Lake Ontario Fishing Forum Trout Salmon Sport Fishing Charter

In Part 1 we described the basic equipment for the boat and terminal tackle. Part 2 touched base on lure selection, size and colors. Part 3 is on putting everything together to maximize your chances of putting the fish in the boat.

This part is going to pull it all together to give the basics to catch these spring time browns.
First, and foremost, with spring time brown trout fishing – the early bird gets the worm. The prime time for fishing is just before sun up till about 8:30 am. A number of factors can shorten or lengthen this period, but that is a good average time frame. The first few passes thru an area are usually the best, after that it gets slower and slower.

Fishing with the pack is not the best idea. This is a big mistake that we all make from time to time. We see (or hear) a few fish caught from an area so we head towards it. This will hurt the number of browns you catch. Picture this: 100 Jet Ski’s racing around in a ½ mile area. The noise would drive you nuts. Image a brown trout in 4 feet of water with 50 props. Working just outside of the pack can be MORE productive. As little as 300 yards has paid off nicely for me in the past. Also, finding untapped waters a mile or so away is more rewarding than catching 2 or 3 fish that have been worked to death.

Speed kills. I know that some trollers burn thru at 3 mph in search of actively feeding browns during the early season. The cold water temperatures slow the metabolism of the browns, this makes them lazy. I have found that the most productive speed to consistently take these natural or inactive fish is between 1.8 to 2.3 mph. With the slower metabolisms in the early spring the Browns don’t want to exert more energy than they will gain from the food which they take in. I usually start my program around 2.0 to 2.2 mph surface speed and then adjust as the fish dictate.

Setting up and set backs. Set backs for the planer boards and shallow riggers are a gamble. They can change by the hour. As with speed, let the fish tell you what they prefer. I run leads from 75’ to 150’ back off the boards. I will set one side at 75’ and the other at 100’ when I start in the morning. Shorten or length until a program ties together. With the riggers I like to run the starboard corner back 65’-75’ back and the port 45’-55’ back. Also some days I run the (third) chute rigger right in the prop wash.

I will end this series on spring browns with a “pro’s pointer.” This is a simple trick that has started off a lot of good morning for me. As you are running to your location have two rods ready to go. Have the rods rigged with the lures that you want to use on the last out (closest) planer board lines for each side of the boat. As soon as you slow to trolling speed shot them out FIRST, straight out of the back of the boat. Send one back 100’ and the other in the prop wash. THEN, go about setting up as you normally would. Once all the OTHER rods are rigged, then reel them in at set them. You will be surprised at how many times you will boat a fish or two before you even get a planer board all the way out!

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