Sugar Ridge Trout

Hey all ,
Went to Bethel Pit at Sugar Ridge FWA last Friday for some rainbow trout fishing . The IDNR stocks it in Oct. so this is the best time to hit it. I used whole kernal canned corn , as always , and had my limit of 5 within 2 hours .
They are all stock tank trout , 8-10 inches long . That may seem tiny but the legal limit is 7" and they are mighty tastey . I talked to a fellow fishing there last year and he said the IDNR used to add some bigger 3-4lb trout with the stockers but they dont do that anymore . I wish they would start again . Ive wondered if maybe there are some 7lb plus bass in the pit that feed on these trout . It would be a good place to take a kid fishing , putting corn on a hook isnt a big deal for them and the action is pretty good so they wont get bored . Just remember adults need a $11.00 salmon & trout stamp to be legal .
Tight lines

Wow ,
Now lets not over do it on the postings . Man is the IN board dead anymore !
I know what most are small game or deer hunting but jeez ........

Ive already got my deer for the season so I think I may go over there this weekend. I have never been to this pit before is there a sign for it? Did you just fish off the bank? It won't be anything like my 11lb steelhead I got a few weeks ago but it will give me something to do that is close to home.

I gave up trying to get more people to post on the IN forums in here. They just don't want to type message in here much.

Now the KY forums is full of posts.

Not sure why people from IN won't post much in here. Guess they are too busy to post. I see that they are reading posts.

Iam glad that you post in here bassmanic1. If not for you I would fell like the only other Hoosier posting in here lately!

I guess next spring it will pick up again.

We lost Elnut to the KY form when he moved back to KY. Now he is in and out of the hosptial due to complications of his hernia operations.

If you see this give him a shout and wish him well in the KY forums.

PS I am preparying for the hunting season this year for the first time in many many many years.

[quote=bassmanic1;308388]Wow ,
Now lets not over do it on the postings . Man is the IN board dead anymore !
I know what most are small game or deer hunting but jeez ........[/quote]

[QUOTE=daniel240;308393]Ive already got my deer for the season so I think I may go over there this weekend. I have never been to this pit before is there a sign for it? Did you just fish off the bank? It won't be anything like my 11lb steelhead I got a few weeks ago but it will give me something to do that is close to home.[/QUOTE]

Dan ,
There is a sign for it , it is just past Catfish Pit in area 6 . Heres a link to the map of Sugar Ridge .

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/publications/sugar.pdf

There are many pits in the area but I havent fished most of them . I got a trout stamp back in the spring before heading to Greene-Sullivan to fish Airline Pit { another trout stocked pit } so I want get my $11.00 worth . The trout up there tend run a little bigger and there is lots of camping available . Bethel has a boat ramp and shore line trails around it so you can bank fish or use a boat . If your bank fishing I would go down the trail on the right of the ramp to where the pit opens up , it has a nice spot to fish from there . I would take a couple of cans of cheap kernal corn , put it in something you can seal or with a screw on lid { so it wont spill if you drop it } and a 5 gallon bucket to sit on . I will also throw some handfulls of corn in the pit to "chum" the trout into the area . This works because the ones I clean when I get home have a belly full of it .I fish close to the bottom { its about 20ft deep } but have caught them at 6ft . I have caught them on Berkley trout nuggets { yellow } , Rooster Tails , and white crappie jigs but the corn produces the best . I also throw what I have left in the pit to feed the poor things . I cleaned one last year that had a a sprig of old pine needles in its belly . Man that fish was hungry ! I have never been checked by the IDNR but still be sure to get a trout stamp { you can get it online } before you go . Oh , watch out for beagles running out in the road on the way there , its rabbit season .

Thanks Bassmaniac, I already have a trout stamp. I bought one a couple weeks ago when I went steelhead fishing in northern IN. Thanks for the tips, I will definetely give it a try either saturday or sunday afternoon. I will also be fishing from the bank. What size hook did you use and did you use a sinker or bobber?

Better make that cattail pit.:) There are some real good gills and redears in Bethel too.

Well I fished Bethel Pit this afternoon and I did not catch one trout. I caught one little bluegill and that was it. I used canned corn and fished 5ft to 20ft. What is your secret Bassmanic?

Danny ,
Well I hate to hear that . Did you bank fish ? I usally go in the jon boat so I can cover more water . I went crappie fishing this afternoon and the bite was slow , only caught 4 small ones but it was enough for supper . Did you try throwing some corn out into the pit as chum ? The trout are in there but it may have just been a bad day . Was any one else fishing or having any luck ? Hope you have better luck next time .

[QUOTE=bassmanic1;308566]Danny ,
Well I hate to hear that . Did you bank fish ? I usally go in the jon boat so I can cover more water . I went crappie fishing this afternoon and the bite was slow , only caught 4 small ones but it was enough for supper . Did you try throwing some corn out into the pit as chum ? The trout are in there but it may have just been a bad day . Was any one else fishing or having any luck ? Hope you have better luck next time .[/QUOTE]

I did fish off the bank. I walked on the trail to the right of the boat ramp and fished around the corner where the "T" is on the pit. I also tried thowing some corn out as well, but no luck. There was one other man out there in a boat. He said it was his first time fishing the pit as well and he said he fished all morning without a bite. Maybe I will try it again next week. Did you fish off the bottom or were you using a bobber or anything with the corn?

Dan ,
I almost always use canned corn fished close to the bottom under a slip bobber for trout . It seems to work better but I have had some luck with the Berkley Trout Nuggets also . I think the main thing is that if they { trout } are not biting in one spot , try another . Thats were a boat is really nice . I also have a Humming LCD finder so I will move around until I get something on it . You may want to try changing the depth you are fishing , this often helps . The last thing is always the weather . Sometimes they just wont bite because of the barometer or who knows why . I would like to get up there this month if it warms up any and will let you know what happens .