Browns after springtime...

[joejv4]

Browns are not a species I've seriously targeted before. I've tried trolling for them on Memorial Day weekend for the last few years without success until this year, when I came to LOU and asked questions and read reports ahead of time.

So now that I've got a bit of a grip on spring browns, I'm starting to think ahead a little bit.

Being a coldwater species, I would imagine that as the nearshore temps go up, and the thermocline sets up out deeper, the browns will no longer be found in 10 fow. Is this a correct assumption?

That brings up the question of, where do they typically spend the warm months? I don't hear about a lot of browns being caught on deep water programs used for salmon during the summer. How deep do they go? Do they stick in a certain temperature zone, or tend to hang in specific depth ranges? Do they stay near the bottom like lakers, or suspend?

I cooked up one of the browns we got this last weekend, and it turned out freaking awesome. Now I want more, and don't want to wait until I get out my waders and hit the rivers in the fall.

Any suggestions on a summer brown program is appreciated.

[rail bird]

A good way to target browns in the summer is to find where the thermocline intesects with the bottom. If the thermocline is at 40 feet in general Browns will be around that area. They like to travel along that intersect to look for food. In general you want lower light conditions for those depths as they will get a little shy in high sun. I tend to run longer leeds off the riggers, 30 - 50 feet and most often run green or watermelon spoons. I keep the speed up a little higher and try to follow the intersect until I find pods of bait. If I have a blank screen I head for deeper water. At times I will run a spin doctor/fly off a rigger if the spoons don't work. You don't have to bounce the balls on the bottom. I like to run 5 and 10 feet off the bottom. Add free sliders and you get cohos and steelhead to.

Good Luck

[Lew]

Here's a link to an article here on LOU about fishing Summer Browns

http://www.lakeontariounited.com/blog/articles/2007/06/05/summer-time-brown-trout-fishing.php

Check out the Article link at the top of the page for other Great fishing tips and info.

[joejv4]

Thanks guys - both are helpful replies!!!

[rdebadts]

Browns in my experience are usually in less than 100 fow all year long. As the water gets warmer they just get deeper. This time of year 30-70 fow can be awesome, from 10 foot sown to the bottom. And remember that browns will gladly stay in warmer water...55+ is ok...

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[Tim Bromund]

don't be afraid to explore the shallows, even in mid summer. we've found them in 30-50 fow in the middle of July many times out of Olcott. IMO, the reason most guys catch so few incidental browns in the summer is that the browns are INSIDE where they are typically fishing.

find where the top of the thermocline is (55 deg) and where it intersects the bottom, fish inside of that, so if 55 deg is 60 feet down, 60 fow should be the outside limit of the water you fish generally, but not always within 15 feet of the bottom. Unless screwy winds have the lake all tore up, you really shouldn't find browns much outside of 100 fow.

Tim

[Iceman]

Where the water is 55 degrees & intersects the bottom, browns are structure oriented.