Rainbow trout is one of the most beautiful creatures in this world, which is also very easy to catch. It has black dots all over the body and red straight marks, so whenever you catch them, surely your heart will beat fast exploring this beauty. They are wide lives in rivers and lakes so you can quickly fly fish them.
If you know better the basics and tactics about rainbow trout, you can be made your day in the lakes or rivers easily. Bait selection is essential here.
From colorful artificial to live baits, both attract rainbow trout. Just rig them properly, and if you are lucky, you will catch this giant beauty.
Tips on How to Catch Rainbow Trout
Fishing can be an exciting job and enjoyable at the same time if you have proper knowledge on what you are doing. Here are some tips that can help you to boost the knowledge.
Best Baits for Rainbow Trout
Lure selection is not that difficult for rainbow trout because they are very curious and eat almost every soft body.
You can choose two kinds of lures, such as moving baits and staying one place lures. If you prefer artificial lures, have to make it looks real, so the moving part is essential here.
You can use two poles to use both lures. Although not moving lures are relaxing moment lures so you can use it if you are not in a hurry.
Where to Fish
Rainbow trout are mostly found in rivers, dams, lakes, etc. They have the sporting ability, so sometimes they have been stocked in another place. Anglers love to stock them more than brown trout.
These fishes, especially the brown trout also have more fighting ability than other trout, so they don’t leave the lures easily and that’s what everyone loves to see.
Gear You Will Need
Reel and Rod
Rainbow trout is a fighter fish so your gear and rod should be Havier to support them. 1 to 3 kg rod and 1000 to Two thousand five hundred reels will be better. With some proper cleaning of the reel and rod, these gears can achieve and keep supporting heavier items for the long term.
There are some rods like Abu Garcia rods, which are great as trout rods, catfish setup and many more can be used for fly fishing as well.
The rod quality should also be better. Do not choose too heavy or too light otherwise you won’t be comfortable when fishing. The length should be 7 to 9 feet is perfect.
Line and Leader
Choosing the right line is also essential for fishing this species. 4lb to 12lb line is perfect for fishing, and the thickness depends on your choice. Selecting a leader size depends on the size of fish and where you are fishing. Leader materials should be monofilament or fluorocarbon.
- Lures
- Bait
- Jig heads
- Sinkers
- Hook Clips
Catching Rainbow Trout in the River
Rainbow trout love to stay upstream so the lures should be drifting under them. The method is always the same, just cast the lures upstream then the current will drift it to the trout. In most freshwater, trout fishing is more like any other freshwater fishing, with some minor differences.
It will be better if you can see or notice where the trout are then cast in there. You can search for some specific spots in the river like near the river structure, behind or around the boulders, narrow river, river bridge, undercut bank, etc.
1. How to Catch with Lures
If you find a specific spot in the river where trout are resting, you can quickly drive down the lures in the river. A slow-moving river is the best place for applying this technique.
Use a fishing pole with ultra-light which can be casting light lures in here. Choose a 4-pound test fishing line for a windy place, in standard time, 2 pound is enough.
2. Use Light Weighted Bait
If you want to make the lures natural, avoid making it bulky. Heavily weighted bait sink the interests fast and make it that trout won’t like it. The bait should have slow and easy drift so the trout will be attracted to it.
To know more about natural insects, do some research before buying or making artificial lures such as how they move, how it looks, how they behave. It helps you to attract the fish and fight with the lures. Power bait is the most popular bait for the trout.
How to Catch Rainbow Trout in a Lake from Shore
Lakes is a place where you can fish in both standing on the side of the lakes or from a boat like a kayak or a canoe. The lure choice is the same as you do in the river.
There are also some places in the lakes where you should search for trout like behind the rocks, any brushes or shelter, pockets, etc. Lure selection choices are also open here as rainbow trout eats almost all the soft, rigid, or any live bait. Try fishing at the end of the lakes.
You can fish this kind of fishes in the lake all over the year. Although late spring is the best time for fishing because the temperature is perfect for the trout to feed comfortably. When the sky is cloudy, it is also the best time for catching trout as they do not like bright sunlight.
Bait Setup for Fishing in the Lakes
Using bait is a very effective way to catch rainbow trout from lakes. Also, you can catch fly trouts from the bank of the lake. You can apply two techniques such as bait under a bobber and bait off the bottom.
Bait Under the Bobber
If you use bait under the bobber, the bait hook should be 2 to 3 feet under the bobber. The lures should be a piece of worm, salmon egg, or any powerbait but very lightweight. The leader will be 18 to 24 inches here.
Do not wrap the bait hook overall with powerbait or anything, a small piece of bait implanted on the corner of the hook will be ok. This technique will be worked only when you are fishing near the surface.
Using powerbait, while can be very useful, you can also use softbait, crankbaits and other natural species like baitfishes, warms, etc.
Bait off the Bottom
If you want to fish from deep water, you have to cast the bait deeper where the bobber won’t help to suspend the bait. The leader will be 18 an inch here, and the bait should be attached at least half feet away from the bait hook so that it floating and cover the hook.
Always get a right tackle when you are catching trout, they are fighting continuously, so it is needed. You can search for some specific spots like deep and cold lakes, around the brushes or rocks, etc.
Using Scent for Trout Fishing
There are different kinds of scent that can be applied in the artificial bait, and crankbaits for fishing. They can have the scent of other baits, lures, and worms.
- Floating mice tails for fishes
- Floating fat trout worms
- Leeches
- Floating fat trout worms
How to Catch Rainbow Trout in a Stocked Pond
Fishing rainbow trout in a stocked pond is a great way to learning the fishing basics for every beginner. It is more like catching catfishes in the lake, with some minimal differences. When stocked trout in the pond, they won’t move that much so casting them is easy.
But the pond also has some specific spots where you can find more fishes like deeper parts, overhanging trees, fallen trees, docks, or any underwater structures, mouths of streams, Dams, weirs, etc.
It would help if you did not wait for fishing late when the pond is already stocked with rainbow trout or brown trout. Because in this new place, trout won’t move that much, which is a great chance to catch them.
Just gather a light weighted spinning rod and reel, bait, line, lures, hook/treble hook, rod holders, rooster tail, and a power bait rig to catch fish for a stocked pond.
Trout Fishing for Beginners: Tips and Guidance
Like bowfishing, and any other fishing methods. Here are some beginner tips you can follow for angling trout in river, lake and ponds.
- Always use realistic color lures for rainbow trout. Choose white, greys, silver, or black for any artificial lures and know about their behavior and movement.
- The color should be made a good reflection in rainbow trout’s eyes because sometimes you may have to cast them in deeper water where light is low, and the lures should be visible.
- You may not be an expert quickly, so keep yourself, patient, when you are learning. While having bait fish tactics research spots, trout behavior, etc.
- Wear drab fishing pants, shirts, and other clothes so these fishes cannot see you quickly. It also helps you to camouflage. Also wear a rain suit in the rainy season.
- If you are unfamiliar about the place, always start fishing end of the lakes or ponds. If you are in the river, go to slower-moving pools so that you can make your bait or lure floating in the same way.
- These fishes sometimes travel in school so you can get more fishes in the same place. Do not stop trying.
- Catching them in the night is the best effective method. They do not like bright sunlight and loves to move in the darkness, so use surface lures to catch them better.
- When you see any structure fall into the water, do not skip those places as it is a great place to hide for trout. Last but not least, keep yourself calm when fishing.
- Catch the fish quickly, do not fight them for long time.
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