Northwest Reel Life April 2024 Volume 3 Issue 7 - Flipbook - Page 21
You will need to make sure
your hook and bait are both
floating. So, if you’re rigging
an earthworm (or anything
else that doesn’t float) you
will need to add something
with buoyancy. That can be
either a small marshmallow
(like the ones you’d buy
from a grocery store) or a
piece of buoyant dough
bait.
FIXED BOBBER
This is a fun and easy
method for kids or new
anglers to try out. Plus,
it can also be extremely
effective. Attach a fixed
bobber to the mainline,
and then anywhere from
18-24 inches beneath that
a number 5 lead split shot
(add more if there’s current).
About 6 inches beneath
that you can attach a size
8-14 octopus hook with a
night crawler. Nightcrawlers
can be replaced with a red
plastic worm or dough bait.
SLIP BOBBER RIG
A slip bobber has a few
more parts than a fixed
bobber setup, though,
unlike the fixed bobber,
this setup will allow you to
adjust your rig to virtually
any depth. This is very
handy for when the fish are
suspended midway in the
water column. Add a pretied bobber stopper knot to
your mainline.
From there, add your
bobber stop bead so that
the bobber won’t slip past
that knot. Add the slip
bobber to the mainline,
then add 1/2 oz egg sinker,
and then a snap swivel.
From here add 2-3 ft of
leader and then your size
8-14 octopus hook. Now
you can put your gear into
the water and start sliding
your knot up the mainline
to adjust the depth of your
hook and bait.
I’d wager that if you polled
some friends and family
and asked them what their
first memories of fishing
are, a good portion of
them would likely start to
share stories of fishing for
rainbow trout off a dock
during a hot summer
day, or out of a john boat
cruising around the lake
hoping to land a big silver
and pink beauty. I know
this is true for me, and I
encourage anyone who
has kids (or adults for that
matter) who are new to
fishing, to take them out
to your local lake and try
out some of these tactics
to bring home some fish.
Despite what anyone might
say about stocked trout, I
assure you, they make great
table fair, and they also do
very well in the smoker.
Fish on!
