[Big Splash]

One of the most exciting times for fishing the rivers here in western Canada is when the Salmon smolts make the journey from the saftey of the rearing areas, downstream to the ocean. Large preditory fish gorge themselves on the finger length smolts. Schools of the shinny little salmon can be seen popping out of the water to escape the large, hungry hunters. Bull trout (a Char species) will continue the case the tastey morsels long after they have filled themselves, the hapless smolts are smashed into the air as the excited Bullies chase them right out of the water.
Last evening we fished this situation, three of us in a boat caught and released about a dozen 6-9 lb fish in about an hour! Mad fishing! We cast into schools of big fish slashing into the little minnows, often having two fish on the lines at time. Once, all three of us had one on at the same time! Anything under five lbs was released at boatside to resume fishing quickly.
Each season it seems we have to try out a bunch of stuff to find what they will take. This year we tried all the old favorites without a lot of success, then my girlfriend tied on a tiny jig with a twister tail. Bingo!
Soon my spinnerbait had action! We destroyed all the little jigs and spinnerbaits I had on board!! Darkness came all to soon and shut us down.
P.S. almost nobody uses either of these types of lure here- shows if you keep an open mind and don't be afraid to try the unusual you could reap huge rewards. I think this was the best hour of fishing I have enjoyed in years! Guess where I'm gonna be this evening....

[Big Splash]

Day Two- Same river, same run, same crazy action! We even caught a few of the same fish. The hook mark from the night before was clearly visible on two of the fish. CATCH AND RELEASE WORKS!! I used a twin blade, 1/2 oz. spinnerbait to land four or five big bull trout. Those big fish do some weird things to a spinnerbait...

[alsworms]

WOW!! That IS some great action!! Never heard of a fish hitting a lure 2 days in a row. Does anyone know what happens when bass are caught?? Do they go into hiding?? maybe a state of shock?? How long before they bite again?? I have been told they go right back to their nest when released. I know that I have never caught the same fish twice on our river. I gotta make a trip to Canada for sure.......

[Delw]

Al..

2 years ago while prefishing the evening before the next days tourny I picked up a 7lber on a spinner bait. broke off at the boat, caught 5-9 more on one bankall about 2-6 lbs..
That next morning we had the tourny. my first cast was in the same spot I lost the 7 on the second cast I caught it on a buzzbait and I got my spinner bait back as well( Ive done it with worm fishing but never a spinnerbait or heavy bait). I also picked up every fish I caught the night before on buzzbaits and spinner baits with in 2 hours on the same 100 yard stretch of bank...

To me thats a once in a lifetime deal.

On worms and lizzards I have caught the same fish a few days (and A few times in the same day)in a row, just because when I knew I caught it twice I notched its tail..... it hit the same 4" bluefleck lizzard next to the same bush also....


Beds are easier... my daughter caught the same fish 9 times in one morning... right after relesing it they get more aggresive so they are easier to catch.





Delw

[alsworms]

That is some AWESOME action. Thanks for sharing

[Big Splash]

I'm just learning how to use the spinnerbait. I've been building my own as well, 'cause I can't buy them here. By using the right combination of blade sizes, to body type you can get an awesome river-driftbait.
Most of the other fishermen say "thats a bass lure, isn't it?". (we don't have bass here). Hey, its workin' for me...
Another point for catch and release is this; about 8 or 9 years ago the regulations here were changed to seperate the Bull Trout from the Rainbow. Catch and release for all Bull Trout in rivers (our rivers hold mainly wild fish- not stocked). We commonly caught fish three to about five lbs. As the first years went by the size increased to include a lot more fish over five lbs. Then a few years later it was not uncommon to catch them to about 10 lbs. Now this year we have caught many fish and only one or two are under five pounds, with the average running about 6-9 lbs!

[Glaucus]

Hey Big Splash, you using bass gear for trout? Spinnerbaits & pink worms? The worms are slowly catching on here in ON, but most still use roe. Almost no one uses sp.bts. for trout here, but I've caught browns, bows, & chinnys while trying for pike in Lake O. I thought using spinnerbaits for trout was strange at first, but I saw an ad in a 1976 Fishing Facts for Lindy Squirrel Spins, Al Lindner was using them for "rainbows, browns, & steelies". Good luck with your sp.bts..

[Big Splash]

Yeah, I've been thinking about this all winter. We are restricted to a single barbless hook in all rivers here in B.C.. the Bull Trout are huge, and can best be taken on a large hook. The spinnerbait protects the hook from abuse on the rocks, and hang-ups are rare. A spinnerbait with the correct size blade for the current can be cast and drifted along with great control, hovering in all the holding areas. We ran one beside the boat last night, and watched as a long dark streak came up, looked at it, then turned taking the lure with it, peeling off line. All the hook-ups on the fish were in none lethel areas of the upper jaw- we didn't have a single bleeder in two evenings of fishing.
The pink worm is a B.C. standard on the winter steelhead streams .The tackle stores carry about 100 different shades of pink, each one used for daily changes in water color. Two basic sizes, 7" and 4" , nightcrawler style, no curly tails or ribbed models. It is fished on a drift rig, below a float and pencil wieght, with a 9-10 ft. casting rod.

[Big Splash]

Here is a Bull Trout my buddy caught on one of Fat Ratz spinnerbaits I recieved in the TM swap.

[Fat Ratz]

Nice looking fish Big Splash! I had no idea a trout would hit a spinnerbait. Glad the bait is working out for you.