As springtime begins to wind down and summertime approaches like a freight train, many anglers begin to think about trout fishing. Catching a trout isn't usually a very difficult proposition, especially in area's where trout are stocked by the state. The difficulty comes with catching trophy trout, but that's another article. For this article we're simply discussing how to catch a trout, not trophy trout.

When fishing for trout, whether they be stocked or native, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, trout's senses are quite keen. Trout have excellent vision and their sense of smell is quite good as well. This means if you pay attention to simple things like the color of your clothes and the scent on your hands, you'll have a much better chance to catch a trout. When going trout fishing, opt for drab colored clothing, rather than bright or fluorescent colors, and always pay attention to your shadow. Casting a shadow on the area you intend to fish will result in many fewer bites. Keeping your hands free of the smell of foreign substances is a great idea as well. For example, if you smoke, always clean your hands before baiting up. Or if you recently pumped gas, the same rule applies. As a matter of fact, I always grab a clump of grass or dirt before any fishing session begins. I rub the grass or dirt in my hands for a minute or so, then wash my hands in the water, just to make sure there aren't any foreign scents on my hands. Any strange scents will transfer to the bait that your using and trout can smell this and are much less apt to bite.

A trout's vision is quite keen as well. This means that the presentation of your bait is very important. The more natural your bait appears to the trout, the better. If you're using live worms as bait, for example, you want that worm to appear as natural as possible. This means that gang hooks should be employed. Gang hooks are simply two hooks tied in tandem, which enables you to present a live worm in an outstretched and natural manner. This will result in more bites than "threading" a live worm onto a single large hook. With a little research on knots gang hooks can be tied yourself or they can be purchased, the point is that if you intend to catch a trout with live bait, gang hooks need to be used.

In most cases you want to fish for trout at or nears the bottom. In river and stream situations this means bouncing your offering off the bottom as it flows naturally downstream. In lake and pond situations this means a bottom rig, with your bait floating off of the bottom. With baits like Power bait, they are designed to float, whereas with live baits like worms a marshmallow or two can be added to the bottom rig to help the worm float off of the bottom.

Catching a trout normally isn't a very tough thing to do, and if you follow this advice, it will be that much easier. Once you get these basics down, you can begin to turn your attention to fishing for trophy trout, which is what we should all strive for. Catching trophy trout with the techniques discussed in this article is as much fun as can be had with your clothes on, and something we should all aspire to.

Return to Index

 

Copyright 2007 SunshineStateFishing.Com All Rights Reserved