Fishing Forum

Has any one used troutbeads? They are beads that look like realistic fish eggs. I'm planning a trip to Alaska in August and one of the guides highly recommends them. They are tied onto the line without a hook directly attached. The hook is tied one and a half to 2 inches below the bead. The say the fish will inhale the bead bringing the hook below along into it's mouth. Just wondering if it's worth my time ordering some and giving this technique a try.
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I'd hit up a craft store first. They are there too. I know some of the local shops carry them as well.

That technique works well right here in little old Utah as well.
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[cool][#0000ff]I lived in Sacramento for several years and fished steelhead and salmon in rivers all up and down the west coast. I used "glo bugs" a lot but also did well on many occasions with simple beads. There were several colors that worked, but a hot orange seemed to be the best on most occasions. One of the best was called a "Crackle Bead' and looked like it was cracked throughout the center. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Since a lot of eggs drifting on the current are "eyed", sometimes it would help to string a small red bead after putting a lighter orange bead on the line...and then tieing on the hook. You can use a plain hook or one with a wisp of white nylon or antron tied on...simulating a remnant of egg skein. I usually used small hooks...size six or 4. A good sharp small hook will hold a good sized fish without snagging as much as a larger hook.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Oh yeah, you can also vary the number of beads. In most cases you will do better with a single bead, but sometimes two beads...of the same or different colors...will get more reaction bites.[/#0000ff]
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Thanks Tubedud(e). I think I'll try it out here next time I want to use an egg pattern, probably on browns eating rainbow eggs in a couple weeks. Hopefully I can get the technique down and catch some nice fat rainbows as well as salmon come August.
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Depending on the salmon you're fishing for...which is going to be Silvers or Sockeye and pinks(only on even # years) in august. The pinks and Silvers will both semi-aggresively feed on bait including egg patterns and actual egg sacks. If you're going after Sockeye however... they all non-existently bite anything you will offer...i caught well over 2000 sockeye last year and did not have one bite. They use a technique called "lining" or "flossing." The sockeye will swim along with their mouths open within 10 ft of the banks...and you use a setup of a large peice of pencil lead, 5 ft leader and a 3/0 hook with a bead above it. You flip it out a few feet upstream and let it drift, if it stops...rip on it HARD. Half the time you hook a rock or something but the idea is there are so many fish swimming that the line goes through their mouth and when you rip on it the hook stops nicely in the corner! It's a blast. You will be instantly hooked the first fish you catch that way. Not to mention all the fun of a 10 Lb. fish foul-hooked in the tail... that's a rush too!

Where are you going to in Alaska? If you want any insiders tips and veiws i've guided and will be guiding there agian so let me know!
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I just got my order from troutbeads.com right after getting home from fishing. I got a small assortment including some that have a red dot panted on them called blood dot roe. They're very realistic appearing. I'll try them out next time out.
Tmas thanks for the advise. First time trip to Alaska and still in early planning stages. I'll send you a pm with some details.
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i had good luck with the pumpkin color on the lower provo.
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TD,

I too used this technique a lot in Cali for salmon and steelies. Used to fish the Feather River a lot during the chinook run when I was in college. Mostly foul-hooked the beasts (still a blast!), but I even managed a few fair-caught ones. I was surprised how many fish I snagged, even using short leaders and tiny hooks. Deadly technique! Too bad the salmon numbers have dwindled so severely in the Sacramento system....
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[cool][#0000ff]Since I lived right on the American River, that's where I fished the most. I used to use the beads down below the salmon redds and catch the heck out of steelies...and some jack salmon. Lots of fun on light tackle.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, you are right about snagging the big old beasts. Their skin gets rough as they get close to spawning and almost any hook will hang them. But, they will intercept drifting eggs and give them a munch once in awhile. I always did better with big gaudy flies dead drifted. They seemed to move a ways to grab those if they were in a nasty mood.[/#0000ff]
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I've heard that you can catch huge rainbows in AK using trout beads but they can be color selective. Eggs colors can vary between species and they can key in on this so take a variety of colors and sizes. My sister lives up there and my brother goes up there a lot to visit and fish (no kids or house payment). He said they work really well. He has also caught a lot using pixie's.
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