Doing the big art streamer thing in local stocked streams.

[somersetian]

Do you guys think the big articulated streamers like guys out west use would work the same way fishibg a local stocked trout stream like laurel hill? I fish clousers, buggers, muddlers,dace all the time and have caught some nice size browns. Just wondering if spending the day chucking my pike and bass streamers would actually work in that kind of a stream. If anything I figure if I cover a lot of fishing water it should at least get a reaction strike from a big boy. What do you guys think? Note i have tried this for short periods of time before but the lack of production always made me switch methods.

 

[moon1284]

Not very well. But you won't know for sure unless you try.

 

[Dave_W]

While I love to throw big streamers, they're not my first choice for trout streams with freshly stocked, cookie-cutter trout. If water temps are below about 42 degrees I rarely bother with any streamers and prefer nymphing. On the other hand, if the stream has some hold over population, especially brown trout, or some large wild fish or smallmouth bass mixed in....then giant streamers would be much more tempting.

Having said that, fresh stockies will sometimes hit large articulated streamers. They tent to nip at the rear so if you have flies with a trail hook placed far back, you will probably have better success. Tying and fishing giant streamers is fun and if you're on your local stockie stream, you might as well give the flies a try for awhile just for fun and to try them out.

 

[mike_richardson]

They will work but you will see better results with those in the fall IMO. Fresh stockies love nymphs, and you will destroy them on them. LOL

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

If there are very large fish you should do it.

Note i have tried this for short periods of time before but the lack of production always made me switch methods.

This was your mistake. It's a game you die by or live by. Streamers can be productive but are not usually the best choice. They do however consistently produce the best fish. You gotta keep chucking away or you are just wasting your time. Throw a streamer for 3 hours, quit and never know you were 10 minutes from catching the biggest brown of your life.

 

[sarce]

Agree with Sal. While I personally wouldn't risk a big expensive fly getting lost while targeting stocked fish, it could be fun to try it and see what happens. But you definitely have to commit to using that method.

 

[pete41]

I also agree with Sal and also would add time of day/nite very important to catching THE BIG ONE-if we are talking browns that feed almost entirely on prey fish and one eight or ten incher every other day is enough--more than likely it will be when the sun is not on the water except when water temp down in the 30s...

 

[Char_Master]

I dabbled with big articulated streamers in my local stocked stream last year without much success, other than a big resident Smallie following one in. I have much more luck with large, obnoxious nymph and wet patterns for pelletheads, and small streamers like wooly buggers and Flashabou minnows.

I'm going to give it another try this summer, though. Early June when water temps are in the 60-68°F range will probably be the best time to rip those big two hook flies through deep pools, and maybe toss some mice too.

 

[somersetian]

This was your mistake. It's a game you die by or live by. Streamers can be productive but are not usually the best choice. They do however consistently produce the best fish. You gotta keep chucking away or you are just wasting your time. Throw a streamer for 3 hours, quit and never know you were 10 minutes from catching the biggest brown of your life


I mean I have gone 3 or 4 trout outings at a time fishing nothing but streamers, however they were your more traditional trout size streamers like 4 or 6 buggers. I'm trying to make my trout fishing more interesting, I'm by no means a great trout fisherman or fisherman for that matter its just catching Largemouth and small mouth on big streamers and poppers has me hooked. That said its also way easier for me to grab my waders and 5 weight and go wade streams 20 minutes from my house than it is to load the boat and everything. Also I just want to talk about fishing with people. My only fishing buddy moved to Michigan last year. haha.

 

[jifigz]

Head to a "Keystone Select Water" and chuck em at those beautiful prized pellet fed pigs that are the creme de la creme of the PFBC's stocking efforts. That was a joke as I am neither a supporter or naysayer of that program, but at least you know there would be a higher ratio of oversized pellet pigs that may be more interested in a huge meaty streamer.

 

[412flyer]

Last year, I was fishing a local Somerset stream with a bugger and watched a 20+" rainbow flash on it in the faster water. Changed up after 10 more casts to a articulated sculpin with a trailer hook. 1st cast watched her swim a good 5 feet to take it. 25" my biggest PA rainbow so far. I would say stick to the micro streamers if you want to catch good sized fish in numbers.

 

[somersetian]

Jifigz, I live 15 minutes from the delayed harvest section of laurel hill and have heard people ssy tthey see these prized fish but havent heard of anyone catchinh one on that stretch of water. The reason i stated stocked trout sstreams is because there is a bunch of them half hr drive from my house.

 

[JoeE]

High stained water big streamers is the only way to go, unless you want to stay home.

Joe E

 

[Maurice]

JoeE wrote:
High stained water big streamers is the only way to go, unless you want to stay home.

Joe E

Damn Joe Hope all is well...good to see ya 'round these parts once in a while.

 

[Reeder]

I have found that streamers around 4 inches are just right for most of the streams I fish. There is enough "meat" to draw out some of the big boys, and you still manage to pick up some of the smaller fish to keep things interesting.

 

[SteveG]

Stockers will go after articulated stuff. If you're only throwing big stuff, it's par for the course to have a very low catch rate. Think of it as musky fishing in that regard.

Have you tried changing colors, dead drifting, twitching, or holding in a current seam when you were fishing buggers? Sometimes you have to try different retrieves until you find what works at that moment.

I'm not a hardcore streamer junkie by any stretch of the imagination, so whether I'm planning on throwing articulated stuff, or fishing a hatch, I always have a couple streamers in sz6-10 with me. Those old time bucktail or feather wing streamers like the Mickey Finn, Dace, and Ghost series still work today.

 

[walt61]

Yes