River Fishing Tips For The Rainbow Trout Fisherman

When it comes to fishing for rainbow trout there is one place that I prefer above all others and that

place is the flowing water that a river provides. I have been fishing for rainbow trout in rivers for almost 30 years and enjoy it so much, there is virtually no other form of fishing that I prefer anymore. I mean, sure I'll head out bass fishing once in a while or go on a steel head trip from time to time, but the older I get the more I prefer simply standing in the flowing water with my ultralight gear and catching a nice healthy rainbow or two.

When you have spent as much time as I have on the river you can't help but learn a thing or two, so keep in mind that all of these tips are born from real world fishing experience and aren't fabricated in any way. They are all tips that I have learned and continue to use to this very day and help me catch rainbows virtually every time that I head out fishing. If these simple tips are added to your arsenal, I have no doubt that they will do the same for you.

The first tip has to do with when I head out fishing. I have learned that if you want to consistently catch rainbow trout you have to make sure that you are on the water at the most opportune times, which is to say when the trout are the most likely to be feeding. When I was a younger fisherman, I never paid attention to such things and I believe that this fact alone made me a much more inconsistent fisherman. So now I am always cognizant of when I am fishing so that I can "tip the odds" into my favor.

So when are the odds "in your favor" as a trout fisherman? Well we all know about the morning and the evening, so that's the first way. But there is also the weather and moon both of which I am also aware of when it comes to river fishing. You see, the weather and moon both play very large roles in whether or not the rainbow trout that we are fishing for are going to be actively feeding. For this reason you want to familiarize yourself with some of the simple ways that these two forces of Mother Nature impact fishing so that you can use this information to your advantage on the water.

The next tip that I have is to be as efficient as possible anytime that you are river fishing for rainbow trout. The more efficient you are the more time you will spend with your line in the water where the trout are rather than out of the water while you perform menial and repetitive tasks. This means employing fishing gear such as a fishing vest, waders, a bait bag, and polarized sunglasses just to name a few of the more pertinent items. The bottom line is that the more efficient you are, the more trout you will catch because you will be spending more time with your bait or lure in the water.

Keep these simple river fishing tips in mind as the trout season gets underway and you will be on your way to your best season ever. As I said, these fishing tips have helped me tremendously over the years and I know they will do the same for you.

How To Catch More Trout – Using The Moon To Help You Determine When To Go Trout Fishing

As a person who has been fishing for freshwater trout (mainly rainbow trout) for approximately a quarter of a century, I know from experience just how addictive "trout fishing" can be for some people, which includes myself. I am, for lack of a better phrase, "addicted" to fishing for trout and will go trout fishing virtually any chance that I get. At this time of the year (which is the winter where I live) I am always trying to learn how to catch more trout, in anticipation of warmer, more tollerable weather, when I get many more opportunities to head out trout fishing.

Well, I figured I share a quick tip that I have found is often underutilized by trout fishermen and will help virtually anyone catch more trout. The tip has to do with the moon believe it or not, and is pretty simple to implement and use to your advantage when fishing for trout. There are two facts relating to the moon that you want to be aware of when it comes to fishing; the phase that the moon is in and when the moon is rising or setting on the particular day that you are going to be trout fishing.
Let's start with the phase of the moon. Any calendar or weather report will show you the phase that the moon is in for a particular day of the week. As fishermen, the phase that we want to be most aware of is the new moon phase. The three to four day period that surrounds the new moon phase will almost always be more productive than most other days during the month, with the best trout fishing being on the day that the new moon is occurring.

Next we have the rising and setting of the moon. Everyone is obviously aware of the fact that the sun rises and sets every day, but what many people (especially anglers) overlook is the fact that the moon does the same thing. This makes sense when you think about it, but what's interesting is that the rising and setting of the moon doesn't necessarily coincide with the rising and setting of the sun as you may or may not imagine. As a matter of fact the moon can rise or set in the middle of the day!

While moon rise and set information used to be a difficult thing to determine, nowadays it's amazingly simple. Simply do an internet search for the term 'moon rise' and you will find all of the free information that you need. You will be able to determine at exactly what time the moon is rising and setting on a particular day and then you can plan your trout fishing trip accordingly. The closer you are the time of the day that the moon is either rising or setting, the more success you will experience when you are fishing.

As simple as it may seem, now you know how to catch more trout simply by paying attention to and using the aforementioned information to your advantage. Start using the moon to help you determine when the best time to go trout fishing is and you will catch more trout, it's as simple as that.

Fishing Tips – Tips That Will Help You Catch More Trout

As we move into winter, for many anglers the thought of fishing for trout is a distant memory that won't reappear until the warmth of the spring snaps them back into action for another season of trout fishing. While this isn't the case for me personally (as I will fish for trout during any season) I can certainly understand how and why a majority of trout fishermen feel this way. Even still, fishing tips that will help us catch more trout never "go out of style", as it were and below I will outline a few tips that can be used the next time you head out fishing for trout.

The first of these fishing tips has to do with the moon and particularly the rising and setting of the moon. Whether or not you are aware of it, the moon rises and sets just like the sun (which makes sense when you think about it) but what's interesting about this phenomenon is that it often happen at unusual times of the day. For example, the moon can and does rise during the middle of the day on certain days, believe it or not.

So, how do you find out when the moon will be rising and setting on a particular day? Simple, all you have to do is do a quick internet search for the term 'moon rise' and you will get all of the necessary information. Fish tend to be much more active and thus willing to feed in the hour or so period of time that brackets either one of these celestial events. So, simply by being on the water when the moon is either rising or setting means that you will more than likely catch more trout than you otherwise would, no matter what trout fishing technique or bait you choose to employ.

The next tip is for trout fishing in muddy or stained water, such as you find during the spring or when water flows are running higher than normal for some reason. As trout fishermen when we are confronted with high and or muddy water situations, it's often extremely difficult to entice trout into biting, as you may or may not be aware. The best remedy that I have found for this is to use a bait that is often used when fishing for largemouth bass. Try casting a Rat-L-Trap or similar rattling bait.
Whenever you are dealing with muddy or stained water the trout can't see or smell as well as they would prefer and the loud rattling that these crank baits produce under water give the trout something to cue on and they often attack whatever it is that's making the noise. Two and a quarter to two and a half inch rattling baits tend to be the most effective sizes for trout, although I have seen larger rattling baits perform well in muddy water situations also.

The bottom line is that if you want to catch more trout the aforementioned tips will help you do just that. Add them to your trout fishing arsenal sooner, rather than later and start experiencing more trout fishing success.

When To Fish : The Best Time To Fish For Rainbow Trout

I have been an avid trout fisherman for almost three decades, with a majority of that time spentwhen to fish. While there are a myriad of reasons why a trout might or might not bite your offering on a given day, there are some simple rules that should be adhered to in regards to when to fish for rainbow trout that have served me well over the years and have enabled me to experience success more often than not.

fishing for and catching rainbow trout, and the question that I probably get asked more than any other by my fellow fishermen is
Below I will outline a few of these rules so that you can begin to determine the best time to fish for rainbow trout and thus begin to experience more success on the water as well. Your goal should be to have as many of these factors in your favor as possible on a given day, because I have learned that the more of them that are, the more trout I will catch. Having all of them in your favor only happens once or twice a year for me, but when it does, it always ends up being an epic day of trout fishing.

• Weather Fronts – The weather and more specifically the air pressure changes that occur when fronts pass through your fishing area, play quite a role in whether or not rainbow trout will be actively feeding. Check the weather forecast and try to be on the water fishing right after a warm front passes through the area. On the other hand, if a cold front passes through, generally rainbow trout will get "lock jaw" and become very difficult to catch.
• The Moon Rise – Many anglers don't realize it, but the moon rises and sets just like the sun, but at different times of the day throughout the month and when the moon is rising or setting the fishing is usually much more productive. If you can be on your favorite trout water in the hour or two that brackets either one of these occurrences you will receive more bites from hungry rainbow trout, I promise you.
• The Moon Phase – The phase that the moon is in also plays a role in when to fish. The moon goes through 8 phases during each month, but for the purposes of freshwater fishing we need only concern ourselves with two. The Full and the new moon phases, with an emphasis on the new moon. Fishing is almost always better when the moon is "new", so do your best to be on the water fishing for rainbows in the 2-3 day period around which the new moon is happening each month.
• The Barometer – The barometer is an instrument that is used to measure atmospheric pressure, which is also called barometric pressure. When the atmospheric pressure fluctuates, it affects the air bladders in fish and consequently makes them feel more or less like eating. Remember these simple rules in relation to the barometer. A rising barometer, the fishing should be slightly better with fish starting to get active. A falling barometer, the fishing very good to great.  If the pressure is high, fishing should be average. If the pressure is low, fishing should be sub par at best.

Remember, the "best" time to fish for rainbow trout will vary from day to day, but the more of these factors you can have in your favor the better off you will be. "When to fish" is a question that every fisherman asks him or herself on many occasions and the answer can be found by paying attention to the aforementioned factors, along with others if you are willing to do a little research?

Trout Fishing During The New Moon, Just After A Cold Front

The cold front that I mentioned in the last post made it's way through my favorite trout fishing area,

and the temperatures warmed, the skies cleared, and I decided to hit the river again.  After all, in a month or two I'm going to be doing much less fishing for trout and more sinking deep into the depression that comes with the wintertime in Montana.  I mean sure, I'll go out and wet a line a time or two in the winter, but as you may or may not be aware, trout become much more difficult to catch when the temperatures are consistently below the 20 degree mark, which is what we have to look forward to here in Northwest Montana for five or so months of the year. 

In any case, rather than focus on what I have to look forward to in a month or so, I choose to focus on what is happening right now and that is fall trout fishing.  So after my morning run, I noticed that this was the day of the new moon and that the temperature was quite a bit warmer than it was a couple of days before.  I figured that I should give the old Swan river another shot after my less than stellar performance a day or two ago, so after lunch I headed out. 

On the drive to the river I thought about where to go, and I concluded that I needed to fish the same stretch of river that I had on my last trip, if for no other reason so that I had a record of the difference between trips.  The air temperatures were about 15-20 degrees warmer, there was only a slight wind, and the skies were peppered with a few cloud, but mostly clear.  Would my results be any different?

Just a little bit I would say.   After catching and releasing five or six rainbow trout that were in the 10-13 inch range I hooked and landed one that was about 16 inches.  After missing a few more, I caught another rainbow that went about 16 inches.   Although the weather was much nicer than the prior day, it is the fall remember and my fingers began to become quite chilled after handling so many rainbows, so I decided to call it a day.  The bottom line is that the couple of hours that I spent on the river fishing for trout was well worth it if you go by numbers of trout caught.  All in all it was a good day, and like I have said before it sure beats a couple of hours working.  And now I have a hard record of the difference that a passing fall cold front causes to the trout I enjoy catching so much. 

Fishing Tips For Trout – Taking Advantage Of The Fall Trout Fishing Season

As the weather begins to cool here in Northwest Montana, I can't help but get excited. No, not because of football or hunting but rather because of fishing and more to the point, trout fishing. As a person who has been an avid trout fisherman for more almost three decades, the fall season is by far my favorite time of the year ti fish for trout. If you are a person who enjoys the act of trout fining, taking advantage of the fall fishing season is of the utmost importance.

The weather is comfortable and beautiful much of the time, the rivers, streams and lakes are all but empty do to people focusing on various other activities, and the trout are "stocking up" on food before the onslaught of colder temperatures when they become much less active and thus feed much less often. Yep, the fall is difficult to beat when it comes to trout fishing and below I will outline a few tips that will help you catch more trout this fall.

The first thing to discuss is your gear, and specifically I'm referring to the line on your reel. If you are a serious trout fisherman, you are using light fishing line, and when using two, four, or even six pound test, many times we forget to change our line as often as we should. The fall of the year, when the trout fishing really "kicks into high gear" is the perfect time to take a minute and re spool your main trout fishing reels with fresh fishing line.

During the fall, trout in rivers and streams become very active as water temperatures cool down to most trouts' ideal temperature range and a great tip is to try to be fishing for trout when the moon is in your favor, which will mean that the trout are that much more active when you are on the water fishing for them. You see, during the "new moon" (which happens once a month) and when the moon is "rising" or "setting" (which happens every day) fish tend to be very active and you you can be on the water fishing for trout during the fall of the year when one or all of these occurrences are taking place, you are much more apt to experience trout fishing success.

The bottom line is that the fall fishing season is probably the best time of year to go fishing for trout and the aforementioned tips will help you be even more successful. Add one or all of them to your fishing repertoire and get out make sure that you get out there and catch some trout this fall.