Doing some research on the DNR Stocking database, I see that a lot of my local lakes have been stocked with an abundance of rainbow trout for several years. Was looking for any tips of how to fish for rainbows on hard water? Im always looking for new species to chase and it just seems that rainbows in my area are way over looked for the numbers of fish that the DNR have been stocking. Any tips and/or strategies would be great!
I live on a lake that stocks rainbows and this will be the 12th season of fishing it. The first season caught 6 while fishing for gills with no electronics so I went and bought electronics and have not caught or seen one caught. So what I am saying no need to try half moon
Large gill nets. I jave never in my life caught a rainbow in a lake that was stocked. I did get to see the stocking on one lake. They backed the truck up started pumping and 100 gulls swarmed in and were taking a fish every dip..
Used to fish 'em in a small lake the DNR used to stock. We fished 'em with our #8 & #10 size panfish jigs, tipped with a waxie or one of those canned single salmon eggs.
Ahh, rainbows through the ice. They can be frustrating, but yet it is still one of my favorites to target ice fishing. Many "experts" will tell you to fish the shallows, but most inland lakes that hold rainbows don't have much shallow water. They drop right off to deep water. Most of my success comes over deeper water, but I fish the top 5' below the ice, and majority of my fish are caught 1-2' below the ice. I jig with a Genz worm that'll have a rubber body with a skirt on it, and prefer Butterworms over wax worms. I usually watch the fish come in on the flasher a couple of feet below my jig, and watch it rise up and strike.
I also do very good with tip ups. Fluorocarbon line in 6lb, with either a yarn ball fly or a size 14 treble with three wigglers hanging.
As far as rod choice, a 36"-50" ultralight rod, damn good reel, spoiled with 2lb fluorocarbon. I've landed 8lb rainbows on the 2lb test. It's all about how you play/fight the fish. Good luck and hope this helps.
My daughter and I visited many lakes stocked with rainbows a couple summers ago. Half Moon was one of them. Fished it four times and limited out four times trolling in the middle of the day.
Oddly, on that lake we never caught a hold over trout - all were first year planters and it took a limit to make a meal. Not sure if they can't make it through the winter?
Some of the other lakes we caught not only planters, but hold overs, including some that were weighed in pounds and not measured in inches.
We also caught bass, perch, and a blue gill on a stinger spoon 35' down over 80' of water. Hmm.
I would try using gold or chrome jigs and tip with a waxworm. Might also want to try the slender spoons by custom jig n spins.
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