NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/644631
S how up at Two Rivers State Recreation Area near Yutan on this park's opening day of trout season in March each year, and you're sure to find a parking lot full of cars and folks of all ages surrounding the edges of Lake No. 5. You're also sure to see a number of kids, out for the first time that year or maybe even the first time of their lives, partaking in one of Nebraska's best gateways to the outdoors – fishing for hatchery raised rainbow trout. Armed with any number of baits – from marshmallows to corn – anglers await what will eventually be pan-fried delights as they stretch out the last of the winter creaks from a long time indoors, as they watch anglers to the left and right trying to see if their bait is "the" bait for the day. Baits The bait for the day can be any number of options, including nightcrawlers and salmon eggs, said Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Fisheries Biologist Daryl Bauer. "They're very curious, so they'll try to eat anything. They've lived in a hatchery their whole lives until we stock them, and have swam around looking for pellets for food. That's what they know as food. When we stock them, their behavior is much the same. So something that smells like a trout pellet works well." Bauer advocates specifically for Berkley's trout baits. "If you sniff their baits, they smell just like trout pellets from the hatchery, the same pellets these fish have fed on their whole lives." For anglers wanting to fish with artificial baits, use lures that give off flash. Little spinners, spoons and husky jerks work well. "You may not catch a lot of fish on these lures, but they allow you to cover water quickly and you'll often see fish chasing your lure, allowing you to see that fish are there," said Bauer. Tackle An ultralight rod and spincast reel is the most often used rod and reel combo for trout, with 6- to 8-pound test line, as lighter lures and baits are usually used. Anglers may also fly-fish for them when While 10-to-13-inch fish are the typical size of put-and-take trout, larger fish, like this one at Two Rivers SRA Lake No. 5, are also caught. THE GATEWAY FISH Story and photos by Jeff Kurrus How to Catch Put-and-Take Trout 22 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2016