How To Set Up For Trout Fishing With Powerbait

One of the easiest and most popular ways to catch a rainbow trout or two is by fishing with Powerbait. Powerbait and below I will outline how to set up for trout fishing with this unique type of trout bait. It is a set up that I have used successfully for more than twenty years.

Powerbait is an extruded dough bait that has been specifically designed to attract hungry trout and in my experience is quite effective. Every fishing season rainbow trout that have been raised in hatcheries are then released into waterways throughout the country for the express purpose of being caught by anglers. I have found that these trout are especially susceptible to being caught with the trout bait known as

Although stocked trout (rainbow trout that have been raised in a hatchery environment) definitely aren't the most cunning creatures on the planet, they do share DNA with native rainbow trout and therefore should be treated with some level of respect, even though they often aren't. Let's begin with the fishing line that your fishing reel is spooled with. The biggest mistake that most people make when trout fishing, no matter what type of trout bait they are employing, is to use line that's too heavy. I don't want you to make that mistake, so make sure that the fishing line that your reel is spooled with is no heavier than six pound test, with four or even two pound test being the ideal type of line to use when you are trout fishing with Powerbait.

Next we have the type of trout fishing hooks that are being used. Most people who trout fish with Powerbait opt to use a single treble hook. Others opt to use a single shank fishing hook or a set or gang hooks (which is simply a pair of single shank fishing hooks which have been tied back to back). The key when it comes to the fishing hooks that are used when fishing with Powerbait is that said fishing hooks are small. Single shank hooks should be #10 or smaller and treble hooks should be #12 or smaller.

Next we have the actual set up that will be used when you are fishing for trout. Start by grabbing the end of your line and cutting off a twelve to twenty four inch length of line. This will be your leader (which can be whatever length you prefer) and you can simply set this aside for now. Now slip a small egg sinker onto your line and tie a small barrel swivel to the end of the line. This will act as a 'stopper' for the sinker a well as giving you a place to tie your leader to. Now tie the leader that you just made to the other end of the barrel swivel and your fishing hook to the end of the leader.

You will notice that your set up now has your hook with a sinker that “floats” freely on the line. This is great because when an inquisitive trout bites your Powerbait they will feel no resistance from the sinker, it will be a “direct shot” to your rod tip. The hook is now covered completely with Powerbait and your rig is complete. This is an extremely effective way to set up for trout fishing with Powerbait. The rig is now cast into a lake, allowed to sink to the bottom, and “still” fished until a hungry rainbow trout detects and begins to bite your offering.

Have You Ever Heard of a Blue Rainbow Trout?

  If you give me a choice I will choose to fish for native trout (which means a trout that was born or  

lived a majority of its life in the water in which it is caught), but the truth of the matter is that what I end up fishing for many times are rainbow trout that have been stocked into the waterway that I am fishing.   Stocked trout generally don't fight as hard and are much less wary than their native cousins, but are nonetheless the trout that I sometimes have to fish for if I want to go trout fishing.  Well, in Pennsylvania they are stocking a new strain of blue trout in some of their waterways.  I have to admit that it would be kind of neat to catch a blue rainbow trout, even if that trout had been stocked by the fish and game commission.

The Popularity of the Rainbow Trout

The greenish/gray back, spotted body, bright red gill plates, and

the bright red stripe extending the length of the fishes body are where the rainbow trout gets it name, but this fishes popularity is about much more than this fishes beautiful coloration. Rainbow trout are known as a cold water fish that thrives in the waterways of the western United Sates, but this fishes reach extends far beyond the geographical area for which it is the most well known. Although it might be hard for non trout fishermen to imagine, the popularity of rainbow trout among anglers has placed it among the top five sport fishes in North America.

As far as the United Sates is concerned, rainbow trout can be found from Alaska, all the way to Mexico as well as throughout the mid Atlantic and Great Lakes region, some parts of North and South Carolina, and northern Georgia and Alabama. Basically, as long as water temperatures don't become too extreme to the high side of the mercury, and the water is fairly clear, you will more than likely find rainbow trout.

Steelhead are rainbow trout that leave freshwater as juveniles and migrate long distances in the ocean (or large lake such as the great lakes) where they grow to maturity before migrating back to their original home waters. Because Steelhead spend so much time is the ocean or similar large body of water the have access to tremendous amounts of food and grow to sizes that are larger than you would expect a typical rainbow trout to be. If you've spent any time fishing for and catching steelhead, you also know that they come back with quite an "attitude" as well after their extensive travels.

One of the reasons rainbow trout are a poplar species of fish to fish for because of the water that they are often found in. Prime trout waters are clear, clean and cold. Good trout stream or river habitat is complex, consisting of an array of riffles and pools, submerged wood, boulders, undercut banks, and aquatic vegetation which means that the scenery in which the fishermen finds him or herself is usually pretty pleasing. These hearty fish are also found and fished for in cold clear lakes as well as in rivers and streams.

One of the biggest reasons that the popularity of rainbow trout has grown to the point of making them one of the top 5 sport fish in North America is because of stocking programs. Fish and game departments as well as various conservation agencies in the area's of the country that are conducive to these fish raise rainbow trout in hatcheries and then release them into waterways for the express purpose of being caught by anglers. Every year a portion of these stocked trout survive, and the population of rainbow trout has grown to the point that we see today.

Couple all of these facts with the fact that rainbow trout are a ton of fun to catch and also make great table fare, and you will begin to see why the popularity of the rainbow trout is where it is. Because of all of these factors, I highly doubt that the rainbows popularity will change anytime soon.

How To Fool Springtime Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout are a very popular species of fish to attempt to catch, especially during the spring of the year and in this post I will outline some tips and tricks that will help you fool springtime rainbow trout. The biggest thing that has to be dealt with during the spring of the year is run off from rains and/or snow melt. This creates high and muddy water conditions, which means that your approach needs to change some as well.

As far as river fishing is concerned this means that you need to concentrate your fishing efforts on two times, before the run off and after the run off. And truth be told, depending on where you live, by the time the run off has subsided enough to fish for rainbows effectively, you are often well into the summer. So, for many of you if you want to fool some springtime rainbow trout in a river, you need to be fishing before the run off creates un-fishable conditions.

If you prefer to fish for rainbow trout in a lake or pond, one of the best ways to fool springtime rainbows is by still fishing with Powerbait. You see, rainbow trout that are found in lakes and ponds have almost always been stocked, and stocked rainbow trout are suckers for the trout bait known as Powerbait . A small ball or two of this unique trout bait floating off of the bottom is difficult for hungry rainbows to resist.

Throwing small spinners and spoons can also be effective for fooling springtime rainbow trout, although the color of your spinner needs to be chosen wisely. I have found that dark colors (such as black and brown) or florescent colored spinners seem to be the most effective for rainbow trout when the water is stained or murky like we have to deal with during the springtime. I have also found that gold or black blades seem to work well under these conditions as well. Give these simple tips a shot the next time that you head out fishing for springtime rainbows and you should experience more success.