It must be the end of a great season on Big Bear Lake, its TroutfesT time!!! October 1st and 2nd will see up to a 1000 anglers working the waters of Big Bear Lake. Some will be in search of tagged trout for a Ford F-150 or a $25,000.00 payout. Others will pursue stringers of hefty trout stocked for the event to be proclaimed the overall winners in adult/junior male and female categories. If that isn't enough every entrant has a raffle chance at a boat, motor and trailer. If you are not lucky enough to claim one of these prizes, you can still win money in the blind bogey draw. The blind bogey is simple and fun. Any trout you catch is recorded when it is weighed in, random weights are selected and if the weight of your trout matches, you get to choose an envelope with a cash prize in it.

On the eve of this great tournament, now would be a good time to do a tackle tune-up. Check and replace your fishing line. Even if you don't totally re-spool, you should strip off 50 feet or so to get rid of frayed line that can break. Lube up your reel, check your drags and replace if need be. Make sure your hooks are sharp and your tackle ready. Just think how bad you would feel if you lost out on a truck or big bucks because your tackle was lacking.

After Troutfest is over, the trout fishing will still be great until the snow begins to fall. Take advantage of it. Big trout from the tournament plus our holdover population will be whacking lures and baits for some time. Don't miss out on the fall bite. Tight lines and good fishing to you all. I hope you enjoyed these articles and perhaps learned a little along the way. With a little good luck we will do it again next year.