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Berkley Power Nymph Fishing for Trout
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05-10-2006, 01:23 AM
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#1 (permalink) |
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HUSF Staff
Local Rookie is
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Near Diamond Valley Lake
Posts: 2,912
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Berkley Power Nymph Fishing for Trout
Berkley Power Nymph Fishing by Harold Arellano Berkley’s Power Nymph is the hottest new bait for catching more trophy size trout consistently than the average Joe Angler. These little 1 inch of wonder are lethal in catching lunker-sized rainbows than any other bait out there from little creeks, to the local lakes and up in the High Sierras. The best part is that you don’t need a fly rod to toss these nuggets out. That’s right; these nymphs are designed to be use with a spinning gear as opposed to fly fishing gear.  Berkley Power Nymph Selection You are probably thinking already – what the heck is a nymph? Well, a nymph is the early stage of insect’s life and a lot of fish such as trout, crappie, bluegill and other fish feed on and Berkley definately makes the best ones becuase it has a built in scent that trout loves, they are durable, fairly inexpensive and they last a long time. LINE SELECTION First of all, trout are very line shy and you definitely want to use lighter lines between 1lb to 3lb lines. In some scenario however, where there is a lot of structure or fishing for full fin trout it’s permissible to use up to 4lb line but you should considering using fluorocarbon lines such as the P-Line Fluorocarbon, Berkley Transition, or my favorite Sunline Super FC Sniper line because its near invisibility under water, high abrasion resistance, low stretch and super knot strength and the best part it is that it last a really long time.  Sunline Super FC Sniper in 2lb test. If you intend to use fluorocarbon you might want to adjust the winding shape of the line by removing a small washer on the spool shaft to reduce backslashes. Here is an example from a Shimano Stradic 1000FH.  Shimano Stradic 1000FH Washer. When making line selection, look for lines with strong knot strength, not too limp, good line stretch and preferable smaller diameter lines. The most popular brands around here have been Maxima Ultra Green and the new P-Line CX Premium. Secondly, using lighter lines allows you to cast this little nymph out further. If you are using too heavy of a line you will not get any distance at all. A lighter line also gives your nymph more action which is the key in enticing these finicky species of fish. Most important tip is to avoid cheap lines! I used to think lines were lines until I keep losing fish after fish and that can get frustrating. Remember, you get what you pay for. ROD SELECTION You want to use a quality Ultra Light or Light graphite rod rated between 1-6lb lines rating and 1/64 to 1/8 lure rating with either a moderate to fast action tip. Using a moderate action rod is more forgiving than a fast action rod and what I mean by that is that give you that little bit more time to set the hook. A fast action tip gives the nymph maximum tip action and greater distance castability. So, if you want the best of both worlds, I would recommend a moderate-fast action rod. I would avoid using a slow action rod tip as your distance is greatly reduced. I also don’t recommend using an e-glass type rod either because you lose sensitivity which is required to “feel the bite” when you are fishing with a nymph. Then again, a lot of people do prefer the e-glass rods like Kencor Rods – and they swear it’s more sensitive than graphite rods. This is probably personal preference. For rod length you want to get a rod somewhere between 6’-8’. In my opinion, anything below 6’ you lose distance and anything above 8 would make it difficult to land a fish and release it safely. It also feels like a noodle if it’s too long and that too can decrease casting distance. Look for something that you are comfortable with - that feels light in your hand and is well balanced. What I mean by balanced is to put a reel on the rod and put your index and middle finder on the reel seat. If its balances that great, if it doesn’t your reel or rod might be a little too heavy or too light. I personally use a 7’ moderate action rod with line rating 2-6lbs which is a St. Croix Avid AS70ULM2. It is a two piece which makes it easy to transport, ultra sensitive and lightweight. I can cast this rod all day and not get tired. Other popular brand and model are St. Croix Avid AS70ULF, G Loomis SR781-1, and Daiwa SM-X702ULFS and a Phenix 70 SR TUL. REEL SELECTION Use an ultra light reel to match your ultra light rod. Some of the ultra light reels in the market are the Shimano Sahara 750FB and Sedona 750FB which has S-Concept and Slow Oscillation that higher-end Shimano has. If you prefer the aluminum reels rather than the graphite, look for the Daiwa Regal RG1000-Xi or Laguna LA500 or LA1000 model. Aluminum is usually heavier but stronger and graphite is usually lighter but less durable. From experience, Daiwa seem to outcast Shimano in terms of distance. If you want a higher end trout fishing gear look for the Shimano Stradic 1000FH or the Legendary Daiwa SS Tournament SS700. I personally use a Shimano Twinpower 1000s SR – a Japanese version of the Sustain which has similar attributes to the higher end Stella SR (minus the ball bearings) for half the price. This reel also has a shallow spool for serious finesse fishing. The reel weights 6.9oz, 5.0:1 gear ratio, 6 Anti Rust Bearings, and 4.4lbs drag.  Shimano Twinpower 1000s SR Remember when making a reel selection, be sure to get a smooth drag reel that is lightweight and is ideal for 1-4lb line. If you get a bad drag reel you’ll be expecting to break a lot of lines and lose a lot of fish. Also, look for a reel that weights between 5-8oz maximum. You will be casting and reeling in these nymphs constantly and can get arm fatigued. The lighter the rod and reel the better for you and the longer you can fish. Lastly, make sure you reel can handle at least 100 yards of line and up to 150 yards. You really do not need anything more than that. COLOR CONSIDERATION When you are fishing crystal clear waters such as the waters in the High Sierras the go to color choice for me is hands down the Pumpkin/Chartreuse. For urban lakes that have murky water the Yellow/Orange has work really well. For some reason, trout prefers these two colors more than any other. During off days or when the water is stained I like to use the Yellow/Orange color. Also at Irvine Lake and the San Bernardino Regional Lakes this color has produced the most rainbows.  The hottest Nymph colors around: Yellow/Orange and Pumpkin Chartruese. RIGGING AND OTHER TACKLE CONSIDERATION Fishing the nymph can we worked in many different ways but I am going to show my two favorite rigging methods – one is the splitshot method and the other is the drop shop method. Both methods have produced the most trout for me. Splitshot method is pretty simple: first tie on a single owner size 8 mosquito Owner or Gamakatsu hook directly to the nymph then simple add a small one or two BB sized splitshot about 12”-18” inches from the nymph. You can use a simple clinch knot or my favorite knot Palomar knot when using fluorocarbon lines.  Splitshotting the Nymph. Once you are rigged up, simple cast out and let your nymph dropped at the bottom. Once it hits the bottom have your rod tip at a 45 degree angle and bounce the rod tip to give your nymph the action. If you don’t get a bite and you know there is fish out there, you cast out and count for five seconds then slowly retrieve the nymph and giving it action. Remember you are only reeling the slack line so be sure to let your nymph bounce up then sink back down. If you still not getting any bite cast out and start retrieving immediately but always slowly. You can also jerk the nymph let it sink to the bottom, reel up the slack, and jerk again and just keep repeating the process until you get a strike. One bit of advice, I’ve caught plenty of trout while my nymph slowly hits the bottom so doesn’t be surprise and always be ready to set the hook. The second method is dropshotting the nymph. Dropshotting recently became popular and was started in the West Coast for finesse fishing for bass. That methodology carried over to trout fishing and became just as successful. They are many different drop shot weights out there but I prefer the long cylindrical shape ones such as the Bakudan Skinny in the 1/8oz. The long cylindrical shape allows you to not get caught in vegetation as much and used for finesse type fishing. First thing you want to do is tie a Palomar knot about 12”-18” from the weight using a small size 6 or size 8 drop shot or mosquito hook. Make sure the hook is pointing up and not down. Then add the drop shot weight.  Dropshotting the Nymph. Cast out your nymph and let it hit the bottom. Give your rod tip some action and reel it the slack. When you get hit it will feel like a rubber band effect like something is pulling and that is when you set the hook. MISCELLANEOUS INFO Using scent is not required on these power nymphs. Berkley already added scent on them. However, if you are not overly convinced, you can add my favorite scent which is Smelly Jelly Garlic or ProCure trophy trout. They are deadly effective on trout!  Here is a nice 6lbs and 12oz caught at Irvine Lake - Irvine, CA using the Yellow/Orange color. Well, hopefully you know how to rig up and get the proper tackle for the 1” power nymph now and you are ready to get your line wet and catch tons of trout. On a good day I’ve been average over 30+ fish and you will probably do just as good if not better. So please remember that it is important to practice catch and release. Keep only the ones you want to eat and release the rest. To Learn More about Trout Fishing check out these articles: Trout Fishing in Southern California Fishing for Trout Tossing Jigs for Trout Tight Lines! Last edited by Local Rookie; 05-10-2006 at 07:43 PM. |
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"Helfin sie mir!"
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05-10-2006, 12:18 PM
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#5 (permalink) |
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HUSF Staff
Local Rookie is
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Near Diamond Valley Lake
Posts: 2,912
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Pictures are loaded. Thanks guys! This is what i'll be using up in the Sierras later this month.
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"Better Lucky than Good" Last edited by Local Rookie; 05-10-2006 at 07:45 PM. |
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06-12-2006, 06:44 PM
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#9 (permalink) |
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HUSF Staff
cst is
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: LA County
Posts: 9,161
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i know i cant speak for him, but when we went during memorial day, there wasnt much of a jig bite. i did however catch a couple on Power Wigglers.
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The quickest way to a man's heart is through Jack Bauer's gun. |
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06-12-2006, 11:33 PM
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#10 (permalink) |
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HUSF Staff
Local Rookie is
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Near Diamond Valley Lake
Posts: 2,912
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Thanks and welcome to the board! I couldn't make it to the opener but I will definately be heading there in Mid July! I'll let you know how they work out.
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"Better Lucky than Good" |
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