Favotire Lure/Color for Trolling for Rainbow Trout In Inland Lakes?

[TroutYammer]

Maybe a bit early yet but I am trying to get into rainbow trout fishing in inland lakes and need to stock the tacklebox before the season begins. So what are some favorite trolling baits/techniques? Anybody still troll with flatfish? How about trolling with crawlers on a lindy rig?

[bigdog]

Orange #7 floating Rapala. After water warms in May you will need an in-line sinker, snap weight or Dipsy diver to get it down to the fish. Some also have good success with cowbells.

[JBMasterAngler]

I've never seen these lures anywhere but the beaver house in grand marais, but it's called a kamloops spoon. I like them in red or yellow. Also can't go wrong with orange or black/white mepps spinners.

[traveler]

Lets see....

standard crawler harness is a go-to. Various color/sizes of blades...usually I'll start with a large orange color

Plain crawler/hook (possibly bead on the front) blown up a little, single spilt shot, trolled s l o w l y

Various spoons/colors, right down to the 1/12 Kastmaster. Don't skip plain silver...

Small raps, trolled plain, on small or larger cowbells. Orange first, then chartruse, blue, etc...

Vibrax spinners, right up to a # 5. Blue silver first, the orange, chart, etc...

Slow troll large weighted flys; wolly bugger, sculpin, deciever, etc...

Last resort, cowbells with the raps, harnesses, or even a wolly bugger. Cowbells are effective, but not so much fun:)

If you want big fish, don't waste your time on lakes where you're getting lots of 10 inchers. Not that I haven't gotten a few nice fish from those lakes, but it's weird...the couple of "big fish" lakes I have, I don't catch many small ones. No, I ain't saying which lakes they are:) But my best rainbow off a gunflint lake was 27 1/2 inches:)

[walleyehunter80]

gunflint lake you mean gunflint trail right?

[traveler]

I guess I meant lakes along/off the Gunflint trail:)

[Feathers Rainin]

I like to troll gold and red spinners with a crawler just like I do for eyes or cast money clips.

My question for all is does Gulp work on inland streamers? You can't use live minnows and I'm wondering if it is worth the $ to pick some up?

[TroutYammer]

Thanks for the input everyone! I will be going to the iron range in the next few weeks and will put some of this advice to work.

[anadroman]

I troll with flatfish on inland lakes. I did'nt know anybody knew about them anymore. You have to experiment to figure out what color works best (different in each lake). The classic colors are red and white, yellow pearl, coach dog, and lime, x4 or u20 with tandem hooks on the front. Flat fish are a finesse lure and you have to make sure they run without spinning at around 2.5 mph and then troll at that speed (tune them by turning the eyelets until they run). Long line trolling (100yards) is also sometines necessary for rainbows. Many record salmonids were taken with flatfish.