Trout questions / input ?

I have lots of questions and just looking for input, there are no wrong answers  
 
 
I grew up small stream fishing Trout, but outside of that my catching of Trout species is very limited. I have trolled a few small local lakes with good results, and just started ice fishing for Lakers a year ago. I know the stream fish go nuts once hooked, and those Lakers are very strong and hit very hard.
 
 
 
Here are my best (nothing special) ...
 
-Brown 19.5" (from stream) / 15" (from lake)
-Rainbow 14.5" ... i have only got 2 ever (one from stream, one from lake)
-Laker 26" (through the ice)
-Brookie  Never caught one
-Salmon  Never caught one (i know a Salmon is not really from the Trout family too)  
 
 
So i see post like RJ's recent one and i'm in AWE of those monster fish  
 
 
I know the river and fly fishing guys it's more about the journy and the hunt of of them.
Fishing from the boat must be just as fun ?
 
 
I know what a 25lb Striper is like (after one good run it's just weight and stays down) but a 20lb + fish going air borne and drag screaming has got to be nuts !!!!
 
 
All of those fish look like strong and fun to catch.
 
 
What species is the most fun in you opinion ?
Funniest way to fish for them ?
Why ?
 
 
Not like i need another species to start chasing around NY and i dont want to have to change my name either LOL
 
 
Slow Monday here i guess.
 
Thanks,
BB

Brian,
    I myself have only done the small stream thing for trout with about the same results as you with the exception of a 12" brookie to my credit and no luck ice fishing for lakers last year. I went salmon fishing for the first time last year. I landed a 17 pounder on my very first cast. After that pardon the pun but I was "Hooked". I have had bass and pike jump during a fight but the first time I saw a salmon "leap" out of the water and slam back to the water with a sound like a Clint Eastwood punch, I was in total awe. My jaw just hit the ground. It is a total test of your fish fighting abilities like no other I have had. All I can say is if you have the chance to go take it. I'm going out in about 2 weeks for 3 or 4 days and I can't wait.
                   Tight Lines Mate...Cheers
 

A Salmon (Pacific species) is well a salmon.. Aside from the monster head shakes when properly caught (think of shark week when those sharks are thrashing their heads while grabbing that chunk of meat tied to the rope) they just run and you hold on then pull and they run and you pull.
Now to me one of the best fighting trout is a Chrome (fall) steelhead, they are called silver bullets for a good reason. When they are hooked they go completely balistic, from air borne to ripping off line in a split second. They are of the Rainbow family and study shows a rainbow trout is the hardest fighting freshwater fish.
If you ever get a steelhead no matter fall or spring on it is the Tops !!!

Next I would have to say for their size next is a pond>lake Brook trout.. They don't fight much at first but once they know they are not getting away they just turn on the twisting & turning and never give up, reason why a net is need from a boat(raft)

After that I must say with the 25 or less I have caught (reason they are probably not #1) are Landlocked Salmon. Boy these are also strong strong fish and I sure wish we had a better fishery for them.

BB if you think a striper fights hard (and they do) but they are nothing compared to the top 2, Salmon & Steelhead.

We got to get you out on the Great Lakes sometime.
Heck Even those trout up in the ADK's are pretty good scrappers on light tackle..

I say "Chromers" too, Brian...  I think they'd be right up your alley... 
 
If you think a 7lb Largie can pull and fight, wait 'till you tie into a Metalhead in high water...  Jeezus...
 
They are like crackheads- totally bonkers.
 
I was out on the Eastern Lake "O" tribs on Sunday and my stepbrother was visiting from Norfolk.  He's got a Navy buddy who bought a house right on the river and they hammer 'em for two weeks every Fall as a vacation.  The river is packed with Salmon- but we got into a LOT of STEELHEAD too.  Also, my buddy Chris lost a monster Brown that was every bit of 15lbs.  Check out this Chromer from the weekend:
 

 
Anyway- my bro gave me his 12' "Noodle Rod" for float fishing and I bet you'd dial right in on that.
 
Then you can skip the fly rod/chuck n' duck all together.  It's super fun.
 
I think you'd really like Steelhead, man.  Salmon fishing?  Probably not so much.
 
Look at the crowd in the distance here at the "Town Pool".  But also note:  "our" stretch of river behind my buddy's house is all posted (he's got 400+ ft) and there are cliffs downriver that keep everyone out.  It makes life a lot easier when you are 50ft from a flush toilet, cold refirgerator, and comfy couch:
 

 
If you want some small stream trout- you can do that anywhere around here.  Even your dearl lil' Onesquathaw (though I haven't fished it since May!)
 
Come by my office for lunch and we can get out even before the season wraps up next week.  I've got the tiny "microlights" and all the small Panther Martin spinners we'd ever need.  Maybe we can ever get a fly rod in those hands of yours?
 
After we go to Pixies for lunch, of course

Hey Jimmy, that spot there between the long and short bridge...that is one of my favorite spots on the river. Everyone fishes the big holes under either bridge, but almost no one works the run in between. I fish it from the other side though...much easier to walk fish down.

I am a bigtime fly fisherman, and a big time ice fisherman. I love catching the 15"-20" stream browns on my fly rod and I also am addicted to lakers on my jig stick through the ice. And Lance put me onto a fish this past spring that was a bull. I got a 16lb striper, my first. What a fight!!!