Some of the lakes that I fish have been stocked with Triploid (sp?) trout. Are there different tactics I should use to target these fish as opposed to regular stockers? I know very little about these fish so any information about them would be appreciated.

All I've found different is size. Especially around opening day, it's really just luck of the draw...

try a bigger bait hook with the barbs on the shank. put a big wad of power bait but leave the hook point showing. then put a nightcrawler on the hook. people will laugh until you catch the big one swimmin around, it was my favorite kitsap lake rig. Ben

Try trolling a Carey Special on the surface with a little bit of Powerbait (orange) on the hook. We slaughtered the triploids at Spanaway a couple of years ago with that combo.

Although of lesser experience I'm sure, I must suggest a different means of stillfishing. Don't use baithooks, and dont use pre-made leaders. Make your own. If for the bottom, make one thats at least 6' long. USE EGG HOOKS! RED EGG HOOKS ARE BEST! I will use up to even a size 18 somtimes, and have caught a 3 pounder on that size. Small amounts of bait/worm mix. The point of this type of rig is for them to swallow the whole thing. let them take it a bit then strike suddenly. You'll usually have to cut your hook when you catch one, but my oh my, you will be much more pleased.
3 pound test is MAX for leader, 4 pound is suggested for main line.

It's not all that challenging to catch recently stocked triploids. They aren't all that wary and will strike at just about anything.

If I was going to keep trout for the pan, I'd target the smaller trout that fry up better.

Carl, powerbait on a carey special??? Don't you have any social graces? Next thing I know you'll be wearing white shoes before Memorial day.

With what someone was saying earlier in this thread about the long leaders try Flourocarbon main and leaders. Works wonders. I use a size four egg hook with 3 power eggs on it. They are the rubbery ones and they don't come off the hook. Hook ups are allot more solid and in the mouth not guts. So I have the option of releasing little fish to swim another day that will live (yes I know they count towards my limit).

Jason S

Zen, please accept my apologies for using such a bizarre technique. I know it is not good fishing etiquette.
I thought powerbait on a fly, at the time, was weird until we started to slay 'em. There were three people in my boat and all three of us limited on fish up to ten pounds a piece. If I remember correctly we finished the day with close to a 100lbs of trout in the boat.
We had a day of fishing that will always live in my memory because I know I will not have another one like that.

I agree with Phish... It's the luck of the draw.

Likewise, I've found that triploids will strike just about any lure. But when employing my typical trout stuff, I found I was missing many strikes. I'm talking small spoons and spinners that can be casted or trolled. I really started hammering 'em when I switched to a Rapala minnow. I think those trips kind of head-butt their food before they chow or they haven't really mastered "catching" food. I was getting many of them on the top of the head, eyes or on the gillplates. I rarely hooked any of the little stocker dinks on the larger lures. With this said I would recommend using a medium-sized plug with a least two trebs or employ a stinger on the normal gear to target these fish.