Sun Fishing!

Now is a perfect time to catch sunnies. If you have any kids or you just like the fight they put up on ultralight or flyfishing tackle, then go to your nearest pond and have a blast!

Sun fish are moving up to the shallows and getting ready to spawn, so look for some aggressive fishing. You'll see some of the biggest sunnies you'll find all year right now on the banks, and they'll hit at anything small enough to fit in their mouths.

Try using small plastic worms, jigs, flies, worms, bread, corn, very small crankbaits, and anything else small! Make sure to bring some forceps or small pliers!

Pond Bassin'

Bass are really active now in ponds in our area. They are beginning to move closer to the banks in preparation to spawn and are getting really hungry. Walk carefully and slowly around the banks, staying far away from the edge. Bass can see very well, and at this point they will take off at the first sign of you because they feel vulnerable with the little plant cover growing right now.

Senko-styled baits are working well as well as crappie jigs, just watch out because sun fish are in full spawn and are crowding the banks too. This is one advantage to using the jerkbaits; the sunnies might attack it but they can't take it.

Changing Trout Patterns

As the waters warm up and trout become more used to their new environments, they become tougher to catch. Don't worry, they're still in there. It's time to switch up your presentations to include more natural baits. Trout are learning what is actually natural food in streams now, instead of chasing anything that looks interesting.
Worms, minnows, and larvae will trigger some nice strikes.
Take some time before you start fishing to turn over a few rocks and see what's hatching. If you find any hellgrammites, use 'em and you'll have a great day of fishing (careful, they do bite).

Always remember to return the rocks back to the way you found them to preserve the stream's integrity.

Trout Magnets continue to Produce

The French Creek is still loaded with trout, and they're still hittin' Trout Mags like crazy. White seems to be the best color, followed by hot pink.

The secret to these lures is how you fish them. Make sure you cast them upstream and let them drift downstream. While they're drifting, slowly reel in slack line and jig your rod tip lightly and repeatedly. You want to give the tail of the Magnet a fluttering motion, as if it is slowly kicking itself through the water. Don't let it hit the bottom, and try to only pause the jigging every once in a while because trout lose interest quickly with a lifeless Trout Magnet.

Trout follow these baits for a while sometimes, so watch for them. It's best to wear polarized sunglasses to cut through the glare. Also, trout tend to just nip at it quickly and spit it out so don't wait for them to 'take the bait' like other traditional baits.

Catching Freshly Stocked Trout

It seems like these newly stocked trout should be like catching fish in a barrel right? They put so many in small holes that it can be hard to see the bottom. So why are they sometimes hard to catch? Chances are you're just trying the wrong techniques. Keep in mind these fish don't know what's natural in creeks yet, so traditional baits may not work. Newly stocked trout are mainly curious about their new surroundings, and therefore often chase things they really aren't planning on eating. Baits such as corn, Powerbait, worms, minnows, and cheese probably won't work because they're just not ready to eat yet.

The best bet is to show them something interesting; something new and moving. This means lures such as spinners, Rapala Countdowns, weighted woolly-buggers, and Trout Magnets. Trout Magnets are perhaps the best choice because of the many different colors available and ease of changing them. When they stop hitting or chasing a certain color, change it, and they'll be fascinated all over again. Brighter colors, such as hot pink and highlighter green, seem to work best.

State Stocking on Thursday

The state will be stocking the French Creek on Thursday the 9th, and they're looking for volunteers to help. The meeting place is the Ridge Fire Co. at 12:15. They need all the help they can get, and stocking is both fun and very rewarding. You'll know exactly where the big ones are and how many each hole has, plus have access to them before others.

Make sure to wear at least waterproof boots so you can stock in better places.

French Creek Report

The first two days of trout season were a little rough in our area due to the heavy flooding from Thursday/Friday's rainstorm, but fish were caught. Most people found live/natural bait to work the best. When the water was still chocolate colored, trout were hitting on pink Powerbait. Today was the best day yet, with waters turning back to mostly normal.
Cheese worked very well, fished with a light split-shot about a foot up and drifted in deeper holes with a good current. The problem with cheese, though, is that trout often swallow it, making it difficult to remove the hook. Always have a pair of forceps or needle-nose pliers with you. But even these may not be enough, so if you aren't planning on keeping some trout, try out some corn or minnows.