The trout; a fish that puts up a hard fight and is very elusive at times. These fish are some of my favorite not just to fish for but also to eat. The trout is some of the finest fishing, and eating in North America. They populate almost every stream or river in the west and are stocked in ponds in the east. These fish are sure to be fun to catch, but just how do you catch them?

What is in a trout fisherman’s arsonal at all times

1. A good rod with a light fast action, rigged with  2-6 pound line.
2. At least 3 or 4 extra spinners or hooks (size 14-10) if you break off.
3. A creel, for any fish you catch.
4. Pliers.
5. Line cutter or finger nail clippers, to cut your extra line.
6. Waders.
7. Pant cuffs.
8. Extra weights, for the hooks.
9. slamon eggs.

What to look for when fishing a river

When you’re fishing a river, you want to find a spot where a trout could get the most food with the least energy spent. This is usually behind a rock or other structure where the river current is weak, but the trout can still see in the current. Another place is a bridge or cove or even a hole in a deep current. If there is a weak current you can bet there will be a trout there.

Trouts have really good eyesight, so they can see any bugs or fish that goes through the current; this means that there is no spot too rough for a trout. Aditional, this means if you cast your bait past a rock a few times, there is a high chance the trout has seen your bait and is just not interested.

How to select the right bait 

When it comes to trout fishing, there are two main baits. The first is spinners. Spinners are the bait with a blade that is gold or silver in color. The blade will spin through the water imitating a dying baitfish.

The second bait is salmon eggs. Salmon eggs are orange or green bait that is in the shape of a ball. A salmon egg gets a fish’s attention by the smell, which can attract fish from a long way away.

There are different areas to use each bait. If you are fishing a river then you want to use spinners. Spinners work well on any trout, whether stocked or wild, but I have had more luck in rivers with wild trout. If you are fishing in a reservoir where fish are stocked, then I prefer salmon eggs, this is because in a reservoir the sent can travel better.

How to fish with each bait

There are a few different ways to fish with each bait. When it comes to spinners, all you have to do is cast and reel. You will have to play around with the speed of your reel, and it’s different for each fish. 

If you’re fishing a river and you see a spot where the current is broken, like a rock, then you want to get your spinner right behind the rock. What you have to take into account is that the current will take your bait downstream; this means you want to cast in front of the rock a bit, that the current takes it right behind the rock, where the trout is likely to be. 

When fishing in a river where there are rocks you want to keep your rod tip up or down depending on how deep the water is. If your bait is in a shallow area you want to keep your rod tip higher if it’s deep you want your rod tip lower. You want to find a medium between low and high. You will lose a lot of spinners, it is just part of it.

When fishing with salmon eggs then you want to cast into a point in the water or a cove or any spot fish hang out and let your bait sit. If you don’t get any bites then you want to raise your bait a little bit by raising your rod tip. if you don’t get a bite after 5 to 8 minutes try a new spot 

How to set the hook and reel in the fish

This part of fishing deserves its section because it is very important. I would have way more trout right now if I had set the hook better.

When it comes to setting the hook and reeling in the fish, there is a technique to it; If you don’t follow it you will be very mad at how many fish you lost. You don’t want to set the hook as hard as you can, as you would with bass, more of a fast pull backward like you would set the hook on bluegill. Make sure you have all your slackline reeled up when you set the hook. with trout, you have a small window of time to set the hook. Trouts are very good at biting something and then spitting it back out, they will not hold onto the bait long.

When reeling in the fish DON’T horse it, I can not stress this enough. I can’t tell you how many big trout I lost because I reeled too hard. My two biggest trout ever I didn’t horse them, and I got him in with no problems. So no matter what, do not horse the fish.

How to clean a trout

When you catch your prize you want to enjoy your hard work, to do this you have to know how to clean a fish. Trout are different than other fish when you clean them.

First, go right behind the gill plate and cut the head off; Next, make an incision down the belly to the anus then pull the guts out. Now you will see a bloodline against the spine; you will want to scrape this out with your fingernail. Now you have a clean trout ready for the frying pan.

I hope this article has inspired you to try trout fishing it is an amazing and fun activity. You will have a blast even if you just go out for a little bit. Remember, the best advice you will ever get is from the locals; they have way more information than anyone else.

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