Hobbies And Interests
Brooks
The brook trout, sometimes known as the speckle trout, consists of a base color of brown or dark green. This fish has vivid colored spots of red along its body along with irregular shaped markings. Maturing brook trout feed on a diet of phytoplankton, zooplankton and hatchery feed. When released in the wild, brook trout begin feeding on plankton, insects and minnows. A stock brook trout is much more aggressive than a natural brook of the same age, as stocked trout are generally not wise to the many lures and baits cast by fishermen. A good tip for anglers is to use bright colors and baits that smell to attract stocked brook trout. An example of good bait is a bright yellow salmon egg. For best results, allow it to drift into fast water.
Browns
Indigenous to Europe, brown trout came to the United States in 1884. According to the Doctor Trouts website, since the fish's arrival, brown trout have become a sought-after game fish. The brown trout boasts a light brownish or brass base color, a white belly and dark black as well as reddish spots. Anglers wanting to catch stock browns should cast upstream and let their bait drift into a deep hole. It's best to use natural bait such as insects, worms or minnows, as these baits are effective on brown trout. Stocked browns tend to gather in pockets, as all their lives were spent together within large holding tanks or ponds. If you are able to catch one brown, then it's likely there are several more in the same location.
Rainbows
Rainbow trout are an extremely popular sports fish and therefore many states stock this trout heavily in public rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. Rainbows have a reddish-pink band that runs along the side of their bodies. Other prominent features are their thick to slender bodies and olive-colored to greenish-blue backs. Fisherman catch rainbow trout with baits such as corn, worms, flies, spinners, salmon eggs and miniature marshmallows.
Fish the Bottom and Eddies
With no experience within the wild, stock trout will experiences a bit of an adjustment period before their natural instincts takes over. For instance, a stocked rainbow trout will stay near the bottom of a body of water and begin feeding on insects and minnows that pass by. Anglers need to let their bait sink to the bottom and drift, where it will eventually be seen by a rainbow.
Purchase Power Bait
This is a type of fishing bait made out of ground hatchery pellets. It comes in various colors such as, yellow, red, green and orange. Power bait is extremely successful when you're after stock trout, as it closely matches in smell and taste the food the trout have eaten all their lives. To use power bait, put about 1/2 inch in your hand and roll it into a small ball. Run your hook through the center of the power bait and ensure that the bait covers the hook; dip it into the water so it will gel onto the hook.