Scuds

[Smithvillesteve]

Question for you trout boys. After reading phils report on the masters tournament i went out and bought a few scuds at Bass pro. i will be fishing Tanneycomo this next week. These things are quite small. Showing my lack of knowledge on the trout here. Anyway i will be fishing an ultralight setup. 2 or 4 lb test line. When they are not running water my buddy and i like to jig fish under a strike indicator. Can i use that scud doing that? Do i need a small split shot up the line to get that little thing down around the bottom? All trout will be released. Thanks boys for any info. 

[netboy]

I fish them under an indicator with my fly rod and dead drift them as close to the bottom as possible. I use a few wraps of lead on the hook when I tie them, so no split shot. Scuds and sowbugs live underneath the rocks in the river so you need to get them down quickly.  

[Seth]

A small split shot should work as long as you keep it close to the bottom. You could also just tie the scud off to the bend of your jig head as a dropper fly. Spread them about a foot apart and try to keep your jig a foot above bottom and the scud close to the bottom.

[Phil Lilley]

Try tying one in line above the jig about 12 inches.  Or add a tag line with a scud.  Tag line - 2 lines tied together using a triple surgeon's knot, cutting one tag and using the other.

[netboy]

I am clueless on fishing them with a spinning rod, so I defer.

Listen to Phil...

[Smithvillesteve]

Thanks boys for the input. Apreciate it very much. 

[Brian K. Shaffer]

The most fun thing to do while you are here :

1. Flip over some rocks and look at some scuds / sowbugs.

Which are there more of shown below ?

2. Look at the color of the bug each and every day - because the colors change with the life style... or life cycle. Ha Ha!

[netboy]

That is a bunch of scuds! Was that from one rock?

I usually find maybe 6 or 7 under a rock here on the Bull Shoals tailwater.

[BilletHead]

On 1/29/2023 at 12:44 PM, netboy said:

I fish them under an indicator with my fly rod and dead drift them as close to the bottom as possible. I use a few wraps of lead on the hook when I tie them, so no split shot. Scuds and sowbugs live underneath the rocks in the river so you need to get them down quickly.  

                    They can be in crazy numbers in Taney. @Phil Lilley has posted some pretty cool videos of unreal numbers of them in the water. Maybe he can direct us or post again with a video or two. @netboy prepare to be amazed. 

[tjm]

Here are a few of those-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfZWE7mqrZo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeU3Ivm_M1A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_On9RFqjFI