I’ve spent the last two plus decades fishing for trout using traditional methods of spin fishing. I have never engaged in the act of fly fishing, therefore this fishing lesson does not include any fly fishing tips. Fly fishing tips will be left to someone more experienced in that form of fishing. This fishing lesson, trout fishing 101 if you will, will include tips for traditional spin fishing methods.
In this article I will provide a few tips for choosing the correct trout bait There are different types of trout and different trout fishing conditions, all of which factor in to choosing the correct bait for a given fishing situation.
Let’s begin by discussing the two different types of trout; native trout and planted trout. Native trout are fish that have been born naturally in a body of water or were planted in a body of water at one time and have survived 3 or more seasons in said body of water. Planted trout on the other hand, have been ‘planted’ or ‘stocked’ in a body of water by the fish commission for the express purpose of being caught by anglers. The bottom line in pointing out this fact is that the two different types of trout eat different types of bait. Choosing the correct bait can easily mean the difference between catching fish and not catching fish.
As a rule artificial trout baits such as spoons, spinners, and small minnow imitating crank baits can be used successfully for either type of trout, so these baits won’t be discussed here. The real discrepancy comes when using the other two popular varieties of bait when fishing for trout. There are two main types of trout bait; live trout baits and synthetic trout baits. Live trout bait would include live baits such as worms, minnows, small crayfish, and even small frogs. Synthetic trout baits would include any trout bait that is sold in a small jar or jar-like container.
Here are the main rules when choosing the correct bait. Native trout prefer live baits and planted trout prefer synthetic baits. For the most part these rules hold true much of the time. For example if you are fishing a lake that has recently been stocked, live baits won’t be nearly as effective as synthetic baits. On the other hand, attempting to use bait from a jar on your favorite river which hasn’t been “stocked” in five years won’t be very effective at all.
How about the manner in which your trout bait is presented? Any article about fishing 101 has to include the manner in which the bait is presented to the trout. When it comes to trout bait tips the manner in which your bait is presented is of the utmost importance. In the case of live bait you always want your bait to look as natural as possible. In the case of synthetic bait you want the bait to be the focal point of your offering. Many times this means using a pair of small hooks rather than a single larger hook.
Are these rules 100% true and effective all of the time? Of course not, but they are good rules to be aware of and use to your advantage when fishing for these beautiful fish. Choosing the correct bait and presenting that bait in the most effective manner is the difference between success and failure in many trout fishing situations.