Trout Fishing With Powerbait Is About More Than Those Little Jars Of Dough Bait

If you fish for trout you are undoubtedly aware of the trout bait known as Powerbait. Powerbait is, without question, a very effective bait to use when you are trout fishing.  However, something some anglers don't realize is that fishing with Powerbait is about more than those little jars of dough bait. You see, whether or not you realize it there are many Powerbait products which the manufacturer (Berkley) forms into various trout catching shapes, some of which drive trout crazy.   From simple trout worms, to eggs and nymphs the list of products under the Powerbait brand is very extensive. And many, if not all, of these trout baits catch fish and some of them should be a part of your trout fishing repertoire.

I'm going to outline a few of the baits that I use and the basic rigging method that I use while I am fishing for trout.  First we have the 3" floating trout worm.  These little worms are probably my favorite type of non traditional Powerbait product.  There are two effective ways to rig these trout worms, threading and wacky.  Threading involves taking a size #8 or #10 light wire fishing hook and "threading" the worm onto the hook starting with the head end so that the shank of the hook is covered and the barb is sticking out. Wacky involves simply hooking the worm once directly through the middle.  The wacky method looks strange, but is nonetheless effective.  Although all of the colors that these worms come in seem to work at various times, many trout fishermen insist on the color pink or bubblegum anytime that you are talking about trout fishing with Powerbait worms. 

Now, because we are using a small fishing hook and a 3" Power worm is quite light, some weight needs to be added to your line to make casting and retrieving possible.  I like to use a few split shot sinkers, 12 or so inches above the worm itself.  The amount of weight that you add will depend on various factors such as:  where you are fishing for trout, the depth of the water, and whether or not you are dealing with current.

 Next we have the PowerBait Power Nymph.  These little trout baits can be fished just like I outlined above or by using a small jig head.  This is my favorite method for using Power Nymphs.  I get a small jig head, usually 1/6 to 1/8 ounce.  I then thread the Power Nymph onto the jig head and am good to go.  This little rig will catch trout in both rivers and lakes and is a very effective trout fishing technique.

The bottom line is that when you think about trout fishing with Powerbait, there are more options available to you than you may realize.  And many of those options are at least as effective as those little jars of dough bait that we all know so well. 

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.

What is The Best Trout Bait?

If you want to go out and catch some trout, what is the best trout bait? There could obviously be some argument about the answer of this question, so I'll just list some of the all time favorites to give readers an idea of the types of baits trout seem to prefer.

Worms - As Hank Hill calls them, "good old American worms". Obviously worms are good bait for most fish, and trout are no exception. Tout love worms, and in a river or stream situation, worms are hard to beat. Especially when they are presented naturally, such as when the angler employs a set of gang hooks.

Minnows - Minnows are another great trout bait , although they can be difficult to carry with you. If you can carry them with you and keep them alive, live minnows are great as trout bait.

Insects - Obviously "flea flickers" know all about how much trout love insects. The whole concept of fly fishing is based on the fact that trout eat insects. Bait fishermen can also use live crickets and grass hoppers as trout bait. In the summertime, I live grasshopper, or hopper pattern is hard to beat. The bottom line is that trout like bugs.

Salmon Eggs - Salmon Eggs are most effective in waters where salmon actually spawn. In these waters, salmon eggs are a natural food for trout, but salmon eggs give off a scent that trout like in many waters.

Meal Worms - Meal Worms are most often thought of as an ice fishing bait, but they can be used all year. Without question trout eat meal worms and meal worms are effective as trout bait.

Leeches - Leeches might sound like a strange choice, but trout love them. Like minnows, they are difficult to take with you, but are extremely effective.

Synthetic Baits - these are the trout baits that come in jars. Powerbait is a great example of synthetic trout bait. These baits work great for stocked trout. So if you're fishing an area that has stocked trout, synthetic baits will work. Especially in lakes that are home to stocked trout. These baits come in about a million different colors, so just pick one or two and give them a shot. I've never found any hard and fast rules concerning color choices when it comes to synthetic baits. The bottom line with synthetic baits is that stocked trout love them.

Lures - When it comes to trout bait, there are entirely too many choices to list them all here. A few of them would include: rooster tails, phoebes, spoons, minnow imitations, and small jigs. Lures are effective trout bait; just make sure you have back-ups for when you get snagged. When trout like a certain size and color, many times that's all they want. Just make sure you have back-ups of you favorites.

So, which bait is the best for trout? The answer is all of them. Worms are my personal favorite, but there's no way to say that worms are the best. All I know is that worms are my favorite. If you talk with ten different trout anglers, you'll probably get ten different favorite trout baits. The point is that the best bait for trout is whatever your personal favorite is.

How To Catch Trout : Tips For Choosing The Best Trout Bait

Whether you are new to the world of trout fishing or are wondering how to catch more and/or bigger trout, many times the key to success lies in using the best trout bait. The problem is that the best trout bait to use on a given day will vary from situation to situation and there isn't one particular type of bait that will be effective every time that you fish for trout. One of the keys to success when it comes to catching trout is to choose the correct type of trout bait for the situation that you find yourself in.

In this article I will draw upon my twenty plus years of experience fishing for trout to list some tips for choosing the best trout bait to use for whatever situation you find yourself in. By learning these simple tips and committing them to memory you will know how to catch trout no matter what trout fishing style you choose to employ and what type of trout fishing situation that you find yourself fishing in. There is no doubt that these tips will help you to choose the correct trout bait the next time that you head out in search of our multi colored friends.

1. What Kind Of Trout Are You Fishing For? - When I refer to the kind of trout, I'm not referring to the species of fish such as rainbow, brown, or brook. Rather, I'm referring to whether of not the trout that you are fishing for have been stocked or not. Knowing whether the fish that you are fishing for have been stocked or not is important because trout that have been stocked (especially if the "stocking" has happened recently) eat very different things than trout that are native to a given body of water. Trout baits such as dough baits, corn, or marshmallows are most effective for trout that have been recently stocked, whereas these types of baits are less effective for trout that are native, or have lived in a body of water for an extended period of time. Natural or live baits are generally not a good choice for stocked fish, whereas they are a good choice for native fish.
2. Are The Trout Actively Feeding? - If the trout are actively feeding, meaning you can actually see them feeding with your eyes or you are fishing during a new moon phase or moon rise/set (which are both times when trout feed actively) trout baits that cause a lot of flash or natural trout baits tend to be the most effective choices. In other words spinners, spoons, and streamers or live baits such as worms or minnows are all effective trout bait choices and will catch trout when the trout are actively feeding.
3. Is There a Hatch Taking Place? - If you see a lot of insects flying around in the air or nymphs actively "hatching" from rocks you will have a difficult time catching trout unless you employ an artificial fly that matches said hatch as trout bait. Fly fishermen love hatches for this very reason. If you are a spin fisherman you can use a casting bubble or similar fly casting device to fish with an artificial fly, but the bottom line is that if a hatch is under way an artificial fly had better be your bait choice.

The bottom line is that when it comes to learning how to catch trout or catching more or bigger trout the type of bait that you choose to use is of the utmost importance. Commit these simple tips to memory, choose your bait wisely and you will be catching fish in no time.

The Best Bait to Use For Trout in the Summer

Although there are a plethora of different baits that can be used to catch trout in the summer, there seems to be one bait that stands out above all others. In my experience, which spans of over twenty years, there is one type of trout bait to use for trout in the summer and that bait is insects or an insect imitation. It is well documented that the four main species of freshwater trout (rainbow, brook, brown, and cutthroat) all feed heavily on insects and the summer is probably the best time of the year for insect populations, especially when you are speaking of terrestrial insects.

Terrestrial insects peak in abundance during the summer months and as a result any terrestrial insect pattern can be extremely effective during the summer months when water temperatures are ideal for trout growth and trout tend to be feeding heavily on many sources of protein, including insects. Seeing as how live insects can be very difficult to use as bait for trout (with the possible exception of large grasshoppers and some species of beetles) this means that in the summer the best bait to use for trout is an artificial fly.

Artificial flies are the best way to mimic an insect when fishing and there is little doubt that "fly fishing" is the best known and most popular way to fish while using artificial flies as bait. There are three main types of insects that you want to focus on when you are talking about the best bait to use for trout in the summer; ants, beetles, and/or grasshoppers. Fly patterns that emulate any of these three types of insects are excellent choice as bait for trout during the summer months.

Whether you are a traditional "fly fisherman" or you are a spin fisherman using a "fly fishing bubble" to fish with artificial flies there is little doubt that the best bait to use for trout during the summer is an artificial fly pattern that emulates some form of ant, beetle, or grasshopper.

Ants always seem to be found around the water and it seems as if everyone has heard about how much fish love ants, well trout are certainly one of the fish that love to eat ants. There are literally thousands of types of beetles on the planet and there will be different kinds, sizes, and species of beetles on virtually every waterway, but the bottom line is that beetle patterns are a great place to start when it comes to a summer trout bait choice. When grasshoppers are abundant (and this will vary from season to season) trout routinely gorge themselves and a 'hopper' pattern can perform well all day or even week long.

The bottom line is that when it comes to the best bait to use for trout in the summer, insects are difficult to beat. Whether you are fly fishing in the traditional sense or using a casting bubble and spinning gear, artificial fly patterns that mimic any of the aforementioned terrestrial insect species are a great trout bait choice to employ during the summer.

The Best Trout Bait?

What is the best trout bait? There are so many possibilities that it's difficult to pin down one as the best. There's corn, cheese, and marshmallows but those seem weird to me. To me they simply don't seem like something that fish, especially the trout I love so much, should eat. In reality they don't, stocked trout do. To me stocked trout are kind of like those goldfish in the pet store. I simply don't like the fact that stocked trout are raised in an aquarium, and then released so that we can "catch" them. But I suppose the point is that they do eat those 3 baits. The other point is that no matter what I think about stocked trout, when the rivers are too high to fish, I go to my local lake and catch them. So I suppose when it comes to stocked trout, I'm a bit of a hypocrite.

After these three baits, we have the synthetic baits. These are the trout bait that come in little jars. I'm sure you know what I'm referring to? The most popular type is probably Berkley Powerbait. For these stocked trout that I was just railing against, these baits work great! Powerbait, still fished on a set of gang hooks, is a deadly combination for catching trout in a lake that has been stocked. For stocked trout, which most trout in lakes, synthetic trout baits are hard to beat. My friends and I have joked that they must feed the trout this stuff in the hatcheries, because they freakin' love it!

There are also the live baits. Trout baits such as mealworms, maggots, crickets, grasshoppers, and of course the grand daddy of them all, the worm. A live worm is probably the best trout bait that God ever created. I've personally caught more trout using a live worm rigged on a set of gang hooks than I care to remember. The combination is truly deadly. Especially when drifted down the current of a flowing river. In my mind a live worm rigged on a set of pre-tied gang hooks and then bounced off the bottom of a flowing river or stream is, hands down, the best trout bait.

All of the trout baits mentioned in this article are effective. They all have their time and place, but if you put a gun to my head and made me choose just one trout bait it would be the good old American worm!

The Best Springtime Trout Bait Choices

As spring officially gets under way and trout fishing also "kicks off" in many areas throughout the United States many fishermen turn their attention to the act of fishing for trout. One of the most important aspects to trout fishing in the springtime are the baits that are employed, as trout tend to be attracted to different types of trout bait during the spring of the year than they might be at other times of the year.

In this article I will draw upon my two decades of trout fishing experience to list the best springtime trout bait choices so that you can make sure you are using the most effective bait for catching trout in the springtime. Are these the only trout bait choices for the spring of the year? Of course not, but all of these baits have been effective for me during the spring and would be a welcomed addition to any serious trout fisherman's repertoire.

• Spinner & Worm Rig - A weighted inline spinner with a piece of a worm attached to the hook is an excellent bait for springtime trout. Some trout fishermen even like to remove the treble hook that most inline spinners are equipped with and add a single bait holder hook instead as it makes adding a small piece of worm much easier. Flip the spinner across the current and allow it to drift, while holding your rod tip in the air. When you feel a tug, set the hook. And when using this trout bait in a lake, simply cast the spinner out and retrieve it slowly until you feel a tug.
• Powerbait - In many areas the springtime means rivers that are swollen and un-fishable (especially in the late spring) which also means that fishing in a lake is your best option for catching some trout. When fishing for trout in a lake, Powerbait is one of the best springtime trout bait choices. A simple "bottom fishing rig" that has been baited with Powerbait is difficult for hungry trout to resist (especially if those trout have been stocked).
• Live Worm & Gang Hook Rig - Although this trout bait choice is effective during all seasons, it nonetheless has to be mentioned among the best springtime trout bait choices. Live worms, whether you are talking about night crawlers or their smaller cousins the red worm, make an excellent trout bait during the spring of the year. A key to success when using live worms as trout bait is to rig them in a natural manner, which is where a set of gang hooks comes into play. The more "natural" your worm looks to the trout, the more effective it will be.
• Spoons - Spoons are an excellent choice for springtime trout fishing as long as a few simple rules are adhered to. In the springtime you want your spoons to be no more than an inch long, heavy, and as 'compact' as possible. The more 'compact' the spoon is the more "wobble" it will produce and thus the more attractive the spoon will be to the trout that you are attempting to catch. When fishing spoons for trout, whether you are river fishing or lake fishing, a "stop and start" retrieve is usually most effective.

The bottom line is that all of the trout bait choices are very effective during the spring of the year. If any of them aren't a part of your trout fishing repertoire, they should be added sooner rather than later.

Bait For Trout - 3 of the Best Baits to Use When Trout Fishing

When it comes to bait for trout there are a myriad of choices available and in this article I will draw upon my two plus decades for trout fishing experience to outline 3 of the best baits to use when trout fishing. Now, are these the only baits that can be used for trout? Of course not, but they are 3 of the most effective baits that I have ever used when fishing for trout, and I know they would be just as effective for anyone. As a matter of fact when I go trout fishing I rarely use any baits other than one of these three choices.

Freshwater trout can be found in two main types of water, lakes or ponds and rivers or streams. I fish for trout almost exclusively in small rivers and/or streams, which is where the baits being outlined in this article are the most effective. The bait that is employed while fishing for trout is somewhat exclusive to the type of water that is being fished, which is why I mention this point. The point is that some types of bait work better in rivers and streams and these same baits aren't nearly as effective when used as bait for trout in ponds and/or rivers.

The bottom line is that the bait that is being outlined below is the most effective when it fished in the flowing waters of a river or stream.

1. Rooster Tail Spinners - Rooster Tail spinners are quite effective when used as bait for trout in river fishing scenarios. A key to success when using these fishing lures is to make sure that they are very small. The perfect size Rooster Tails for trout fishing are from 1/16 to 1/8 ounce. I've always had more success with dark colors such as greens, browns, and blacks, but as with all fishing lures experimentation is the key to finding the best color pattern for any given day fishing. The point is that Rooster tail spinners are an excellent bait for trout when fishing in rivers.
2. Live Worms - Live worms, such as red worms or night crawlers, are an excellent bait for trout in river fishing scenarios. One of the keys to success when using live worms as bait for trout is to rig them in the most effective manner possible. This is where gang hooks come into play. These fishing hooks enable you to present a live worm as bait in the most natural manner possible. If large live worms such as night crawlers are being used, pinch them in half before rigging them on the gang hooks. Doing this makes it very difficult for a trout to "steal" your worm.
3. Power Worms - These synthetic worms look and feel like a rubber worm, but they are impregnated with fish attracting scents that make them hard for hungry trout to resist. Power worms (sometimes called Powerbait trout worms) are rigged and fished in the same manner as live worms, and many trout fishermen say they are even more effective than live worms in many instances. While I have always found power worms to be effective as bait for trout, I have a hard time saying that they "out-fish" live worms.

The bottom line is that if you consider yourself a serious trout fisherman and any of the aforementioned trout baits aren't a part of your fishing arsenal, they should be added sooner rather than later. They are certainly 3 of the best baits that can be used when trout fishing.

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Trout Baits - 3 of the Most Popular & Effective Baits For Trout Fishing

In this article we are going to discuss trout baits, and not just any baits but 3 of the most popular and effective baits for trout fishing. I realize that there are many different kinds of bait that can be used for trout fishing, so how can the list possibly be narrowed down to the 3 best? At the end of the day it probably can't but the three baits that will be outlined certainly have their place among the best baits that can be employed when fishing.

One family of baits that isn't being included on this list is flies. Flies are certainly effective baits for catching trout, but since I have never engaged in or been a fly fisherman, I have no experience with these feathered trout fishing lures. So flies will be omitted from this list of the best baits for trout fishing for lack of personal experience on my part. The baits/lures listed in this article are for use while spin fishing with traditional spin fishing gear.

The following baits are being listed in no particular order and all have their time and place in any serious anglers' arsenal.

1. Spoons & Spinners - Spoons and spinners are very effective trout fishing baits in many fishing situations. A popular and effective trout spinner would be the Rooster Tail. These lures come in various trout attracting colors and in my experience the smaller the Rooster Tail the better. A very popular and effective spoon for trout fishing would be the Little Cleo. These spoons mimic baitfish very well and easily fool hungry trout in both river and lake fishing situations.
2. Live Worms - Live worms are especially effective when river fishing. Live worms aren't nearly as effective when fishing for trout in lakes in my experience, but when river fishing live worms can be difficult to beat. A live worm rigged on a set of gang hooks and bounced along the bottom of your favorite river is a great technique. When it comes to catching trout in rivers live worms have to be among the best trout baits of all time.
3. Manufactured Bait - Manufactured bait can be extremely effective, especially when fishing for stocked trout. The most popular and effective of all the manufactured baits for trout has to be Berkley Powerbait. A small ball of Powerbait (or 2 small balls if you are using gang hooks) rigged on a hook and allowed to float off of the bottom of a lake while still fishing can be a very effective fishing technique when fishing for stocked trout.

The bottom line is that if you consider yourself any kind of serious trout fisherman these 3 baits should be a part of your trout fishing repertoire. And if they aren't, they should be added sooner, rather than later.

Fishing Trout Bait - 3 Tips For Using Powerbait Effectively As Bait For Trout

When it comes to trout fishing one of the most important aspects is fishing trout bait in the most effective manner. In this article I will outline 3 tips for using one of the most effective trout baits, a bait known as Powerbait. Now I'm not going to make this out to be more than it is. This bait isn't that difficult to fish by any stretch of the imagination, but these 3 tips will certainly help you when fishing this unique trout bait. At the end of the day fishing a bait such as Powerbait is a great way to catch trout, especially stocked trout.

What do I mean by the term stocked trout? Stocked trout, sometimes called planted trout, are trout that are raised by your local fish and game department or local conservation agency and are placed in local lakes and rivers for the express purpose of being caught by anglers. Having trout planted for the express purpose of being caught is neat, but it makes for trout that are much less wary (and thus easier to catch) than trout that have lived in a body of water naturally for a number of years. In any case, stocked trout are very susceptible to being caught when using the trout bait known as Powerbait.

• Bottom Rigs Work Best - When using Powerbait it is normally most effective when fished on a bottom rig. There are two different styles of fishing hooks that can be used on your bottom rig; a single treble hook or a set of #10 gang hooks. One of the keys is to completely cover the hook with bait, none of the hook should be visible to the trout. Fishing this type of trout bait should almost always be done while still fishing with a bottom rig.
• Use A Dough Bait Press - What is a dough bait press, you ask? A dough bait press is a device that molds your Powerbait into the perfect sized ball for fishing without having to touch the bait itself. This helps to create more surface area for maximum trout bait scent dispersion when using Powerbait and keeps any human scents of off your bait. A dough bait press is a great tool to implement when fishing this type of trout bait
• Use Mother Nature - By paying attention to two forces of Mother Nature, particularly the weather and the moon, you can make sure that you are on the water fishing when the trout are the most active. When trout are "active" they are much more likely to be feeding, which means they will easier to catch. You can "use" Mother Nature by learning the simple ways in which the weather and moon impact fish behavior, and then planning your fishing trips accordingly. This is true when trout fishing with Powerbait, but also hold true when you are fishing any form of trout bait.

The aforementioned tips will help you catch more trout the next time that you are fishing the popular trout bait known as "Powerbait", there's no doubt about it.

Rainbow Trout Bait : The Best Baits To Use To Catch Rainbow Trout

When it comes to fishing for trout that are colored like a rainbow, did you ever wonder what the best bait to use was? There are so many trout bait choices available that it can be difficult to determine what the correct bait choice is for a given fishing scenario when fishing for rainbow trout. I have been fishing for rainbow trout for more than twenty years and in that time have discovered that certain baits are more effective than others, depending on what type of trout you are fishing for and what type of water you are fishing for these beautiful fish in.

You may be thinking to yourself, "what type of trout?" and to that question I would answer, "yes, the type of trout that you are fishing for is of the utmost importance." Technically a rainbow trout may be a rainbow trout, but in truth there are two types of rainbows available in most areas. Trout that have been stocked and trout that are native to the body of water that they are found in. The reason that this is important is because the two different types of trout tend to eat very different things and thus different trout baits tend to be more or less effective depending on the type of trout (stocked or native) that is being fished for.

With that being said, I will outline which of the following baits are most effective and the type of trout that is most likely to eat each bait. The bottom line is that the following options are among the best baits that can be used when fishing for these beautiful fish.

1. Insects - Insects are a very effective trout bait, but live insects are extremely difficult to use as trout bait. The obvious alternative to live insects are artificial flies when it comes to mimicking insects. Everyone seems to know that "fly fishing" and "trout fishing" go hand in hand and this is because fly fishing is a very effective way to use artificial flies as bait for trout. For traditional spin fishermen artificial flies can be used as bait for trout by employing something called a casting bubble, but the bottom line is that insects (in the form of an artificial fly) make an excellent bait for catching rainbows. Native trout as opposed to stocked trout are the most susceptible to this type of trout bait.
2. Worms and Grubs - Live worms and grubs make excellent trout bait when fishing for "rainbows". Live worms and grubs are most effective when fished in the flowing waters of a river or stream containing native trout (or stocked trout that have had a couple of fishing seasons to acclimate to their surroundings) but the bottom line is that worms and grubs also make an excellent bait for these beautiful fish.
3. Dough Style Baits - Dough style baits include any synthetic trout bait that is sold in a small jar and is molded onto your fishing hook for the express purpose of catching a rainbow trout. The most popular form of dough bait is called "Powerbait" which is a very effective bait for trout. This type of trout bait is fished on a bottom rig in a lake that has been stocked with trout. As you might imagine dough style trout baits are most effective when used for stocked trout and normally don't work at all for native fish.

At the end of the day the aforementioned trout bait choices are certainly among (if not at the top of the list) for the best baits that can be used to catch rainbow trout. If any of them aren't a part of your trout fishing arsenal, they should be added sooner rather than later.