Guys,

It has been a long time since I fished for trout (30-35 years).  What advice can you provide me with for fishing some stocked Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries lakes?  I figure that I will fish with some Mepps inline spinners.  Thoughts?

Ron

I hate when they stock trout in lakes. My last bass tournament I must have caught 3-5 18 inch trout.. What a tease that was! They will hit rapala countdowns if you work them, nightcrawlers, mealworms, minnows, mepps inlines will work, roostertails, and powerbait. Those are my trout standards. Good luck!

what lake are you fishing?

It's in PA Stone Valley. Penn state basically owns it but it gets stocked with trout.

Ever heard of "Joes Flies" inline spinners....

i would take a Joes inline spinner "cheese" style.....looks like a mix between a fly and a cheese ball...

take off the spinner part so it is just a fly with 2 hooks...

now take 2 kernals of corn, put one on each hook.....and cast

just let it fall, it will fall very slow, and lift it, try and let it drift in the middle of the water....

Let me warn you, yesterday was my first day fishing trout and they feel VERY DIFFERENT from bass....

they are slimy, and VERY hard to handle......just be ready and wet your hand

now take 2 kernals of corn, put one on each hook.....and cast.

Watch it! In some states, the use of corn in trout waters is prohibited. Check your state regulations.

As for lures, 1/8 oz. Bouyant Flashes or 1/8 oz. Mepp's Comet Minnows with a silver or gold blade.

Good luck.

1/32 oz. black/yellow hair jig...absolutely slays em' in my area.

I only have experience fishing southwest Virginia's trout waters but may be able to help out a little.  What's the depth like in the lake?  Are you fishing from a boat or shore?  I see it's a small lake, 72 acres, is it managed for trophy trout or basically just small stockers 11-14"?  How heavily fished is it?

If it's just stocker trout I would fish two Berkley Powerbait Floating Eggs on a #6 or #8 hook.  I like Fl. Orange and Chartreuse...one of each on the hook.  Put enough weight, anywhere from 1-3ft up from the bait, to cast it out there a good ways.  Depending on your lake conditions and how heavily it's fished I can give a little more detailed advice.  Good luck there's nothing like a big trout on 4lb test!  

Best bet would be to go talk to people already fishing the lakes you're going to fish. Regardless from what bait to use, asking where some "hot spots" are would be very beneficial. I'm sure they will also tell you what the hot bait is at that time.

I don't know if this is the mainstay for stockies, but in the local stocked pond (70 acres) that I fish, I heard that the trout will school and just circle the pond looking for food. It seems like when the bite is on you can get a few trout in a few hours. But other times you can cast your lure or let your bait sit for hours and not get a bite, which is very boring when bottom fishing Powerbait.

But, I must say I have had the best luck catching stockies with Powerbait/Power eggs. What also works is hooking a mini marchmellow on the hook and then a small mealworm. I caught my first few stockies like this. But the Powerbait set ups are easier to work with, and more durable than live bait and a marshmellow that will get water logged and sink or tear off easily.

Lures that have worked:Rapala Husky Jerk, Floating Minnow, In-Line spinners, small spoons.

Not sure if the hatcheries are the same but Green Power Bait works great at the lackawanna state park here in pa..