Vol . 37 - Iss . 8 Pg . 6 March 30 - April 13 , 2018
10 Nor
March Cal
30 - April 13 , 2018 Trout Anglers Challenge VOL . 37 • ISS . 08
Vol . 37 - Iss . 8 Pg . 6 March 30 - April 13 , 2018
The Trout Lure That Does It All …
Ibought my first Rooster Tails when I was 12 years old and quickly landed a bunch of big smallmouth bass on them including a 6 pound fish . And of course I ’ ve caught plenty of trout on Rooster Tails , but I ’ ve also used them in Alaska for river salmon and for steelhead .
Indeed over the years I ’ ve caught a long list of species on Rooster Tails including bluegill , sunfish , all three species of black bass , stripers , carp , squawfish , several species of trout and a few different species of rockfish .
The bottom line is that Rooster Tails in all their forms are just good solid fish catching lures .
In the minds of most anglers Rooster Tail spinners are first and foremost trout lures . With spring trout fishing now upon us , let ’ s take a moment to review the highlights of the Rooster Tail lineup .
Original Worden ’ s original Rooster Tail Spinner
FISHING WITH
®
ROOSTER TAIL SPINNERS IS EASY AND PRODUCTIVE
CAST AND RETRIEVE
Without a doubt , the most popular way to fish a Rooster Tail is to employ the cast-and-retrieve method . It ’ s so easy , just tie a Rooster Tail on the end of your line , cast into a lake or stream and reel / retrieve your spinner back to you .
In lakes , most anglers searching for fish , cast-and-retrieve spinners while working their way along the shoreline or from a drifting boat .
The most common method used in rivers is to cast your Rooster Tail out , across and slightly upstream ; allow it to sink near bottom while reeling up any slack line , then pulling back on your rod tip slightly , causing the blade to start its spin before beginning a slow retrieve . The current will sweep your spinner downstream as you reel it back . Once your spinner swings in near shore , it ’ s time to reel in and cast again .
Choose different colored Rooster Tails for changing light and water conditions . If one color is not working try a different color . by Cal Kellogg
has been hooking trout for well over 50 years and remains one of the most effective spinners on the market today available in 10 sizes and over 130 different finishes .
Vibric
The Vibric Rooster Tail combines the famous Rooster Tail hackle tail with a unique keel weighted body and shaft-through blade design . The offset body shape and the direct blade-toshaft rotation creates an ultra-noisy underwater vibration that is excellent for trout .
The Vibric Rooster Tail comes in six sizes and over 50 color combinations , making it possible to come up with just the right size and color for any water condition .
Sonic Worden ’ s versatile in-line spinner , the Sonic Rooster Tail features a polished brass or silver body and French style spinner blade that creates a unique spinning action . Action-weighted in three sizes and available in 30 color combinations .
For more information about the entire lineup of Rooster Tail Spinners visit www . yakimabait . com .
Bleeding Frog
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Banking For Collins Lake Trout With Cripplures
Threadfin shad are the primary forage
for trout at Collins Lake . The best lures for shore anglers that want
to imitate minnows and shad are without a doubt wobbling spoons . There are a ton of different spoons on the market , unfortunately for the bank fishing enthusiast many of them were designed exclusively for trolling and are too light for casting .
One of my all-time favorite casting lures is the Cripplure from the folks at Mack ’ s Lure / Shasta Tackle . The Cripplure has a unique side to side rolling action that virtually screams injured baitfish .
Fishing spoons is pretty straight forward , but there are some special kinks that can be incorporated into your repertoire that will result in a few bonus trout every year . The first thing to think about is your lure to line connection .
Cripplures have a simple wire eye where you attach your line . If you tie a tight knot directly to that hole , it will kill a lot of the lure ’ s action . You ’ ll still catch fish , but if you employ a connection that allows the lure a free range of movement you ’ ll catch more .
You can tie on your spoons via a loop knot , but tying the knot is a pain . It ’ s a skill I think you should have in reserve for emergencies , but overall , you ’ ll be best served by picking up a small selection of high quality light wire lock snaps .
The first rule of plugging from the bank is to fan cast . This means
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that you don ’ t want to stand on the bank casting methodically to the same spot . Facing the lake , you have access to a 180 degree arch of water and you should cover it methodically .
What color lures to use is often a point of much confusion and second guessing for anglers . I begin with natural colors that match the shad and smelt the trout feed on . If those colors fail to produce I start experimenting with bright offerings . Chrome , chrome and blue , gold , brass , brass and red , brass and orange and firetiger have been the most consistent spoon colors for me over the years .
To learn more about the entire Mack ’ s Lure / Shasta Tackle lineup , visit them on the web at www . mackslure . com .
Spring Frog
For more tips and videos on how to fish Rooster Tails go to yakimabait . com
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