Trout Fishing Basics: Tips For Opening Day

So, the opening day of the trout fishing season is approaching and you would like some tips that wil

l help you catch more trout. Cool, then you've come to the right place. Below I will outline a few tips that I have learned over the years and will help you catch more trout on opening day. Over the past twenty five plus years I have spent a great deal of time fishing for and catching rainbow trout and in that time have learned some "basics" that every trout fisherman should be aware of.

Learning these simple trout fishing basics will put you in a much better position to take home a limit on opening day. Are all of them going to be useful to you? Probably not, but if one of these tips helps you catch just one more trout, all because of taking a minute or two to read an article, then what's the harm, am I right? In any case lets get down to these simple fishing basics, so you can catch some more trout, what do you say?

1. Try To Avoid Crowds – In many area's like the area where I learned how to fish for trout (central Pennsylvania) many years ago, avoiding other fishermen on opening day might be a "pipe dream", but it's nonetheless worth mentioning. The farther away you can get from people who have little to no idea what they are doing, the more likely you are to catch trout. Do your best to avoid large numbers of fishermen on opening day and you are much more likely to experience trout fishing success.
2. Check The Moon Rise – Many trout fishermen don't realize that the moon rises and sets just like the sun does, and that trout tend to be much easier to catch when either of these occurrences is taking place. This means that you need to check a moon rise table for the times that the moon is rising and/or setting on opening day, and plan your trip accordingly. A simple internet search will provide you with all the free information that you need.
3. Use Small Hooks – When trout fishing many people tend to use fishing hooks that are much too large. With simple bait holder, salmon egg, or gang hooks you should use size #8, #10, or even #12 hooks. With treble hooks, size #12 or #18 are in order anytime that you are fishing for trout. Don't buy into the old wives tale that "bigger hooks mean bigger fish" because it's not at all the case.
4. Go Places Where Other Fishermen Won't – Often times, especially on opening day guys are in such a hurry that they won't venture very far from the place where they parked or the trail that they walked in on. By "extending your reach" a little bit and walking/wading a bit farther up or down stream, you can often find area's that receive much less fishing pressure, often without actually having to go that far. If you are willing to go places others won't, you are virtually guaranteed to experience more success.

When you head out trout fishing on opening day, keep the aforementioned tips in mind. These trout fishing basics have enabled me to catch more trout than virtually anyone that I have run into on the water over the years and if they work for me, I know they will work for you as well.