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Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

Friday I hit the TMA to find it finally stocked. Arrived just before 3pm with my 5'6" setup and wearing my Frogg Toggs Hellbenders.

Started by throwing the legendary brown trout FLR-6, which had trout following by doing a steady retrieve. I decided to give the lure a bit more action by giving it a nice jerk with a quick pause. That had trout going NUTS!!!!!!!

As the afternoon went on and I kept slamming those trout with the FLR-6, others would come but eventually leave seeing how well I was doing.

Later once the bite died as if I had caught all the fish, I headed downstream. Caught another brown on the FLR-6 and lost 1 before getting the lure stuck Crying or Very sad

Switched over to the helsinki shad HJ-6 which landed me another brown, and then headed back to where I started.

As sunset got closer and it was twilight, trout were turned on for no more than a half hour.

Headed back to the bike just after 7:30.

Total was over 20 trout with over 15 coming on the brown trout FLR-6. Smallest were browns about 8 and 9", while biggest were chunky 15 to 16" browns weighing bout 2 pounds. Caught a number of aggressive brookies, with the bigger ones the size of the browns giving me a pull.

Brown Trout colored Rapala Flat Rap FLR-6 is a trout legend in my book. Ever since I started using it, it has out-fished so many other people, and once I hand one over to them, they're into the trout too.

madkey · Joined: 13 Jun 2011 Posts: 75 Location: Torrington,CT

nice work mike! you had it coming to ya!!
_________________
I"ve got to be smarter than a fish!

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

Headed back after a slow day elsewhere arriving just after 5:30.

4 lures I played with were tennessee shad HJ-6, yellow perch HJ-6, rainbow trout FLR-6, and brown trout FLR-8.

Once again, the lure that had them going mostly was the brown trout FLR-8, even though it's bigger than the FLR-6.

Total landed was 4 browns no bigger than 10" and slender, which meant C&R in my book. 3 came on the FLR-8 while the other came on the FLR-6.

During the last few minutes of twilight is when bats arrived to feed on insects.

On my way home I saw an eastern cottontail run across Madison Ave.

Bolygan · Joined: 13 Apr 2015 Posts: 12

Hey Michael, thanks for the tip!

I went and bought 2 rapalas a few days ago, after not being able to catch a damn thing on opening day. I tried everything, from meal worms to red worms to various spinners and baits.
NOTHING worked. The fish just sluggish and won't eat, especially up here in the Northwest part of CT.

So I got 2 original floating rapalas (one silver/black and one trout colored) and yesterday on the way home , I stopped at a few places for no more than 15-20 minutes. These rapalas are fish-slaughtering devices! Very Happy

Retreive it very slowly with a small quick jerks on, while pausing a few times, I caught about a dozen of bass.
Small bass, nothing to brag about, but at least I caught something! LOL., '

And something is better than nothing! The water in lakes and ponds and rivers are still too cold and the fish are very sluggish, although the recent nice days during the week are making the change and they soon become more active.

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

Bolygan,

I've gotten so many other fishermen into various Rapala lures after them seeing me nail those fish while they aren't doing well, whether it be freshwater or saltwater.

When I first started using the brown trout FLR-6, I was fishing the Wepawaug River with a buddy and I was nailing them as he wasn't getting much drifting mealies. I hand a brook trout FLR-6 over to him, and he started catching the trout. The same guy landed a 2.5 pound brown at Great Hollow with the same lure while nothing else worked for him.

In the past 2 years or so of surf casting, other fishermen I run into now offer me $$$$ for various Rapalas they've seen me catch tons of stripers and blues with.

3 other swimming Rapalas I've gotten fishermen into are the Husky Jerk, Shallow Shad Rap, and Jointed Shad Rap. 1 non-swimming Rapala others are now getting more serious about is the Jigging Rap due to my history with catching so many fish up to my personal best 5.1 pound brown trout while ice fishing.

And don't forget about the excellent deals you can get on Ebay, such as 5 brand new glass minnow HJ-8 for under $20 I recently purchased.

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

Put in about 90 minutes of fishing after seeing my doc and taking buses to get to the destination.

When I arrive I find 2 others fishing. 1 was wading with 2 rods rigged with mealies while the other was throwing bait and a spinner.

I threw a variety of Rapalas I had with me. The brown trout FLR-8 landed me a brookie but didn't get much attention, prob due to size. The 3 lures that had the trout going were firetiger HJ-6, rainbow trout FLR-6, and custom painted purple nurple XRSH-6.

It ended up being another one of those 10 or so trout days with Rapalas while everybody else was hardly getting any action, making them give up as I kept fishing.

The bright snowy white color of the XRSH-6 seemed to be the trick with that lure, other than the rear teaser.

Most trout were brookies, with 2 being bows. Biggest fish were healthy 11" stockies.

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

After grabbing a bite to eat coming from Beardsley, I picked up the Park Ave bus at the terminal to hit the TMA again. Put in about 90 minutes.

A whole group of people were there when I arrive, with 2 wading. There was only 1 open spot without being too close to others.

First I tried throwing the firetiger HJ-6 but they weren't showing interest in it this time. Also tried the rainbow trout FLR-6 but niente.

Once I switch over to a glass minnow HJ-8, I was hitting them. 1 other Rapala the trout were showing interest in was a yellow perch HJ-6.

As the evening went on, it was another one of those evenings where Rapalas were getting all the attention, making others leave. Total was 7 browns. Lost a few and had many hits. Even had 3 to 5 trout follow each Husky Jerk a number of times, esp when I'd start giving the lure erratic jerking when there was already 1 or 2 following.

Once it got closer to the final minutes of twilight, the bite died.

Bolygan · Joined: 13 Apr 2015 Posts: 12

damion · Joined: 12 Jan 2013 Posts: 8