Rainbow Trout Biting At Roosevelt Lake

If you live anywhere near the Seattle area, rainbow trout are biting.  Go out and catch some rainbows  at Roosevelt Lake. 

Roosevelt Lake Rainbow Trout

How To Catch Rainbow Trout In a Lake

In this post I will outline how to catch rainbow trout in a lake using a very popular method, still fishing. Although trout can be caught using a variety of other techniques, still fishing is a difficult tactic to beat when it comes to catching rainbow trout in a lake. This type of fishing is the best way to fish while using the various dough style trout baits that are so effective when it comes to fishing for rainbow trout in lake and pond fishing situations.

The first thing that you are going to need is a rod holder of some sort to keep your fishing rod completely stationary while you are waiting on a trout to bite. A forked stick that you stick in the ground will work fine, as well as propping your rod against a rock or even your tackle box, but the point is that your rod needs to be completely stationary while you are waiting on the trout to bite.
Now we come to the rig that will be used. Here is exactly how I set up my rig anytime I am still fishing for rainbow trout in a lake. I start by taking the end of my line and slipping an egg sinker onto the line. I then tie a small barrel swivel to the end of my line, which acts as a "stopper" for the sinker. Now the sinker is "floating free" on my line, which means that when a rainbow bites it will feel no resistance from the sinker. I then tie an 18-24 inch leader (length of fishing line) to the opposite end of the swivel and my fishing hook to the end of the leader. I usually use a #12 or #18 treble hook or a set or #10 gang hooks (which already have a leader attached) as my fishing hook choice.

At this point trout flavored dough bait such as Powerbait is added to the fishing hook or hooks and the rig is cast into the lake. When the bait hits the water, keep the bail of your reel open and allow the sinker to sink all the way to the bottom. Once the sinker is on the bottom all of the slack line is slowly reeled in and the rod is placed on your rod holder. Once stationary, make sure that your line is completely taught. Now it's time to wait.

My general rule of thumb is to wait for thirty minutes to an hour. If you get no bites reel in, check your bait and recast. You will know when you have a bite from a hungry rainbow trout when the rod tip begins to bounce. Normally it won't be too aggressive, but sometimes a trout will just grab the bait and take of, so you always want to stay within a reasonable distance of your rod. In any case, this is how to catch a rainbow trout in a lake.

Catching Trout in a Lake

At this time of year when the rivers and steams become high and muddy, many anglers are reserved to catching trout in lakes. Catching trout in a lake means that you will be fishing for stocked trout much of the time, and stocked trout mean that they shouldn't be terribly difficult to catch. Think about it, if a bear is born and raised in captivity, how much of a mean streak to you think said bear will have? Not much and I feel the same way about trout raised in captivity. Sure they're fun to catch in a pinch, but given the choice, I would much rather catch native trout who have grown as nature intended, and not in a glorified aquarium.

That being said, catching trout in a lake can be quite productive and fun when done properly. How is it done properly? The first thing to do is begin using a set of gang hooks. Obviously anglers know about hooks, but gang hooks are a bit different. You see, gang hooks are simply two small hooks tied in tandem. For trout fishing I suggest size 8 or 10 gang hooks. Gang hooks allow the angler to present a worm in a completely natural manner, and when it comes to catching trout in a lake allows the angler to present Powerbait in a very effective manner.
Although many different baits can be employed while attempting to catch a trout in a lake such as cheese, corn, and marshmallows, the most effective bait that I've found is Powerbait or similar synthetic baits. When a set of gang hooks is employed, no the angler can present twice as much bait, thus doubling their chances of a hook up! This is obviously quite an advantage.

It's quite simple to set up a gang hook rig. Simply take the end of your line and slip an egg sinker onto it (1/4 should work if it's not too windy). Now tie a small barrel swivel onto your line that will act as a "stopper" for the egg sinker. If the egg sinker can slip over the barrel swivel, attach a small split shot to act as a "stopper". Now tie a set of pre-tied gang hooks onto the other end of the barrel swivel (You can make your gang hooks yourself or buy them, it's up to you). Now add your Powerbait or similar synthetic bait to each of the hooks on the set of gang hooks. I like to use just enough bait to completely cover each hook. This is your gang hook still fishing rig. Simply cast this out and let it sink to the bottom. Then slowly reel in any slack line, and wait.

I usually wait for at least 30 minutes before checking my bait if I haven't received any bites. After an hour, I'll usually re-bait, sometimes with a different color. Sometimes something as crazy as the color of your Powerbait can make a difference? You can never tell with these stocked trout. I think they are born without brains in some cases. Who knows what the scientists do to breed these finless wonders? The point is that sometimes the color of the Powerbait makes a difference, and experimentation is the only way to find out which will work best on a given day. At the end of the day, this technique will enable you to catch trout in a lake, especially if stocked trout live in that lake.