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Hey guys, I just started fishing about a year ago. So far I have only fished for trout in Oak Creek and the Verde River (Clark Dale, Thousand Trails, Dead Horse, White Bridge).
My current setup is a Shakespeare Ugly Stick Light - Medium Action, 6 foot and a Shimano Solstace 2500FI Reel. I use 4 pound line. I have only used really small 1/32 oz spinners from Meps, Panther Martin, etc. I have done fairly well getting small trout, but sometimes it is hit or miss.
I went out to the Verde yesterday and didn't get a single bite in 5 hours. I am starting to think maybe I should diversify my lures.
- What do you guys recommend I try as far as lures go?
- How big of a lure should I use?
- Should I go to 6 pound line?
- Any other tips?
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Welcome to the forum. I haven't fished and river here in Arizona but I just moved from Utah about a year ago and did a lot of river fishing there. I always used a 5 foot rod but that was mostly because I fished in some close quarters that made it necessary. My go to lure was always a #7 brown trout countdown by rapala. Rainbow and brook trout work if they're what your after. A #5 was probably my second choice. The only reason I used the #7 more was it casts a lot farther. I have used floater too but it also doesn't cast as far. I would use these lures exclusively most days. They don't really look too productive at first, when my buddy turned them into me I laughed, but trust me they work. Try them out and let me know how they work.
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It's good to see new people from az on the site. I have never fished those particular rivers but I have fished other arizona rivers for 20 years and I can tell you that I have caught more fish on one lure in particular. It's a crick hopper made by rebel. Buy a brown or yellow and you will catch fish. Even when the spinners aren't doing it for you the crick hopper will trigger the fish. If I could choose one lure to use in az the rest of my life that would be it. You can buy them just about anywhere. Good luck I hope this helps you.
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Thanks guys! I will check out some of those small crank baits like the rapala countdown
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Trout can often be a challenge to fish for and finicky eaters. You mentioned the Verde and Oak Creek, those waters are best fished right after a stocking. They are some of the most heavily fished moving water in the state due to being so close to the valley. With that being the case you're going to have to bring a little more game to the table.
With those two waters I'd would bust out a fly rod to make sure I had the highest probability of success. The trout that have lasted for more then a season have probably seen everything generic thrown their way and passed. So you're going to need to mimic a live bait or food source. Streamers and nymphs would work great on those waters, but again they are heavily fished so you have to bring it (technique/presentation/accuracy) to be successful. If you don't know how to fly fish learn to how to toss a fly behind a bubble float on a spin reel. Takes a little bit of practice on the cast because but it's a much easier learning curve then a fly rod setup.
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