Many people fish for rainbow trout and don’t necessarily know which type of bait is best, so in this article I will outline 3 effective baits for catching rainbow trout and some tips for using them. I have been using every one of these trout baits for more the two decades and they are all quite effective for catching rainbow trout.
The baits themselves are being listed in no particular order and all have their place in any serious trout fisherman’s repertoire. At the end of the day these 3 baits are probably the top 3 baits when it comes to fishing for these beautiful fish. When writing about trout I think it’s important to make a distinction between rainbows that have been planted and rainbows that have been born or lived naturally in a waterway for 3 or more seasons. Rainbows that have been planted or stocked tend to eat very different baits than rainbows that are native to a given waterway. The trout baits being outlined in this article are most effective on native trout, rather than their planted cousins.
Live Worms – Live worms are an extremely effective rainbow trout bait, especially when fished in the flowing waters of a river or stream. The best way to rig a live worm for fishing in this manner is a set of gang hooks, which is simply a pair of small hooks tied in tandem which allows for a totally natural presentation of the live worm. The bottom line is that when fishing in rivers, live worms are an excellent bait for rainbow trout. Artificial Flies – Anyone who has ever even thought about fishing for trout knows how effective artificial flies can be. The problem is that many fisherman don’t want to invest in all the equipment and gear needed to be a successful fly fisherman. This is where a casting bubble comes into play. A casting bubble enables traditional spin fishermen to use this great form of rainbow trout bait without investing all the time, money, and equipment normally necessary to fish flies. Artificial flies are an excellent bait for rainbow trout and certainly have their place amount the best baits for these fish. In Line Spinners – In line spinners such as rooster tails or blue fox spinners are excellent rainbow trout bait. In line spinners seem to work equally well for both planted and native trout. These trout fishing lures are also quite easy to fish in both rivers and lakes. A good rule of thumb is to vary the speed at which the in line spinner is retrieved, even adding the ‘snapping’ of your rod tip during the retrieve for added realism. The bottom line is that in line spinners are an excellent rainbow trout bait for many trout fishing scenarios.
These 3 baits should be a part of any serious rainbow trout fisherman’s arsenal. If one of them isn’t in yours, it should be added sooner, rather than later. These baits have all helped me catch many rainbow trout throughout the years.