# Discovering - Brook Trout Fishing Techniques - Baitcasting Gear



## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Discovering follows along with angler Cody Cass to cast small Raps using baitcasting gear in search of Brook trout.









I think I'll reserve further comment until after others have had a chance to offer their observations.


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

Did @tincanary get a hair cut?


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Cody has his own YouTube channel, Hobie Wan Kenobi, very well worth checking out if you guys want to learn more about what he's doing. He and I chat on another forum from time to time, really great guy and a wealth of knowledge.


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

I watched this yesterday. Here is what came to mind. 

I would have never thought to try a Count-Down Rapala. But then I doubt I will ever have the energy to switch the hooks on one, either. But but in water that small, you could always just walk over and retrieve a snagged lure easily enough. Wrecks the “hole” temporarily but 2-3 casts without a strike or snag does the same thing anyway.

The video was a good example of why you may wish to fish for Steelhead on Opening Day - i.e. why many people you meet around that time will say something along the lines of “I don’t chase the Brookies till the leaves are on the trees.” And that goes double for a clear sunny day; much tougher fishing then. 

Where Brookie #s are good I know that some day I will catch one on a bare red hook. They are aggressive fish that smack things as they strike the water sometimes, though probably not on a leafless sunny day. Overall I’ve never been sure lure selection is all that important. 

But technique is, and that’s what the guy was really demonstrating. I would try some of those same casts with just a plastic on a jig head, as with a Trout Magnet. Or, just a worm. 

I like to fish a floating Rapala for Trout sometimes. I just let the current carry it way downstream and then guide it back to you on the retrieve, near likely holding spots. Moving up to a little bigger one will keep the small Trout and all the smolts off a fair bit, too. A bait-casting reel would be nice for that technique and I look forward to owning one some day. With that ability to really control the line flowing out you could really fish one on the way downstream, too. I thought that would be part of the video.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

B.Jarvinen said:


> I would try some of those same casts with just a plastic on a jig head


That works very well. I did good with 1.5" Charlie Brewer slider grubs on a 1/16 darter head last year, trout love those too.


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

For comparison, and I know they would never show it on TV, I would have liked to see someone drift a half crawler through those holes and under the logs after giving the Rapala first chance. FM


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Trout fishing a little stream where you can swing a rod more than a foot? Dang.
whatever works.
Ya F.M. , garden hackle can certainly up the count. Where legal. Even on a sapling or cane pole...


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Forest Meister said:


> For comparison, and I know they would never show it on TV, I would have liked to see someone drift a half crawler through those holes...



Juxtapose the above episode with this classic episode from yesteryear.

See if you can keep track of *how many fish are caught *in the brookie fishing segment at the 8:25 mark. Low water to boot...






Dude puts on a clinic.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Well live bait certainly makes it super easy. I prefer the fish to have the advantage, that's what makes it sporty . I couldn't tell you the last time I used live bait. I think GHWB was still in office.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

tincanary said:


> Well live bait certainly makes it super easy. I prefer the fish to have the advantage, that's what makes it sporty . I couldn't tell you the last time I used live bait. I think GHWB was still in office.


More sport would be using your hands only.
Catch and release only of course , so not to run afoul...

Hey , I'm impressed baitcasters are being used....
I'd still be pitching an openface underhanded though. Just me.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Waif said:


> More sport would be using your hands only.
> Catch and release only of course , so not to run afoul...
> 
> Hey , I'm impressed baitcasters are being used....
> I'd still be pitching an openface underhanded though. Just me.


I still like to use spinners too from time to time. It's a shame that we don't get any of the good trout specific reels here. No reason to have 200+ yd of line on a 1000 sized reel.


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## Matt3ddsteel (Jan 10, 2002)

PunyTrout said:


> Juxtapose the above episode with this classic episode from yesteryear.
> 
> See if you can keep track of *how many fish are caught *in the brookie fishing segment at the 8:25 mark. Low water to boot...
> 
> ...


Damn, if I had brookies spots like that the last thing I would want is someone following me around filming for a TV show.. lol.


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

B.Jarvinen said:


> I like to fish a floating Rapala for Trout sometimes. I just let the current carry it way downstream and then guide it back to you on the retrieve, near likely holding spots.





PunyTrout said:


> See if you can keep track of *how many fish are caught *in the brookie fishing segment


I've caught a couple dandies on floaters. Culvert fishing too. Notice that the big fish in the video came either in front of or in a culvert.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

This is one light spool, wondering how it will do as I have yet to fish it. With the hot weather we had for a couple of weeks I felt it best to leave the local trout population be. I have since spooled it with about 40yd of 8lb J-Braid.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Anyone ever fish inland trout streams with a Shakespeare 1810 closed face spinning reel?


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

tincanary said:


> This is one light spool, wondering how it will do as I have yet to fish it. With the hot weather we had for a couple of weeks I felt it best to leave the local trout population be. I have since spooled it with about 40yd of 8lb J-Braid.


That's pretty crazy. That spool is lighter than the ultra light glow spinner that I made with you in mind.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Cork Dust said:


> Anyone ever fish inland trout streams with a Shakespeare 1810 closed face spinning reel?




I started out my brook trout angling with a K-mart fiberglass rod with a black Zebco 101 reel.


Not much else required really. 

Why did I end up with a collection of fishing rods?


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

I started my brook trout fishing on a now vintage Shakespeare LX III and an Eagle Claw 6' glass rod. I wish the US market had more fiberglass options outside of fly rods and bass crankbait rods, I love that whippy action and fast recovery.


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## -Axiom- (Jul 24, 2010)

Cork Dust said:


> Anyone ever fish inland trout streams with a Shakespeare 1810 closed face spinning reel?


That's all I used to use up to the mid 90's, had them on fly rods.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

-Axiom- said:


> That's all I used to use up to the mid 90's, had them on fly rods.


One of the best night fishing brown trout reels going! We would rig a stem mounted fly vest light with a red cellophane lens cover taped over it to preserve night vision. We fished them even for steelhead via a modified line pick-up and heavier bushing on the handle stem, rigged on fly rods as well. Eventually, we ran out of the felt drag rings. I still have three. I think my brother has another half-dozen with several scavenged for parts...


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Cork Dust said:


> Eventually, we ran out of the felt drag rings. I still have three. I think my brother has another half-dozen with several scavenged for parts...


If you know the sizes of the drag discs, I can make some for you out of carbon fiber. They'll last indefinitely if you give them a light coating of drag grease.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

tincanary said:


> If you know the sizes of the drag discs, I can make some for you out of carbon fiber. They'll last indefinitely if you give them a light coating of drag grease.


I think I have on or two "shot" felt drag discs in the 1810 box. IF I sent you one, would that help you cut some from carbon fiber? Would I need to build them up in layers to the same thickness as the felt drag disc?


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Cork Dust said:


> I think I have on or two "shot" felt drag discs in the 1810 box. IF I sent you one, would that help you cut some from carbon fiber? Would I need to build them up in layers to the same thickness as the felt drag disc?


You can do that, or if you have a caliper, measure the outside diameter, inside diameter, and thickness and I can punch some for you. I have various thicknesses of carbon fiber sheet stock from 0.25mm up to 1mm.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

tincanary said:


> You can do that, or if you have a caliper, measure the outside diameter, inside diameter, and thickness and I can punch some for you. I have various thicknesses of carbon fiber sheet stock from 0.25mm up to 1mm.


No caliper, sorry. I will be going back-and-forth for the next few weeks to fish Lake Michigan for salmon, depending on weather. I avoid the weekends because things just get too crazy! Consequently, If you would send me a PM with your address, I will get them mailed out to you fir replication. Thanks!


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Matt3ddsteel said:


> Damn, if I had brookies spots like that the last thing I would want is someone following me around filming for a TV show.. lol.


The UP is full if little creeks, and streams that have great numbers of Brook Trout. The northern Lower does, too. Find the creeks that run cold, even on the hottest days. They'll have plenty of rocks/gravel. Then just find downed trees, and undercut banks, and have at it.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Fishndude said:


> The UP is full if little creeks, and streams that have great numbers of Brook Trout. The northern Lower does, too. Find the creeks that run cold, even on the hottest days. They'll have plenty of rocks/gravel. Then just find downed trees, and undercut banks, and have at it.


WE just had a ten fish creel limit on a cluster of rivers overturned via an orchestrated effort by TU leadership. I got a good chuckle out of the guide who testified before the NRC, MANsplaining that he was able to support his family by guiding folks from all over the country who just wanted to come to the U.P. to catch brookies irrespective of individual fish size. He then went on to accuse the MDNR of destroying his fishery with their liberal creel limits, despite the fact that they relaxed them sequentially by cluster of streams all the while monitoring impacts. Interesting dichotomy....! Lots of testimony that could fall under the summary heading of: Because our members fish them, they have magnified value for all fishers!


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