Gear & Tackle
Steelhead. Rainbows. Brookies. Browns. Cutthroat. Golden. There are a
wide variety of trout, large and small, wild and stocked. As a general rule, use a
spinning outfit with a long, soft rod like the Berkley Trout Rod Series and Trilene Ultra
Thin in as light a pound test as possible, say 2# to 4# for small fish like brookies, and
6# to 10# for big browns and steelhead.
Lures & Presentation
Lure selection will vary, depending on the variety and
size of the trout you're after, as well as the kind of habitat you're fishing. One
interesting fact to keep in mind is that the size of the bait seems to be relatively
constant for both large and small trout – 1" to 2" inline spinners, spoons,
minnow-imitating crankbaits and bait rigs are all popular choices. All may be cast,
drifted or trolled; or if the trout are slow, a bait rig lying still on the bottom is a
high percentage tactic.
How to Locate
Wild trout, for the most part, are stream dwellers,
although some species live most of their lives in the ocean or the great lakes, and return
the the stream where they were hatched only to spawn. Spring and fall runs concentrate the
most fish, which can be found below falls, holding in pools and current breaks, or in
slack water and eddies behind rocks or other obstructions. Lake and pond dwelling trout,
often stocked, tend to roam in schools along deep drop off areas, although they do come up
shallow in the springtime.
Effective Baits
As in salmon fishing, single salmon eggs and spawn bags
are effective, as are worms. Moldable Berkley Power Bait for trout, Power Eggs, Power
Nuggets and Power Bait Liquid are recognized as the best choice in artificial trout baits.
Berkley even has a Power Bait specifically formulated for stocked hatchery trout. |
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