Fishing with Powerbait

I know what you're thinking. Why is a fly fisherman making a thread about powerbait.:think: It's not because I'm trying to stir the pot by pitting bait guys against the fly and lure guys, it's because I am genuously curious why one would choose to fish with it. Ok...Ok...I know....it catches lots of fish but are you really getting the most out of the experience? Does plunk fishing really do it for you? If one were to bait fish why not use crickets or grasshoppers? Or bloodworms? It just seems Powerbait has made it more convenient to bait up. Can someone enlighten me?

JIM,for me its the most rewarding way to catch a fish,its an accomplishment that far exceeds anything else.

bigsteel said:

JIM,for me its the most rewarding way to catch a fish,its an accomplishment that far exceeds anything else.

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Thanks Dave. I aways new you enjoyed fishing that way. And the thousand flies you tie in a year is only your hobby. Someday you'll have to demonstrate that breadball pattern for me.

OnTheFly said:

Thanks Dave. I aways new you enjoyed fishing that way. And the thousand flies you tie in a year is only your hobby. Someday you'll have to demonstrate that breadball pattern for me.

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i can show you this weekend at the lake,,,i will tie up a powerbait fly

I have a two rod license, so what I usually do at a stocked lake is use worms under a bobber or a bottom poweregg rig on one rod, and chuck my favorite spinner on the other rod. I rarley use bait on both rods, only when I run out of spinners or am eating lunch.

Powerbait is nice for those days when you and some friends just want to kick back at the lake. Drink some beers, and plunk some doughy bait. Catch a buzz and maybe some stocker trouts!

OnTheFly said:

Thanks Dave. I aways new you enjoyed fishing that way. And the thousand flies you tie in a year is only your hobby. Someday you'll have to demonstrate that breadball pattern for me.

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I too would like to see that breadball pattern. I'm thinking about incorporating it into a jig pattern for steelies.

Throbbit _Shane said:

Powerbait is nice for those days when you and some friends just want to kick back at the lake. Drink some beers, and plunk some doughy bait. Catch a buzz and maybe some stocker trouts!

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lol. If Powerbait works as well as people say then anyone fishing with it wouldn't have time to drink beer 'cause they'd be reeling in fish all day right? I guess my point was why choose Powerbait over anything else. I think it's just for the convenience.

C'mon now...don't start slamming Power Egg / Bait users like has been done to the Carp peeps on here. It doesn't serve any positive purpose to talk down to folks.

Power Eggs (formerly known as the artist Power Bait), are easy to use, and do catch a ton of trout if you know how to rig them up. Believe it or not, there are some tricks to using them correctly/effectively.

Worms are a hassle, cost more money (unless you want to waste time digging some up), and don't float (unless combined with something else that floats and costs money). The same is true for any other bait that I've used (except for crawdads).

Plunkin' power eggs (or bait) is also an easy and effective way to catch trout; for peeps with a disability (like me). I can no longer roam up and downstream like I used to be able to do (and seriously MISS doing).

I too, employ a two rod practice similar to Moe. First line in the water has Power Eggs on the hook. Second line in the water has a bubble n' fly (usually a Woolly Bugger). :shock: :shock: :shock:

If a fly doesn't do the trick, I then switch to spoons, spinners, etc. until I find the magic trick for the day...and it's usually the Power Eggs out fishing all of the hardware in my tackle collection (and there's a LOT of variety of colors and sizes and types). So, eventually both rods usually have Power Eggs. And I often have "doubles" frequently with Power Eggs. I limited out in nearly every lake I went to last year.

I also get a lot of pleasure out of helping other fisher peeps learn how to use Power Eggs/bait effectively. It's especially cool, when I can show youngin's how to rig up start catching fish. I often stop fishing myself, to help them out. There's nothing quite like sharing with the younger generation, what my dad started in me...and seeing their smiling faces!!! And who knows, maybe someday they'll take up fly fishing.

Would that happen if a fly fisherman/woman came along, and put them down for using bait? And what OFF lurkers (read: potential OFF members) think when they are put down for bait fishing? Will they want to then join OFF? :think: :think: :think:

And for the record, I do have a fly rod (a 6 wt. fiberglass Fenwick), and plan to put it back on the water--if my torn shoulder muscle will allow it. I sure hope so, because I enjoy ANY type of fishing. And I have actually caught more trout with a Woolly Bugger (on a spin rod & in a float tube), than with any thing else in my arsenal. But, I won't give up bait fishing either...or spoons, or spinners, or topwater chuggers for bass, or jigs for crappie, worms for 'gills and cutts...because it all has it's place. And each is a respectable form of fishing.

Throbbit _Shane said:

Powerbait is nice for those days when you and some friends just want to kick back at the lake. Drink some beers, and plunk some doughy bait. Catch a buzz and maybe some stocker trouts!

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Totally agree, it's for "social" fishing. It's the same thing with plunking for Salmon/steel, if you are there to have a good time with the boys and do some fishing on the side it's the way to go. But if you are there to fish your butt off it's probably not the way to go.

Wait a second troutdude, your entire post is the most insulting thing anyone has ever said to me on this forum. Where in my thread did you read anything that sounded like I was slamming anybody? I said I wasn't pointing fingers at bait fishermen but instead only trying to get opinions why people prefered Powerbait over other baits. I'm ok that you think worms are a hassle. It's cool that you instruct people to fish with artificial baits. I think it's cool that you are diverse in many fishing methods. But don't ever accuse me of putting people down because of their fishing methods.

Jim I think you are on to something... but what do you think about plunking a small corkie with scent for trout... even easier and cleaner then powerbait! It will float, has smell, and cheap!

Wow Eggs, that's a good idea! I'll have to try that.

OTF...my apologies; I guess that I should have been more specific. I didn't say that it was you, that was doing the down talking. Because you didn't.

Rather, my comments were directed towards others who seemed to be overtly hinting at that very thing. At least, that was my interpretation of their comments. They seemed to be opening that can of worms <pun intended>. And I just wanted to politely get them to think about what they were saying; and how it was being interpreted.

So, please don't feel offended or insulted. I sent NO barbs in your direction <another pun for effect>.

I am probably good friends with the people that sarcastically over hinted downwards at Powerbait and Powerbait is the issure here Not the fishermen who use it. I couldn't imagine looking down on Autofisher or Barb or troutdude for fishing with it. I just asked a simple question. My thread has taken a detour so lets get back on track and spread some opinons here.

I always liked velveta, or cocktail shrimp, or velveta with a cocktail shrimp on the hook.....used to call them shrimp louie's! All you had to do was take some crackers and your left over bait was lunch!!! Mmmmm!!! :lol:

Has anyone ever heard of a "Wickiup Sandwich"? I think it's a combination of a worm, salmon egg, and marshmellow...if I'm not mistaken. At any rate, it sure sounds like it would catch some fish...and maybe not only in Wickiup!

bigsteel said:

i can show you this weekend at the lake,,,i will tie up a powerbait fly

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LOL when i first started fly fishing i thought glow bugs were power bait imitations. LMFAO

troutdude said:

Has anyone ever heard of a "Wickiup Sandwich"? I think it's a combination of a worm, salmon egg, and marshmellow...if I'm not mistaken. At any rate, it sure sounds like it would catch some fish...and maybe not only in Wickiup!

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The Wickiup sandwich I know of consists of nightcrawler, salmon egg and a piece of crawdad tail.

Funny you should ask, OTF. Until a month ago I had never used Powerbait, in 57 years of fishing. Then I was given the privelage of taking a 3 year old granddaughter fishing for her first time. I wanted her to bait her own hook, so I bought some Powerbait to make it easy for her. Then two weeks later, my 9 year old granddaughter was going to summer camp, where she could fish in a stocked pond, but only if she could fish without help. The picture is a casting lesson in my driveway. Notice her good form! I made her up a tackle box, and sent her off to camp with, once again, Powerbait. She caught and released a 13" trout by herself. I guess it has its place.

p-bait has caught me some nice fish and quite a few, over all it is as affective as any other bait... u just gotta present the bait right and throw it in the right place. also how much p bait u put on the hook makes a huge differnce in catching fish with p-bait... the most likely swallow it, so start with small hooks and small balls of p bait... then work you way up to bigger balls... also i heard that if u shape it into shapes on the hook it does/can catch more fish... my friend shapes his into triangles and squares and catches more fish then i do and i fish them in the plain old balls around the hook...