We've added a new feature to our web site. It's a calendar! As Spring approaches, trout fishing will start heating up shortly. As such, there's trout fishing workshops, clinics, derby's and more being scheduled to help folks enjoy the upcoming trout fishing season.
So we thought it would be nice to track all these events on a calendar to make it easier for you to keep track of trout fishing events in your area. To check out our new trout fishing calendar, click here.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Open Season for Gila Trout in Arizona
Anglers can now catch and possess ONE Gila trout at Frye Mesa Reservoir. However, anglers are encouraged to practice catch and release since Gila trout are still a threatened species.
The Arizona Game & Fish Department has some nice photos on their Facebook page of the recent stocking that took place.
For more information about Gila trout, click here.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sebago Ice Fishing Derby Offering Big Prizes
Trout Anglers in Maine might like to check out the Ice Fishing Derby in Sebago, which will be held the 26th and 27th of February, 2011.
This is the 11th Annual Ice Fishing Derby in Sebago, and this year they're offering a $100,000 prize to the person who catches the largest Lake trout (and here's the catch) .... which breaks the Maine State Record (which currently sits at 31 lbs and 8 oz). The Maine State Record for Lake Trout was recorded in 1958 and hasn't been broken yet. If an angler is lucky enough to break that record during the derby, he/she will walk away with the $100,000 prize!
Other prizes include a Polar Craft Boat, Gift Certificates, Ice Fishing Sleds, and more.
For more information about the Sebago Ice Fishing Derby and entry fees, click here.
This is the 11th Annual Ice Fishing Derby in Sebago, and this year they're offering a $100,000 prize to the person who catches the largest Lake trout (and here's the catch) .... which breaks the Maine State Record (which currently sits at 31 lbs and 8 oz). The Maine State Record for Lake Trout was recorded in 1958 and hasn't been broken yet. If an angler is lucky enough to break that record during the derby, he/she will walk away with the $100,000 prize!
Other prizes include a Polar Craft Boat, Gift Certificates, Ice Fishing Sleds, and more.
For more information about the Sebago Ice Fishing Derby and entry fees, click here.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wireless GPS Trolling System For Trout Fishing
I love electronic gadgets and today stumbled across this wireless trolling GPS unit. If you love trolling for trout, you might be interested in this GPS trolling unit. Check it out.
Free Fly Fishing Lessons in Texas
The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens will be hosting a fly fishing day on March 12, 2011 (9 am to 4 pm). This is a great event for beginners wanting to learn to fly fish and for advanced anglers wanting a bit of help with casting and other things.
Several local fly fishing clubs will be on hand to help teach people how to fly cast, tie knots, and more. All equipment will be supplied by the clubs, so you don't need to bring any. To see a complete list of topics covered, click here.
The classes are FREE, but registration is required because spaces are limited. To reserve a spot, call Craig Brooks at 903-670-2222.
For more information about these fly fishing lessons, click here.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Trout Fishing Videos
Yesterday, I mentioned that we were doing a lot of updates to our website. One of the updates we worked on yesterday was a new trout fishing video library. There are loads of videos out there offering instruction on various aspects of trout fishing. Some of these videos are region specific and others specialize in a specific trout species.
If you're new to trout fishing, you'll really enjoy Scientific Angler's videos on trout ... which cover all the basics of trout behavior, feeding habits and how to catch them.
You can check out our new trout fishing video library by clicking here. And for even more videos about trout fishing, click here. Once on this page, look to the right and click the link that reads, "trout fishing videos".
If you're new to trout fishing, you'll really enjoy Scientific Angler's videos on trout ... which cover all the basics of trout behavior, feeding habits and how to catch them.
You can check out our new trout fishing video library by clicking here. And for even more videos about trout fishing, click here. Once on this page, look to the right and click the link that reads, "trout fishing videos".
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Updates to TroutFishingHelp.com
Although it's been a few days since we last blogged, we've been hard at work updating our website to make it easier for you to get your hands on the trout fishing resources you need to catch more trout!
We've totally redone the home page to make it easier to access other pages and resources on our site. As such we're in the process of adding loads of new pages to TroutFishingHelp.com, each specializing in a different area of trout fishing. So expect to see more links added to the home page over time (so check back often).
We hope you'll find the new layout more user-friendly and helpful. In addition to the website, we are also working to update the Trout Fishing Tips eBook too. The newer version will have a lot more information about trout lures and how to select them for various fishing conditions. So stay tuned for those updates.
As usual, we'd love to hear from you - especially if you're looking for a particular trout fishing resource that you're having trouble finding. We'd like to help. And course, feel free to share your favorite trout fishing tips with us!
We've totally redone the home page to make it easier to access other pages and resources on our site. As such we're in the process of adding loads of new pages to TroutFishingHelp.com, each specializing in a different area of trout fishing. So expect to see more links added to the home page over time (so check back often).
We hope you'll find the new layout more user-friendly and helpful. In addition to the website, we are also working to update the Trout Fishing Tips eBook too. The newer version will have a lot more information about trout lures and how to select them for various fishing conditions. So stay tuned for those updates.
As usual, we'd love to hear from you - especially if you're looking for a particular trout fishing resource that you're having trouble finding. We'd like to help. And course, feel free to share your favorite trout fishing tips with us!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Ice Fishing For Trout Video
Ice fishing for trout this winter? If so, you may find this video helpful. This video was developed for beginner and advanced anglers alike. It covers everything you need to know to ice fish for trout.
This video is available for download and you can either rent or buy it. Either way, you can watch it instantly after purchase. Check it out: Ice Fishing for Trout with Nathan Zelinsky.
For more information about ice fishing for trout, click the links below:
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Turn Your Bait Into A Spinner
A couple of days ago, I shared some of the best lure tips for trout fishing. One of those tips was to tip your lure with some sort of bait (nightcrawler, PowerBait, etc.). That trick will work with any trout lure (spinners, spoons, etc.).Well there's actually a lure manufacturer that makes a lure (called the, Minnow Mangler) that is designed specifically for adding minnows to it. The design combines a spinner with some other bait, such as a minnow, though you can add whatever live or plastic bait you prefer to it.
The Mangler - fishing lures also makes lures that glow in the dark and make noise (also mentioned in the "best lure tips" article mentioned above). Check them out and tell us what you think.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Proposed Open Season for Gila Trout in Arizona
Gila trout are one of Arizona's two native trout (the other being Apache trout). Because of limited numbers, Arizona's have not been allowed to catch them (though New Mexico anglers have). That may change very soon.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department have received a request to set a limited Gila Trout Season, where anglers would be allowed to catch one trout. This request was prompted by the fact that a New Mexico hatchery has surplus of Gila trout. If approved, the trout would be stocked in the Frye Mesa Reservoir.
For more information on the proposed Gila Trout season, click here.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department have received a request to set a limited Gila Trout Season, where anglers would be allowed to catch one trout. This request was prompted by the fact that a New Mexico hatchery has surplus of Gila trout. If approved, the trout would be stocked in the Frye Mesa Reservoir.
For more information on the proposed Gila Trout season, click here.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Best Trout Fishing Lure Tips
While lures have a long track record of catching trout, there are some tricks you can use to make your lure of choice more attractive to trout. I've used all these tricks myself with success.
Lure Tip #1 - Tipping The Lure
Adding a small piece of nightcrawler, minnow, powerbait, etc. to the hook of your lure is called, "tipping the lure". The idea is to add scented bait of some sort to the lure to make it more attractive. So not only is the lure attracting trout by vibration and flash, but also by scent. Nightcrawlers are popular tips for lures, but you could use anything that trout like to eat.
Lure Tip #2 - Greasing the Lure
Since trout are attracted to potential food by scent, you can also rub some trout attractant on your lure (called greasing the lure). I personally like to grease my leader and lures when fishing with lures. If you don't have any trout attractant, and you've already caught at least one fish, you could also rub your lure against the fish's side. This transfers smelly fish slime to the lure, again, making it smell more natural and attractive.
Lure Tip #3 - Tricking Up Your Lures
This technique is a simple matter of using colored marking pins and tape to spice up a plain silver, nickel, or gold colored lure. The nice thing about this trick is that it can save you money in buy the same lure in multiple color combination. Although the video was created for bass fisherman, the technique works with trout lures as well.
Lure Tip #4 - Vary Your Retrieve Speed
After casting a lure into the water, many anglers tend to retrieve the lure at a constant speed. While this will catch some fish, varying the speed can catch even more. Many lures are designed to imitate bait fish and they don't swim at a constant rate (nor do they swim in a straight line). So varying your retrieval speed will do two things. First, it changes the depth of your lure. Reel fast, and your lure will rise to the surface. Reel slow (and even stop reeling once in a while) and it will sink. This can give the appearance of an injured bait fish (which trout often find irresistible).
The second thing varying the retrieval speed does, is it makes the lure presentation look more natural. In other words, if you're lure isn't swimming in a straight line at a constant speed, it tends to look less like an artificial lure and more like a natural bait fish swimming around.
Lure Tip #5 - Color Selection
It's no secret that lures look differently underwater then they do out of water. They also look different in direct sunlight, under cloudy haze, etc. Lures not only look different to us in different water and weather conditions, but they also look different to trout under the same conditions. Not only this, but lures will different underwater too at various depths, in clear water, murky water, blue water, green water, etc. Understanding this will help you choose better lure colors before you cast your line.
There is a lot more detail in my Trout Fishing Tips eBook about how weather conditions and water conditions affect lure color and effectiveness, but in a nutshell, here are some tips you can try when selecting your next lure.
On dark cloudy days and in murky water, try dark colored lures. On bright sunny days, try light colored lures (including lures with gold and nickel finishes).
Lure Tip # 6 - Add Some Noise
In conditions when your lure might be hard to see (such as dark and murky water), using a lure that makes noise can help attract fish. Some lures make a rattling sound as they move through the water. Rapala
makes some great lures that make noise.
Lure Tip #7 - Add Some Glow
In underwater conditions where your lure might be very hard to see (such as at night), using a glowing lure can help make it more visible to trout. Berkely even makes a Glowing PowerBait Wiggler
that was designed to be added to lures. Using these wigglers not only employs Lure Tip #1 but also this lure tip. The Mangler - fishing lures has some interesting glowing lures.
Have any more lure tips? We'd love to hear them. Feel free to share your own favorite lure tips here.
Lure Tip #1 - Tipping The Lure
Adding a small piece of nightcrawler, minnow, powerbait, etc. to the hook of your lure is called, "tipping the lure". The idea is to add scented bait of some sort to the lure to make it more attractive. So not only is the lure attracting trout by vibration and flash, but also by scent. Nightcrawlers are popular tips for lures, but you could use anything that trout like to eat.
Lure Tip #2 - Greasing the Lure
Since trout are attracted to potential food by scent, you can also rub some trout attractant on your lure (called greasing the lure). I personally like to grease my leader and lures when fishing with lures. If you don't have any trout attractant, and you've already caught at least one fish, you could also rub your lure against the fish's side. This transfers smelly fish slime to the lure, again, making it smell more natural and attractive.
Lure Tip #3 - Tricking Up Your Lures
This technique is a simple matter of using colored marking pins and tape to spice up a plain silver, nickel, or gold colored lure. The nice thing about this trick is that it can save you money in buy the same lure in multiple color combination. Although the video was created for bass fisherman, the technique works with trout lures as well.
Lure Tip #4 - Vary Your Retrieve Speed
After casting a lure into the water, many anglers tend to retrieve the lure at a constant speed. While this will catch some fish, varying the speed can catch even more. Many lures are designed to imitate bait fish and they don't swim at a constant rate (nor do they swim in a straight line). So varying your retrieval speed will do two things. First, it changes the depth of your lure. Reel fast, and your lure will rise to the surface. Reel slow (and even stop reeling once in a while) and it will sink. This can give the appearance of an injured bait fish (which trout often find irresistible).
The second thing varying the retrieval speed does, is it makes the lure presentation look more natural. In other words, if you're lure isn't swimming in a straight line at a constant speed, it tends to look less like an artificial lure and more like a natural bait fish swimming around.
Lure Tip #5 - Color Selection
It's no secret that lures look differently underwater then they do out of water. They also look different in direct sunlight, under cloudy haze, etc. Lures not only look different to us in different water and weather conditions, but they also look different to trout under the same conditions. Not only this, but lures will different underwater too at various depths, in clear water, murky water, blue water, green water, etc. Understanding this will help you choose better lure colors before you cast your line.
There is a lot more detail in my Trout Fishing Tips eBook about how weather conditions and water conditions affect lure color and effectiveness, but in a nutshell, here are some tips you can try when selecting your next lure.
On dark cloudy days and in murky water, try dark colored lures. On bright sunny days, try light colored lures (including lures with gold and nickel finishes).
Lure Tip # 6 - Add Some Noise
In conditions when your lure might be hard to see (such as dark and murky water), using a lure that makes noise can help attract fish. Some lures make a rattling sound as they move through the water. Rapala
Lure Tip #7 - Add Some Glow
In underwater conditions where your lure might be very hard to see (such as at night), using a glowing lure can help make it more visible to trout. Berkely even makes a Glowing PowerBait Wiggler
Have any more lure tips? We'd love to hear them. Feel free to share your own favorite lure tips here.
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