Rainbow Trout Bait: The Top 3

Many people who fish for rainbow trout, whether they are new to the world of fishing for trout or are a trout fishing veteran, always wonder one thing above all others when it comes to fishing for these beautiful fish, and that question is, "what's the best bait to use when fishing for rainbow trout?" Well, I have spent the last twenty plus years fishing for and catching "rainbows" and in that time have learned a thing or two about trout bait.

Although the single best rainbow trout bait is probably impossible to determine due to factors such as favorite style of fishing, type of water that is being fished, and whether or not you are trying to catch stocked or native fish, what can be determined is what has worked best for me in my experience fishing for "rainbows" over the last quarter of a century, plus some tips and tricks for putting said baits into action on the water.

1. Powerbait - Powerbait is the most well known and popular synthetic trout bait on the market and with good reason. This bait is manufactured by a company known as Berkley and is floating trout bait disperses advanced scent and flavor enhancers to trigger more strikes from hungry trout. This bait is most effective when "still fished" on a basic bottom rig in a lake or pond that contains hatchery raised trout. When it comes to stocked trout, this rainbow trout bait is hard to beat.


2. Insects - If you know anything about rainbow trout, you are well aware of the fact that these fish love to eat insects and if you aren't aware of this fact, you should be. Insects are an excellent bait to use for "rainbows", whether you are talking about live insects (which can be difficult to use as bait) or artificial flies which mimic live insects. Fly fishermen are obviously well aware of this fact, but one thing that you may not be aware of is that spin fishermen can use artificial flies as rainbow trout bait as well by employing something called a fly fishing bubble. In any case, the point is that insects are without question one of the top 3 rainbow trout baits.


3. Worms - Any list of the best baits for rainbow trout would be incomplete without mentioning the old fishing standby the worm. Whether you are talking about live fishing worms like red worms or nightcrawlers or you are talking about synthetic worms such as Berkley 'trout worms' or 'Gulp Alive Red Wigglers' the fact of the matter is that worms are among the best baits that can be used for "rainbows" virtually all year long.

When it comes to trout bait, the aforementioned choices are the top 3. If any of these baits aren't a part of your trout fishing repertoire, they should be added sooner rather than later of you are interested in experiencing more success on the water.