I'm gonna hopefully take my first trip to the sipsey tailrace this weekend and get on some rainbows. Im gonna carry my boys with me and want them to enjoy it as well. I'm gonna fly fish myself but what would be the best setup for the youngin's? Ive heard kernal corn and a bobber and thats all you need. Is that true? Or is there any other setup that would work. And is there any spot along the river to fish better than any other? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

good info!

The few times I have been I caught them on rooster tails. Caught a few on crickets too! Managed a few on a fly rod but don't remember exactly what it was I was using. Guy there gave me some kind of fly and caught some till I lost it.

Thanks man. Ill throw some rooster tails in the tacklebox. I've caught bluegill on a fly but theres just something about catching trout on a fly rod. Even if they are farm raised haha. Mainly i just want to give my boys the best chance to catch at couple and let them enjoy it.

3" floating pins minnow or rapala with a split-shot 18" in front.

Check and make sure they aren't running water tomorrow if they are stay home

Thanks dan we'll have to try that setup too!

Definitely stay home if they running water. We showed up once without checking schedule and it was unfishable.
Those fake trout eggs are good too.

Be careful. I damn near drown out there years ago. We checked the schedule and never heard the horn, but heard the roaring of the water. We sprinted to the shore about the time a wall of water came rushing down and the water rose about 6’ in a matter of seconds.

I rig the kids up with a light spinning reel, 4 lb. ultra clear line (flourocarbon is good) with a small split-shot about 8-12" above a #12 or #14 egg hook and fresh Paulski's red salmon eggs on the hook. You can pick up the hooks and eggs either at the fly shop below the dam, or at the Cullman Walmart. I'd guess the one in Jasper has them too. You'll probably get fresher eggs at the fly shop though. Whole kernel corn from a can, can be just as good as the salmon eggs some days and a whole lot cheaper. I have had better luck just letting this rig drift in the current or rest on the bottom than under a float. If you do use a float, use a tiny one. If you like to use a spinner, a tiny black inline is good. As mentioned stay where you can evaculate quickly.

Listen to this man...

I appreciate all the info guys! And thanks for the warning about the water. I didnt realize it would rise that quickly

I think I'm just garbage at fly fishing, but I never have much luck out there.

Always caught a limit when I went. Homemade garlic/cheese balls, night crawlers, crickets or salmon eggs on a light weight Carolina rig.

I do like getting on bream bed with a fly. Thats about the extent of my fly fishing experience. The say you have to really feel for it when a trout takes it.

another link


Found another link about downstream access. It's been several years since I have been there, might have to go again when it cools off.

Trout putty orange green or yellow, out fishes and stays on the hook better than corn. Have been told trout cant digest corn, it will kill them, dont know if thats true. Use light tackle, longshank bream hook, two pieces small splitshot about 18 inches up the line. Forget about the float, leave them at home. Call and see if the waters on, if it is, stay home, there will be no fishing((800)525-3711). Turn at the bridge on 69, fish from there up. For the kids, find some deep holes to fish in, thats where the fish will be. Again I say, fish the deep water. The river above the pumping station is set up for fly fishing. You will park at the pumping station and walk toward the dam. The kids can fish the deep holes up there if you want to keep them close to you. The earlier the better is what I have found to be true. Good luck.

Thanks jwalker i appreciate it. Should be an awesome trip. I found the riverside fly shop website with a generation schedule and it dont look like they are generating saturday so hopefully we'll make it down there

You can get the trout putty at wal mart or at the fly shop by the dam. Roll it up in a ball about dime size and push your hook into it. Youll like that better than corn or salmon eggs. It does stink a little. Take you a washcloth. A sac chair to sit in is great, the bank will be muddy as crap.

Very cool

Ive put a flatbottom boat in that river twice. Both times that happened shortly after, except it rose several feet just about that fast. Drug the boat through some pretty thick woods the second time. Never again.

Won the trout tourney at Tanneyhill and friends did too. Trout love wigglers. !!!

Keystone minnow under a thill shy bite works great.

WTF is a thill shy bite???

Cork

I had the chance to fish with my son today. It's the first time either of us have wet a hook since at least the middle of April and the first time I have had a chance to fish with him since about April of last year. He's grown and has kids of his own but they didn't get to join us today. We used some of the methods described above to catch a few. We kept a limit each. First time he has been with me chasing trout so he wanted to eat some. Yeah, there are a few there that aren't exactly the bosses of the river but there are a few good ones too. A buried hook will make you keep some that you normally wouldn't. The one on the right in the second pic is the best of the day, at well over 16". If they look a little slim in the pics, it 's because they are already gutted.

I've never trout fished east of the Mississippi, but that makes me want to...

As fina a eating as theyve ever been right there, if you can get all the bones out.

I'm heading out there in the morning. Hope to have as good a day as ya'll did metalmuncher

Yes they are. Cut some slits and put mayonnaise on em cover with lemon pepper. Some of best fish I’ve ever had

You can have all mine.

I'd rather eat a mcdouble

Y'all gotta be kidding. What are you doing, deep frying it like Crappie?

Leave the skin on and grill it. Blackened, lemon peppered, cajun, smoked, however you like it, but you have to grill it.

If you grill em, the meat will fall right off the bones, for the most part. Good stuff.

This...

I dont get any fish. Just don't care for the taste or bones

I just don't like Trout. Don't like the taste, or the texture of it. I do love fish and eat it often but mostly eat crappie, bass, bluegill and now will be trying to catch more flatheads.

Good deal!

You don't eat fish?

Have you had real mountain stream trout, or farm raised?

Probably just farm raised. I'm sure there's a lot of difference.

Fat thumbs I dont fry any fish

I love any trout but ain’t nothing comes close to a wild one I ate in Montana. Meat was orange like salmon.