The Best Ways To Catch Trout In The Spring

For anglers the spring means one thing; that it's time to hit the water again after nature's yearly fishing sabbatical known as winter. Nowhere is this fact more true than with trout fishermen, as catching trout in the winter (unless you are fishing through a hole in the ice) can be difficult to say the least. The spring and 'trout fishing' go together like a hand and a glove, and in this article I will outline a few of the best ways to catch trout in the spring of the year.

There are two main types of water in which trout are found, lakes and rivers, and rivers can be difficult to catch trout in during the spring due to mountain run-off and/or spring rains. So when it comes to river fishing for trout in the spring of the year the early spring is normally the most productive time.

With that being said, as long as you attempt to catch trout in rivers during the early spring before the rivers become high and muddy, rivers can be a great place to catch trout during the spring. Drift fishing a live worm or an in line spinner can be a very effective way to catch hungry trout before the rivers become "blown out" and become all but un-fishable.

By fishing for trout in a lake or pond you virtually eliminate having to deal with high, muddy water yet still have the opportunity to catch trout when fishing in the spring. There are many ways to fish for trout in a lake or pond and two of the more effective ways are fishing with flies and fishing with Powerbait. Fishing with flies is accomplished one of two ways. By fly fishing in the traditional sense or if you aren't a "fly fisherman" by fishing with casting bubbles. Seeing as how I am not a "fly fisherman" and opt to use traditional spin fishing gear when fishing for trout, fishing with casting bubbles, or more to the point fishing with a casting bubble is the way I go about fishing with flies in the spring of the year. If you do "fly fish" then this is obviously the best way to fish with flies. The bottom line is that flies are effective when used as bait for trout in lakes during the spring of the year, no matter how you go about "fishing" with them.

The other great way to catch trout during the spring of the year in lakes and ponds is by fishing with Powerbait or similar dough style trout bait. This is usually accomplished by fishing a simple bottom fishing rig that is baited with dough bait. By "still" fishing with Powerbait the bait has time to disperse its scents into the water and attract hungry trout, thus making it a very effective springtime trout fishing technique.

Either of these two methods are very effective ways to catch trout during the spring of the year, especially when the rivers and streams are un-fishable due to high and muddy water conditions.

Fishing a Casting Bubble - Using Casting Bubbles to Fish Flies With Spinning Gear

Did you realize that its possible to fish with flies without going through the song and dance known affectingly as fly fishing? Well, it is and the way to accomplish this task is through the use of a casting bubble. By using a casting bubble you can fish with flies while using traditional spinning gear. If you have ever wanted to use flies for fishing but don't want to use traditional fly fishing equipment and techniques, this is the answer.

Setting up a casting bubble is quite simple. Your line is simply threaded through the bubble from the narrow end of the bubble stop, and a swivel is attached to the end of your line. In many instances a cinch knot is the best knot to use, but any strong knot will work fine. At this point a seven to ten foot leader is attached to the swivel and a fly to the end of the leader. This is what is known as a casting bubble rig.

Fishing a casting bubble is quite simple as well and best accomplished in slow to non moving water such as a lake or large pool in a river. With practice casting bubbles can be used in river fishing situations, but for the person who is new to fishing a fly in this manner, slow and/or non moving water is best. The biggest key is to retrieve your casing bubble slowly.

Dry and wet flies should be retrieved very slowly as if the bug is drifting towards the shore. A slight twitching motion can be added for added realism. The bubble itself should only make a slight wake when being retrieved. The bubble is not only to aid in casting the rig, but acts as a 'strike' indicator as well much the way a traditional bobber does, so keep an eye on the bubble itself during the retrieve. Submerged flies and streamers should be retrieved with more of a stop & go retrieve, adding a 'pulling' motion as you see fit. These flies have more of a swimming action because of the manner in which they are tied.

The bottom line is that using casting bubbles is the way to fly fish without having to use fly fishing equipment. If you have ever thought about adding flies to your fishing arsenal and are a traditional spin fisherman, casting bubbles are the best way to accomplish this task. Flies are effective bait for many species of fish from bass (both large and small mouth) to of course trout.