The Best Trout Bait For Rivers

Freshwater trout are caught in two types of water, rivers and lakes, and in many instances the type of bait that is used in each body of water is different. My favorite type of water to fish for trout in are rivers, and below I will draw upon my extensive experience to outline a few of the best baits for rivers that I have come across.

While none of these trout baits are "new" and are probably baits that you are familiar with they are all effective baits for rivers and should all be a part of your trout fishing repertoire.
The out and out "best" trout bait is more than likely impossible to determine as the effectiveness of any bait will vary with fishing conditions and an anglers experience, but on any given day the best trout bait for rivers is more than likely among these choices. Keep reading, add this information to your memory bank, and make sure that you have at least two of these baits available to you anytime that your are fishing for trout.

1. Mini Jigs - Mini jigs that are fished under a lightweight float are an excellent trout bait for rivers. Jigs can be twister tail, fork tailed, or even straight bodied and some effective colors would include pink, white, and brown. The key with using mini jigs for trout is to keep them small. This means the jig head should be no larger than 1/32 of an ounce and can be as small as 1/80 of an ounce , believe it or not.
2. Fishing Worms - Fishing worms, whether you are talking about night crawlers that are pinched in half, red worms, or leaf worms are definitely one of the best trout bait for rivers, especially if the worm is "drift fished". Synthetic fishing worms such as Berkley angle worms, powerbait trout worms, or Alive nightcrawlers also perform very well when fishing for trout. A key to success is presenting your worms in a natural and outstretched manner.
3. Small Spinners - Small spinners, that are from 1/32 to 1/4 of an ounce in size are also an effective bait for river dwelling trout. Many trout fishermen tend to think that spinners should only be used in lake and pond trout fishing scenarios, but nothing could be further from the truth. Small spinners are a very effective bait for trout in rivers as well. I have always found that silver spinners work better in low light conditions (cloudy days) and gold spinners are better for bright sunny days.

The bottom line is that the aforementioned trout baits should all be in your fishing vest, and if any of them aren't, they should be added sooner rather than later. The best trout bait for rivers is likely among these three choices.