Going fishing near Cherokee NC and have no idea how to catch a trouts

[Cadcom]

Going to Cherokee NC this weekend and am told I need to go trout fishing. I have no interest in a fly fishing rig. Can I use a spinning reel and rooster tails or beetle spin or something similar? Really don't want to dump a lot into a trout fishing setup as this is the first time I've gone ever and may be the last if it doesn't grow on me. I may even take a few bream buster rods just in case...

 

[rockyfatcat]

Lake or river? Different setups unless you go straight for explosives

 

[Tony2X]

A couple M-80's and a net.....

 

[Cadcom]

Lake or river? Different setups unless you go straight for explosives

River and pond. Prefer not to donate to the NC chapter of the Unibomber fish and game memorial fund.

 

[Mister Heavyhand]

Well you got two kinds of trout crusaders..........
1. Corn chuckers (that be me). These type are your fish eaters.
2. Fly Guys. These type are your throw em backs.

Process of elimination has led me to believe you are a corn chucker. Now the trout are predators. They want that bait, they need that bait, etc.. etc..

You want the secret weapon (don't tell nobody)? Crickets get you trout. Just cast upstream of that honey hole and let it float down. Mr. trout will tear that cricket up. I like fishing bridges. Big boys hang out there.

Well good luck and tight lines..........

 

[Cadcom]

Well you got two kinds of trout crusaders..........
1. Corn chuckers (that be me). These type are your fish eaters.
2. Fly Guys. These type are your throw em backs.

Process of elimination has led me to believe you are a corn chucker. Now the trout are predators. They want that bait, they need that bait, etc.. etc..

You want the secret weapon (don't tell nobody)? Crickets get you trout. Just cast upstream of that honey hole and let it float down. Mr. trout will tear that cricket up. I like fishing bridges. Big boys hang out there.

Well good luck and tight lines..........

Thanks! Crickets are my kind of fishing.

 

[Freshly Minted Georgian!]

I've caught hundreds. Rooster tails and small trout spinners, bright small spoons, tube baits, flies....you name it but if you are already predisposed to bait fishing run with that - it works. Simple rigs, a small float or a bubble float, partially filled with water if you need a bit more casting weight for distance, small long shank hook like an Aberdeen style, hook on a cricket, red worm, meal worm, night crawler piece will all work. Corn or salmon eggs will sometimes work too. Depending on fish depth if you are bottom fishing use a small sinker, a decent sized split shot will do, or a small egg sinker, same hook type, high crawler and if you bring an old hypo needle you can blow a bit of air into the worm so it'll float up off the bottom. Crickets though is great advice. Caught my personal largest, a 5 pound cutthroat that hit immediately on cast a juicy fat grasshopper I picked up off the river bank out in Utah.

If you want to fish flies you can do that too with a spinning rod and a bubble float. Just keep a 2-3 foot leader between your float and your fly. Flies can be frustrating though in that you kinda need to try matching the local bugs in color, size and type and that can actually vary by the hour. There are some generic flies that'll work but ideally you "match the hatch". If you want to give that a try check with a nearby fishing shop and see what is working at your specific location. I used to just bring my fly tying gear with me in the car so if I needed a new fly I could just go tie whatever I needed on the spot.

Crickets though, great for trout!

 

[Freshly Minted Georgian!]

They also aren't tough fish. If you are gonna eat em, don't worry about that. If you are gonna release them though, get the hook out quickly are carefully and get em back in the water fast or they'll die very quickly. Not like catfish that you can throw on the bank and they live long enough to grow legs and walk back in.

 

[The Southern Gentlemen]

Caught this 5 mins outside of Cherokee a month ago. Best time I’ve had fishing in a long time. I highly recommend you research where your fishing to make sure you have the proper license for the area

 

[The Southern Gentlemen]

Sorry can’t help with your rig setup, we were on a guided fly fish trip