Trout fishing 101? help

[apegs]

Ok guys here is the deal. I have never trout fished in my life. In a few weeks I will be leaving St.Paul to visit my grand mother who lives in Arizona. She knows I wanted to fish and she decided she will take me to Sedona , Arizona for a day at a rental cabin. I guess there are places to trout fish there and its supposed to be gorgeous. The problem is I dont know any of the basics at all. I plan on fishing probably a maximum of four hours that day due to my girlfriend being with. I dont know how to fly fish nor have the money to buy a rod and the time to learn. I decided I will just bring a break apart rod for fishing, I don't know if this is common or not but's its what I have to do. If any body could give me a crash course on trout fishing I would appreciate it. What bait, pound test, and so on. And if any body has ever trout fished in Sedona I would like to know how you enjoyed it.

[MN Shutterbug]

I'm not much of a trout fisherman, but this sounds like a blast. It it was me, I'd just bring an ultralight spinning outfit with 4 - 6 lb. line and some small Mepps spinners. I have no idea what size trout they have out there, but I use size 0 for the typical 12" brown or rainbow.

[StillwaterAaron]

4-6 pound test

Circle Hook size 4

Crawler or other natural bait such as meal worms, waxie

SMALL splitshot

Drift current seams and you will find fish.

[finnbay]

Generally speaking, there are three types of trout fishermen. The purist, who primarily fly fishes; the middle of the roader who uses spin cast gear with Mepps and plugs; and worm chokers. All have their pros and cons. Fly fishing can be very rewarding but is expensive to get into and can take years to learn. Middle of the road can be effective - I've seen brookies break across a hundred foot pool to slam a Mepps, but the fish have to be in the mood. Worm choking can be the most effective. Live bait always works well and can be used on a minimum of equipment with little expertise. Be prepared to eat what you catch with it, however. Usually the trout swallow live bait and are difficult to revive once a hook needs to be retrieved from deep in their throat. I don't have a problem with any of them - to each his own. But it looks to me with your situation that live bait with a few Mepps along is going to be your best bet.

[StillwaterAaron]

I did a little digging and I found that it is likel that you will be fishing Oak Creek.

Species

* Rainbow Trout

* Brown Trout

* Largemouth Bass

* Smallmouth Bass

* Catfish (Channel)

* Catfish (Flathead)

* Fishable Miles: 49mi

* Elevation: 3,000-5,900ft

But there seems to be permits you need if you want to enter certain areas. It also said the area is very narrow and most casts are about 10 feet. You should be able to get away with using a fly even with a spinning setup. Hares ear nymph is always a good go to.

[StillwaterAaron]

Be prepared to eat what you catch with it, however. Usually the trout swallow live bait and are difficult to revive once a hook needs to be retrieved from deep in their throat.

That is why I use a circle. Out of a hundred or so I have had one guthook and not make it.

[Driftless]

Ok guys here is the deal. I have never trout fished in my life. In a few weeks I will be leaving St.Paul to visit my grand mother who lives in Arizona. She knows I wanted to fish and she decided she will take me to Sedona , Arizona for a day at a rental cabin. I guess there are places to trout fish there and its supposed to be gorgeous. The problem is I dont know any of the basics at all. I plan on fishing probably a maximum of four hours that day due to my girlfriend being with. I dont know how to fly fish nor have the money to buy a rod and the time to learn. I decided I will just bring a break apart rod for fishing, I don't know if this is common or not but's its what I have to do. If any body could give me a crash course on trout fishing I would appreciate it. What bait, pound test, and so on. And if any body has ever trout fished in Sedona I would like to know how you enjoyed it.

Just do a trout angling 101 search.

Bet you will find more than you can read

[splakeshaker]

I primarily use gold or silver buckshot rattle spoons with spinning gear. I have caught hundreds of trout and of all species with those spoons. 1/4oz is my preferred weight. I however don't fish streams, I fish the little trout lakes. Throwing a crawler on the bottom always works well as mentioned above. Sound like a great trip, have fun a good luck. Remember to post the pics when you return.

[Dark Cloud]

First off, buy the girlfriend a Nintendo DS and a bunch of books, or better yet leave her home and fish about 10+ hours per day

All good advice so far but heres some more. What to use is important but more important is how you use it and where. Reading the water in a stream situation is most important. Food, safety, and breeding are a trouts only thoughts. The third is seasonal and not a worry but the first two will find you fish. Current edges with structure supply food and saftey. Fish set up on these type of spots and grab easy meals. These fish are gonna eat right away or there not. Cover water and fish it fast but effective to maximize the number of fish that see your bait.

Spinners, spoons, and live bait cover alot but also bring some nymphs, they can be fished dead drifted through a hole, run or pocket water with a few splitshot and a spinning rod. Some generic size 8-14's like stoneflys, hares-ear's, and pheasant tail's will work. I flyfish primarily but you can really cover some water with this technique. Also try some small jigs in a minnow pattern - 1/32-1/16th's. Trout eat alot of bugs but are suckers for batifish. Fish them deaddrifted and across but also casted downstream and allowed to sink then twitched while swinging across current...

Tell us where your heading and I can lock down some fly patterns to use.

[Scudly]

Yep leave the girlfriend at the cabin with her book. Grab some spinners and a box of crawler. Get some #6-8 hooks and tiny split shot. The smaller the better. Hooke the worm only once or twice, in the collar. Then add just enough split shot (one small piece) to lob in the pool. Try to cast upstream of where you thing the fish might be. For instance beginning of riffle. Then drag into position along a seam at a hole at least three feet deep. Feel the line. If you feel a tap tap tap, let out some line or open the bail. Let the trout run with it for five seconds, then reel up your slack and tug to the side to set the hook. No tap, drag a foot. Wait. No tap, drag another foot. Wait. Repeat.

[lookincalifornia]

get a panther martin trout kit, a few original rapalas, and some samll feather jigs. look for fish in the begining of holes and the tails ends of pools. slower water tends to hold fish, but they are not as willing to feed as the ones in current. toss your baits up-stream and bring them down with the current. any deeper water should hold a fish. make sure yoy bring the best spinning reel you have, stream fishing with spinners will twist you line like crazy, and a cheap reel will have you back in your cabin and angry before you know it. also, if you plan to release your fish, be sure to get you hand wet before you handle the fish. trout are much more suseptable to slime loss and disease.

have a blast, and post the pics.