powerbait

[missoulakid]

Hey everybody,
I see a lot of people talking about "powerbait". Aren't there a bunch of different types of powerbait? I feel like I asked someone what they drove and they told me a chrysler.
Been to Wirth twice this week and caught fish on a gold Thomas Cyclone. Man that thing is a trout slayer!
Hope all are catching fish.

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

T.C.'s are a pretty bad unit! I used to fish the gold ones as well, in a mini puddle! Seemed to be the lure of choice though.

There are many, many doughbaits out there to choose from if that is your bag. Some have different chemical additives, and scents, not to mention patented color schemes nowdays! It's crazy, but if your into dough dunkin, hit you local sporting goods store. White is my favorite for the stockers in my neighborhood reservoir. Plain white.

 

[chris61182]

I see a lot of people talking about "powerbait". Aren't there a bunch of different types of powerbait? I feel like I asked someone what they drove and they told me a chrysler.

It would depend on the context, for bass it would be any of the nearly infinite choices of Berkley plastics. While for trout it'll be the dough or nugget stuff.

 

[MicahCarrick]

Tossin' out some Berkley Powerbait is a very easy way to get started trout fishing--the stocked trout eat it up like crazy.

There are a ton of colors, sparkles, shapes, sizes, etc. (and that's just in the Berkley line!). The "dough" may be the original, but most people I see use the nuggets, dough, or salmon eggs. Personally, I prefer the newer Gulp! line of berkley products as they are 100% biodegradable.

Last summer I took out about 12 different types of Berkley powerbait to satisfy this very question and when the fish were biting (again, talking about the stocked ones here) they did not discriminate. Pink, green, yellow, sparkles, nuggets, eggs, dough--they ate it all up the same. Therefore, I prefer the "Berkley Gulp! Salmon Eggs" in pink or red. They stay on the hook a bit longer than the nuggets. If you can manage to set the hook before the fish swallows it entirely then you can keep on using that bait all day long. However, I usually have a jar of yellow or green Gulp! trout nuggets with me as well.

The scent--in my opinion--is probably the main factor here. Visibility a bit too. But since they are all the same scent, I would just pick your flavor and go nuts. Orange/Red/Pink are what I see most often. I'm sure people will swear by one or the other... and the one that got away.

Along the same lines... I see a lot of different rigs for trout fishing powerbait and I've tried a lot myself. I found a very simple rig is just as effective as the fancy ones (at least for me). Egg sinker, swivel, leader, single-egg hook. If you need to cut the hook off, you can just pop a new one on the leader and be back in the water in seconds. Using multiple hooks or any other fancy rigs tend to result in spending more time untangling or re-rigging than anything else (not to mention you use up your bait more quickly)--and when the stockers are biting you may be pulling 'em out faster than you can re-rig.

The one factor that *does* seem to matter is the length of the leader. The powerbait floats off the bottom. It's usually in the range of 12 - 36 inches for me.

Then once you catch enough for dinner, swap out that powerbait for a spinner or spoon and go for the bigger ones or catch n' release.

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

It sucks, but most places, if not all in OR don't allow "Party Fishin." At least anymore. But you can always get four(trout, most places), and do the C&R gig until you get bored, then whack one more...

 

[Troutski]

Central Oregon...

Central Oregon...

I can remember about 10 years while fishing at Crane Prairie, there was so much power bait floating on the surface of the lake the morning after opening day that someone commented; "that there was a Power Bait Hatch" .
I do have a hint while bottom fishing with bait, I learned this after installing my first sonar; you can tell the softness of the bottom plus the height of the grass...this information can be translated into how long your leader should be from the weight. Some lakes in Central Oregon such as Big Lava have very soft bottoms and the weight will sink deep into the mud, add in the height of the grass and your leader should be 12 - 20" above that. It serves me well today as it did then, does any one else remember the sinking Power Bait ? Sure made it easier to use under a bobber.
My all time favorite go to Power Bait color is Chartreuse Green with glitter, after you use it; your fingers look like you dipped them into Alien blood


Chuck

 

[FishSchooler]

does any one else remember the sinking Power Bait ? Sure made it easier to use under a bobber.

Up in Canada when I was "trootin" I was usin just hook and pink pb. It sank so slow that in 2-3' of water, the "troots" would go up and grab it before it even hit the bottom. Ah, that reminds me of good times... Trootin on a crystal clear, cool lake with schools of troots hangin around in the flats and bays, dartin up eatin the bugs on the water, trees swayin in the breeze, not to mention good fishin! Emerald lake in yoho national park that is... really worth the trip, especially with kids then you can keep up to 3 trout per kid under 14... And theres a bridge to fish off of...

 

[missoulakid]

Thanks for all the help. Hope the fish are biting this week!