An Extremely Effective Trout Rig

If you're reading this article, you must be a trout angler; otherwise you obviously wouldn't read an article titled An Extremely Effective Trout Rig, right? Well, in this article I'm going to outline the trout rig I've been using to catch trout (and other fish) for more than 20 years. The rig and technique were taught to me many years ago by my fishing mentor, who has since passed on, and was the best trout angler I've since known. This man was able to catch trophy trout from rivers and streams that no one believed that trout that size swam in.
And guess what rig he used to catch these monster trout? Yep you guessed it, the one that you're going to learn in this article. I'm also going to provide you with a couple of other tidbits that should help you catch more trout on your next fishing excursion. All in all, after reading this quick article you will have the most effective trout rig along with a couple of tips and tricks that will make you a better angler. Not bad for a couple minutes of reading.
The most important thing to keep in mind when using the most effective trout rig is to make sure that you're using line that's as light as possible. My mentor used four-pound test monofilament, which is what I still use to this day. The point is that trout have very keen eyesight and can detect your line under the water if it's too heavy. I personally believe that four-pound test should be the maximum, but you can usually get away with six-pound test as well. The bottom line is that you want to use line that's as light as you can get away with when trout fishing.
When trout fishing the next thing to keep in mind is the type of bait you use. My mentor's favorite bait was the good old American worm, which is the bait used in the technique I'm going outline in this article. Live worms work great, but in all honesty so do Berkley Power worms and Gulp Night crawlers. If you prefer these synthetic worms, this rig will work exactly the same. The point is that worms are extremely effective trout bait, whether those worms are real or synthetic.
Let's get down to the business of the most effective trout rig, shall we? Let me start by adding that this rig is most effectively used in the flowing water of either a river or stream. The rig can be easily modified for lake fishing, but for the purposes of this article, the rig is all about river and stream fishing. Start by grabbing the end of your line and tying on a small barrel swivel (size 10 or 12). Now tie on a set of pre-tied gang hooks. Now split shot sinkers are added for weight above the swivel. The number and size of the split shot will vary with current conditions.
The goal with this technique is to have your offering bounce along the bottom as it flows naturally with the current. Don't worry, getting snagged is simply a part of effectively fishing this trout rig. As my mentor used to say, "if you're not getting snagged, you're not fishing in the right place." Don't worry, with practice you will be able to easily distinguish between the bottom and bites. The bottom line is that this article outlines the most effective trout rig. Give it a try sooner, rather than later and you can find out for yourself just how effective a trout rig it is.

Spin Fishing For Trout With Streamers

Spin fishing for trout with streamers? This doesn't seem like something that is possible does it? After all everyone knows that a streamer is an artificial fly and in order to use a streamer as bait you need to be a "fly fisherman" right? What I'm trying to tell you is that you actually don't have to be a fly fisherman to fish with streamers and this type of artificial fly can actually be used while spin fishing.

In this article I will explain how to go about spin fishing for trout while using a streamer as bait. As a matter of fact I will outline a pair of techniques that can be employed by the average spin fisherman to use this very effective bait for trout. As a matter of fact many experienced trout fishermen claim that using streamers as bait while using spinning gear may actually be more effective than fishing for trout with streamers while using fly fishing gear.

A major key to both of these techniques is that a longer ultra light spinning rod than you might normally use is in order. You need a fishing rod that's in the neighborhood of seven to eight feet long. This will not only give you added casting distance, but will also aide in keeping in contact with (or "feeling") the streamer that's tied to the end of your line. With that being said, let's get down to business.

1. The Bubble Technique - The bubble technique involves a piece of terminal tackle that is referred to as a casting bubble (sometimes called a fly fishing bubble). This small plastic sphere that looks much like a clear bobber has a plug running through the center of it that will allow water to enter the bubble itself when it is submerged beneath the water. When the plug it pushed in the opposite direction the water stops flowing, thus adding weight to the bubble which makes casting and retrieving a lightweight streamer much easier. There is no doubt that when spin fishing for trout with streamers the bubble technique is a "must know" for any spin fisherman who wants to use the extremely effective trout bait known as streamers.


2. The Bullet Technique - The bullet technique involves using a bullet weight, just like the ones that bass fishermen use when making a Carolina rig. A bullet weight is slipped onto your line and a barrel swivel is then tied to the end of the line. A twelve to twenty four inch leader is now tied to the other side of the barrel swivel and your streamer is tied to the end of the leader. This rig can now be cast out and retrieved with a starting and stopping motion. The bullet technique is effective in both lake and river trout fishing scenarios. The size of the bullet weight will vary depending on water depth, current flow, etc. Experimentation will be necessary to determine the proper amount of weight for the particular situation that you are fishing in.

The bottom line is that if you fish for trout with traditional spin fishing gear, streamers can not only be used but can be used effectively and one or both aforementioned techniques should be added to your trout fishing repertoire sooner rather than later.

Trolling For Trout

Although this blog is dedicated to fishing for the 4 main species of freshwater trout, most of our information tends to focus on fishing for these beautiful fish without the help of a boat, but the truth is that fishing for trout from the comfort of a boat is something that many trout fishermen enjoy very much. And one of the most effective ways to fish for trout from a boat is by trolling for them.

 In this post, we are going to discuss the subject of trolling for trout. When you are trolling for trout, just like when you are fishing for trout without the help of a boat, an ultralight rod and reel are in order, with the biggest difference being that when you are trolling you want to use a fishing rod that is longer than you would when fishing for trout with other techniques. I like to use a fishing rod that's as least six feet six inches long for trolling and some people choose to use "noodle" rods that are up to 9 feet long when tolling for trout.  Why so long you ask?  Mainly because longer rods handle light line (4 lb test is my line of choice for trolling) well and enable you to fight fish more easily, as well as making for quicker hook sets when a hungry trout strikes your lure.

My favorite method of trolling is called "flat lining" which means that I use little or no weight on my line and like to fish mainly in the top of the water column.  As for lures or tackle I prefer to use either small minnow plugs that are from 2-3 inches in length or 12-24 inch trout "flashers" with some manifestation of live bait attached to the hooks as the back of the rig.  Both of these trout baits/rigs are excellent choices when trolling for trout.

Because light line and/or small plugs are being utilized slower trolling speeds are normally your best bet.  As a matter of fact, ast weekend we caught 5 trout over fifteen inches in a little over an hour trolling as slow as the 20hp motor would go.  We would simply put the motor in gear and that was it, we trolled our minnow plugs at that speed.

Once we decided to call it a day and leave the lake we began experiencing battery problems as our (very old) battery began to give out.  We managed to make it back safely and ordered a new one from our friends at batterystuff.com, suppliers of quality marine batteries at great prices and now we have nothing to worry about when we head out trolling for trout. 

Wading For Rainbow Trout

When you think about the term 'wading for rainbow trout', what immediately comes to mind? For most people what comes to mind is a fly fisherman wading and fishing a river and this is with good reason. Wading and fishing a river was made popular by fly fishermen and this is with good reason as well, because wading in the river that you are fishing is an excellent way to put yourself in the best position for casting and thus fishing a river while utilizing an artificial fly as bait.

While it's true that wading for rainbow trout is a technique that was made popular by anglers who fly fish, the truth of the matter is that fly fishermen aren't the only people who can fish for rainbow trout in this manner. As a matter of fact, I learned a long time ago that this style of fishing (wading) can also be executed at a high level by those of us who fish with traditional spin fishing gear. Yep, although it may sound a bit strange, it is nonetheless very true.

Wading for and catching rainbow trout is an activity that can be done with a high level of success by fishermen other than "fly fishermen" and below I will outline a few tips and tricks that will help virtually anyone experience success when they are wading for rainbow trout while using normal spinning gear. The first thing that you need to concern yourself with is the type of gear that you use, and when I use the term 'gear', I'm referring specifically to your rod and reel. You always want to use an ultralight rod and reel anytime that you are fishing for the beautiful species of fish known as "rainbows".

Why do you want to use an ultralight rod and reel when we are wading for rainbow trout? Because by ultralight rods and reels are designed specifically for using two to six pound test fishing line and light line is the first key to having success when wading for any type of trout. Trout are found in cold, clear rivers and have very keen eyesight which means that they can easily detect your fishing line if it is too heavy and if the trout that you are attempting to catch detect your fishing line they are much less apt to bite whatever it is you are offering them. For this specific reason an ultra light rod and reel should be utilized anytime that you are wading for rainbow trout.

The second key to having success when wade fishing for rainbow trout is to learn a technique that is known as drift fishing. Originally developed by salmon and steelhead fishermen, a downsized version of drift fishing is also an excellent technique to use when wading for rainbow trout. The term drift fishing simply means to allow your bait or lure to "drift" naturally with the current of the water that you are fishing. You can drift fish with small spinners,spoons, or stick baits or with live baits such as meal worms, earthworms, or even minnows. Rainbow trout have a hard time resisting any forage that is drifting naturally with the current of the water that they reside in.

Which brings me to the final key to effectively wading for and catching rainbow trout, which has to do with when you go fishing. Did you know that the phase that the moon is in plays a huge role in the activity level of the fish that we fish for? And, that we want to be on the river when the rainbow trout are going to be the most active and thus most likely to be feeding, right? Well if you pay attention to what phase the moon is in and try to concentrate your fishing efforts on the four day window that surrounds either the full or especially the new moon phase you will find that you experience more success when you are fishing for rainbow trout.

Take one or all of these simple tips and add them to your trout fishing arsenal and you will begin to experience more success any time that you head out fishing for rainbow trout while wading.

Fishing Waders - Boot Foot Or Stocking Foot Which Do I Need?

I've been fishing in rivers and streams for over 25 years, and I remember when I didn't know what the difference between waders with a "boot foot" and waders with "stocking foot" was. I actually didn't used to understand what these terms meant, and more importantly how they related to me. In this article I'm going to explain the difference between these two options when it comes to choosing a pair of waders .

If you're reading this article you either are thinking about buying a pair of waders or you need a new pair and don't know which option will serve you best. This article will explain the good and bad points of each wader option so that you can make a more informed decision.

When it comes to waders there are two main types of material that you want to concern yourself with; breathable material and/or neoprene. Any of the fishing waders that you might purchase need to be made from one of these two materials. If the fishing waders that you are considering are made out of anything other than breathable material or neoprene, you need to reconsider. These two materials are the most effective materials for fishing waders to be manufactured from.

1. Boot Foot Waders - "Boot foot" fishing waders means that the waders have the boot manufactured into them. In other words the boots are part of the waders. This makes transporting your waders and keeping tabs on your boots easy, but boot foot waders can be much less comfortable to move from fishing spot to fishing spot in. Boot foot waders are fine for the person who doesn't move from fishing spot to fishing spot very often, and doesn't have to hike into fishing area's, although these waders could be carried in a back pack. In my opinion if you are a first time wader buyer, boot foot waders are a great place to start, you simply by them in your shoe size and you're good to go.
2. Stocking Foot Waders - "Stocking Foot" waders have a neoprene sock sewn into them, and wading boots have to be purchased separately. Although purchasing your boots separately adds an additional cost, stocking foot waders are much more comfortable to move around in. If you are anything like me and like to cover a couple of miles, crossing the river several times when fishing, these waders are the way to go. Stocking foot waders are incredibly comfortable. As a matter of fact, once suited up, these waders feel like you're wearing a pair of khaki pants! When it comes to fishing waders, more experienced wade fishermen tend to go with this type. Although a little more expensive, because of the fact that your boots have to be purchased separately, these fishing waders are the much more comfortable option.

Now you know the difference between "boot foot" and "stocking foot" waders. Think about the time you spend fishing in waders and make your decision accordingly. The both have there good and bad points, but at least now you know the difference.