Trout Fishing in Southern California Lakes

Trout Fishing in Southern California Lakes
Tips for the beginning angler

By Sean Lara

Introduction

Trout fishing is one of the most exciting and popular freshwater species targeted in Southern California. However, without the proper tackle and knowledge, you can end up going home with an empty stringer. This article is designed to greatly increase your chances of catching trout in Southern California lakes.

Reels/Rods


Reels:

It is important to have a spinning reel rated for around 2-8 pound test, and weigh no more than 10 oz. When you purchase your reel, the specifications will be listed on the package. For example, the reel might be rated for 2-6 pound test. The package should have line ratings that look something like this:

110/2 60/4 40/6

This means that this particular reel can hold 110 yards of 2 pound test, 60 yards of 4 pound test, and 40 yards of 6 pound test When shopping for a reel, make sure you look at these line ratings, and choose the reel that best suits the pound fishing line you will be using.

**If the line ratings are not found on the package, most of the time the spool on the reel will have them.

Good reel manufactures include: Shimano, Daiwa, Penn, Okuma, and Quantum. Depending on the amount of money you are willing to spend, below are prices for appropriate trout reels to suit your budget.

$20 Range:

Shimano:
AX, CX, TX, Slade

Daiwa:
Spinstar, Sweepfire, Crossfire

Okuma:
Acuador, Granite

Quantum
XtraLite, Optix

$30 Range:

Shimano:
Sidestab, Syncopate, Sienna

Daiwa:
Spinmatic, Samurai

Okuma:
Avenger

Penn:
Captiva

$40-$50 Range

Shimano:
Sonora, Solstace, Sedona

Daiwa:
Regal, Caprice

Okuma:
Fina

Quantum:
Snapshot LS

$60-$80 Range:

Shimano:
Sahara, Symetre

Daiwa:
Laguna, Kastor, Theory

Okuma:
Epixor, Metaloid, Alumina

Quantum:
Hypercast, Plazma

$90-$150 Range:

Shimano:
Stradic

Daiwa:
Capricorn

Okuma:
Inspira, Aveon, VS

Quantum:
PTI Series: Kinetic, Catalyst, Energy

$160+

Shimano:
Stradic MgFA, Sustain, Stella

Daiwa:
Team Daiwa-S Series, Certate

Rods:

Choosing the right rod is also very important for successful trout fishing. Your job is to decide what you will be doing with your rod/reel setup. Will you be tossing mini jigs and small lures, or will you be primarily bait fishing? Personally, I think it is important to have two trout combos: One for bait fishing, the other for artificial fishing.

Rods have line ratings just like reels do. Make sure your rods and reels have similar line ratings. For example, if you buy a reel rated for 2-6 pound test, make sure the rod you obtain is also rated around that area. As for the length of the rod, bait rods should be anywhere from 4'-6'6" long, and jigging rods should be 6'6"-9' long.

Generally, bait rods will have Medium Power and Fast Action, while jigging rods will have Ultra Light power and Medium Action.

Still Confused? Continue reading.




Now that we understand Power and Action, lets name some popular rods. Companies such as Gloomis, Kencor, Phenix, St. Croix, Quantum, Berkley, Fenwick, Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops, Shimano, and Daiwa make awesome trout rods.

Depending on the amount of money you are willing to spend, below are prices for appropriate trout rods to suit your budget.

$10-$40 Range:

Shimano:
FX, Stimula, Sojourn, Scimitar

Daiwa:
Sweepfire, Crossfire, Strikeforce, Triforce, Spinmatic, Heartland

Bass Pro Shops:
Micro-Lite Series

Cabelas:
Cabelas Classic

Quantum:
Teton Trout

Berkley:
Cherrywood, Lightning IM6

$50-$100 Range:

Shimano:
Carbomax, Clarus, Compre

St. Croix
Premier Series

Kencor:
SP4HV

Bass Pro Shops:
Extreme XPS, Bionic Blade

Fenwick:
HMX

$100+

Shimano:
Crucial

Gloomis

St. Croix:
Avid Series, Legend Elite

Fenwick:
Techna

Berkley:
Series One

Necessary Trout Tackle

An avid trout fisherman will have a large assortment of tackle such as lures, mini jigs, trout worms, other artificials, different varieties of baits, etc. In order to become a successful trout fisherman, your “Tackle Box” should contain the following:

General Tackle:

Hooks:

For Nightcrawlers: Baitholder or mosquito hooks in sizes 8, 6, and 4.
For Salmon eggs: Mosquito hooks or salmon egg hooks in sizes 14, 12, and 10.
For Meal Worms and other small worms: Mosquito hooks in sizes 14, 12, 10, and 8.
For Crickets: Mosquito hooks in sizes 8 and 6.
For Dough Baits: Trebel hooks in sizes 18, 16, and 14.
For Trout Worms: Mosquito or Baitholder hooks in sizes 12, 10, and 8.

Sinkers:

Egg Sinkers: 1/8oz-3/4oz. (Depending on situation and conditions)
Splitshot Weights: A wide variety of extremely small to pea sized.

Leadheads:

Make sure you have ballhead leadheads from 1/64-1/8 depending on which trout worm or artificial you are using it on.

Barrel Swivels or Carolina Keepers

Bobbers:

1/2"-2"

Line: Fishing line should be either 2# or 4#. I would NOT recommend using any higher pound lines.
Good line manufacturers include: Berkley, Maxima, Calcutta, Sufix, Izorline and Pline.

Pliers or Hemostats

Line Cutters

Can be as simple as scissors, toenail clippers, or pliers that have cutters on them.

Artificials:

Mini Jigs: Mini Jigs from 1/64oz-1/32oz sizes work best. Good colors are: White, Chartreuse, Yellow, Orange, Red/White, Orange/Yellow, Orange/Chartreuse, and more.

Trout Worms: Trout worms such as Powerworms, Lip RipperZ, BearPaws, Case and other worms work well. Worms from 1-3in will work well. Good colors are: White, Orange, Chartreuse, Natural, Red/White, Orange/White, Pink, and many others. It's always good to carry a wide range of colors in order to give the fish "what they want".

Lures: Good lure companies include: Panther Martin, Thomas Buoyant, Super Duper, Kastmaster, and Luhr Jensen. Anywhere from 1/32-1oz spinners, spoons, rooster tails, and flat-edged lures are most productive. Any shiny color will catch fish.

Bait:

Dough Baits:Colors such as Chartreuse, Orange, Rainbow, White, and Corn Yellow work best.

Worms: Nightcrawlers, Meal Worms and Earth Worms work best for trout.

Salmon Eggs

Mini Marshmellows

Cheese Cubes (velveeta)

Crickets

Scents: Berkley, Crave, and Smelly Jelly all make great trout scents. Scents are a good thing to carry around, and they can go on anything you use for trout. Garlic, Natural, and Corn seem to have the best effects.

Fishing for Trout:

Having the proper equipment is only half of the game. Knowing how to use your tackle, which rigs to use, and applying it to different situations and fishing areas is the most important part of trout fishing.

Fishing Bait

The most popular bait fishing rig for pursuing Southern California trout is the Carolina rig. This rig consists of an egg sinker, a carolina keeper or barrel swivel, and a hook. The image below shows how to tie the Carolina rig. Refer to the hook sizes table in the “General Tackle” Section previously in the article in order to know which hook sizes to use. With this rig, you can either fish powerbait, nightcrawlers(make sure you inflate them with a worm blower), marshmallows, cheese, or salmon eggs.



When fishing from shore or on the water, cast out to the desired spot, and let it sink. When it has reached the bottom, set the pole down in your rod holder or on the side of your boat, and then make the line fairly taught. Now all you need to do is wait for a fish to strike.

*Note: When fishing from shore, make sure you use a strike indicator such as a bobber while fishing bait. It is not necessary to use one when you’re on the water.

Fishing Mini Jigs

Simply tie your mini jig directly to your line. Cast out as far as possible, and let it sink near the bottom. Then, start your retrieve. On the retrieve, you want to constantly bounce your rod tip up and down, while slowly reeling in. Like with every type of artificial fishing, vary your retrieves! It is important to keep your line fairly taught, because trout hit very subtle, and it’s easy to miss a hit. This is why it is a good idea to have an Ultra Light rod.

Fishing Trout Worms

The two most popular ways to fish a trout worm are Split Shotting and using a Lead head.

To tie a Split Shot rig, all you need is a single hook (preferably a size 10 or 8 mosquito hook) and a pea sized split shot weight. First, tie the hook on the line, and crimp the splitshot about 12"-24" feet above the hook. Then thread the hook into the trout worm.

With a leadhead, all you need to do is thread this on near the top of the worm.

Fish trout worms just like you would Mini Jigs, but remember, vary your retrieves!



Fishing Lures

This type of fishing requires little effort. Simply cast your lure, and let it sink. Then begin a steady retrieve. If you are not getting bit, let it sink at a different depth, or try reeling in faster or slower.

Conclusion

To me, trout fishing is the most enjoyable type of fishing there is, and limiting out on these beautiful fish is only half the experience. Being outdoors at our beautiful Southern California Lakes truly is a big treat. Hopefully this article will further increase your knowledge, and allow you to have more productive days out on the water, and create memories that will last you a lifetime.

For more information, please register on the boards atwww.hookupsportfishing.com

[PlatinumHooks]

Well put together Sean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DementedFish]

Hey everyone, I edited this article a little and added some more information so check it out.

[filz]

hey sean, nice work!

i like the info and prices on the equipment!

[mamoo]

To make it easier for the size of the reel list it for brand for example
Shimano: 750-1500
Daiwa: 500-1500
Quantum: 10-20
1500 is a little large but will work. 500-100 sizes are ideal.

[Tanyahh1]

What a wonderful article! Especially useful for a newbie like me. I especially liked how thorough the information was and how it was organized. Thank you for taking the time to do that.

by the way sean is adorable, look at that smile!

[crabKracker]

Originally Posted by Tanyahh1

What a wonderful article! Especially useful for a newbie like me. I especially liked how thorough the information was and how it was organized. Thank you for taking the time to do that.

by the way sean is adorable, look at that smile!

who wants to pinch his dimples?

[DementedFish]

Originally Posted by Tanyahh1

What a wonderful article! Especially useful for a newbie like me. I especially liked how thorough the information was and how it was organized. Thank you for taking the time to do that.

by the way sean is adorable, look at that smile!

Thanks, what can I say, I am pretty cute lol. Of course I've aged since that picture so for all I know I may be ugly. Glad you like the article.

[Tanyahh1]

Originally Posted by crabKracker

who wants to pinch his dimples?

Any time!!! LOL "come here little boy....."

[sashimi]

Excellent post. I would add the Shakespeare Sigma 200A reel and the Shakespeare Micro graphite rod to your list. the reel can be had for under 15 on sale and the rod under 15 regular price. In addtion, for personal pref I use the clarus rod fro dropshotting and the heartland and teton rods for mini jigging.

[DementedFish]

Originally Posted by sashimi

Excellent post. I would add the Shakespeare Sigma 200A reel and the Shakespeare Micro graphite rod to your list. the reel can be had for under 15 on sale and the rod under 15 regular price. In addtion, for personal pref I use the clarus rod fro dropshotting and the heartland and teton rods for mini jigging.

Thanks for the response, and welcome to the board. I actually have the Teton rod and I don't like it all for mini jigging. It's not sensitive or long enough. I actually just got back from fishing with it and tried fishing a 3" jerk-it and I had very little contact with it. Still, it's a great rod for general applications and an even better rod for the money.

[sashimi]

Originally Posted by DementedFish

Thanks for the response, and welcome to the board. I actually have the Teton rod and I don't like it all for mini jigging. It's not sensitive or long enough. I actually just got back from fishing with it and tried fishing a 3" jerk-it and I had very little contact with it. Still, it's a great rod for general applications and an even better rod for the money.

You hit the nail on the head as far as the Teton. I like the Daiwa better, but for 12 bucks it works. The Daiwas are much more sensitive and I like it much better.

[DementedFish]

Originally Posted by sashimi

You hit the nail on the head as far as the Teton. I like the Daiwa better, but for 12 bucks it works. The Daiwas are much more sensitive and I like it much better.

I have two heartlands actually (one of them broke however) and they are very nice. Very sensitive rods and great for everything. I've used it for minjigging, dropshotting for bass, dropshotting for halibut, bait soaking, lure throwing, trolling, you name it.

[orchardhills]

Great job. I enjoyed reading your article.

[Fit Fisherman]

Really a well put together article Sean.

I use the Shimano 1000 with 2lb test and the Shimano Carbomax.

It's amazing that we can bring in 10-12lb and larger size trout on 2lb test. Sure is tiring, and an awful lot of fun.

Hope to float some Power Bait after the Christmas Holiday.

Nice picture, beautiful fish.

Allen