07-23-2021, 05:16 PM
(07-22-2021, 09:46 PM)Riverdogs Wrote:(07-19-2021, 01:04 AM)richyd4u Wrote: Went back up Friday and had the same success, but also happened to land my PB Tiger for 2021...a hefty female at 27". What a fight! Chronis were the ticket this trip. Really surprises me they are keying on those this time of year. I usually don't fish chronis after the ice-off period ends, even though I know chronis are a year round food source, but not usually in 2' of water. My theory is they are taking them as emergers, not so much as a chroni imitator. Side note, there was a guy floating worms around me and just killing them, literally....several dead floating tigers in the area. Bummed me out. Water continuing to drop, making little fishable areas in the weeds...but they are in there! 99% tigers this trip, with just one bow and one cutt. Fun stuff!
Congrats on the big Tiger trout. I was wondering how anyone gets smoked by a trout in stillwater then you mentioned 4x tippet. Did you upgrade to 3x ? Why would you even bother with tippet at all fishing if you aren't fishing dries? Almost certainly cost you those 2 that broke off. Just go with a 3x fluorocarbon leader. The extra $15 a year will dramatically reduce if not eliminate stillwater trout from ever smoking you.
Yeah, you have to be familiar with where we are catching this big tigers and the environment they are in. I upped to 4x fluro tippet last trip and didn't break any off. The 3X fluro 7.4 lb has always been adequate in years past under normal conditions. The reason I broke 2 big tigers off with it this year is the water is extremely low, so the open water you can fish in the weeds in tiny...they immediately get into the weeds and the 3X isn't enough to horse them out. They are line sensitive, so 4X is as big as I would ever go. Running straight leader isn't an option for the same reasons it isn't an option in river fishing...you need a heaver leader around 6X and smaller tippet 3X-4X to roll out flies casting. You need the smaller diameter tippet to present your flies and get them to take. If you ever have the pleasure of hooking into a 28"+Tiger trout in those conditions, you'll understand immediately, lol. Thanks.