How & what to use to find out if any trout or bass in a gravel pit....?

[Whitewolf]

Hello,
I am kinda new in the area where I spend summers now. There is a gravel pit not in operation that is less than 1/2 mile from me. Not seen from the road are 4 ponds. The biggest one is the most accessible. I may try to fight through the forest or shallows to get into the others. Anywhoooo....the owner is a friend of my new wife...well of three years. Met him the other day and he said I am welcome to fish his ponds. He said there have been brook trout to ten inches in the past. Not sure which pond he meant. But they do not look very promising. Another friend here thinks there are no fish in them. Could someone please tell me the best way to attract a fish and catch it? I am a fly fishing c&r person. But would use bait or worms just to find out if there are any fish in those ponds. I could waste a lot of days fly fishing only to never get a hit..... but I am not savvy at fishing bait or worms...........

So wondering what kind of rig, and bait to tempt a fish? Just knowing there ARE fish there would be good. THEN I could spend a lot of time fly fishing there. Any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated.

jim

[sagefisher]

Jim,

Anytime I fish new waters, the first thing I do is put on a slightly weighted Woolly Bugger (I use three colors as I explore the area (black/brown/green). I either use a floating line with a fairly long leader or a very slow sinking line, like an intermediate line, at first. If there is any depth to the water, I will eventually use a serious sinking line to get down to the bottom. Just toss it out, peal out a bunch of line and slowly troll around the water, adjusting your speed to change depths. If you are only going to fish from shore, then I would still use a Woolly Bugger, but I would eventually put on a strike indicator to use to adjust the depth of the fly then give it some movement.

Good luck to you.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[Whitewolf]

Thank you Mr. Sagefisher. I have an inflatable and with rowing can do a pretty good troll....up and down.....
Of course...the old Wooly Bugger! I didn't even think about trolling a fly....the wooly bugger. thanks

jim

[krauseb]

Hello,
I am kinda new in the area where I spend summers now. There is a gravel pit not in operation that is less than 1/2 mile from me. Not seen from the road are 4 ponds. The biggest one is the most accessible. I may try to fight through the forest or shallows to get into the others. Anywhoooo....the owner is a friend of my new wife...well of three years. Met him the other day and he said I am welcome to fish his ponds. He said there have been brook trout to ten inches in the past. Not sure which pond he meant. But they do not look very promising. Another friend here thinks there are no fish in them. Could someone please tell me the best way to attract a fish and catch it? I am a fly fishing c&r person. But would use bait or worms just to find out if there are any fish in those ponds. I could waste a lot of days fly fishing only to never get a hit..... but I am not savvy at fishing bait or worms...........

So wondering what kind of rig, and bait to tempt a fish? Just knowing there ARE fish there would be good. THEN I could spend a lot of time fly fishing there. Any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated.

jim

First check the water temp. Trout don't live in warm water. For Bass I would look for Frogs of minnows, no food no Bass.

[ducksterman]

And then there's the food supply....

[Eric-WD]

with the monsoons on, and the mosquito hatching, I would hit the pond about an hour before dusk and look for trout rising. I would try this site for more information on fishing in your area. http://www.azflyandtie.com/flyforum/index.php
I have given up in the prescott area seems you need a boat here and I no longer have one

Eric

[gutbomb]

Much like Eric said above me, use your eyes.

[Whitewolf]

Thank You Eric...but I am jo longer in Arizona. I am a permanent Mainiac now.
jim