Pre Spawn Trout Fishing
Towards the end of winter and the beginning of spring, when the water warms up and the ice begins to thaw, trout begin to move towards their spawning grounds. For those trout that move in lakes, this won’t be a very far trip, but for those who live in streams and rivers, their trip may be moving a mile or two. Here are a few Trout fishing tips that will help make your pre spawn fishing trips productive.
In most mountain lakes there is a population of trout that generally swim around the lake a few yards out from shore. In the small mountain lakes they may go clear around the lake grazing as they go. There are others that spend their time hanging around the inlet and eating what the stream brings into the lake. However, once spawning time approaches, the females find a nice gravel area where they can build their nest or redd. When the fish find an area they like they won’t stray very far. The best way to locate these areas is to use a set of good fishing maps. The maps will show you the structure of the lake bottom.
If you’re fishing on a stream or river you can find shallow water with gravel bottom by walking up and down the river or by using a drift boat or kayak. Some streams have fishing regulations that prevent anglers from fishing on the redds. Even if there are not regulations, it is a good idea to say away so the fish can build their nest and spawn. Disturbing the trout life cycle not only hurts the fish, but the anglers as well.
A great bait to use this time of year is a salmon egg. Trout are keyed into fish egg and will eat their fill, especially if there are brown trout in the area.