Hi Guys.

Please bear with me. I posted this on 'Swimbait Nation' forum and did not get much response. I need your help.

I'm new here. I'll start with some background about what I want to do and finish with some questions I would appreciate the answers to, regarding 'stocker trout'.

Oregon is starting the yearly trout plants. The dates and locations are posted. When the stocking trucks dump, MacArthur's returning army is out there throwing cheese, marshmallows and Power-Bait. I see no serious Bass fishermen taking advantage of this ritual. I plan to.

I've fished Bass for forty+ years but have had a problem getting my head straight, throwing 'Swim-baits'. This year I'm going to fish with nothing that will not appeal to a 10+ Bass. I plan to concentrate on trout plants and big swim-baits. The OR. State record is twelve lbs. two oz. But I know two fishermen (here) who have caught Bass considerably bigger. Most fishermen that I've seen here are shallow cover, flippers and pitchers who aren't geared for anything bigger than a club-tournament catch....Good fishermen but not neccessarily thinking 'HAWG'.

Having said that, here are my questions about 'following the trout'.

Do you/should I;

1. throw swim-baits to the edge of a planted 'school' of trout, as soon as possible after the plant?

2. fish surface, mid-depth or bottom and would a subtle or frenzied retrieve be appropriate around the grouped trout?

3. wait until the trout are dispersed into smaller groups (stocking count sometimes exceeds 2,000 trout per dump) and follow these with my sonar and under-water camera until they establish themselves in a specific area or structure?

What is your experience with;

1. time frame after stocking that a 'full' Bass would feed again...assuming she is following the trout school?

2. impact of 'Solunar Tables' on days following a trout plant or will the Bass be opportunistic and ignore the 'Moon-phases'?

3. A Bass' use of cover and structure when stocked Trout are in the water? Will the Bass relate more to cover or feeding, when large amounts of Trout are present?

I am sure I have missed important points. What I'm really asking here is; how do YOU respond to Trout stocking in your water and what is the 'time-frame' and 'method' for your response???

Thanks for all info.

Bud