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All right, I am going trout fishing for the first time alone tomorrow Most of my fishing 95% has been done offshore. I've been following the forum for a good period of time and finally just can't take it anymore. I must go! Will be fishing for Reds too. I have never caught either. Not good at flats fishing, but have been following the threads daily for a while. I have gone back on past threads, printed stuff out, studied etc... I feel I got the basics down and now just need experience and practice. I'm gonna try a little of everything, electric chickens, grubs, maybe live bait. The main thing is I want to use a cajun thunder. I read past threads of colors, oval, cigar and so on. The thing is how do you work one, rig it, bait it and cast it etc....? How would you put live or would you use live verses grubs on them this time of year? What all can you use on them? I got a pink, red, but any size suggestions? I have large. I guess colors are up to the user-------Took the day off. Even if I fail, still will be a good day. Any advise will help. Will be launching from the fort in the am. Sure would be nice to post my first successful report on Moday.

Don't take anything we say seriously

I rig the cigar shaped ones with two foot of line and a jig head, basically pre-rig them prior to going. I rig the oval Thunders with three foot of line and a jig head. Thats how I keep up with them, cigar for shallow and oval for deep. Sometimes you need to shallow them up some more or make deeper.

Metal bead down, they make ones with out metal beads and they make more of a top water noise.

Throw it out and pop it, it will make a clicking sound, keep doing that, watch the cork and set the hook.

Where do you find electric chickens

I would also suggest you try to catch a small Pinfish about 3-4 inches. Use the oval CT. Hook him through the lips with a 3/0 hook with about two foot of leader. Just let him hang out the back and drag him while your using artifical.
Good luck, we'll be waiting to hear from you.

Good man fishsticks... just get out there amoungstem and harass em. When you find something that works... just play like you've done it a hundred times before.... we'll believe ya

The size, shape, and color of the CT itself for me is a function of the surface conditions. If its rough I tend to go with the larger and easier to see CT. (real complex stuff). If its real clear or if the fish seem spooky then the smaller one may be the way to go. The weight does go down as Chalk indicated. Try to cast in the same direction as you are drifting (ie: fish the water you have not drifted over yet) My method is to try and visualize the jig under the CT. Pull/Pop the CT and pause...will result in the jig heading toward the surface and then falling back down in sort of a bell curve. Pause long enough for the jig to accomplish this... wait a moment then Pop it again...pause... Pop twice...try to get the jig started up then hesitate then up again..then down. This is just what I generally do but you'll find that you will need to vary your method from time to time. Sometimes you'll find the trout will hit it when its at pause other times when its moving... Sometimes when its pause a trout will hit it and you may set the hook and there's nothing there.. When that happens make sure you leave the CT alone for a bit...lots of times the trout will hit it then come back for it. If there is a good breeze/drift go ahead and hang one off the back and just let it follow you. I 've caught many a good fish that way..(ie the boat caught em... not my techinque ) Don't be afraid to remove the CT all together and fish the jig/grub on the bottom. As far as live bait you can just use a jig head with no grub and put a shrimp on it and fish it just like you would the grub. You've probably got a lot more information now than you need so just jump in with the rest of us... remember you can take the text book out there with you and read from the book or follow my method or someone elses right to the Tee and thrash the water into a foam with nothing to bring back but the skunk. What's Good is What Works!!. Good Luck and we'll be looking forward to hear'n from ya.

There is very little to add to the advise youv'e already received Two things I will add is that the CT tends to wrap around itself if your not carefull in your throw, I prefer a sidearm throw to an overhead and use my rod tip to point in the direction of the throw. Try it several different ways and find one that works and is comfortable Second, watch for fish swirling or even striking the cork, if that happens, have a top water rig ready ta fishand fish it a lot like you would Bass. I use a Top Dog Jr and Chug Bug most of the time for top water, but have been hearing a lot of good reports on the somethingorother 2000 The main thing to remember is that there is NO set way that will catch them every day, you just have ta find what they want and give it to them

One CT trick I would recomend would be your stiffest inshore rod and braided line... seems to get more "POP" out of that CT than others will

I have an Ugly Stick Inshore Series which is a MH and it is like a mop pole basically, I use 20lb Power Pro line and I get some good CT results

Just an idea, nothing to live by or anything as CT will catch fish as long as that bead pops in the water.

Sometimes that float will wind up on its side for a few moments with the wire running parallel (more or less) to the water's surface before the brass bead's weight will right the float and give off a lone "POP"... I think that the trout can't help but hit it then, just an idea I have in my head. So if it lays on its side, resist the urge to pop your line to right it and let that bead go to work, I find that fish like that

I agree with a few things the others have said. My success with ct's is achieved in different methods from those descibed, The single most effective difference is a 12 to 18 inch leader of 25# flouracarbon and a 1/8 to 1/16 ounce jig head.

You've gotten some good advice from some of the best. The only thing I can add is "There ain't no wrong way to fish a CT." Pop it hard. Drag it rather than pop it. Pop it once and let it sit. Pop it twice, or three times and let it sit. Throw it out there and don't move it. Throw it out there and slowly reel it back. All are techniques I've caught fish using. Experiment, and find out what they want today.

As for what to put under a CT, there's only one bait, PERIOD! That would be a 1/4 oz. jig head and a chartreuse grub.

Good luck!

Be at the NFGFC meeting next Thursday and Capt. Pat McGriff will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about a cajun thunder.

And it WILL be entertaining! Pat McGriff is a hoot.

As for what to put under a CT, there's only one bait, PERIOD! That would be a 1/4 oz. jig head and a chartreuse grub.

Tin Can is a LIAR

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Tin Can is a LIAR

TC... did you ever practice law??

There's pretty good agreement across the posts about using the CT. I'd emphasize not being shy about really working it aggressively, 3-4 hard jerks then settle. I also think varying leader length is real helpful. I always use a 20# fluoro as my leader.
As to Wevans thought on line tangling above the CT(especially on windy days). That can be a problem & I haven't tried this yet cause I just heard about it but a short section of fluoro above would most likely solve the problem. Tie good knots, of course.
Also, fish topwater in 1.5 to 2.5 feet of water on the best of the minimal high water you get.

Jumptrout51 wrote:I agree with a few things the others have said. My success with ct's is achieved in different methods from those descibed, The single most effective difference is a 12 to 18 inch leader of 25# flouracarbon and a 1/8 to 1/16 ounce jig head.

You only agree with a few things? I do always use a 12 to 18 leader of 25# flouracarbon, and if I'm not fishing live bait, I always use 1/8 to 1/16 jig head.