planted lakes

[Rory McMahon]

I know that for about 2 weeks after they are planted trout will take pellet flies or anything that they feel like grabbing. But after that they get used to natural food. What flies do you find works best and what method do you suggest.

thanx

[mr trout]

Brown on a hook. dubbing, yarn whatever. Just make it look like a pellet...

[Keith Hixson]

Spun deer hair. Trimmed to look like a pellet. Works eveytime.

K.

[cuponoodle breakfast]

You really can't go wrong. I use an olive woolly bugger, a Carey special, or a damsel nymph trolled slowly on a light sink tip.

[Taxon]

T990-

Seem to recall reading that planted fish are not fed for some period of time before being transported, perhaps to increase their chances of surviving the stress of being transported, although I must admit that seems a bit counter-intuitive. I believe the same piece may have said they became acclimated to natural food very quickly, like within a day or two, but I'm not sure about that either. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can clarify this.

[Backyard]

They eat fluorescent power bait for months after they are in the lake, until most are dead.

If they smart-up, and become hold overs. They die the next spring on a air filled worms. Hitting the dock jockey's frying pan.... "Shit man! this fish tastes like mudd!"



As for planted trout not being fed before hand... They sell them by the pound, that would be counter-intuitive. A very small amount... mostly fish under 2 years of age ever become acclimated to natural food.

[Jeff Hale]

I believe Backyard has it right. The only way is in a situation like Cady Lake, where fish are put in there, survive for several years and learn to forage on natural prey because there IS no powerbait, worms, or pellets. Jeff

[Smalma]

Taxon -
At the hatcheries the fish are typcially straved for 24 hours prior to being transported to their "new homes". They are straved so that their bodily wastes doesn't foul the water in the planting tanks.

trout990 -
Once the fish are released they quckly spread out through the lake with the fish scattered from end to end within a day or two. Initially the fish are pretty gullible and are willing to try "tasting" almost any thing resembling food. The first couple weeks the fish are in the lakes they spend almost all their time near the surface fo the lake (in the top 3 or 4 feet - the hatchery ponds are shallow so that is the depth they are most comfortable). At that time any "buggy-looking" fly fished in that surface layer will likely be successful. I have observed that fishing that top layer pretty quickly is another key to success - either trolling at a pretty good clip or casting and retrieve fairly quickly as the breeze moves you along.

Within a couple of weeks many of the "planters" have figured out that twigs etc are not food and they begin keying in on the insects. Now is the time to move more into the match the hatch game - things like chronomids, damsels, mayflies are on the menu. The trout are still fairly naive and a little flash on the bug helps trigger takes. By the summer/fall those that are still left in the lake behave pretty much as those that grow up in the lake (whether planted as fry or naturally produced) and successful methods depend on the food resources available to the fish and the amount of fishing pressure (the heavier the pressure the more refinement in presentation/match the hatch needed).

Good luck this spring
Curt

[Taxon]

Curt-

Thanks for your characteristically informative post. Was hoping you would respond.

[dragonfly]

damsel fly nymphs, thin mint bugger works for me.