Yes, Martha, trout do exist / A Comedy of Errors

The Story:

Last night I went to my rod and gun club pond, and did a couple hours of trout fishing.

I know that there should be plenty of fish in there, because they were stocked a couple weeks ago and less than a third have been caught.

They should also be well adjusted and hungry.

So, I head to the deep part by the damn, and cast out a slip sinker rig with some trout dough. I get one nibble in a half hour, but no bites.

Then I switch out to a Chartreuse Garlic Berkley PowerBait Magnum Power Egg, and a few minutes latter I get nibble, nibble, nibble, BITE.

I set the hook, and start reeling. The fish is stripping line, I'm trying to stay calm, and land this fish but I'm getting really excited.

I get the fish to the bank, and it's a nice sized beautiful rainbow. In my excitement I think I tried to lift it out of the water by the line, and it comes off.

But wait it's in the shallows, under the the eroded bank. I reach down and try to grab it, and find out why they are referred to as slime darts. Squish, it's out of my hands. I try to grab it again, with two hands with the same results. And off it swims.

My heart is racing.

I realize the power egg is all but covering the hook, so I probably didn't get a great hook set.

I put another egg on the hook, and make sure it's just barley on the top of the hook, so the hook was plenty exposed, and re-cast out.

Another few minutes go buy, and then nibble, nibble, nibble, BITE. I try to remain calm, and land this fish. Everything is going well, then my line go's slack. I reel it in and find that that my knot has failed.

In the end I got a few more nibbles, but land no fish. Probably because I was so worked up, I was fumbling around like a big cub bear playing with his ...., as my dad would say.

Take Aways:

I should get a landing net.
The rainbows in the pond like garlic power eggs. I suspect the added scent helps in the stained water.
I need to learn how to snell a hook properly.

Questions:

What type and size hook do y'all use when you fish Berkley PowerBait Magnum Power Eggs?
What knot do you use when attaching that hook to the line?
What would be a good value landing net?

Landing net, highly recommended http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTOPRE/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

knot - improved clinch knot should be adequate, also palomar, orvis

hook - size 6 or 8

Landing net, highly recommended http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTOPRE/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

knot - improved clinch knot should be adequate, also palomar, orvis

hook - size 6 or 8

Thank you

bloomagoo, thanks for the info.

I picked up a landing net, and have caught 4 trout (3 rainbow and 1 brown) at the pond over the last two weeks.

The landing net really helps, as the trout have teeth and are really slippery.

They were really biting last time, I think they're hungry. They are hitting the garlic power eggs. Probably because they have a stronger scent.

I normally release them, but I have my doubts about their ability to hold over the summer.

BTW, trout are fun to catch on ultra-light tackle.

Everyone has been telling me that they don't hold over so don't feel guilty about taking home your limit, they'll soon be crawfish food anyway.