3 Reasons Why The Fall is The Best Season For Rainbow Trout Fishing

I have been fishing for rainbow trout for almost thirty years and have literally done so from coast to coast, and there is one time of the year that stands out above all others when it comes to catching these beautiful fish, and that time is the fall. The fall of the year is unquestionably the best time of the year for trout fishing, especially if you are like me and enjoy fishing for rainbows while wading in a small to medium sized river. Below I will outline 3 reasons why the fall is the best season for rainbow trout fishing.

The first reason that the fall is the best season for rainbow trout fishing is that the rivers and lakes are usually virtually empty. There are many reasons for this; football, school, and hunting would be some of them, but the waterways being virtually empty is a big plus for anyone who likes to fish for rainbow trout. The main reason for this is that less anglers means less fishing pressure and less fishing pressure means that you are more likely to experience success. Couple this fact with things like being on the water when the weather and moon are in your favor and you are in for a great fall day on the water.

The second reason why the fall of the year is great for rainbow trout fishing is that as the weather cools off so do the water temperatures, and cooler water temperatures really cause rainbows to "turn on" and feed. A rainbow trouts ideal temperature range is from 55 to 60 degrees and during the fall, water temperatures return to this range after being much higher during the summer months. As this phenomenon happens, the rainbows instinctively begin to feed heavily in anticipation of the upcoming winter months, when water temperatures drop well below their ideal range and the feed much less often. This one fact is probably the biggest reason why the fall is the time of the year that I have caught virtually all of my trophy sized trout.

The third and final reason why the fall is the best season for rainbow trout fishing is that the scenery and conditions are as good as can be found at any time of the year. If you are a serious rainbow angler (as I consider myself to be) you know that in many instances standing in the flowing water fishing for trout is about much more than just "catching a fish". It's about the experience and the environment in which you are fishing and the fall of the year provides the best environment for rainbow trout fishing that can be found at any time. The scenery, cool weather, solitude, and weather patterns all come together to create some great fishing conditions, there’s no doubt about it.

How To Fish For Rainbow Trout

In this post I'm going to reveal some tips and techniques that will teach you how to fish for rainbow trout. Rainbow trout are a very popular species of fish that area lot of fun to catch. This is especially when it comes to native rainbows. It has always seemed to me that native trout are much harder fighters, and any experienced trout fisherman will tell you that native rainbows are much more beautiful than their genetically altered, stocked cousins. When I use the word 'native' to describe trout, I'm referring to trout that have been born naturally or at least have grown up in the river, stream, or lake that you're fishing for them in.

Now that I've completed my rant on native rainbows versus stocked (or planted) rainbows, let's get down to the business of how to fish for them. The first thing to keep in mind is that light rods and reels should be employed for trout fishing. As a matter of fact, I personally use ultra light rods and reels, but nothing heavier than light action should be used for rainbow trout fishing.
You gear should be spooled with light line as well. I personally use no fishing line heavier than four-pound test for trot fishing, but line as heavy as six pound test is passable. However, no line heavier than six-pound test should be employed. This is for two reasons. First, rainbow trout are found in cold, clear water and second they have very keen eyesight. For these reasons, the trout can easily detect your fishing line if it's too heavy. And if the fish detect your line, they are much less apt to bite.

Since we're discussing how to fish for rainbow trout, it's important that we're on the water when the trout are the most active. It only makes sense that the more active the trout are, the more readily they'll bite, right? So how do we determine when the trout are going to be the most active? This is accomplished by paying attention to the weather and moon. The weather and moon have an incredible impact on the behavior of all fish (including rainbow trout) so learning how to use this information to your advantage, will result in more bites.

When it comes to fishing for rainbow trout, it's important to discuss bait. I realize some anglers don't use bait, but they are really cheating themselves. Live bait (especially live worms) is a great way to catch trout, and synthetic bait is quite effective for stocked (or planted) rainbows. Whether you're bouncing a live worm along the bottom of a river or still fishing with synthetic bait (both techniques are effective) the bottom line is that gang hooks should be employed. Every trout angler should carry trout fishing rigs in their fishing vest or tackle box when fishing for trout.

A gang hook rig is a great technique for fishing for rainbow trout, and it's set up like this: begin by taking the end of your line and tying on a small barrel swivel (size 10 or 12). If you're going to be still fishing, slip an egg sinker onto your line before tying on the barrel swivel. Now on the opposite end of the barrel swivel tie on a set of pre-tied gang hooks. For river and stream fishing, split shot sinkers are added for weight above the barrel swivel. Now simply add your live worm to the gang hooks and you're ready 6to catch some trout. If you're fishing with synthetic bait, simply add enough to cover each hook and you're god to go.

This is how to fish for rainbow trout. These tips and techniques will lead to a ton of success on your next trout fishing excursion.

Rainbow Trout Fishing - Drift Fishing Meal Worms

One type of bait that often gets overlooked when you talk about rainbow trout fishing (except of course when it come to ice fishing) are meal worms. These weird looking "worms", that look like a cross between a grub and a small alien, are often used for as bait for rainbow trout under the ice, but once the ice melts are quickly forgotten as anglers opt for more "traditional" types of trout bait.

This is a big mistake as meal worms can be an excellent bait when they are "drift fished" in rivers that contain hungry rainbow trout. One of the best times to use this particular trout bait is during the spring, when river flows are generally high and muddy. This seems to be because when rivers flows are high a lot of interesting food sources get "washed" into the water that wouldn't otherwise be present. Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that drift fishing meal worms is an extremely effective trout fishing technique.

So how does one go about drift fishing with these little creatures to catch rainbow trout? The first thing that is needed is a seven to seven and a half foot ultralight rod with matching reel that is spooled with either two or four pound test fishing line. The long rod will give you plenty of "feel" as your meal worm (s) drift through the current and the light line will be invisible to the trout that you are attempting to catch, which means that you will receive more bites.

You want to rig a single #8 or #10 single fishing hook or a set of double fishing hooks such as gang hooks that are of equal size onto a 12-18 inch leader that is attached to the end of your fishing line using a small swivel. A meal worm is now "threaded" on to the hook (or one 'mealie' on each hook in the case of gang hooks) by starting just below the meal worms head and coming out 1/4 of the way before the end of the meal worms body. Much like you do when you thread a plastic grub onto a jig head, but in this case the live meal worm is the "body". Weight is now added to your line above the barrel swivel to keep your meal worm (s) as close to the bottom as possible as the drift is taking place. When rainbow trout fishing with meal worms you want the bait to be as close to the bottom as possible because this is often where the trout are feeding.

In order to drift fish for rainbow trout successfully, you want to be standing in the river that you are fishing and cast parallel to a little upstream of where you are standing, close the bail of your reel, and hold your rod tip in the air. You want to follow your bait with your rod tip as it drifts until the bait is directly downstream of where you are standing. At this point, reel in and repeat the process.

You should feel your weights "ticking" along the bottom of the river as your meal worm drifts. When a hungry rainbow trout takes the bait, you will know it because a bite feels distinctly different than the bottom. In fact many time hungry rainbow trout will simply engulf your meal worm with a steady tug. In any case, any time that anything "out of the ordinary" happens with your drift, set the hook and it should be "fish on"!

When it comes to rainbow trout fishing, drift fishing with this live bait is a technique that should be a part of every serious spin fisherman's arsenal, there's no doubt about it.

Rainbow Trout Fishing

One of my favorite activities is fishing for Rainbow Trout. The Rainbow Trout is a very popular fish, and anglers of all kinds attempt to catch them all year long. Whether it's standing in a flowing river, on the banks of a lake, in a boat or canoe, or on the ice, fishing for Rainbow trout is an incredibly popular activity. The first thing I want to discus is the fish itself, followed by a couple of techniques used to catch them.

Rainbow trout thrive in clear, cool streams and rivers but have been known to survive in warm silt bottom streams as well. Rainbow Trout prefer a temperature range of 55 to 60 degrees, but thrive in various temperature ranges. In early spring, as the water temperature begins to rise, the adult rainbows migrate to shallow riffles or small, clear streams to spawn. Spawning can continue as late in the year as June. During the first two or three years of life, rainbow trout will feed mainly on crustaceans and aquatic insects. At approximately 3 years of age, they will move into larger water and change their diet to fish, large insects, and even small rodents when they can find them.

The best time of year to catch a Rainbow is the spring and fall, before and after spawning. They become fish with an incredible appetite and can be caught on an assortment of spinners, flies, and baits. Many trout anglers have success with small colorful spinners, spoons, jigs, and of course live bait.

There are many different baits that anglers use to attempt to entice these fish, and the two most popular have to be live bait and small lures. Let's begin with live bait. Live bait can include such things as minnows, small frogs, grasshoppers, leeches, maggots, and my personal favorite worms. The important thing to remember when trying to catch a rainbow trout with live bait is that you want the bait to appear as natural as possible. For example, when many anglers fish with worms, they simply thread the worm onto a hook and think its okay. Does this look the least bit natural? No it doesn't. When using worms, the angler should employ gang hooks so the worm looks completely natural. This theory includes all manner of live bait. When fishing for Rainbow Trout (especially trophies) the live bait needs to be presented as naturally as possible.

Now for lures. There are many different types of lures available to trout anglers. Some of the more popular types would include: Minnow plugs, rooster tails, spinners, spoons, and jigs. For rainbow trout you're goings to want to stick with smaller sizes. Most of the lures that you will use will be ¼ ounce or less. I've caught some very large fish on small lures, so don't be afraid to use these small sizes. Just think about the type of forage that the tout normally eat. That's the size you want to go with. The biggest tip I have as far as lures go is to always make sure that you have back ups of your favorites. The last thing that you want to have happen is to find the lure that's working, only to get snagged and lose it, and then realize that you don't have a back up. I know from experience that this situation is no fun at all.

Trout Fishing Mistakes That Many People Make

I've spent a lot of time writing about the best practices to catch more trout, and I figured it was time to discuss some of the most common trout fishing mistakes and how to avoid them. These simple trout fishing mistakes are easily corrected and easy to avoid if you know what to do. After reading this article you will have no excuse for making these silly mistakes, which incidentally cost you a ton of bites.

So, rather than droning on and on let's get down to business shall we, so that you can begin avoiding these common trout fishing mistakes that are so costly to your fishing success.

1. 
   Using Line That's Too Heavy - I see this all too often. I'll be walking along my favorite trout stream and see discarded fishing line that's heavy enough to land a 20 pound mackerel, and I think to myself, "What in God's name are these people thinking?" Using line that's too heavy is one of the most common trout fishing mistakes. Whenever you are trout fishing (in normal situations) any line heavier than six pound test in complete overkill. I personally use four pound test for all of my trout fishing, and regularly hook and land trout in the 2-5 pound range. Trout are found in very clear water and have very keen eyesight, so using fishing line that's too heavy is a huge problem.
2. 
   Not Paying Attention To Your Hands - This is a big trout fishing faux paux. Trout have a very sensitive sense of smell and can detect unnatural odors easily, and guess what happens if they detect an unnatural odor? That's right, they tend not to bite. So, what's the remedy for this all too common trout fishing mistake? Simply grab a handful of grass or dirt and rub it into your hands before baiting up. Simple enough, huh? Doing this will effectively eliminate any unnatural odors that may be on your hands, so that the trout won't become leery and tend not to bite.
3. 
   Using Hooks That Are Too Large - Many trout anglers make the mistake of using hooks that are entirely too large. The theory with using large hooks is that the bait can be "threaded" onto the hook . This is a huge trout fishing mistake! The way to use bait when trout fishing is to use pre-tied gang hooks to rig said bait, especially if live worms are involved. Gang hooks are simply a pair of small hooks tied in tandem, which not only allows for small hooks to be used, but also enables totally natural presentation. Use gang hooks (size 8 or 10) and you will eliminate the mistake of using hooks that are to large.
4. 
   Not Using Mother Nature To Your Advantage - A big fishing mistake is not using Mother Nature, and more specifically the weather and moon, to your advantage when fishing. Did you realize that these 2 forces of Mother Nature have as much to do with you catching fish as any single factors? Well, it's true and not using this information to your advantage is a huge trout fishing mistake. Take a little time and find out the ways the weather and moon impact fishing and start using this free information to your advantage. Begin using the weather and moon to your advantage sooner, rather than later an you will avoid this popular trout fishing mistake.

Use the simple information contained in this article to your advantage and you will become a much more effective trout angler. Now you can avoid these common trout fishing problems, and take your trout fishing to the next level.

Effective Rainbow Trout Techniques

In this post I'm going to outline a couple of very effective rainbow trout techniques. Rainbow trout are sought after by many anglers, yet for many people they can be difficult to catch. The techniques outlined in this post are very effective and have been working for me personally for more that 25 years. These techniques can be easily modified as well and used effectively for many species of fish.

The first thing to keep in mind in regards to fishing for rainbow trout is that trout are found in cold, clear water and have very keen eyesight. A big mistake that many anglers make is to use fishing line that's much too heavy when fishing for trout. Line heavier than six-pound test should be avoided. My personal preference is four-pound test, but six pound test is passable. Six-pound test is the heaviest line that should be used when fishing for rainbow trout (especially in river and stream situations). Many anglers use line that's much heavier than this and it's a big mistake.

Now for the techniques. The first effective rainbow trout technique is for use in the flowing waters of both rivers and streams. To effectively employ this technique, you will be wading in your favorite trout river. Begin by grabbing the line coming from your rod and tying on a small barrel swivel (size 10 or 12). On the other end of the barrel swivel, tie on a set of pre-tied gang hooks (match the size to the line that you're using). Split shot sinkers are now added for weight (the size and number will vary depending on water conditions). The goal is to have you offering "roll" or "bounce" along the bottom as it flows naturally with the current. A worm (either live or synthetic) is now added to the pre-tied gang hooks. This is the rig.

This baited trout rig is now cast into the current and allowed to flow naturally downstream. Once the rig is directly below you, the drift is over and it's time to reel in and re-cast. This trout technique is extremely effective and with practice you'll easily be able to distinguish between bottom and bites.

The next effective rainbow trout technique is for fishing from the shore, sometimes called still fishing. Rather than worms, you will use synthetic trout bait (the kind that comes in little jars) for bait. Begin by taking the end of your line and slipping on an egg sinker. Now tie on a barrel swivel, which will act as a "stopper" for the egg sinker. Again, a set of pre-tied gang hooksshould be tied on the opposite end of the barrel swivel. Now, trout bait is added to each of the hooks on the set of gang hooks. You want to add enough bait to completely cover each hook (so that no metal is showing). When you're done, you'll have two balls of trout bait hanging from the end of your line.

This rig is now cast into the lake and allowed to sink to the bottom (leave you bail open and watch your line to know when it hits bottom). As you can probably imagine, the trout bait will now be floating off of the bottom as your sinker holds your line on the bottom. At this point prop your rod against a stationary object and slowly reel in the slack line. You want your line to be completely taught. Now it's time to wait for a bite. Your rod tip will start bouncing when a trout bites.

Both of these rainbow trout techniques are effective and will result in trout being caught. How am I so sure of this fact? Because I've been using these techniques to catch rainbows for many years, and if they work for me they will work for anyone. Remember, the best "technique" in the world does little good for someone who isn't willing to invest the time necessary to learn the nuances of said technique.

Rainbow tout can be a very "finicky" fish, and the better you become at the little things, the more success you will have. This is especially true with larger, more experienced fish. Sure the trout that have just come from the hatchery are easy to fool, but "native" fish are a bit more of a challenge.

Trout Fishing Tricks - Proven Tips to Catch More Trout

For more than 25 years I've been fishing for, and catching, trout all across the United States and in that time, I've learned some trout fishing tricks that have been proven to catch trout. In this article I'm going to reveal these trout fishing tricks so that you can use them as well.

These tips come from experience and from my mentor who taught me how to fish for trout more than 25 years ago. This man was the best trout angler I've ever come across, and taught me a lot. When it comes to trout fishing, never forget that there's no substitute for spending time on the water practicing you craft. All the trout fishing tricks in the world will do little to help you without time spent on the water implementing said tricks.

Shall we get down to business and the proven tips to catch more trout?

1. 
   Use Mother Nature To Your Advantage - The first trout fishing trick is to use Mother Nature to your advantage, or more specifically the weather and moon. The weather and moon have as much to with trout biting as the type of bait that you choose to use. There are simple rules (such as fishing when the moon is in the full phase) that can be easily learned and implemented to help you catch more trout.
2. 
   Have Clean Hands - When it comes to trout fishing tricks this is one of the simplest, and most effective. Trout have a very sensitive sense of smell and can easily detect unnatural odors in the water. Our hands carry all kinds of unnatural odors and when we bait up, these odors transfer to our bait or lure. This means that the trout will smell these unnatural odors on out trout bait/lure and will tend not to bite our bait/lure. As trout anglers, we need to make sure are hands are free of any unnatural odors. The trout fishing trick is this: grab a handful of grass or dirt before baiting up, and rub it into your hands. This will effectively "clean" your hands of any unnatural odors.
3. 
   Use Gang Hooks - Gang hooks are the most effective way to present live bait (especially live worms) in a totally natural manner. Of all of the trout fishing tricks in this article, this might be the most important. Presenting your bait in a natural manner makes all the difference in the world when trout fishing. Especially for larger, more experienced trout.

These trout fishing tricks have been helping me catch more trout for more than 25 years and I know they will do the same for you. Give one or all of them a shot for yourself and find out just how effective these tricks are.

Trout Fishing 101

As spring heads into full swing, it can only mean one thing. Springtime means trout fishing. Whether you prefer to fish in lakes that have been stocked with trout or rivers that are home to native trout, there are a few basic things to keep in mind about catching these wonderful and equally beautiful fish. The first and most important thing to keep in mind as far as trout fishing is concerned is your fishing gear.

When I say fishing gear, I'm referring to your fishing rod, fishing reel, and fishing line. For trout fishing in normal situations, nothing heavier than light action rods and reels should be used. I prefer ultra light gear, but nothing heavier than light action is permissible, in my opinion. Trout fishing is a lot more fun and a ton more effective when the proper fishing gear is employed. If you're one of those anglers who use 1 rod and reel for all of your fishing, you need to change this. Using gear that's too heavy for trout fishing will cost you not only bites, but also fish, it's as simple as that. Your fishing reel should be spooled with line no heavier than 6 pound test. I prefer 4 pound test, but 6 pound is the maximum. The first lesson of trout fishing 101 is to have the proper fishing gear.

The second lesson of trout fishing 101 is to use the proper hooks. Yep, I said hooks. It seems as if nothing could be simpler than a fish hook, buy there are certain kinds that should be used. That kind is called gang hooks. Gang hooks are simply 2 small hooks tied in tandem, rather than 1 single hook. Is this simple? Yes it is, but it's also very important. You see, a set of gang hooks enables the angler to present bait in a totally natural manner. They also enable the angler to present twice as much bait when using something like salmon eggs or Powerbait. Both of these aspects are an incredible advantage to the average trout angler.

The third lesson of trout fishing 101 is to become as efficient as possible. The more time that you can spend with your line in the water, the better your chances of catching a fish, it's as simple as that. This means that the more efficient you become, the more time your line spends in the water. Employing things like a bait bag is a great way to become more efficient. A bait bag is simply a small bag that hangs from your vest, which you can carry your bait in. For example, if you fish with live worms, you simply place the worms in the bag and go fishing. A bait bag is the only way to carry them. With the help of a bait bag, you spend less time fumbling around for your worms and have them waiting right there at your fingertips.

These simple tips complete the trout fishing 101 lesson. Begin using them when you go trout fishing and you'll be well on your way to catching fish. Remember what Steven Wright said of us anglers, "There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore looking like an idiot." Hopefully, these tips will help you avoid the 'looking like an idiot' part of that quote.

Best Ways to Catch Trout - Rainbow Trout Fishing Tips

In this article I'm going to outline a few simple, yet extremely effective rainbow trout fishing tips. Are these the best ways to catch trout? This of course would be up for debate, but I can tell you from experience that for the past twenty plus years of fishing for and catching trout these tips have been the best ways to catch trout for me, and I have to assume they will be the same for you.

When we're talking about rainbow trout it's important to understand a little bit about them. These fish are voracious predators and are very often at the top of the food chain for the river system that they reside. This means that rainbow trout usually aren't that difficult to catch, especially when the proper techniques and equipment is employed. Larger rainbow trout (like most fish species) don't like to expend a ton of energy catching food, so they will find a good ambush spot and tend to sit there and wait for food to come to them. Locating and fishing these area's thoroughly is of the utmost importance when large rainbow trout are the target.

Below I will list the two best ways to catch trout that I've experienced during my twenty five years of trout fishing experience. Each of these techniques is effective and has their time and place when fishing for rainbow trout.

1. 
   The Rooster Tail Technique - Although various spinners are effective for catching trout my favorite has always been the Rooster Tail. As far as sizes go, you're going to want to have a variety available. Having a couple of rooster tails in sizes ranging from 3/16 to 1/2 ounce is always a good idea. I've always had more success with darker colors such as black, brown, and green. The key is to have a few choices available so that you can experiment to find the most effective. Attach your rooster tail to your line using a piece of line attached to a small barrel swivel. 12 to 18 inches will normally suffice. I like to cast roster tails into pools and deep water runs where it looks like there are good ambush areas such as boulders or fallen trees. It's always a good idea to vary the speed of your retrieve and even 'snap' your rod tip as you reel in. Many times this will trigger a strike.
2. 
   The Live Worm Technique - Of all the rainbow trout fishing tips that you'll ever get this one may be the best. Live worms are an extremely effective trout bait, especially when rigged on a set of gang-hooks. These hooks allow for the most natural and realistic presentation of a live worm that's possible. Attach the gang hooks to your line by again using a small barrel swivel. Weight is added by using split shot sinkers above the swivel. The same areas of the river will be fished as mentioned above. With this technique you fish much more slowly ant thoroughly though. The goal is to bounce your offering along the bottom as it flows naturally with the current of the water that you're fishing. Many times trout find this technique all but irresistible.

When it comes to rainbow trout fishing tips these are two of the best ways to catch our multi colored friends that you will ever come across. Give one or both of them a shot for yourself and find out exactly what I'm talking about.