High Water, a Litte Wind, and Hungry Trout

Yesterday afternoon I decided to head out to the Swan River to fish below the dam in the Pacific Park area.  There is some whitewater kayaking that goes on in the stretch of the river so the water levels are often running to high to fish effectively until later in the fall, but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway. When I got to where I could see the river I could tell that it was still quite high, but I held out hope as I walked down to the water, then downstream to a very large "hole" where the water is usually flowing slower than the rest of the river.

When I got downstream I could clearly see that the river wasn't raging too bad in this section, so I tied on an 1/8 oz jig head to do a little drift fishing.  I tipped the jig head with a Berkley Power Nymph and began to drift fish. The first couple of casts felt normal, although I was thinking that I might need a bit more weight to get down to the target area or "bite zone" in these high water levels? 

Within two more casts I felt a small tap and set the hook.  The fish almost immediately began talking drag and I wondered what species of fish I may have hooked.  During this time of year I sometimes catch quite large squaw fish, which can be fun to catch, but are nothing other than very large minnows.  It was fighting quite hard and after about 3 minutes I saw the familiar flash of a rainbow trout. 

Yep, I had hooked a nice Swan River Rainbow, my first of the season, and just hoped I could get her in to take a closer look.  After making a few more nice runs, I was able to cradle the nice 18 or so inch trout in my left hand as I removed the jig from her mouth with my right and softly let her swim off unharmed.  I then made another cast and with 4 drifts hooked another fish.  This one just as heavy as the first, but not fighting nearly as hard.  I quickly realized that it was an 18 inch lake trout and I performed the same maneuver to release this fish as well.  After walking upstream a few feet I hooked another fish, although this one was much smaller than the previous two.  A 10 inch cutthroat was released and my catching of fish was over for the day. 

Although I did get a bite or two more, I didn't hook another fish for the rest of the day, which was strange, but what the hey, that's why they call it fishing, right?  3 different species of trout in a couple of hours fishing.  Not too bad.  Even though all of the fish were caught in the first half an hour of fishing for some strange reason?  I've certainly had better days and without question worse, but all in all a good afternoon on the water, I'd say. 

As The Weather Cools Off The Trout Fishing Is Heating Up. Who Doesnt Love Fall Trout Fishing?

So I headed down to the same are of the Swan River that I fished last week, but this time rather than walking along the bank down to the really big "hole" I decided to wade straight across the river. You see, I know that there is a nice hole on that side of the river as well, which I figured needed a little attention too. And being on my little "mini jig kick" (which I referred to in my last post) you can imagine what my bait of choice was going to be on this particular day.  In case you were wondering, the grainy picture to the right shows you the exact rig.

Once I got across the river and worked my way into casting distance of the hole itself I began to drift fish.After two casts I realized that I needed more weight, so I pinched a single split shot sinker onto my line twelve or so inches above the mini jig.  This did the trick, because I began catching rainbows from 8 to 12 inches every other cast or so.  I even changed my trout worm color to natural and the hungry rainbow didn't mind a bit!  After working my way through the hole I waded down river to the BIG hole.

While the action wasn't as "hot and heavy" as it was upstream I did catch a small trout or two and missed what felt like a very nice one.  I then did exactly what I did the prior week.  I switched from a Powerbait trout worm body to a Powerbait Power Nymph body.  I know, it was just like the prior trip and can you guess what happened? 

Once again within a cast or two I felt the familiar "bump, bump", but then a very heavy pull.  I set the hook and immediately felt the weight of a large fish.  "Oh Jesus", I thought to myself.  I figured that this trout didn't realize that he was hooked because judging by the weight, if he made a run, I was in trouble!  So I kept reeling in slowly and could feel the monster shaking its head back and forth the whole time.  It just wasn't making sense, because a rainbow trout of this weight NEVER behaves like this one was.

I then got the fish close enough to see him and much to my chagrin, it was a lake trout!  A five or six pound lake trout, which on my four foot ultralight rod felt like a monstrosity.  I reeled the big fella in, unhooked him, then sent him on his way.  I then couldn't help but think about was terrible fighters lake trout are!  In hindsight, every one that I have ever caught has been just like this they initially bite, then get hooked, and all but roll over, just waiting to be winched in.  Oh well, it makes for a decent little story and the rainbows made for a nice little day.  All in all a good day on the water without a doubt.

Attempting To Catch Rainbow Trout With Mini Jigs In High Water & Wind

The other day my daughter and I headed out to my favorite trout river (The Swan River) in search of some rainbow trout. I knew that the weather had been cold and ugly for a day or two, but figured that since on this particular day we had partly cloudy skies that we would be fine. Before I made my first cast I noticed how high the water was.  Then, as my mini jig sailed through the air I noticed how windy it was.  "This might make for a challenging couple of hours", I thought to myself. 

We were fishing at the base of a small dam, so there was some water that was more than "fish-able", even though the rest of the river was very high and muddy.  And although cloudy, the water and current didn't seem too bad in the area that we chose to fish.  After getting snagged a few times using a 1/16 ounce jig head tipped with a Powerbait floating trout worm, I changed my jig head to a smaller 1/32 ounce which eliminated my getting snagged problem.  The problem with doing this was that it became even more difficult for me to cast my offering into the water with any distance, considering the wind.  Not to mention the fact that the only rod I brought fishing on that day was my 5 foot ultralight rod, which doesn't help either when it comes to casting distance. 

In the meantime my daughter was casting and retrieving a small Panther Martin spinner, which was brightly colored due to the murky water conditions.  Within 15 minutes she had landed a small lake trout.  I realize this might sound strange, a lake trout being in a small river like the Swan River, but be were fishing a couple of hundred yards from Flathead Lake.  And Flathead Lake is renowned for it's lake trout population.  You see, at this time of the year when the river is as high as it is, small lake trout will often run up the river in search of an easy meal.

I kept fishing my mini jig and although I wasn't getting hardly any bites from the area's I could reach with my short fishing rod, I did manage to hook and land a lake trout also.  And mine was quite nice, not by lake trout standards mind you, but by the size of the gear I was using.  The one I caught measured almost 24 inches and was quite heavy.  I would guess 5 or so pounds.

Although the rainbow trout weren't cooperating, at least the lake trout did and all in all it was a decent little day on the water.  And since this particular spot was new to me, I got some good reconisence in for the next time, when I guarantee you I will have my seven foot rod, so that I can cast to the really good looking trout water that I couldn't quite reach on this particular day. 

Drift Fishing For Trout In High Water Conditions

At this time of the year, late spring to early summer, drift fishing for trout is a challenge to say the least.  The biggest challenge that any drift fisherman will face at this time of the year are the river conditions.  High flows make drift fishing much more difficult than it is at other times of the year, there's no doubt about it.  The good thing is that all is not lost when it comes to drift fishing for trout when the river flows are high as long as you make a few minor adjustments to your approach.

The first (and most important adjustment in my opinion) is the length of your fishing rod.  During most times of the year I will fish with a 4 and a half to 5 foot ultralight spinning rod.  But when the rivers are flowing high I switch to a six to seven and a half foot fishing rod. Why do I do this?  The answer is actually quite simple.  That extra foot to foot and a half in rod length gives me the ability to feel my bait much better.  With the longer rod I can keep my rod tip high in the air and follow my bait as is drifts with the river, something that is not possible when using my shorter ultralight rod.

The next thing to consider when drift fishing in high water conditions is the type of bait that you use.  Meal worms are an excellent bait for trout in muddy water conditions.  Rather than rehash old material you can read this post about drift fishing with meal worms for exactly how I like to accomplish this task. Don't forget that when current flows are very fast, the trout will seek the area's of the river where the current is a little less.  Concentrate your drift fishing efforts on these area's of the river.

The bottom line is that when the rivers are flowing high early in the year trout can still be caught, as long as you adjust your approach a little bit.  Make these minor adjustments to your approach and you'll be catching a stringer full of trout in no time. 

A Different Way of Fishing The Run Off

As I have stated previously, at this time of the year the snow melts in the mountains as the weather warms, which fills mountains streams with water, which in turn fills area rivers with water.  This is referered to as "run off" and it makes the river fishing that I love to do virtually impossible due to high/muddy water. 

Well, there is a way that the run off can be used to you advantage when fishing and when a friend of mine invited me to go out on his boat and fish the Hungry Horse Reservoir I was introduced to a technique that I wasn't previously aware of.  You see, as the mountains streams swell, full of "run off" water, that water obviuosly has to go somewhere and in the case of a reservior such as the one that we were going to be fishing, the water simply dumps into the reservior.

What I learned is that when this happens the trout that live in said reservoir will congregate in these area's to feast on the tasty morsels that the run off brings them.  Also, at this time of the year the cutthroat trout in Hungry Horse Reservoir spawn, which means that salmon eggs are an excellent bait to employ.  So I grabbed a jar of Pautzke's Balls O Fire salmon eggs, some small styrofoam floats, and we headed out. 

Sure enough, by using a single # 10 hook, a split shot sinker on my line, and a small float about three feet up my line, we experienced some success.  Within a couple of hours we caught 8 cutthroat and two rainbow trout between us.  I mean sure, none of them were huge, with the biggest being about fifteen inches, but it was still a lot of fun.  We were fishing where the dirty run off water met the clean reservoir water.  It was enjoyable and a different way of fishing the run off to be sure. 

Effective Strategies for Rainbow Trout Fishing Through a Hole in The Ice

During the winter months of December all the way through March in many area's, the most effective way to catch a trout is to head out onto a frozen lake or pond and do a little ice fishing. Although rainbow trout can be caught in rivers during these months, getting them to bite your offering is much more difficult than it is during the warmer months of the year. So, for trout fishermen who want to fish during the winter months, the best chance of landing a trout or three is to do go ice fishing. In this post I will discuss a couple of effective strategies to implement the next time that you head out onto the ice with the intent of catching a few rainbow trout.

The first thing to keep in mind no matter what strategy you are going to employ is that under the ice, is that trout are much more active during the changing light conditions that occur during the early mornings and late evenings than they are at other times of the day. This means that you need to be on the ice early in the morning and/or late into the evening if possible.   During these low light periods rainbow trout are almost always active, and thus the most apt to be feeding (which is what you want anytime that you are fishing).

Many anglers who ice fish for trout fish in water that is much deeper than it needs to be. This was a mistake that I used to be notorious for making when I was fishing for rainbows while ice fishing. The truth is that many times trout, and often large rainbows are caught in very shallow water when ice fishing. This means fishing the shorelines and drilling holes in water that is from two to four feet deep. This shallow water ice fishing strategy is very effective when ice fishing for trout in my experience.  Ice fishing in shallow water means that you are very close to the trout you are fishing for and those trout can (and often do) "spook" easily. So being as quiet as possible on the ice is paramount when employing this strategy.

Another effective thing to do when ice fishing for trout is not to neglect fishing with Powerbait. If you fish for rainbow trout during other seasons you undoubtedly know how productive fishing with Powerbait can be. Well, believe it or not Powerbait is also a great bait to use when ice fishing for trout. Powerbait can be used by itself and rigged on a small treble hook with a split shot or two pinched onto the line to keep it from floating to the surface or can be used to "tip" a small jig, but the bottom line is that  Powerbait is effective even when you are standing on top of the water that you are fishing in.

Finally, there is one of the most popular strategies that there is for fishing for rainbow trout beneath the ice, which is to use a small marabou jig, tipped with a meal worm or maggot for added attraction  Hungry rainbow trout will readily goggle up these little morsels as they cruise around in the freezing water of a winter lake.  I have caught many trout on tiny maggot tipped marabou jigs.  I have found that a key to using this strategy is to not be afraid to let your offering just sit there.  With many ice fishing jigs, the goal is to constantly "jig" the lure up and down, but with marabou tipped jigs, I have found that less is more, so to speak.  I will often just jig my rod once every 5 or even 10 minutes and let the rod sit there motionless in the mean time.  I have found that hungry rainbows will often take the bait when the jig is sitting there doing nothing. 

These simple strategies will help you to experience more success the next time that you head out onto the ice in search of rainbow trout, I guarantee it.  Now bundle up, get out there, and have some fun. 

The Big Fall Trout That Got Away

The title of this post is a but misleading as the trout in question would have "gotten away" no matter what seeing as how I don't kill any of the trout that I catch, but nonetheless this large rainbow released itself before I had the chance to land, admire, and release it.  In any case, as I mentioned in the last post I was having a good afternoon on the water, catching and releasing multiple rainbow trout that ranged in size from 9 to about 15 or so inches.

Now I'm not sure if it was because the fishing trip was going so well or because of the fact that I'm really out of practice and don't get to spend nearly as much time on the water as I'm used to, but I neglected to do many of the things that I normally do when fishing for fall trout.  One of those things is always checking my gang hooks (particularly the leader) for wear and tear each time that a trout is caught and released. 

It had been 10 minutes or so since my last bite and I had worked my way 20 or so yards downstream when during a very nice drift, I felt the familiar 'pull' from what is often a good sized fish.  I quickly set the hook and immediately felt the weight on the end of my line.  I raised my arm high in the air, making sure to not give the fish any slack, as I stepped backward towards the edge of the river.  Almost immediately the fish jumped completely out of the water.  When the trout landed back into the water it sounded like someone threw a cinder block into the water.

I was a bit shaken, haven not felt a rainbow of this size on the end of my line for more than two years, but at that point it didn't matter because the fight was on.  Although the trout was 20 or so feet away when it jumped, I could tell that it was 20 plus inches long, and as wide a rainbow as I have ever come across on this particular river. The fish then peeled off a bunch of line and towards the bottom of the river.  It then began to slowly shake it's head (as large troiut tend to do), before bolting towards the surface of the river once again. 

This time rather than jump the trophy sized rainbow trout opted to shake it's head on the surface and when it did, snap, it was gone.  That's right, the massive rainbow broke my line, something that rarely happens.  Unless of course you don't visually inspect your gang hooks when you bait up to make sure that there are no nicks or other wear and tear on the leader, which I had failed to do on this day.  There is no doubt that this is the reason that the large trout got away, but in truth is that as rusty as I am, I'm not sure would have had a hard time landing a rainbow of this size by myself in any case?

Trout Stocking in Connecticut

Trout are being stocked in Chats field Hollow Pond.

3 Easy Tricks That Will Help You Catch The Biggest Rainbow Trout You Have Ever Caught

I have been fishing for freshwater trout for more than twenty years and my personal favorite species of trout to target is the rainbow trout. These beautiful fish, which usually have a large pronounced red stripe running along the length of their body, are hard fighting, tasty, and a challenge to fool when they reach the twenty inch mark and above. In this article I reveal 3 easy tricks that will help any serious rainbow trout fisherman catch the biggest rainbow trout that they have ever caught.

Rainbows can be caught is rivers, lakes, and ponds, but by far my favorite type of water to catch rainbow trout in are rivers. For this reason, these three tricks all relate to fishing in the flowing waters that a river or stream provides. The other fact that I think is important to point out is that I am not a fly fisherman, but rather choose to fish for rainbows while using ultralight spinning gear. Some people find this strange, but it's nonetheless true, and means that these tricks all relate to this style of trout fishing as well. With that being said, let's get down to business.

1. Focus On The Most Productive Areas - Large rainbow trout are usually found in certain area's of a given river system, and these are the area's that you want to focus your fishing efforts. In a given river system, larger rainbows will inhabit prime feeding area's such as deep runs and pools, especially if there is a good place withing a deep run or pool that they can lie in wait and ambush their prey. Some good ambush points are large underwater boulders or sunken trees within either a deep run or pool of the river or stream. I have also found that the 'head' of pools tend to be more productive when it comes to larger trout that the 'tail' of pools.
2. Use The Lightest Fishing Line Possible - Many years ago I used to use gang hooks that were tied with six pound test line. I generally experienced success when I was fishing for trout with these gang hooks, although on one particular day I was getting "skunked" and catching nothing. I then ran out of pre-tied hooks and had to tie some on the river as I was fishing. Since I always spool my reel with four pound test line, I carry an extra spool of line with me in my fishing vest for emergencies and had to use this line to tie my gang hooks on the river that day. I tied myself a set of hooks, baited up, and almost immediately hooked and landed a sixteen inch rainbow. Over the next hour I hooked and landed 3 more trout that were from sixteen to nineteen inches and I realized that the lighter line is what made the difference, because the tactic that I was using (drift fishing) remained the same. I have since tested this hypothesis and always come to the same conclusion, lighter line means more bites, especially from larger rainbows.
3. Do Your Best To Stay Hidden - You always have to remember that large rainbows don't become large by accident. They have usually been caught and released multiple times and have survived multiple fishing seasons, which tends to make them quite weary of human beings. Things like making a commotion when wading, wearing bright colored clothing, and casting a shadow on the water that you are fishing are all things that can "spook" large trout and send them "running for cover" so that you never get the chance to catch them. The more hidden that you can stay to the trout that you are fishing for, the more opportunities you will have at large trout, it's a simple as that.

Do yourself a favor and test these tricks out for yourself and what you will find is that these simple tricks will help you catch the biggest rainbow trout that you have ever caught.

I'm an Avid Trout Fisherman, Why Would I Need a Trout Fishing Boat?

I have been fishing for trout for almost 30 years and for 20 of those years I never even considered

owning or using a boat while trout fishing. Then, once I moved to what many trout fishermen consider the Mecca of trout fishing (Montana) my perspective began to change. Although I am not a fly fisherman and rather choose to fish for trout while using ultralight spin fishing gear, I often encounter fly fishermen on the water. One of the things that I quickly noticed about many fly fishing trout fishermen and women is that they often utilized small personal boats while they were fishing.

At first I thought this was totally unnecessary and was just another example of fly fishermen demonstrating there portentousness, but the more I observed, the more I started to think. "Maybe these guys and gals are onto something, and why is it that one of these boats wouldn't be helpful to me?" I observed some, thought some more, and began to do some research. You see, I enjoy fishing for trout while wading in rivers, hiking up and/or downstream as I fish. Fishing this way is a ton or fun and very productive, but no matter what trout river you fish, when you fish for trout in this way you inevitably reach areas of the river that can't be crossed or traversed, unless of course you want to do a little swimming.

The next thing I knew I was buying my first used trout fishing boat, which was similar to this boat . This particular trout fishing boat served me well for a few years, before I needed to upgrade, because as I said I bought the boat used and it already had quite a few "miles" on it.  Eventually the "miles" caught up to my used trout fishing boat and I upgraded to a frameless pontoon boat from Sea Eagle which now serves me extremely well in all of my trout fishing endeavors.

The bottom line is that this experience has taught me that while it isn't totally necessary, I needed a trout fishing boat without ever realizing it. I learned that I could access a ton of water that I otherwise would have never been able to access. I learned that I could shoot down river and stop at all of the good looking areas, step out of my boat, and fish the area thoroughly. This has become my "go to" trout fishing system whenever the option presents itself, because as you might imagine there is a 'rub' to using a trout fishing boat.

As I said, I prefer to fish for trout in rivers and when you use one of these boats in a river it means that your trip comes to a conclusion many miles from the place where it begins. This means that you need to be fishing with a friend who can park their car where you want to end your trip so that they can take you back to the place where the fishing trip began and you can get your vehicle. This isn't a huge deal, but it does mean that a trout fishing boat can't be used solo, at least when a stretch of river is going to be fished.

So, to answer the question posed in the title of this post, you don't need a trout fishing boat, it's just that having one has some advantages that can make your trout fishing experience more enjoyable and productive. I know that for me as an avid trout fisherman who fishes for trout 2-5 times a week during the season, now that I know how much a boat can help, a trout fishing boat will be used anytime that I can.

Trout Are Be Stocked In Kansas

If you leave near Southwest Kansas it's a great time to head out trout fishing.  There is a little bit of
stocking going on.  And guess what species of trout we are talking about?  Yep, rainbow trout, what else?

3 Easy Tricks To Help You Catch More Trout In Cold Weather

Cold weather and trout fishing don't generally go together, other than when you are speaking of ice

fishing of course, but if you want to catch a few cold weather trout there are some things that you can do to "tip the odds" into your favor. In this article I will reveal 3 easy tricks to help you catch more trout in cold weather, in case you get a hankering to get out there and brave the elements this winter. I know these tricks work because I use them and they come from more than twenty five years of trout fishing experience.

Since trout are generally much less active during extended periods of cold weather, it is vitally important that you are on the water when the trout are most likely to be feeding. So that you don't become to overwhelmed with the subject of when trout may or may not be feeding, I have always found that it's best to keep things simple. The "heat of the day" is often when the trout will be the most active in cold weather, so this is a great time to head out for some trout fishing. That's pretty simple, wouldn't you say?

Next we have the moon. Although many anglers overlook the moon when it come to fishing this is a mistake in my opinion. Over the past 20 or so years I have learned that the moon in fact plays a very large role in when the trout that I am fishing for are going to be "active". Thus I have learned that being on the water fishing for trout when the moon is either rising or setting, means that I have a much better chance of experiencing success. Find out when either one of these things are taking place on the day that you are going to be fishing for trout and do your best to plan your fishing trip accordingly.

When fishing for trout in cold weather the last trick that you want to remember to downsize and slow down. This means that your baits and/or trout lures need to be smaller than you might normally use and the presentation needs to be slow. Sluggish trout aren't usually looking for big meals and have little interest in chasing down a meal any more than they have to. For this reason you always want to remember to downsize and slow down if you want to catch more trout in cold weather.

These 3 tricks certainly couldn't be compared to quantum physics, but if you want to catch more trout in cold weather they will certainly help you out. Fishing for trout in cold weather can actually be effective as long as your strategies change a little bit from what you do in the warmer months of the year.

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.

Bait For Trout In Rivers

If you are anything like me, there is no place on earth that you would rather fish for trout than in the is trout fishing as far as I am concerned, and if I had my way, these beautiful fish wouldn't be able to be caught anywhere but in the flowing waters of a river. But, be that as it may, I have been fishing for trout in rivers for more than twenty years and have learned on thing above all others; the type of bait that you use if of the utmost importance.
flowing waters of a river. Preferably the kind of river that can be waded and fished effectively. As a matter of fact, this

Therefore, in this article I will outline a few of the most effective types of bait for trout when fishing for trout in rivers, so that you can make sure that you have one (or all) of these baits available the next time that you head out to your local river in search of trout. The baits are being listed in no particular order and are all effective baits for trout when fishing in rivers.

1. Live Worms – Live worms have long been known as an effective bait for trout fishing, but nowhere is this more true than when fishing in the flowing water of a river. Trout are no different than any other species of freshwater fish and will gladly gobble up a live worm that is drifting with the current.
2. Synthetic Worms – This bait is often overlooked by trout fishermen and this is a big mistake, because synthetic worms are so effective as bait for trout. The most popular and effective synthetic worms for trout are Powerbait trout worms and Gulp Alive "pinched crawler" as well as the Gulp floating trout worm. When rigged naturally on a set of gang hooks and "drift fished" through the current of a river that contains trout, synthetic worms can be difficult trout bait to beat.
3. In Line Spinners – In line spinners have long been known as an effective bait for trout, but these baits are often forgotten in river fishing scenarios. They certainly shouldn't be forgotten, because they are a great bait for trout in river fishing scenarios (especially when drifted slowly).
4. Dressed Spinners – Dressed spinners are an inline spinner that has a hackle covering the treble hook. Dressed spinners work particularly well in rivers due to the action of the hackle in the current. This action mimics a "fly" to a large degree, and if your color pattern that you are using matches a hatch that might be taking place on the river that you are fishing, it's game on!
5. Micro Jigs – Micro jigs that are from 1/32 to 1/64 of an ounce are very effective baits when fished under a lightweight float in a river. Many trout fishermen never think of using a "jig" as bait for trout, but this is a big mistake. Hungry trout will readily gobble up these little meals when they are presented to them. A popular and effective type of micro jig is called the "trout magnet".

The next time that you head out to your favorite river to fish for trout, make sure that you have one or two of the aforementioned baits in your fishing vest. I promise you , you'll be glad you did because they are some of the best baits that there are for trout in the flowing water that rivers provide.

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.

Does Powerbait Actually Work?

A question that I often get asked, especially by people who are new to the world of trout fishing is, "Does Powerbait actually work?" And my answer is always the same. Yes it works as long as you are fishing for a certain type of trout in a certain type of water. Now truth be told with all of the innovations that Berkley has done with Powerbait that makes this unique trout bait available in many different shapes and sizes, my answer could probably be amended, but the fact of the matter is that when most people think of the term Powerbait, they are thinking of the bait that comes in little jars and is molded onto a fishing hook.

In the case of the Powerbait that comes in little jars, yes is does work, especially when you are still fishing in a lake, pond, or very slow moving current and the trout that you are fishing for have been stocked into that water. In my 25 plus years of experience fishing for trout, still fishing while using Powerbait as bait is a very effective trout fishing technique. However, if you are fishing for trout in a river or stream the Powerbait that comes in jars will be of little use to you. You are much better off using Powerbait trout worms or minnows in these types of scenarios.

But the bottom line is that, yes Powerbait actually works, as long as you are fishing in a certain type of water for a certain type of trout.

Trout Fishing Glasses – The Best Polarized Glasses For Trout Fishing

If you are a trout fisherman and fish for trout in moving water, polarized glasses are a "must have" piece of gear and in this post I will outline a few of the most effective pairs of trout fishing glasses that are available today, along with some of the reasons why polarized glasses are so important to the river or stream fishing trout angler.

For many years I labored under the delusion that polarized glasses weren't necessary when it comes to fishing, but this all stopped the day that I borrowed an old pair of polarized glasses from a friend and had the comparison to the cheap polarized glasses that I was used to wearing. Once I saw for myself what is what like to be able to see into the water and how much better I was able to see my fishing line when drift fishing, I was hooked. I have owned and used a quality pair of trout fishing glasses ever since that day.

The biggest thing to look for when choosing a pair of polarized glasses for trout fishing is that they offer optical clarity in polymer and light-adjusting polarized glass. It is also a good idea to have multiple lens options available so that you can tailor your fishing glasses for the particular conditions that you find yourself fishing in.

So, who makes the best trout fishing glasses and is there one choice in particular that stands out above the rest? The "best" pair of polarized glasses for trout fishing will vary from angler to angler, but some quality manufacturers to look for are Habervision, Typhoon, and Smith, all of which make very high quality and long lasting polarized glasses for fishing.

The bottom line is that wearing polarized glasses while fishing for trout gives you the ability to see into the water, which is an advantage for seeing underwater structure as well as some of the trout that you are attempting to catch. Once you put a quality pair of glasses on your head and spend the a day of the water trout fishing, you will be sold, there's no doubt about it. Just remember what your Mother told you. You get what you pay for, so if you try to save a few bucks and buy the least expensive polarized glasses that you can find, you will probably end up disappointed.

Spin Fishing For Trout – Drift Fishing Worms

As you are probably all aware, we at JRWfishing are all about spin fishing for trout and our "go to" technique is without a doubt drift fishing worms. In this post I will outline how we go about drift fishing with worms, so that you can add this amazingly effective trout fishing technique to your fishing repertoire. If you are already a drift fisherman, fear not, because you might very well find a morsel or two that you never considered before, that will help you out as well.

The first thing to be aware of when drift fishing worms is the type of water that you are fishing. Drift fishing is most effective in small to medium sized rivers, the kind of river or stream that can be waded across in places, but not in others and usually contains a combination of shallow riffles, runs, deep runs, and pools. Larger rivers, which are often fished with some manifestation of boat or drift boat, usually aren't the most conducive to this style of spin fishing.

Next we have the gear that is utilized, and when I say gear I'm referring specifically to your rod, reel, and fishing line. The best fishing rods for this type of fishing are ultralight power and I also prefer my rod to be fast "action" as well. Under normal water conditions I prefer a 5-6 foot spinning rod and when river flows are heavier I prefer a spining rod that is 6-7 feet long.

As far a your spinning reel goes, any ultralight reel that is manufactured by a quality manufacturer will work fine. I have been using Pfleuger Trion ultralight spinninhg reels for all of my drift fishing for more than 20 years and couldn't be happier. And now we have the fishing line that your reel is spooled with. The key here is that your line is as light as you feel comfortable with, but nothing heavier that six pound test. I suggest and have been using Original Stren in the clear/blue color that is 4 pound test for many years, but any quality fishing line will do just fine.

Now to where to position yourself within the river that you are fishing. It's a
good idea to approach the area that you intend to fish from downstream as mush as possible because trout will almost always be facing and thus looking upstream for a meal. This is important because if a trout sees you they are likely to become "spooked" and have no interest in anything that drifts by them. This fact is especially true with trout that are larger and more experienced.

You want to cast parallel to slightly upstream of the place that you are standing. When your worms hits the water, you want to close the bait of your reel and raise your rod tip to try to eliminate any slack from your line. As your worm begins to drift downstream you want to point yoiur rod tip at the worm to feel any bites that might come from hungry trout. I like to place my index finger from the hand that is holding the rod on my line to help to feel bites. Some people will hold their line between the fingers of their opposite hand to accomplish the same thing. Either way, "feeling" you line helps in detecting bites.

This process is repeated in all of the area's of the river or stream that trout can be found. Although the technique is extremely simply in theory, drift fishing with worms also has thousands of little nuances that reveal themselves to you seemingly every time you put the technique into practice. This all comes together to make the technique extremely enjoyable and productive in my opinion. As a matter of fact there is no better way to go spin fishing for trout in my opinion.

What Are The Best Spinners For Trout Fishing?

A question that I often get asked is, "what are the best spinners for trout fishing" and my answer usually consists of some manifestation of "it depends", so in this post I will outline some of the best spinners that I personally have used to catch trout so that you can make sure that you have at least one of these choices available to you the next time that you head out in search of some trout. Are these the only spinners that should be used? Of course not, but they are the ones that work for me and I know that they will do the same for you.

The first thing to remember about spinner fishing for trout is that using the exact same spinner all the time is usually not a very good idea. You want to experiment with spinner size, color, blade color, and even hook color depending on the season and what the trout are doing on a particular day. The second thing to keep in mind is the size of the spinner that is being used. In almost all instances when I am spinner fishing for trout I like to use a spinner that is fairly small, like 1/32 or 1/16 of an ounce.

In the spring of the year, when water flows are usually high and/or muddy I prefer a spinner with a slow action. One of the best manufacturers of in line spinners with a slow action is Panther Martin . I prefer my spinners to be "dressed" because I have always found that "dressed" spinners are more effective for freshwater trout, and in the springtime gold or black spinners seem to be a great way to go. Dark or florescent color pattern seem to work quite well during the spring of the year.
 
As we move into the summer and especially the fall of the year, faster actions spinners such as Rooster Tails and Mepps spinners begin to become more effective. During these times of the year the best and most effective spinners also seem to have silver or spotted blades and color patterns such as pink, white, and green are the way to go in the clear water conditions that are often found during the summer and fall.

The bottom line is that the best spinner for trout fishing is the one that catches trout on the day that you are fishing, which means that you need to have at least 6-10 different choices available to you in your fishing vest so that you can experiment until you find the best for that particular day. My general rule of thumb is to try one configuration for 30 or so minutes and if I don't catch any trout, I switch spinners until I find the one that the trout are looking for on that particular day.

How Effective Are Spinners For Trout?

I headed out to my favorite trout river this morning (the swan river) to do a little early season trout fishing before the river becomes too high and muddy to fish and I quickly discovered that live bait (usually my trout bait of choice) was not going to be effective.  So, after an hour or so of fishing without as much as a nibble, I surmised that between the air and water temperature, I needed to try something with a bit more of attracting power if I wanted to fool a lethargic trout or two.

 In situations such as this many times spinners are an effective trout bait choice, so I tied on one of the new Panther Martin marabou spinners . These spinners are said to be particularly effective on cloudy days, and this was a cool, cloudy day.  It didn't take long (about 30 minutes I would guess) until I had a nice eralt season rainbow trout on the line. 

I kept fishing spinners for the next couple of hours and caught a total of 8 rainbows.  None of them were huge, most were between 10 and 12 inches, but on what ended up being my next to last cast I hooked and landed a beautiful 17 inch rainbow trout.  All in all it ended up being a productive day on the river.  It's always good to get a productive day on the river in before the run off begins and the rivers become Un-fishable for a number of months. 

I'm often asked the question, " how effective are spinners for trout" and I often say, "it depends".  What I know for sure is that on this day spinners were not only effective, but were very effective for trout.