How To Catch Big Fish

[ness]

Big water. Big lures.

[flyfisherman]

All great suggestions, luck is also needed. I have caught my share of big fish that have ended up on Brians site. The water I like for big bows is moderately fast water that has a very deep pool or deep water down stream. I believe in low light times the big boys come out to play in the shallow water to eat crawdads and minnows. I was fishing with my freind Jim the day after Christmas and hooked a monster just below the second island and lost him, never saw him. Bad knott, my bad, so in addition to luck always check your line for nics and dings

Good luck

[Mark]

All great advice. Keep it coming as I am learning. Anyone care to go into detail on specific flies and lures? (Keep in mind some of us don't know a caddis from a stonefly?)

[Guest]

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[snap]

...congrats Mark on your best started thread to date!!!

[laker67]

All great advice. Keep it coming as I am learning. Anyone care to go into detail on specific flies and lures? (Keep in mind some of us don't know a caddis from a stonefly?)

In your original post, you stated that you and your group were bait fishermen. I don't think that I would try and change styles of fishing, since bait is what you know. Going to hardware and flies would be like starting over. A live minnow or nightcrawler would be hard for a big trout to turn down, drifted in the manner that I suggested.

[Aaron Mills]

I have to echo the above. But also, time of year is important, too. Before the spawn bigger fish get a little crazy and a lot more aggressive during the day. I caught a 6 lb rainbow at NF dam last year just because she was acting stupid before the spawn. She took a size 18 midge, but I think she would have hit just about anything. I never would have known there was a take if I didn't visually see her open her mouth. So, I would definitely advocate sight-fishing whenever possible. However, don't pass up a prime lie just because you can't see into it. Prime lies are ones where fish have both food and shelter. Night-time is definitely the right-time for bigger fish. Just be sure to scout out your area to fish in the daylight and know it well. I don't know enough about the 11 pt. to add any specifics to help you on that river.

My biggest point is this, though. A big reason you haven't caught lunkers due to years of trying is that in those areas, everything of size goes home with someone. I was floating the 11 pt and saw a 10 lb rainbow on a stringer at Mary Decker. It was pristine not a defect in any fin, beautiful white tips, probably a river-born trout. That's a treasure and not many trout make it that long. So, practicing catch and release increases the odds for all of us to get into a big one like that.

Tight Lines... great advice all.

[Aaron Mills]

I have to echo the above. But also, time of year is important, too. Before the spawn bigger fish get a little crazy and a lot more aggressive during the day. I caught a 6 lb rainbow at NF dam last year just because she was acting stupid before the spawn. She took a size 18 midge, but I think she would have hit just about anything. I never would have known there was a take if I didn't visually see her open her mouth. So, I would definitely advocate sight-fishing whenever possible. However, don't pass up a prime lie just because you can't see into it. Prime lies are ones where fish have both food and shelter. Night-time is definitely the right-time for bigger fish. Just be sure to scout out your area to fish in the daylight and know it well. I don't know enough about the 11 pt. to add any specifics to help you on that river.

My biggest point is this, though. A big reason you haven't caught lunkers due to years of trying is that in those areas, everything of size goes home with someone. I was floating the 11 pt and saw a 10 lb rainbow on a stringer at Mary Decker. It was pristine not a defect in any fin, beautiful white tips, probably a river-born trout. That's a treasure and not many trout make it that long. So, practicing catch and release increases the odds for all of us to get into a big one like that.

Tight Lines... great advice all.

[ozark trout fisher]

Is there secrets to catching big trout or is it all luck? Fellow posters Snap, Delvis, Terry, and I, as well as others that we bring along to the Eleven Point, have had this discussion many times. My theory is that we have been coming to the Eleven Point for about 12 years and besides doing alot of fishing ourselves, we have introduced several more fisherment to the river, and none of us have ever caught a wallhanger, so we must be doing something wrong. My belief is since we are bait fishermen, we are not attracting the big fish or they are just too smart. We also tend to only fish the wadeable water and bypass or just drift fish one time as we pass the slow deep water. So I believe it's a combination of the bait we use and the water we fish. My compadres will always counter with seeing someone pull out a 7 lb. on corn. They say it is all luck and chance. Are our chances better using bigger spoons and lures, flies, etc? I find it hard to believe that in 12 years of coming to the Eleven Point, (and some trips we stay for up to a week), we have caught maybe a total of 4 fish in the 18-20 inch range in our group that sometimes numbers as many a 7-8 fishermen. Nothing bigger than 20 inches and maybe 2.5 lbs.

What say you more learned fishermen? Any tips for catching bigger fish? I would love to have just one lunker on the wall!! Or is it just a crap shoot?

Don't ask me. I've fished for trout for years, and I almost always catch them, but I really catch them big. My current record is a three pound bull trout from a creek in Montana, man did he fight. Caught him on a woolly bugger with a spinner attached, he was of course released, because they are endangered. But I've never caught any seriously big trout.