Powerbait Fishing Rigs – Catch More Rainbow Trout

When it comes to fishing for rainbow trout, especially if the rainbow trout that are being targeted Powerbait. While trout fishing "purists" may scoff at using dough style trout baits such as Powerbait to catch a rainbow trout, the truth of the matter is that Powerbait is an extremely effective rainbow trout bait, especially when it comes to fishing for trout that have been raised in a hatchery. And can you guess what the most popular and prevalent hatchery raised trout species is? You got it, the rainbow trout.
have been stocked, there is one bait that stands out above all others in terms of effectiveness and that bait is known as

When you are fishing with Powerbait, trying to catch rainbow trout, it is vitally important that you use an effective rig and in this article I will outline a few of the rigs I have found to be effective over the last three or so decades of trout fishing. Truth be told, catching stocked rainbow trout isn't that God awful difficult, but if the proper rig is employed it tends to be much more effective, which means that you will catch more limits of delicious rainbows. These Powerbait fishing rigs are being listed in no particular order, are all effective, and all involve 3 common elements. A 12-24 inch two or four pound test leader, a weight, and a barrel swivel.

1. The Gang Hook Rig – The gang hook rig involves the use of a set of #8 or #10 gang hooks. A bullet or egg weight is slipped onto the end of your line. You want enough weight to hold the rig on the bottom and no more. A swivel is attached to your line which will act as a "stopper" and to prevent line twist. A set of gang hooks (which are tied on a 12-18 inch leader) is then tied to the opposite end of the barrel swivel. Each hook is then baited with a small ball of Powerbait (enough to cover the hook) and the rig is complete.
2. The Treble Hook Rig – This Powerbait rig involves the use of a #12 or #18 treble hook. The first thing that you do is cut a twelve to twenty four inch length of line (leader) from the end of your line and set it aside. Now, just as with the rig above a bullet or egg sinker is slipped onto your line and a barrel swivel is attached. Now the leader you just cut is tied to the opposite end of the swivel and a single treble hook to the opposite end of the leader. Powerbait is added to the hook and the rig is complete.
3. Adding Beads to Your Powerbait Rig– For either of the above rigs, a wrinkle that many rainbow trout Powerbait fishermen like to add, is a small plastic bead in between the sinker and the swivel. Why do they do this? Added attracting power. Lightly 'jigging" your rod tip as your Powerbait is sitting on bottom will cause a faint underwater tapping noise when the bead comes in contact with the sinker and it is said that this noise attracts hungry rainbows. I have success using beads and rather than letting my rig sit on the bottom while I "still fish" I slowly reel the Powerbait in while "jigging" my rod tip with every crank or two of my reel.

The bottom line is that the aforementioned Powerbait fishing rigs all work extremely well when fishing for rainbow trout. If you aren't using any of them, they should be added to your repertoire sooner, rather than later.

Powerbait Fishing : 3 Rules To Abide By When You Are Fishing With Powerbait

When it comes to catching trout that have been stocked into a body of water, Fishing with Powerbait is an excellent way to catch them. While some anglers will use this unique trout bait while fishing in rivers and streams, I have always found it to be most effective when used while "still fishing" in a lake or pond that has been stocked with trout. No matter how you go about Powerbait fishing, you can increase you bite and catch rates if you abide by a few simple rules.

Below, I will list these rules so that they can be added to your trout fishing arsenal the next time that you head out and with the intent of catching some trout while using Powerbait. It's important to point out that a majority of the trout that you will be caught using Powerbait are trout that have been stocked, which means that they have been raised in a hatchery and released for the express purpose of being caught by fishermen. Because these trout have not been born and bred in a natural environment, they tend to be much less weary than their native cousins who were born in a natural environment. The reason that I point this out is because the trout that will be caught while fishing with Powerbait tend to be fairly easy to catch. But this doesn't mean that there aren't things that you can do to "tip the odds" into your favor so that you experience more success when fishing for them, which is where these 3 rules come into play.

The first rule is to do your best to keep any human scents off of the bait itself. Anytime that you are fishing with Powerbait this can be a difficult task because the bait has to be molded around your fishing hook in some way and the obvious choice for doing this is your fingers (which obviously contain all sorts of 'unnatural' scents). The easiest way to remedy this problem is to use a 'scoop' or 'press' that can be inserted into the Powerbait so that the bait can be taken out with out you the angler touching it with your fingers. Some versions even enable you to 'press' the Powerbait into a perfect ball, all without actually touching the bait. This obviously keeps any human scents of the bait which results in more bites from hungry trout.

The second rule that you need to adhered by when you are Powerbait fishing is to not use too much bait. Remember we aren't trying to catch large mouth bass, we are fishing for stocked rainbow trout, which prefer fairly small food sources. For this reason you always want to make sure that you use just enough Powerbait to cover your fishing hook and no more. If you use too much bait, you will receive less bites, it's as simple as that.

And the final rule that needs to be considered anytime that you are fishing with Powerbait is to use "fresh" bait. Many times we have bait that is left over from the prior fishing year and this bait is not nearly as effective as is found in a new jar. So if the jar has been opened and used, then just sat around waiting to be used again for a year or more, chuck it and buy a new jar. I mean heck, it only costs a few bucks, and I have always found "fresh" Powerbait to be more effective than a jar that has been sitting around for a year of more.

How To Rig Powerbait To Catch More and Bigger Trout

Are you interested in knowing how to rig Powerbait to catch more trout? I assume so, or you wouldn't be reading this article. In this article I'm going to reveal the best way to rig Powerbait to catch more trout, and the best times to use said trout rig. These two valuable pieces of information will help anyone catch more trout on their next fishing outing.

When talking about trout and Powerbait I think it's important to describe what it is we're fishing for. When you use Powerbait for trout the bottom line is that you're fishing for stocked fish, rather than 'native' fish. These are trout that have been raised and 'planted' by the government. There's nothing wrong with this, it's just the way it is. For the most part the rig that I'm going to describe is used for still fishing in lakes. This can be modified as you see fit, but for me, Powerbait is only used when still fishing is lakes for stocked trout.

Many people ask what color Powerbait is best. I've always said that I've never believed that it matters. If one color isn't working, try another color, it's as simple as that. Stocked trout are no very sophisticated (to say the least) and I simply don't think that color matters much. The important thing to remember is that whatever color you use, make sure that it floats. Flotation is the important aspect this type of trout bait.

Begin by taking the end of your line and slipping on an egg sinker (1/4 to ½ ounce). Now tie on a small barrel swivel (size 10 or 12). The barrel swivel acts as a "stopper" for the weight and helps to prevent line twist. Now tie on a set of gang hooks, size 8 or 10 is usually best or a #12 or #18 Treble hook. Now add enough Powerbait to each hook to completely cover each hook. In other words, when you're done you'll have either one or two balls of Powerbait hanging from the end of your line depending on whether you used gang hooks or a single treble hook. This is how to rig Powerbait to catch more trout.
 
Now cast this rig into the lake, let it sink, and slowly reel in the slack line. Now prop your rod against an immovable object and wait. Your line should be completely taught. The rod tip will bounce when you start to get a bite (it shouldn't take long). Now how do you make sure that you're fishing at the best time?

The best time to be on the water fishing is determined by the weather and moon. All you have to do is pay attention to the weather and moon, and plan your fishing trips accordingly. Seriously, the weather and moon have an incredible impact on the feeding activity of trout and the better you understand this phenomenon the better. This might sound strange, but it's nonetheless true.
Begin using these tips sooner, rather than later and you will begin catching more trout. Albeit stocked trout, but hey sometimes an anglers got to do what he or she has to do.