Getting back into bait fishing

[Ltburrows]

As the tittle says, I'm getting back into bait fishing. I have been fly fishing exclusively for the passed 11 years and have no idea what to buy gear wise for spinning gear. When I switched over I sold off everything except for my rod and reel, I'm essentially starting from square one. So far I have weights wedding rings and Panther Martins. What else should I get for my tackle box? I'll mainly be fishing spanaway lake.


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[Bullkllr]

If trout in lakes are the goal, I'd get gear for trolling and still fishing.

Wedding Rings and Panther Martins you mentioned are good lures. Wedding rings are one of the "go to lures" on Spanaway and other lakes- usually with a piece of worm added (but then it's bait, so any fish caught count toward your limit). Other lures I've had good luck with: Triple teazer, Dick Nite spoons. Flatfish (frog F4!), small Rapalas, small Hotshots. Maybe get a small gang-troll (set of blades) to run ahead of lures/baits or dodger- they add weight but help attract if lures by themselves aren't working.

Still fishing- PowerBait (have best luck with the original flavor). Marshmallows to float a worm or eggs- Pautzke's Green Label eggs have caught a lot of trout. Worm "inflator: needle can work well to float a solo worm. Get slip sinkers and light (1-2-3#) leader. Egg hooks in sizes 6-8 or so. Bait under a slip bobber can work if the bottom is snaggy. Many guys do well still-fishing Spanaway with powerbait or worm-marshmallow with a 3-5 foot leader.

That said, trolling flies works about as well as anything this time of year.Wooly bugger, Carey Sp. Pink Lady. Also, a weightless (or very lightly weighted) worm, on a two hook rig (like tiny salmon leader) slowly trolled/drifted will catch trout anywhere.

Hopes this helps, Good Luck.

[Holg3107]

To help we need a bit more info. Lake Spanaway has largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, trout, crappie, perch, catfish, etc.... What will your target species be? How will you access the water (boat, float tube, shore, wade, etc...). What's your budget, and how often will you be going? When you say bait fishing are you speaking strictly of bait like earth worms, cut bait, live bait, power bait, etc... or artificial lures (rubber worms, flies, rapalas, spinners etc...). Would like to help point you in the right direction, just need some more info.

[Ltburrows]

To help we need a bit more info. Lake Spanaway has largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, trout, crappie, perch, catfish, etc.... What will your target species be? How will you access the water (boat, float tube, shore, wade, etc...). What's your budget, and how often will you be going? When you say bait fishing are you speaking strictly of bait like earth worms, cut bait, live bait, power bait, etc... or artificial lures (rubber worms, flies, rapalas, spinners etc...). Would like to help point you in the right direction, just need some more info.

By bait fishing I'm referring to all non fly fishing tactics. I'm mainly going for trout from a boat about 2 to 3 times s month. Unfortunately the boat doesn't have a trolling motor at the moment so trolling is out of the question

[Bullkllr]

To help we need a bit more info. Lake Spanaway has largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, trout, crappie, perch, catfish, etc.... What will your target species be? How will you access the water (boat, float tube, shore, wade, etc...). What's your budget, and how often will you be going? When you say bait fishing are you speaking strictly of bait like earth worms, cut bait, live bait, power bait, etc... or artificial lures (rubber worms, flies, rapalas, spinners etc...). Would like to help point you in the right direction, just need some more info.

By bait fishing I'm referring to all non fly fishing tactics. I'm mainly going for trout from a boat about 2 to 3 times s month. Unfortunately the boat doesn't have a trolling motor at the moment so trolling is out of the question

Ok, then my suggestions above should apply directly.

If it's not a big boat, many actually prefer rowing for trolling, btw. Easier to adjust speed. Drifting with the wind is essentially trolling, too. You can cast lures from an anchored or drifting boat anyway.

For still fishing, I'd suggest fore and aft anchors to keep the boat still.

[Ltburrows]

I appreciate the technique advice. What tackle do you guys recommend tackle wise? Bottom fishing, bobber fishing, trolling(wedding ring colors), and spoons/spinners?


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[Alpine Mojo]

Switching from fly to bait doesn't happen very often.  The natural progression tends to go in the other direction.  Why the change?

[Ltburrows]

Well first off I'm not giving up fly at all, the main reason I'm going back is because all my friends bait fish and I've been going out with them since opener and decided to get my own gear again


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[jackmaster]

You can't beat trolling a big ole night crawler, just mess with your leader and lead to get the depth and speed right..

[Alchase]

You can't beat trolling a big ole night crawler, just mess with your leader and lead to get the depth and speed right..

Doubly Whammy, with 1/3 piece of nitecrawler threaded up the shank on the top hook and the tail attached to the trail or bottom hook.

I you are targeting Kokanee, use pink power bait maggot on bottom hook with white shoepeg corn on the top hook.

FYI, whether using any of the above mention lures for trolling, remove the garbage hooks and replace with gamakatsu red hooks. Your hook ups will improve dramatically.

For line, i use 4-6lb Chameleon, if fishing with kids I use Hi-Vis so I can see when their line is going into the prop, LOL

[SteelheadTed]

Here I thought this thread was about bait fishing for real fish, like salmon or steelhead...   

[jackmaster]

Big bass in Spanaway lake, I caught numerous 5 to 8 and my biggest was 11.5 and I seen bigger ones, back in the day they could resist a power craw ..

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Just put a chunk of crawler on a Woolley bugger and have the best of both your worlds.