the fish are active on top, with some anglers even tying
deer hair flies to resemble trout pellets floating. "If fishing
near the bottom, people might also use a marshmallow as a
leader," said Bauer, "and fish with a crawler on the bottom."
Using between four and six inches of line between the two,
the nightcrawler will stay just above the bottom and increase
the angler's chances at a strike.
The Best Strategy
Whether you're at a crowded opening
day or by yourself, fly-fishing or fishing
baits below bobbers, the main objective is to
experiment. While these fish will work drop-
offs and weedlines like many other fish species,
they'll also swim in open water looking for meals.
Besides what the neighboring anglers are doing, the
trout themselves will often tell you where and what they
are eating. Watch for feeding activity on the surface and
you'll find fish. Just think like a trout: be curious.
Then, if you're a newcomer to fishing, use this
curiosity to start fishing for other species, for trout are
the beginning of your fishing career, your gateway, not
the destination. ■
Put-and-take rainbow trout can be caught on any number of baits and lures, including jigs, such
as this fish caught at the Ponca State Park pond.
Trout Stocking
●
Bridgeport SRA
(Northwest Lake)
●
Chadron State Park
Pond
●
Eugene T. Mahoney
State Park
(CenturyLink Lake)
●
Fort Kearney SRA
(Lake No. 6)
●
Fremont Lakes SRA
(Lake No. 2)
●
Keller Park SRA
(Lake Nos. 4, 5)
●
Lake Ogallala SRA
●
Long Pine Creek SRA
●
Niobrara State Park
(Lake No. 2)
●
Ponca State Park
Pond
●
Rock Creek Lake
SRA
●
Two Rivers SRA
(Lake No. 5)
●
Windmill SRA (Lake
No. 2)
Each spring and fall, the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission stocks put-and-take trout throughout the
state. In 2016, the Commission plans to stock more than
264,000 catchable fish
statewide, including these state
parks and state recreations areas (SRAs).
MARCH 2016 • NEBRASKAland 23
