Among trout fishermen there is probably no subject that gets debated more often than the best bait to use for trout. I have been fishing for these beautiful fish for more than twenty years and have found that a question that I am most often asked is, “what are they biting on?” Although the answer to this question obviously varies depending on the type of bait that is being used, there are some simple rules that every trout fisherman can employ that will enable them to answer the question of what’s the best bait for trout on a given day or during a given season.

There is no doubt that every trout fisherman will gravitate towards his or her favorite trout fishing style when it comes to the type of trout bait that should be used. For example if you are a fly fisherman, the answer to the best bait for trout will almost certainly involve some distinct fly pattern, whereas if you are an ultralight spin fisherman the best bait for trout will probably involve some small trout fishing lure or live bait. In any case, keep the following rules in mind the next time that you are on the water fishing for trout when attempting to determine the best bait to use on a particular day.

The Type Of Trout You Are Fishing For – The type of trout that you are fishing for is of the utmost importance when determining the best bait to use, and when I refer to the type of trout I am not referring to the species, but rather whether or not the trout that you are fishing for have been recently “stocked” or the trout that you are are “native”. Trout that have been “stocked” into a body of water (especially if they have been stocked in the past one to six months) are used to eating non natural food and thus tend to bite on non natural types of trout baits. You may be wondering what non natural trout baits are, and the answer would be any synthetic trout bait that has been manufactured for the express purpose of catching trout. An example would be the popular trout bait known as Powerbait. If you are fishing for native trout more traditional trout baits are most likely to be successful.
Are There Any Insect Hatches Taking Place – Fly fishermen are used to paying attention to insect hatches, but spin fishermen tend to be much less aware of such things. The reason for paying attention to whether or not an insect hatch is talking place is because if one is, trout baits that don’t mimic said insects will be very likely not to work. As a matter of fact my fishing mentor (who incidentally was an expert ultra light spin fisherman) would call it a day any time that a “hatch” started when he was fishing for trout. What my mentor didn’t realize was that spin fishermen can still fish for trout during these times by employing some manifestation of a “casting bubble” to fish with an artificial fly, but the point is that during insect hatches the best bait for trout is without question an an artificial fly that closely matches said hatch.
When Are You Fishing – One fact that most experienced fisherman know and that less experienced fishermen tend to overlook is that when you are fishing is as important as the type of bait that is used when you are fishing. And in this case the term when you are fishing means the time of the day, week, and/or month that you are on the water attempting to catch fish. This means that you want to familiarize yourself with the ways in which the weather, phase of the moon, and rise and set of both the sun and moon impact fish behavior. When you are on the water fishing for trout goes a long way towards determining what the best bait is going to be on a given day.

So in conclusion, the answer to the question “what’s the best bait for trout” is going to vary depending on your own personal trout fishing preferences and the conditions under which you are fishing, but the good news is that if you keep the three aforementioned points in mind, you will be much closer to picking the best bait for trout on a given day for you favorite style of trout fishing.



By: Trevor Kugler


About the Author:

ffsbc asked:

Nick Basok of the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC explains baits and lures you may wish to try when doing trout fishing in British Columbia. For more information on freshwater fishing in British Columbia, Canada, please visit www.gofishbc.com

Many anglers seem to labor under the delusion that a good fishing rod has to cost a ton of money. This is a fallacy, sold to you by outfits trying to get more money out of you. I’ll admit that St. Croix fishing rods, which are quite expensive are really nice, however they aren’t at all necessary. As a matter of fact, in most cases spending more than fifty bucks on a fishing rod isn’t at all necessary. In this day and age you can get a very nice, and serviceable fishing rod for under fifty bucks.

I’ve also seen many anglers who have just one rod for all of their fishing. This makes no sense. The same rod that you use for fishing for catfish on one trip shouldn’t then be used for trout fishing. Fishing rods are inexpensive enough that every angler should have at least two fishing rods at their disposal. As an angler, your fishing rod should be matched to the type of fish that you’re attempting to catch. For example, for most trout fishing an ultra light fishing rod should be employed. Not the same medium action rod that you use for cat fishing, but a separate trout fishing rod. For myself, I’ve got 2 trout fishing rods (both ultra light). The rods are both quantum Xtralite rods, but they are different lengths. The five foot rod for normal water conditions, and the six foot six inch rod for high water and bank fishing situations.

Having these two trout fishing rods didn’t break the bank either. Quantum Xtralite fishing rods cost under $25 a piece! Not only are they inexpensive, they are very good. As a matter of fact for ultralight fishing, these fishing rods are my favorite. Another very affordable series of fishing rods is the “lightning rod” series from Berkley. These fishing rods are also quite affordable for larger sizes. Some fish simply can’t be effective fished for with ultralight fishing gear.

The bottom line is that fishing rods don’t have to break the bank. There are affordable rods out there that work very well for almost every fishing situation. In fact, they are affordable enough that you should have different rods for different situations (such as high water). Matching your fishing rod to the size of fish you intend to catch will result in more bites, which will result in more fish, it’s as simple as that.



By: Trevor Kugler

About the Author:

mattstansberry asked:

Late June 2008, Chris Daughters and George Recker run the upper McKenzie River from Olallie Campground, including Fish Ladder (Class IV rapid) and fly fishing for chunky native rainbow trout. For more fly fishing videos: www.OregonFlyFishingBlog.com.

bigtrout24 asked:

maine trout fishing

TheTroutman85 asked:

trout fishing with bobbers at White Pines Lake CA

tightlinesflyshop asked:

Tight Lines Guides Charlie Piette and Nate Sipple fish the spring creeks on opening day 2009. This is a look at the great trout fishing available in our early catch and release season. Check us out at www.tightlinesflyshop.com or call 920-336-4106 to book your trip.

MidwestOutdoorsTV asked:

Len Harris and Larry Ladowski go trout fishing in SW Wisconsin

In this article I’m going to discuss some of the most effective baits to use while fishing for trout in order to determine the best bait for trout fishing. Is this possible? Is it possible that there’s a “best” bait for trout fishing? I’m not entirely sure, but after fishing for these wonderful fish for more than 25 years I can honestly say that some are certainly better than others, and one in particular is certainly my favorite.

Before I get into the trout baits themselves, it’s important to know the type of trout that you’re attempting to catch. Not the species of fish, but the kind of trout. There are two basic kinds. Stocked (or planted) and native. Stocked trout are placed into the river or lake by the governments’ fish & game department. Native trout on the other hand were born and live in the water in which they reside. Actually stocked trout can become native after living in said body of water for an extended period of time (2 or more years).

Why do I mention stocked and native? Simply because both manners of trout tend to eat different kinds of bait, and as an angler you should be aware of this fact. Stocked trout eat baits such as corn, marshmallows, dough baits, and cheese. Native trout, on the other hand, tend to shy away from such baits, and tend to eat “live” baits such as worms, minnows, and crayfish. Basically, native trout are much more savvy (and more challenging) to catch than stocked trout.

One of the most popular (and effective) baits for trout fishing are synthetic baits that are shaped into live bait shapes. These baits are shaped like worms, minnows and crayfish (to name a few) and are impregnated with fish catching scents. The most popular manufacturers of these trout baits is Berkley, and are named Powerbait and Gulp. These baits, rigged on a set of gang hooks can be extremely effective.

Another popular bait is small spinners and spoons, such as Rooster Tails and Phoebe Minnows. Both native and stocked trout will bite these lures. These baits are effective in both the flowing water of rivers and streams and still the water of lakes. The important thing to remember in regards to these types of lures is to keep them small. 1/8 to 1/3 ounce will usually suffice.

The last bait that I want to touch on for trout fishing is the old standby live bait. This may indeed be the best bait for trout fishing. Live crayfish, for example, are probably the best bait for large trout. I live crayfish that’s allowed to flow naturally with the current of a small trout river is a great large trout bait. Live worms are extremely effective for trout fishing as well. As a matter of fact a live worm rigged on a set of gang hooks and allowed to flow naturally with the current of a small river or stream is a great “all around” trout bait, and could very well be the best.

Does this article give you an answer to the best bait for trout fishing? Not one single answer, but it certainly gives you the best options that are available. Now you can go out, give these baits a try, and determine for yourself which is the best.

In my experience live worms are hard to beat when trout fishing (especially in rivers and streams), but for you it may be different? The cool thing about fishing is that there’s only one way to find out. Get out on the water and figure out your best bait for trout fishing.



By: Trevor Kugler

About the Author:

parkcityexcursions asked:

Visit Web Page www.ParkCityExcursion.com Park City Excursions Guided Trips Photos and Videos on Utah trout rivers and streams, visit www.UtahFlyFishingPros.com Utah’s Fly Fishing Guide Service of Choice. This was a mid August 2011 5 day fly fishing Adventure with the Cowfer’s. In that time we caught 2 trophy class trout. A monster Rainbow on the Lower Provo, and this beauty on the Middle Provo River. These big fish are back, and healthier than ever. It’s been several years since I have consistently caught 18 plus inch brown trout on the Middle. It took about 8 years after the restoration for this prime rocky mountain fishery to return to it’s earlier glory. which is great news for us fanatics of fly fishing, and of course our clients that always love to land big wild trout. The Provo offers some of the best fishing in the west and is a must fish river if Park City, Salt Lake City, or Provo is your destination. Contact us anytime for updates on fishing conditions or to book a 4, 6 or 8 hour trip on the Provo river. We are a small group of skilled guides with 12 years or more experience guiding the local Provo and Weber as well as some other less fished, fantastic big trout streams. For fly fishing photography of our five day trip fishing Utah’s top fisheries visit http