Fishing trout lakes in the spring

[Fillet]

Need some help guys. Im a walleye fisherman but want to take a couple newbies out and the closest lakes to me are trout lakes. How do you fish rainbows and even lakers this time of year out of the boat? Casting jigs/minnows on the steep rock faces? Trolling spoons and cranks? Thanks!

[znistler]

where do you live

[Fillet]

Rapid City, SD

[Redlantern]

Is the trout season open already in South Dakota? Our stream trout lakes and lake trout lakes don't open until the walleye opener in May.

[Fillet]

Open year round, just like walleyes. I ice fished the trout about a dozen times this last winter so I have some trout understanding. But just dont know how to start from the boat. Any advice?

[znistler]

they are pretty spread out, just about everywhere, but ive caught most in the spring up shallow. I have also had best luck with just a worm under a float.

[2thepointsetters]

I would start with rapalas longlined from the boat on the surface or 10/12 feet down.

[Redlantern]

That's gotta be nice not having a closed season on the trout. I'd suggest the same as 2thepoint, long lining Rapalas. For the rainbows, I like the number threee and five floating raps in obnoxiously bright colors, fire tiger, clown pattern, even bright orange. I troll for them out of a canoe so I'm not really sure how fast I'm going but I know it's not very fast. I also use four pound test. For lakers, I use larger raps in gold and black, baby blue and silver. I use eight pound test. Little Cleo spoons have worker for me, too. I use 3/4 ounce in blue/silver, gold/orange and what I think is called firetiger.