(Newbie) Need help/advice with lake shore fishing, please

[Shin]

Hey, guys. I'm just getting back into fishing after about a decade off, so I'm clueless on how I should go about it. All I own are a rod, 40lb line, and hooks. No weights, no lures, nothing. And all I remember are the very basics.

I plan to do shore fishing at a nearby lake for rainbow trout.

- What sort of tackle should I get?
- What technique(s) should I be using?
- How should I prepare my line? (I only remember how to do a Carolina rig)
- Is there anything else I should know?

If anyone could help me out, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Dweb]

Get some 10lb braided Main line and run an 8lb fluorocarbon leader

That will do you nice for trout fishing

[Shin]

Thanks for the reply, Dweb. I'll try to pick some up, then.

Out of curiosity, why is it better to use 10lb line than 40lb for trout? Does the thickness of 40lb give away its presence?

[Dweb]

Trout can be line shy , save the 40lb for pike

[Shin]

Ah, good to know. Thanks again for the information.

Any rigs, lures, or bait for trout that I should know of? I assume I'll need a light sinker

[Dweb]

Power bait dough for a slip sinker rig

Any kind of inline spinners (Mepps,Panther Martin)

Small spoons (acme kastmaster)

[Shin]

Awesome, thank you for all your help, Dweb; I really appreciate it.

I'm definitely feeling more confident now. Also, I've never fished with dough before, so that's going to be interesting.

[lds]

Trout can be line shy. I go 8lbs mono and really clear water throw 4lbs leader on. That’s plenty for trout. Also I don’t do much bait fishing so as far as lures spinners are great. Don’t be afraid to tie a fly below a bobber. Don’t need a fly rod to use flies. Also I’m assuming you have a rod that is over kill if it’s spooled with 40lbs. Lighter rod is more sensitive and easy to to feel fish

[Shin]

Thanks for the response, Ids.

Yeah, I have a 9' salmon rod that I used for trolling, so it's a bit much for trout, but I should still be able to feel the bite.

The lake I'll be fishing in is very clear, so I'll grab some lower test line for my leader like you suggest.

If I use a spinner, I cast out, let it settle, then reel in slowly, right? Any colour, size, or style of spinner or specific rig that you prefer for trout? Also, I've never tried a bobber before, but I don't know how well it would work with my eyesight.

[Isopod]

If it's a put-and-take stocked lake or pond, where you will most likely catching trout no more than 12" long, then you could get away with 4 lb line. It will allow you to cast much further and will be far less visible to fish.

If you think fish overwinter in your lake so might have some size, then go to 6 lb or 8 lb line.

If you are trophy fishing for monster pike on a secluded northern lake, then you can use your 40 lb line.

[Isopod]

I guess I should add that the rough rule is that if you play a fish properly, you should have no problem landing a fish that weighs double the test-strength of your line. So with 40 lb line, you should be able to land an 80 lb fish. So to land a trout-pond fish, even 1 lb line should allow you to land a 2 lb fish. This doesn't work so well in practice because any kind of snag -- a reed, a hunk of algae -- will require you to pull with much more force than 1 lb, so you will snap your line on any kind of snag.

I generally use 6 lb test for trout ponds. I could go lower, but 6 lb line is also good for river fishing for goldeye or mountain whitefish or walleye, so it serves multi-purpose. For pike fishing I go with 8 lb or 10 lb test.

[lds]

Originally Posted by Isopod

If it's a put-and-take stocked lake or pond, where you will most likely catching trout no more than 12" long, then you could get away with 4 lb line. It will allow you to cast much further and will be far less visible to fish.

If you think fish overwinter in your lake so might have some size, then go to 6 lb or 8 lb line.

If you are trophy fishing for monster pike on a secluded northern lake, then you can use your 40 lb line.

I have no problem landing 18” trout on rivers with current with 4lbs and it doesn’t take long. It’s not like I’m totally exhausting the fish. You do have to check your line regularly for damage. As for pike I would go more like 20lbs just cuz I find heavier line doesn’t cast as well and holds memory but that’s my opinion. I like the lightest line possible

[lds]

If I use a spinner, I cast out, let it settle, then reel in slowly, right? Any colour, size, or style of spinner or specific rig that you prefer for trout? Also, I've never tried a bobber before, but I don't know how well it would work with my eyesight.[/QUOTE]

You can still feel fish with the rod but will miss out on light takes. Lighter rod will also be more forgiving and not pull the hook out. Just have more fish landed. And as for reel speed. Go fast enough it spins. Sometimes they like fast sometimes slow. I generally play around with it but find most on a medium retrieve. And I really like mepps size 2 silver blade and gold body. Most stuff works but I find more basic colours are best. Don’t use much bright colours. I have more success with gold, silver , copper, brass and black