How Do You Know When You Have a BIG Trout Hooked?

The other day I had my first good fall fishing trip of the year, during which I caught three rainbow trout that were in the 16-17 inch range, which by virtually anyone’s standard would be considered a "big trout". This was especially true because all of these trout were at least 4 inches wide with one of them being almost 5 inches wide! These are the type of rainbow trout that I like to call footballs, but catching them got me thinking about how you know a big trout is a BIG trout, once you have it hooked. In this post you will find the answer to this question.

Now I realize that when using ultra light gear, even small trout can seem big (especially if you are out of practice), but truly big trout have certain traits that can't be denied. First and probably the most obvious is that they feel heavy, but this quick feeling is often immediately followed by the trout making a "run". In other words, you will feel the bite, set the hook, immediately feel weight (resistance), and the trout will almost always immediately start peeling line off of your drag. This is what happen 9 out of ten times with big trout. In the other case you just feel weight, as if you are snagged. In this one out of ten case (or maybe less) be careful, you are often dealing with a trophy.
The next way to know that you have a BIG trout hooked is that during the fight, the trout stays at or near the bottom (especially after the initial "run") for most of the fight. I'm not 100% sure of the reason for this, but have always assumed it was to make it more likely that the trout could fray your line or otherwise "hang" you up on the bottom. Are fish this smart? Probably not, but it sounds good, so that's the theory that I go with.

The third way to know that you are dealing with a big trout is what we have always referred to as the "head shake". In other words the trout will normally be at or near the bottom and slowly moving it's head from side to side. This tell tale "head shake" is a sure tell sign that you have a big trout hooked.
The final way to tell that you might have a big trout hooked is that the trout just stops. Many novice anglers mistake this move for getting tangled or snagged on the bottom, but a big trout will sometime "wedge" itself between rocks or other underwater cover and stop in the current. I once caught a twenty three inch rainbow that "stopped" in the middle of a raging river for approximately fifteen minutes before finally taking off again. During this time I just stood there with my rod tip held high and would take a step or two the left or right once in a while.

What was just outlined are the best ways that I know to determine if I have a big trout hooked. Add them to your memory bank for the next time that you are out fishing for trout, especially rainbow trout.