BIG browns of the Eastern Sierra

 Now that I am settled in, I have begun to put the time in the books and maps, learning the water ways and how they are managed, making the appropriate contacts, and working to figure out how to catch a brown beast, while kayaking the river or creeks.
 I have the right boat and drift anchor system, and now I have the right paddle, but catching a brown trout of legendary size does not come easy, even in these legendary waters.
 I plan on spending a lot of time snorkeling the rivers and documenting as well as I can, to focus on confirmed monster haunts. But even after doing all the homework and prep, I still need to present the right bait to lure one of these beasts from a deep hole or undercut.
 The town fishing shops and breakfast spots are loaded with big mounted brown trophies.  Ive made some connections with local anglers and they are starting to talk a little bit. It seems that a lot of these wall giants were caught with somewhat suspicious tactics. As I delved deeper into the fishing culture here, it will come as no surprise that I ended up in the bars where anglers really begin to get confessional.   I knew that sculpin and crawdads were targets for big browns and I have traps at the ready, BUT my conversations with locals have begun to reveal that it is live mice that have caught the real monsters.
 So, Ive started collecting the mouse imitators and web based info on the tactic. It really didn't hit me to really use live mice until my dog started spotting them in my apartment. Im not really sure how I feel about putting a hook into mouse, yet.

 Has anyone fished with live mice before?  Suggested ways to rig?
Im not even sure if its legal here yet but I will find out soon.
The NWKA search engine brought up a fun mouse trap thread.
Anyway, I am curious if others have decided to rig a live mouse and send it swimming since there is no doubt that big trout eat mice.

Please don't put a hook through a live mouse. It's torture of an emotionally intelligent creature.

Make it sporting, ethical, and go artificial!
http://www.cabelas.com/product/SAVAGE-GEAR-D-RAT-BAIT/2371175.uts?productVariantId=4935882&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=04643814&rid=20&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgZTRBRDmARIsAJvVWAuuXCooZOIyj1YJe-DIpevQrkkQceGr1zMbYwePn-7FSoNrIdBuD6oaAtryEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I want to know if there's a line of mice committing suicide in the water or if you need a sidearm in case you meet a big brown sneaking up on you in the woods! 

If you can't hookem directly, which I admit would be a bit tough unless you had some serious leather gloves, you might make a living making mice hardnesses.  Not a peta friendly bait I'm sure.
Here's one on hooking frogs...

This is some serious time wasting stuff!
Mouse flies

I would think a .380 large enough and easy to carry if baits go out of hand, so to speak
https://www.hatchmag.com/blog/why-you-sling-mice-trout/771871
I'll go back to work now, good luck.

I can't say I've ever heard of live mice as a fishing bait, however I have caught several good size largemouth on rat and frog imitations so I would imagine it's a similar thing with the browns. I am not sure I could stomach trying to hook a live mouse to be used as potential bait, quite possibly having it just drown in the process.

I've caught catfish with mice before.  Get dead ones from the freezer at the pet food store.  They use them to feed snakes.  No idea if it's legal where you wantto fish though.

Let the mice tear your dashboard and wires in your car apart then tell me you can't hook them between the ears and toss them in the drink for a big hook jawed brown lol. If you truely have a heart unlike me watch some YouTube videos about using mouse flies on the Williamson river in south central oregon or Alaska for rainbows. explosive strikes that would make a 5lb largemouth blush.

 Trying to match the hatch.

In WI we used artificial squirrels (try sticking a hook in a live squirrel butt if your looking for action) and baby ducks for bait. Cast till your arms are sore, troll, repeat.

A few mounts from one of the breakfast spots.  These are all over town.

I'd be nervous about eating next to the last one just in case the mouse got out.  That's a toad.  In the picture it shows license plates, wondering if the fish need a license after a certain size or were those the lures?
This is a good read if you're in that territory to be aware of Bull Trout, usually protected:
http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2013/feb/17/brown-or-bull-trout-who-cares-if-beer-good/

There are some Sierran spring creeks I used to fish as a kid that held huge browns.  Sometimes the browns we kept had mice in their stomachs, but I never tried using a mouse imitation.  What I found with big browns is they LOVE cover.  We'd usually find them in the snaggiest, most willow-infested holes and undercut banks.  You needed both good gear and a little luck in working them out of those spots.

I've tried using crayfish on large browns in lakes, with limited success.  My only hook-ups would occur using very small (<2 inch) crayfish.  The big browns would peck at the larger crayfish, but never actually took them.

The classic large nightcrawler can work wonders on big stream browns, especially during the higher snowmelt flows in spring.  If you can find some "wild" nightcrawlers in the area you're fishing, those work even better than the store-bought variety.  If I were in your shoes, I'd have some nightcrawlers handy as a back-up option in case the mouse imitations aren't producing.

There are some Sierran spring creeks I used to fish as a kid that held huge browns.  Sometimes the browns we kept had mice in their stomachs, but I never tried using a mouse imitation.  What I found with big browns is they LOVE cover.  We'd usually find them in the snaggiest, most willow-infested holes and undercut banks.  You needed both good gear and a little luck in working them out of those spots.

I've tried using crayfish on large browns in lakes, with limited success.  My only hook-ups would occur using very small (<2 inch) crayfish.  The big browns would peck at the larger crayfish, but never actually took them.

The classic large nightcrawler can work wonders on big stream browns, especially during the higher snowmelt flows in spring.  If you can find some "wild" nightcrawlers in the area you're fishing, those work even better than the store-bought variety.  If I were in your shoes, I'd have some nightcrawlers handy as a back-up option in case the mouse imitations aren't producing.

 Im stoked you jumped on this thread Chris. You've caught more big brownies than anyone else I know.
Im collecting artificial mice, sculpin, and crawdads now.  The first tactic that I want to focus on will be the crawdad with a bouncing betty. Ill do this while on anchor, fishing creek undercuts and other brownie haunts. Id really like to stay focused on using the big baits for big fish and stay clear of everything else. Top water and fly cast the mice imitators, and live sculpin and worms when all others have failed.
Even though live mice has been a reported winner, Im just not too excited about trying to hook a biting mammal while anchored in current. Not yet at least.
 Right now the Owens is running on the big side. I can paddle it or I can fish it. But I want more time paddling it and lower cfs before I put it all together.
Thanks to all those who are contributing to the thread so far.

Matching the mudbugs.

If you can find some "wild" nightcrawlers in the area you're fishing, those work even better than the store-bought variety.  If I were in your shoes, I'd have some nightcrawlers handy as a back-up option in case the mouse imitations aren't producing.

I've lived "temporarily" with an old girl friend (three times) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her place is backed up against a cemetery, but between her yard and the graves (some from the 1800's) is a very small ditch. Half of the year it sits full of snow, leaves, garbage from the cemetery, etc. Then in the spring, the homeowner is required to remove any debris. This is so the water company who sells the shares/time slots can divert water coming down from the mountains, to be used for irrigating lawns/yards, the other half of the year. The first year I was with her and cleaned out the ditch, some of the night crawlers that were under the leaves were the size of Garter snakes. Some easily 1/2" thick and close to a foot long. Apparently they've been eating well for a long time, and I know where I'd be looking for "wild" night crawlers.