Back in the 80s and 90s I fished many of the Wyoming Bighorn streams for Brookies and had great luck with a variety of Panther Martin lures.
Would be nice but very expensive. Really enjoyed my time there. While many of my fellow airmen complained about being stuck on a remote site, I spent every spare moment of the summer catching Dolly Varden and Rainbow trout, Artic Grayling, Silvers and King Salmon.
Way back in ancient history I spent a year at King Salmon. The only way to get to Katmai was float plane or private boat. Now you can hire a water taxi. I wonder if the fishing is still decent in the Naknek river and the surrounding streams?
Ditto on the Panther Martin.
Love the 308s. In the mid 60s in Alaska, it was the only reel I used. They were not made for heavy fish so when I burned the gears out of it horsing big Kings I bought another one. Many years, many miles and many fish later when it gave up I found 2 of them for $15 in a discount and closeout store in Minnesota. The discount store reels were not in the best of shape and both were repaired with mail order parts. I've given up on them now but if I found one in working condition at a garage sale I snap it up in a heartbeat.
If we're talking fresh water, lures and not bait, it is hard to beat a 1/8 ounce Panther Martin. Years ago, living in New Mexico, I found them to be almost irresistible to all species of trout and unusually effective on German Browns. In the upper Midwest they are a bit large for average panfish but I've caught several huge Smallmouth Bass and quite a few Largemouth.
Staying in the vehicle was good thinking on your part, but what if you were on the stream and the creep shows up. Open carry if you state allows or CCW. Get a M&P EZ 380 and learn to use it. They are light, easy to carry, easy to use and not a toy. Stay safe and keep fishing!
I've had mixed results with hardware. Fishing German Browns in New Mexico there were some days when anything visible other than a night crawler or a fly resulted in no strikes. Other days lots of flash, lures, swivels, whatever; yielded well. Fishing for Kings in Alaska, there were days when the more flashy crap and junk you hung on the end of your line, the more hits you got.