Summer Trout Fishing Tips & Tricks

As the summer enters the months that are commonly referred to as the "dog days" trout fishing often slows down to what seems like a trickle, unless you are fishing for trout in a deep water lake and have access to a boat for trolling, but this doesn’t have to be the case. The summer can actually be a fairly productive time of the year for trout fishing if you adjust your techniques a little bit. In this post I will outline some tips and tricks that will help virtually anyone increase their summer trout catch rates.

The first thing that needs to be done during the summertime is adjusting the baits that you use. Trout feed on foods that aren't available to them during other times of the year, and using baits that mimic these foods is a key to success during summer trout fishing. This means utilizing baits that mimic things like crayfish, frogs, crickets, or grasshoppers. All of these baits are most abundant during the summertime and should therefore be utilized as bait when trout fishing in the summer months.

Does this means that you should use the live versions of one or all of the aforementioned trout baits? Not at all, especially since using most of these baits as live baits is difficult to say the least, this is the time that micro crank baits and artificial flies should be utilized. Some effective micro crank baits that mimic some of these baits would include: the Rebel Crickethopper , the Rebel Crawfish , and the Rebel Wee Frog . And as far as artificial flies are concerned , during the summer months, try to stick with "hopper" or frog patterns, as well as the streamer hybrid known as the Universal Fly.

Next we have the time when you are on the water fishing for summer trout. It is well known that all species of trout are cold water fish, most of whom enjoy water temperatures that are in the mid to low sixties, which is often difficult to find during the sweltering summer months. This means that trout will be much more active during the coolest periods of the day and even at night. Yep, during the hot summer months when there is a full moon, do yourself a favor and giver night fishing a try, it can be quite productive. But otherwise, during the summer months, do your best to be on the water from day break to about 11am, the trout fishing is normally much more productive during these times (when the water temperature will be the coolest).

Keep these simple tips and trick the next time that you head out in search of summer trout and you will experience more success, I promise you.

Summer Rainbow Trout Fishing

Of all of the seasons that a person can go fishing for rainbow trout the summer is probably the most challenging. Why is this the case? Well, rainbow trout are an interesting species of fish that enjoy cold water temperatures and in the heat of the summer cold water temperatures can be hard to come by and when these beautiful fish have to endure water temperatures that are above their "ideal range" they tend to become sluggish and much less apt to feed, which in turn tends to make them more difficult to catch. Add in the fact that when water temperatures are high, the stress that the trout experiences during a fight is much higher as well, which makes mortality rates on released rainbow trout much higher, and this is never a good thing.
But this doesn't mean that summer rainbow trout fishing can't be productive, it just means that the way you go about fishing for rainbow trout during the summer needs to be modified just a little bit. Below I will outline three points to remember when it comes fishing for summertime rainbow trout so that you can experience more success the next time that you head out on the water.

1. Focus On Cooler Temperatures - During the summer months temperatures get downright hot in many areas so you want to focus your fishing efforts on the times of the day when the air temperatures are the coolest. This obviously means being on the water during the early morning or late evenings and also the times when a cold front passes through your fishing area. When any of these occurrences take place the air temperatures will be significantly cooler and thus the trout will tend to be more active.
2. Focus On Deeper Water - This tip is especially true when you are fishing for trout in rivers or streams. While running water is cooler than standing water, during the summer months water temperatures in rivers and streams can become quite high as well. When this happens the trout that live in said rivers or streams will tend to head for deeper runs and pools with the body of water because the water temperatures in these deeper areas will be much cooler. An excellent technique to use while rainbow trout fishing during the summer months is to "drift fish" a live fishing worm through any deep run or pool within your favorite river or stream.
3. Give Night Fishing A Shot - Although "night fishing" isn't usually thought of as something that trout fishermen engage in, the truth is that night fishing for rainbow trout can actually be a very effective strategy, especially when there is a full moon and little or no cloud cover. Rainbows will feed heavily at night when the moon is full, and if there is little or no cloud cover being able to see well enough to fish isn't a problem. Couple this with the fact that the temperatures are much cooler at night and you have a recipe for some great summer rainbow trout fishing, all while fishing at night.

The bottom line is that just because the summer months aren't "the best" months of the year for fishing for rainbow trout, it doesn't mean that these months can't be productive. You just need to adjust your approach a little bit during the summer months as opposed to the other months of the year.

The Best Time To Trout Fish: Mid Summer Trout Fishing Tactics

Trout fishing really "heats up" and begins to get popular during the mid summer in the western United States when river flows get back to normal and mountain lakes become easier to access for fishermen. This is mostly because by mid summer most, if not all, of the snow is melted in the mountains and spring run-off has subsided to a point where rivers become fish-able again and lakes are much less crowded due to various summertime outdoor activities. Because of these factors, the mid summer is the best time to trout fish for many trout anglers.

In this post I will outline a couple of mid summer trout fishing techniques that can be employed by any spin fisherman to catch more trout and experience more trout fishing success. That's right this article pertains to anyone who likes to trout fish while using spinning gear. I realize that this might seem strange, seeing as how "fly fishing" is so very popular when it comes to the act of fishing for trout, but I have never been a "fly fisherman" (at least not in the traditional sense), although I love to fish for trout and have been doing so for more than two decades. So, I will outline a few very effective mid summer trout fishing tactics for anyone who enjoys using traditional spin fishing gear while fishing for trout.

The first tactic that I want to discuss involves wading, live worms, and a small to medium sized river that contains trout. The tactic itself is called drift fishing and it as effective a trout fishing tactic as you will ever come across. It involves "drifting" a live worm through the current of the river that you are fishing, while the worm "rolls" along the bottom of the river as it drifts. This tactic takes a bit of practice to master, as telling the difference between the worm "rolling" along the bottom and a trout biting can be difficult to detect at first, but with practice telling the difference becomes quite easy and you will be setting the hook into hungry trouts mouths in no time. Drift fishing with a live worm is the first mid summer fishing tactic that will help you catch more trout.

The next tactic involves using an artificial fly as bait, but not while using "fly fishing" gear. Instead you use something called a "fly fishing bubble" in order to help you cast and fish a lightweight fly in an effective manner. When it comes to trout fishing tactics this mid summer tactic is best employed in lakes that contain trout, although with experience a fly fishing bubble can be used to fish with artificial flies in river fishing scenarios as well. Anyone who spends time fishing for trout knows how much trout love to eat insects and by employing a fly fishing bubble spin fishermen can utilize artificial flies as bait for mid summer trout.

The bottom line is that the best time to fish for trout will vary from angler to angler depending on personal preferences, but when it comes to mid summer trout fishing tactics, the two outlined above should be a part of every spin fisherman's arsenal.