekind of access to a lake of somesort to get that big. A true trophy!


That is honestly what I thought when I heard about it but it was caught somewhere in the Pine and we all know the fish cannot get above Tippy. Apparently this guy went as far as to have it verified with the DNR. Sorry to hijack your thread but I figured it was worth mention. You have to believe there are other "resident" fish like this there and in the other bigger, notable trout streams.

A couple years back I posted a thread titled "middle manistee monster" or something like that. I was fishing the Manistee and hooked into something big, really big with a 5 ft UL rod with 4 lb test. It made run after run and dogged line constantly. I fought this fish for over 15 minutes and it finally got into some logs and I just layed into and it snapped my line. What ever it was it was one big fish. I landed big browns and steelhead with that setup so it is more than capable if you take your time. The one that got away......


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## jmaddog8807 (Oct 6, 2009)

no worries at all about jacking it. the pine doesn't flow into any bigger streams correct, or at least fish cannot get into any bigger systems from the pine? that is why there are no steelhead or salmon runs in the river. so yea if that fish was from the pine, it definitely is a resident fish. i have had some big boys follow my spinners close, talkin 25 inch plus. but that thing is big ol pig...


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

jmaddog8807 said:


> no worries at all about jacking it. the pine doesn't flow into any bigger streams correct, or at least fish cannot get into any bigger systems from the pine? that is why there are no steelhead or salmon runs in the river. so yea if that fish was from the pine, it definitely is a resident fish. i have had some big boys follow my spinners close, talkin 25 inch plus. but that thing is big ol pig...


Yep that is right. Tippy blocks all of that. The Pine flows into Tippy Pond. I wonder if there are some big browns in it?


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

f18s, and f13s throw up and retrieve fast, pausing at all wood corners


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Boardman Brookies said:


> The Pine flows into Tippy Pond. I wonder if there are some big browns in it?


 No comment.


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## zig (Aug 5, 2009)

Boardman Brookies said:


> Here is the picture. This is NOT a lake run fish.
> 
> View attachment 79834


Holy Mary!! Goodness..... You know, its amazing how much difference just a few inches makes (I can see that perhaps getting some remarks.....) My personal best is 25.5. That same day I caught several more in the 18-20 range. One of my better days... An 18-20 resident brown is a very, very nice fish. But when I took a picture of them with the 25 inch one, they looked SMALL and I mean, really SMALL. That 30 incher makes my 25 look small. Just a few inches changes the fish completely. Pretty cool.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

jmaddog8807 said:


> I'll be heading up north this weekend to fish one of my favorite trout streams near Luther. Always use worms, crickets, or panther martins but this weekend I kind of want to try and throw some rapalas for some big boys. Buddy and I are set out to find two fish over 20 inches this weekend. Kind of are thing every time we go out is to get at least one over 20 inches. I taught him how to trout fish and that 20 inch brown has eluded him the past few years.
> 
> Not knowing a whole lot about rapala fishing for trout, what would be some rapalas you guys suggest I pick up before heading up there? Any tips would be great. Thanks.


Careful there jmad, I mentioned one of those methods once and was accused by some long time posters of trying to ruin their fishing by outing a secret. Seems like it's not such a secret after all.

And Boardman, that is an incredible brown. I assume it came after Stronach was removed. There are some really nice fish between Hodenpyle and Tippy but that one is truly exceptional. One of the hopes in removing the dam was improved fish passage into colder water. It sure worked in this case. I've got to get over to my buddies place in Mesick and dial in the Hex over there one of these years. All I need is to win the lottery so I have the extra time.


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

kzoofisher said:


> Careful there jmad, I mentioned one of those methods once and was accused by some long time posters of trying to ruin their fishing by outing a secret. Seems like it's not such a secret after all.


Why bring that up in jmads thread? How obscure. Almost as obscure to the topic at hand, when you brought it up in the original thread out of spite.You see jmad, the context in which you brought up this "method", is totally different to kzoo's. He must be feeling a little guilty. Funny how guilt works on a man. Maybe he could take a lesson from Bruce Jenner.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

Ranger Ray said:


> Why bring that up in jmads thread? How obscure. Almost as obscure to the topic at hand, when you brought it up in the original thread out of spite.You see jmad, the context in which you brought up this "method", is totally different to kzoo's. He must be feeling a little guilty. Funny how guilt works on a man. Maybe he could take a lesson from Bruce Jenner.


It can't be too obscure, you brought it up in a General Hunting thread 2 1/2 weeks ago. I originally mentioned fishing with crickets in a thread about fishing pressure. My take (2? 3? years ago) was that the effects of a increas in pressure had not been studied and it might be interesting to choose a quality fishery that was lightly pressured and promote it to see what would happen. I mentioned a river, not an unmentionable, that I felt qualified and the method a friend of mine uses there. It would be impossible for me to know that it was someone else's pet method or favorite river, especially someone who is a complete stranger to me outside of a message board user name. No spite, no bad intent, just an unfortunate coincidence. In Ray's world though, where he is the perennial victim, these things always have dark undercurrents and deep conspiracies. I mainly fish the Au Sable and its branches, water that gets plenty of pressure and plenty of press. The regulations there account for that pressure so I have no worries about the fishing being "utterly destroyed" by an influx of anglers, splitshot and apparently Ranger Ray feel differently about a bunch of bait fisherman coming in and its affect on the fishery.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

kzoofisher said:


> Careful there jmad, I mentioned one of those methods once and was accused by some long time posters of trying to ruin their fishing by outing a secret. Seems like it's not such a secret after all.
> 
> 
> 
> And Boardman, that is an incredible brown. I assume it came after Stronach was removed. There are some really nice fish between Hodenpyle and Tippy but that one is truly exceptional. One of the hopes in removing the dam was improved fish passage into colder water. It sure worked in this case. I've got to get over to my buddies place in Mesick and dial in the Hex over there one of these years. All I need is to win the lottery so I have the extra time.



Yep kzoo it was caught 3 or 4 years ago and I am not 100% sure but from what she told me it was caught way up stream from the pond. My personal best is a 26 inch brown I caught below Mio and that fish dwarfs it. Truly a monster.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

Boardman Brookies said:


> Yep kzoo it was caught 3 or 4 years ago and I am not 100% sure but from what she told me it was caught way up stream from the pond. My personal best is a 26 inch brown I caught below Mio and that fish dwarfs it. Truly a monster.


Amazing fish. I wonder how many times it was hooked and broken off? A fish like that is going to get into the logs on light line, all you can do is hope for the best in a small stream.


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## mondrella (Dec 27, 2001)

kzoofisher said:


> It can't be too obscure, you brought it up in a General Hunting thread 2 1/2 weeks ago. I originally mentioned fishing with crickets in a thread about fishing pressure. My take (2? 3? years ago) was that the effects of a increas in pressure had not been studied and it might be interesting to choose a quality fishery that was lightly pressured and promote it to see what would happen. I mentioned a river, not an unmentionable, that I felt qualified and the method a friend of mine uses there. It would be impossible for me to know that it was someone else's pet method or favorite river, especially someone who is a complete stranger to me outside of a message board user name. No spite, no bad intent, just an unfortunate coincidence. In Ray's world though, where he is the perennial victim, these things always have dark undercurrents and deep conspiracies. I mainly fish the Au Sable and its branches, water that gets plenty of pressure and plenty of press. The regulations there account for that pressure so I have no worries about the fishing being "utterly destroyed" by an influx of anglers, splitshot and apparently Ranger Ray feel differently about a bunch of bait fisherman coming in and its affect on the fishery.


Kzoo you are so off logic about these guys thoughts on the effect of bait fisherman and fisherman in general. Splitshot and I fished together last Friday using several different methods to catch trout. We basically discussed the fact that legal sport fishing methods would be so hard press to effect the population of trout just because of today's improved habitat. People can use the same bait right next to Splitshot and would be hard press to put the numbers of trout to hand. When 2 guys can fish and out 40 Plus trout 10" and better to hand each we are not to worried about how others fish. I can 

As far as plug fishing you have many good options provided. It is all in presentation. There are many large trout in Michigan rivers near and over 30". I have hooked several. Unfortunately I have yet to land one of them. Your warmer rivers that are more marginal trout waters seem to hold many of these fast growing giants. I have one fish that still haunts me and that was a brown that was a stream fish pushing 20lbs. By far the largest stream trout I ever hooked. The 20 inch fish I landed 15 minutes later I flipped out of the water like a 6 incher. There is a art to each method of fishing. Fish the way you have confidence you will catch big fish more consistently if you believe in the way you fish.


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## jmaddog8807 (Oct 6, 2009)

kzoo, perhaps you're right. I shouldn't have listed some methods that people don't want others knowing about. I'll keep that in mind next time I post. Thanks for the tips with the raps guys. I'll let ya know how we do this weekend. Mondrella, I do agree with your last statement, fishing the method you have most confidence in does/will produce the best fishing. Just always like to add some other methods in case one seems to be lacking


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

Steve,
I don't understand the logic. On the theoretical side they say that fishing will have no effect. When faced with the possibility of increased pressure on a pet river splitshot says the fishing will be "utterly destroyed". That's not my interpretation, it's a quote. 

Every fisherman knows in his gut that lightly fished water is better than heavily fished. My contention then and now is that we don't really know. Every river that has had restrictions placed on it has maintained its quality despite increased pressure so far as I know. What would happen if the pressure increased without restrictions? Picking a river to study, getting baseline populations, promoting the fishery to increase pressure and surveying the population again would be very interesting.


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

I think fishing pressure on stream Trout is going down in general anyway. Didn't anyone read the recent issue of Woods-N-Water News? There is no shortage of Trout, streams, or awesome Trout habitat. I think less and less people all the time are willing to move beyond bobbers for panfish, crank baits for bass, and trolling in the Great Lakes. 

And the most famous Trout fishing story of all time, set in Michigan even, and based on a memory probably 100 years old now, revealed that Crickets are great Trout bait.


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## jmaddog8807 (Oct 6, 2009)

B.Jarvinen said:


> I think fishing pressure on stream Trout is going down in general anyway. Didn't anyone read the recent issue of Woods-N-Water News? There is no shortage of Trout, streams, or awesome Trout habitat. I think less and less people all the time are willing to move beyond bobbers for panfish, crank baits for bass, and trolling in the Great Lakes.
> 
> And the most famous Trout fishing story of all time, set in Michigan even, and based on a memory probably 100 years old now, revealed that Crickets are great Trout bait.


I agree with this. I could be wrong, but I rarely run into and fishermen when I'm trout fishing. Now I don't fish the holy waters on the Ausable or anything, but when I fish these smaller trout streams, if I see another fishermen I actually think it's pretty cool to see someone else out there trying for some browns or bows.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

When I was a kid, we always caught Crickets in summer, to use for panfish bait. And we used them for Trout at times, too. Gotta have smaller Crickets for Bluegills, or they can't get their mouths around em. 

Rapalas are deadly for larger Browns. Big Browns feast on bugs when they are hatching, but they mostly dine on other fish. Bigger fish need more food. Larger Rapalas catch bigger fish, but you will miss the smaller fish with the larger lures. Sometimes quantity is more fun. Some days getting that one special fish is everything. 

That is a beast of a River Brown. I wonder why it isn't more colored-up, like resident Browns? Lake run Browns tend to be a lot more silvery, but take on the colors of residents, after spending time in a river. To me, that looks like a lake-run fish that has been in the river for a bit. But if it was caught above a barrier dam, there isn't any debate about it. Nice catch. 

Oh, and I agree with the other posters, who have opined that fishing pressure isn't causing any decline in the numbers of Trout, or even the numbers of large Trout. Michigan has tons of under-fished Trout streams, and rivers. And the rivers, and streams that get the most pressure are pressured because they are great fisheries.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

jmaddog8807 said:


> I agree with this. I could be wrong, but I rarely run into and fishermen when I'm trout fishing. Now I don't fish the holy waters on the Ausable or anything, but when I fish these smaller trout streams, if I see another fishermen I actually think it's pretty cool to see someone else out there trying for some browns or bows.


Totally. I rarely, if ever encounter anyone. Opening day is a zoo but after that nada. But you are right it is sometime cool to stop and chat or have a beer with someone else out on the streams.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

Fishndude said:


> That is a beast of a River Brown. I wonder why it isn't more colored-up, like resident Browns? Lake run Browns tend to be a lot more silvery, but take on the colors of residents, after spending time in a river. To me, that looks like a lake-run fish that has been in the river for a bit. But if it was caught above a barrier dam, there isn't any debate about it. Nice catch.


I fish a few creeks that have fish colored just like that brown. They are all small fish 8-12 range but are silver. The water is always off color due to the entire clay bottom. I think that has something to do with it.


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## RobW (Dec 6, 2012)

Boardman Brookies said:


> I fish a few creeks that have fish colored just like that brown. They are all small fish 8-12 range but are silver. The water is always off color due to the entire clay bottom. I think that has something to do with it.


I believe you may be onto something. I caught a real nice lunker along the bottom of a 10 foot deep clay ledge, and he had almost no color at all, just a pale, washed out yellow color...


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## tda513 (Oct 24, 2011)

I primarily use spinners, but I like throwing rapalas when I know there is a fish in a hole and he won't take my spinner. This morning I had a nice fish chase my spinner down but miss when he tried to grab it. I immediately switched over to a minnow plug, and she smashed it right away. I personally like the smallest thundersticks, and some other "off brand" minnow plugs over the rapalas. They are cheaper, and just as effective.


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## FishKilla419 (Feb 22, 2008)

I like the lil baby floating rap in Brown trout color. Big browns do to..


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

I have caught plenty of brown trout over 20 inches in my lifetime. Most of them came out of a stream that nobody fished. On the other hand I have caught many out of heavily fished streams. Rapalas and larger spinners do work well for larger fish. In the summer if you are targeting a wall hanger use a live minnow or crayfish in the deep holes. Another trick is to pick out a nice deep hole and return to it after dark using a night crawler. I have seen large browns in these holes during the daytime that ignore everything you offer them. After dark they cannot resist a night crawler.


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## jmaddog8807 (Oct 6, 2009)

All this talk about big trout is getting me excited. Just hope it doesn't rain too much up there this weekend. I don't mind a little dirty water though.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

1 1/2" they're calling for in some places. Hope they're wrong.


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

kzoofisher said:


> When faced with the possibility of increased pressure on a pet river splitshot says the fishing will be "utterly destroyed". That's not my interpretation, it's a quote.


Link to quote.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

Here you go. My bad, he said "utterly destroying" not "utterly destroyed". _Is TU the real problem thread_ page 13, post 195


> The other day my wife asked me if something was bothering me. She thought it was my anticipation of opening day. I told her in the last couple of weeks I have been accused of being uncompromising, jealous of some rich guys because I live in a little house, of being selfish, of being a fish hog, of not being ashamed for catching so many fish* and threatened to tread lightly or my favorite Pine river and some of my favorite techniques for catching trout might be posted all over the Inter-net and on MOOD TV utterly destroying my fishing for years to come.*


Pretty clear that he thinks an increase in pressure will seriously alter the resource. And this from a guy who, along with Mr. Mondrella, just last Friday caught more than 80 trout over 10". Whether on the Pine or another stream is unclear, there are many nice rivers in the North West part of the LP.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=461829&page=13


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## tcfishes (Oct 2, 2013)

Boardman Brookies said:


> I fish a few creeks that have fish colored just like that brown. They are all small fish 8-12 range but are silver. The water is always off color due to the entire clay bottom. I think that has something to do with it.



I think there's truth to this. I was fishing in a river just south of the Pine a few days ago that has a clay bottom and all of the fish I caught were pretty much silver as well. Granted, the river is not landlocked, but I dont think the fish I caught were lake-run. Here's an example


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## jmaddog8807 (Oct 6, 2009)

So anyways...back to trout fishing. Got up there Thursday night, rained all night long and hard. Pretty much ruined the river that night Rose about a half of foot and visibility was about 3 inches, and I don't wade the pine if I can't see that well. Did manage a few trout on worms but nothing worth takin a picture of. 

I did try some rapalas but noticed that they wouldnt quite catch in the current and dive deep. I don't think I was using the right ones or something because they didn't seem to work all that well in the river. Still a great weekend. Though grilled a bunch of good food and drank a few beers.


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

Sometimes I think Rapalas catch fishermen better than they catch fish. I have definitely caught Trout on them, but I have probably caught more on spinners. I tried them most places I could in the 7 or so hours I was on the water over the last week, but did much better with spinners and jigs. I had some very interesting follows with them, but follows aren't what you want when fishing for Brook Trout.


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## SND (Dec 19, 2004)

And I had the opposite luck the past couple of days chasing browns in the central part of the state. The stream was up and running hard after the torrential rains and Rapalas worked very well for me. Only small fish came to spinners.

Headed back to the Mid-east until September. Fall steelhead will be my next fishing outing.



B.Jarvinen said:


> Sometimes I think Rapalas catch fishermen better than they catch fish. I have definitely caught Trout on them, but I have probably caught more on spinners. I tried them most places I could in the 7 or so hours I was on the water over the last week, but did much better with spinners and jigs. I had some very interesting follows with them, but follows aren't what you want when fishing for Brook Trout.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

I remember when that brown was caught. I know the angler quite well- he is an above average angler and I wasn't surprised he caught it. Where the fish came from will never be completely known. There are scenarios- it certainly could have come from Tippy Pond. It's well known that trout move back and forth between Tippy Pond and the Pine River. It could have also spent time in the Hodenpyl stretch of the Manistee River. It could have come out of one of the many private trout ponds in the watershed. Or, it could have simply been a true Pine River resident trout that grew to giant proportions. We'll never know, and I kind of like that some mysteries will never be solved!

Getting back to the Rapala topic, I just came back from a trip to Colorado, and I can attest to the fact that browns and rainbows out there are also very willing to attack Rapalas!


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## lancenelson (Jun 10, 2009)

Direct quote from a buddy of mine regarding the pine river: "there are big trout in this stretch! Right here a friend of mine hooked into one the size of a coffee table."

What an awesome system!


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## gonewest (Oct 3, 2014)

I fish a lot of Rapalas, Husky Jerks, and X-raps. I have good luck on them. A lot has to do with if its sunny or overcast. The thing that humbles me the most is that if you get the hooks anywhere near your clothes it gets hooked up. Those hooks are super sharp. But I loose alot of Brown that come out of the hole jumping and throw the hook easily. I have tried bigger, smaller hooks different kind it doesn't matter. A lot of anglers don't realize how much browns jump in the river.


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## fishx65 (Aug 24, 2005)

I only fish River Browns at night and only throw J-7 Jointed Raps. Most of the big Browns I take in the dark are within 4 feet of the shoreline where the water depth is 1 to 2 feet. It's really easy to run jointed Raps shallow along river banks. Color doesn't seem to make a big difference to me at night.


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