What Are The Best Spinners For Trout Fishing?

A question that I often get asked is, "what are the best spinners for trout fishing" and my answer usually consists of some manifestation of "it depends", so in this post I will outline some of the best spinners that I personally have used to catch trout so that you can make sure that you have at least one of these choices available to you the next time that you head out in search of some trout. Are these the only spinners that should be used? Of course not, but they are the ones that work for me and I know that they will do the same for you.

The first thing to remember about spinner fishing for trout is that using the exact same spinner all the time is usually not a very good idea. You want to experiment with spinner size, color, blade color, and even hook color depending on the season and what the trout are doing on a particular day. The second thing to keep in mind is the size of the spinner that is being used. In almost all instances when I am spinner fishing for trout I like to use a spinner that is fairly small, like 1/32 or 1/16 of an ounce.

In the spring of the year, when water flows are usually high and/or muddy I prefer a spinner with a slow action. One of the best manufacturers of in line spinners with a slow action is Panther Martin . I prefer my spinners to be "dressed" because I have always found that "dressed" spinners are more effective for freshwater trout, and in the springtime gold or black spinners seem to be a great way to go. Dark or florescent color pattern seem to work quite well during the spring of the year.
 
As we move into the summer and especially the fall of the year, faster actions spinners such as Rooster Tails and Mepps spinners begin to become more effective. During these times of the year the best and most effective spinners also seem to have silver or spotted blades and color patterns such as pink, white, and green are the way to go in the clear water conditions that are often found during the summer and fall.

The bottom line is that the best spinner for trout fishing is the one that catches trout on the day that you are fishing, which means that you need to have at least 6-10 different choices available to you in your fishing vest so that you can experiment until you find the best for that particular day. My general rule of thumb is to try one configuration for 30 or so minutes and if I don't catch any trout, I switch spinners until I find the one that the trout are looking for on that particular day.