By Nick Simonson

Before you gear up to do your autumn blasting, don’t forget to add in a bit of fall casting as well.  One of the region’s best autumn targets in those warm afternoons after a cool morning of bow hunting, upland pursuits, or waterfowling are stocked trout that have weathered the warmth of summer and are rising to the occasion for fast action. Find a deeper lake that allows holdover fish to survive summer, grab a handful of go to lures and flies, and make some super memories with stocked trout.

Big Bites

Spending the summer acclimating to their adoptive homes, and getting bigger on the food sources they have – minnows, leeches, crayfish, insects and the like – stocked trout become voracious predators as the water cools down.  They begin to rise up in the column, focusing on the surface and the shallows more as the temperatures allow them the expanded space to hunt and feed.  As such, your offerings should be a bit bigger when fishing with standard tackle. 

Spoons of two-to-three-inches in length are a staple fall offering and help to cover water with long casts.  Spinners like Mepps Aglia or Worden’s Roostertail are also prime offerings and can be custom tailored to the day and the conditions of a stocked trout water.  Use brighter hues like silver and gold for both spoons and spinners on those clear, sunny days and go with subdued shades like copper and darker colors like black when things are overcast.

Jigs too can shine in autumn and utilizing chenille-and-marabou or all-marabou options will give fish a realistic, pulsing prey item to key in on.  1/16-to-1/8-ounce models in black, brown and grey do a nice job of imitating leeches, crayfish and minnows and can easily be worked through the column or along receding weedlines to mimic those options. Add a few flashier models in pink, orange and purple to trigger reaction strikes as well.

Fab Flies

For those long rodders looking to connect with stocked trout, fall allows them to throw a bit beefier patterns at stocked trout, and reliable patterns like the woolly bugger in a variety of earth tones are solid selections, but the same caveat to have a few brighter buggers in tow applies.  Don’t forget the fluorescent oranges and pinks on those brighter days, or when fish are looking for something flashier.

In those lakes where minnows are present and a primary food source, options such as the Clouser minnow or the muddler minnow will work nicely.  Experiment with other baitfish imitators as well in silver, gray and darker tones to imitate fatheads, sculpins, and dace. Leech patterns will work as well, including simple marabou and mohair options will also draw in holdover trout, and adding in a bright bead head or twist of fluorescent yarn for the head will add an attractor spot to catch the fishes’ attention.

Fall trout are hungry, and oftentimes can be a bit reckless, smashing spoons or streamers with abandon.  Even so, consider utilizing fluorocarbon leaders and tippets that help minimize visibility in the water and provide a bit more natural presentation.  Prepare your offerings accordingly and hang on for fast fall action.  It’s the perfect way to close out a day in the field with an on-the-water afternoon for aggressive trout hitting these proven producers.

Simonson is the lead writer and editor of Dakota Edge Outdoors.

Featured Photo: Fall Trout that survived the summer after stocking will feed aggressively in fall.  Have the lures they love to smash on hand, and a selection of flies that seal the deal for an awesome autumn. Simonson Photo.