What is The Best Trout Bait?

If you want to go out and catch some trout, what is the best trout bait? There could obviously be some argument about the answer of this question, so I'll just list some of the all time favorites to give readers an idea of the types of baits trout seem to prefer.

Worms - As Hank Hill calls them, "good old American worms". Obviously worms are good bait for most fish, and trout are no exception. Tout love worms, and in a river or stream situation, worms are hard to beat. Especially when they are presented naturally, such as when the angler employs a set of gang hooks.

Minnows - Minnows are another great trout bait , although they can be difficult to carry with you. If you can carry them with you and keep them alive, live minnows are great as trout bait.

Insects - Obviously "flea flickers" know all about how much trout love insects. The whole concept of fly fishing is based on the fact that trout eat insects. Bait fishermen can also use live crickets and grass hoppers as trout bait. In the summertime, I live grasshopper, or hopper pattern is hard to beat. The bottom line is that trout like bugs.

Salmon Eggs - Salmon Eggs are most effective in waters where salmon actually spawn. In these waters, salmon eggs are a natural food for trout, but salmon eggs give off a scent that trout like in many waters.

Meal Worms - Meal Worms are most often thought of as an ice fishing bait, but they can be used all year. Without question trout eat meal worms and meal worms are effective as trout bait.

Leeches - Leeches might sound like a strange choice, but trout love them. Like minnows, they are difficult to take with you, but are extremely effective.

Synthetic Baits - these are the trout baits that come in jars. Powerbait is a great example of synthetic trout bait. These baits work great for stocked trout. So if you're fishing an area that has stocked trout, synthetic baits will work. Especially in lakes that are home to stocked trout. These baits come in about a million different colors, so just pick one or two and give them a shot. I've never found any hard and fast rules concerning color choices when it comes to synthetic baits. The bottom line with synthetic baits is that stocked trout love them.

Lures - When it comes to trout bait, there are entirely too many choices to list them all here. A few of them would include: rooster tails, phoebes, spoons, minnow imitations, and small jigs. Lures are effective trout bait; just make sure you have back-ups for when you get snagged. When trout like a certain size and color, many times that's all they want. Just make sure you have back-ups of you favorites.

So, which bait is the best for trout? The answer is all of them. Worms are my personal favorite, but there's no way to say that worms are the best. All I know is that worms are my favorite. If you talk with ten different trout anglers, you'll probably get ten different favorite trout baits. The point is that the best bait for trout is whatever your personal favorite is.