Pactola

[Moses2531]

Every year I go with a friends family out to Terry peak and we spend at least one day cruising that beautiful body of water Pactola Resevior, I was just wondering if there was any entertaining fishing at all to be had on that lake? I think it'd be fun to catch some Rainbows or something, something different from metro minnesota fishing... Any techniques patterns or general ideas are greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

[Mike Walerak]

I have often woundered the same thing. I have never seen anyone fishing any of the lakes except for the ones in Custer State Park. I was even out there a few weeks ago I only saw one fish house on one lake.

What gives?

mw

[percherman]

Moses, It has been quite a few years since I have fished Pactola, but we fished it basically the same as you would say a deep lake such as Yellowstone. We use baitcast setups with 10# line. Attach a snapswivel, then a 4' orange/red spinner setup the kind that has a spinner every 8" or so and then for lures we used Mepps, Panther Martins, and Rooster tails. We trolled at about 1.5 or just so they would be below the surface a few feet. We did manage to pick up some nice rainbows. You would have to check on length rules and regs.

[Moses2531]

Thanks so much for the help! Gosh some nice Rainbows would be a blast, I appreciate the technique and hopefully I'll get a chance to try it out this summer... Thanks again!

[Crappyman]

I spend time out in the hills each summer in Silver City which is at the north end of Pactola. I have taken my boat out there a couple of times as well. The best luck I have had for rainbows is simply using a jig with a piece of worm "garden hackle" and then fishing right up alongside the rock facings. All the better if you are in the shadow. If you watch your graph, you can be 50' of water just 5-10' out from the facing. The trout like to stack up right along the wall and you can just jig for them right there. It's super fun for the kids.

[norpikeman]

I grew up catching pactola trout it is fairly easy all you need is some Salmon eggs and a can of corn use one egg to kernals of corn and let it sit on the bottom and sit back and relax. 99% of the fish in the lake are hatchery fish and are not quite use to natural food Also there are some nice lakers in the deep parts of the lake but awfully hard to catch

[Moses2531]

norpikeman,

How deep are you when your lettin the bait sit on the bottom??

[norpikeman]

Sorry I took so long to reply Shore fishing is just about the only way we fished pactola. Just use a slip sinker about 26 inches from the bait and let it sit right on the bottom but trout are all over the water coulmn so dont be afraid to trough a bobber out at various depths in 40 ft of water they can be right at the surface to all the way on the bottom