Light Trout Line 2-4 Lb.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Ham the trout park jigs have a slim head and are all marabou. They aren't the chenille/ 'bou round head jigs with gold hooks, if that is what you're thinking of. In looking at pictures of the Zig jigs they look to be the same as the 40+ year old 3/$1 park jigs.

[Ham]

I don't think you could buy three of the hooks used to make these for a dollar nowadays. I certainly am not getting three of these jigs for a dollar.

You are more than welcome to fish 33 cent jigs. I'm gonna stick with Zig Jigs.

[grand75]

Yes, you can use your 6 lb braid. Tie a length of sacrificial leader with a thin diameter 4 lb mono, fluro or copoly. I use an Alberto knot, but a uni to uni works fine.

I have used 6 lb P Line CX Premium for trout fishing. I've used it over the last few years with Zig Jigs. I've had incredible results. Fish 2-4 lb line if you want to do so, but it is NOT necessary to do so.

This past year I've been using Power Pro 4/15 with a leader on one rod. This has helped me a lot on windy days. The last month or so, I've been fishing Berkley Nanofil. It's pretty freaking great. I've been using 8lb, but I bought a spool of 6 lb for trout fishing. It throws better than braid, no noise, and still no stretch.

Good Luck! Hope you catch a bunch.

I always use a leader and I use a Yucatan knot to tie fluoro to braid and it never comes untied or breaks. I have had so much fun horsing in absolute hogs and then just love to spend a moment admiring those knots. As for line my favorite combo is Power Pro 20 with 14 lb. flouro leader for big fish, 6 lb. braid with same 14 lb. leader for pan fish but I also use the same 6 lb. braid when fishing for Walleye as my third rod and have absolutely no problem with over 20" Walleye and even bass, drag set appropriately. Sounds like I can even use my 6/20 Power Pro in answer to my original question.

Casting not much of an issue for me because usually I troll or jig and when I cast I use a 3 or 4 oz. weight. BUT I gather the light weights I will be casting from my boat for trout will be a little different then the channel shore fishing I do when I am fishing from shore.

Thanks for the info I will not buy 2 or 4 lb. line and will not rewind one of my reels.

[grand75]

Depends on the speed of your presentation...if fishing slow, or sight fishing...go light...if you are fishing big stuff fast...you can use 10-12lb easy, because it does not seem to matter. You must have a leader if fishing braid to trout though. A 3 turn surgeons knot works well for attaching braid to a mono or flouro leader.....It is a good enough knot, and you can tie one in 30 seconds or less.

I mentioned the Yucatan knot in a previous post. Here is a YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY4Nr21sYlA. The author says do 7 turns and that works fine when tying 30 lb. mono to 20 lb. braid. Use 20 turns for lighter line which works great and is a thing of beauty you can't quit admiring.

[grand75]

If you're going to use floats you can just tie your main line (braid) to a swivel, and then tie your light mono or fluoro or whatever to it.

This is for Steelhead but the setup is the same:http://www.theoutdoorline.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/low_water_floatfishing_steelhead.jpg

Some floats are harder to get to stay in place on really thin braid though.

Yeah, I really like that setup. I like egg sinkers too but split shot is fine. When fishing for spawning lake trout in river holes last fall we used the same setup but with octopus hook, egg loop not, and salmon skein. What weight do you recommend for the egg sinker or split shot? One last question. I will be there first two weeks of October and what are my chances for steelhead?

[Ham]

Zero chance for a steelhead in Arkansas or Missouri

[grand75]

If you're fishing jigs: If throwing them no float you can get away with 4 lb mono or fluorocarbon unless you're throwing 1/32nd oz or less. If you're using a float, use 2 lb fluorocarbon. Conditions dictate. No wind and clear water lately. You'll catch a few stockers on the bigger line but if you want to catch numbers and older, wiser trout you'll need light line.

Oops, ok I will spin one of my reels with 2 lb. flouro best to have everything in my arsenal. BTW I will be slipping my boat at your marina I spoke to someone (Darrel?) in your office yesterday. Considering hiring a guide for one day too but with the help on this forum... maybe not!

Thank again.

[LittleRedFisherman]

Wayne, The jighead design is different, the hook is much better than usual, lots more color options, and all feather no chennile.

That and I've caught literally thousands of trout on the Zig Jig at this point since I stated fishing it about 4 years ago. I'll catch 100's more before this year is up.

Yes, I could catch trout on other jigs, but I'm really happy with what I am using now.

Ditto on the Zig Jig, i'm a huge fan. Fished taney last year for the first time, used zig jigs and was well pleased. Even caught several brown trout on the white jigs. 4 pound green trilene is what I was using. If you wanna try some 2 pound, the Trout Magnet people in Searcy AR make a line called SOS Line. It's very good line in my book, they claim the 2 pound line has a 4 pound break strength. I've had good luck with it, Phil might sell it there at his shop! Good luck!

[grand75]

Zero chance for a steelhead in Arkansas or Missouri

I should know that, right? Now I am not being a smart @$$, I really don't know much about trout, or salmon for that matter, so I am reciting what I think I know.1. Steelhead are rainbow trout that live in oceans or big bodies of fresh water and spawn yearly in rivers they were born, 2. Rainbow trout live in river or stream year round, 3. Rainbow trout are stocked in Taneycomo during summer months, and 4. Big Brown trout are most likely fall catch in Taneycomo. That's not an awful lot of knowledge and you could fit my trout knowledge into a thimble.

Just saying... hope to catch some trout and this forum's members are really helping me get up to speed!

Thanks again