My style of float fishing doesn't depend on rattles and gurgles. While rattle and chugger floats are wonderful trout fishing tools, these noisy floats seem to work better during the fall trout bite, when shrimp are a main part of a trout's forage. In the spring, all minnowtype baits seem to produce better and bigger fish for me.
The floats I use are the simple, inexpensive, weighted clip-on style. Not only do I like the cost, but the ability to simply slide the float up or down to adjust the depth is invaluable. For live bait, I use almost exclusively a No. I know many anglers prefer to use circle hooks, but I stick with J-style hooks for live-bait trout fishing. Rarely do I gut-hook a trout, and I feel I get a better hook-set than with circle hooks.
Moreover, it's difficult to convince a fisherman holding a rod to not set the hook when a float goes down! These small hooks also don't hinder or tire bait as much as a larger hook will. In terms of weights, I typically use one or two split-shots 4 to 6 inches above the hook.
The decision to use one or two depends on the size of the bait and the desired depth to be fished. A good rule of thumb is to always use the absolute lightest weight possible.
More weight impedes the natural movement of the bait. I'm fortunate to be friends with some of the best soft-plastic fishermen in our area. These guys just don't fish with live bait at all. When you're that committed to artificials, you become pretty darn good at it. These fellows catch trout year-round on artificials and do very well from early to late spring.
In general, I've found that the same softplastic baits that catch trout in the fall and winter will produce during the spring. I often use grubs to prospect to find fish for the simple reason that I can cover a lot of territory fast with them. If the artificial bite slows or becomes inconsistent, I'll switch to live bait and continue the catch.
My two favorite grubs are the 4-inch paddletail and 3-inch rat-tail, both by Saltwater Assassin. The 3-inch rat-tails aren't terribly popular, but they do a great job of imitating a glass minnow, on which trout feed heavily. While these are the particular brand I use, by no means are they the only brand that do a great job catching trout. As far as grub colors and jig heads go, everyone has their favorites.
Honestly, they will all catch fish. As the trout become more aggressive and begin to feed in shallower water in the spring, top-water action can be tremendous. Top-water trout fishing can be fast, furious and exciting. While the bite more often than not is confined to dawn and dusk, on cloudy days it can go on for hours. My style of retrieve is a bit erratic and probably faster than most use.
My good friend Corey Hume uses a baitcaster and has the slowest, sweetest walk-the-dog retrieve imaginable, while mine seems to be done by someone with arm spasms! That said, we typically catch equal numbers when we fish together. There is one other benefit to top-water trout action - some of my biggest trout each year are caught on top-water plugs. Another popular type of trout lures are what I call "twitch baits," which are suspending, hard lures such as MirroLures.
Honestly, I rarely use them, but again, my fishing buddy Corey is deadly with them. Subscribe to our Newsletter and get all the information you need to learn, plan, and equip for your next fishing adventure. Sign-up to receive our monthly newsletter with interesting blogs about fishing and boating. Get fishing tips and tricks and read personal stories from anglers who live and breathe fishing and boating. Learn new fishing skills, boating resources, fishing etiquette, conservation and more. Get Licensed.
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Register A Boat Register your boat today. Learn how to register your vessel, boating laws and more. Trout is accessible year-round as the same as freshwater fishing , but to increase your chances of success, follow these trout fishing tips: Conventional wisdom suggests that late spring is the best time to catch trout, especially if you're looking for larger fish.
The warmer it gets, the more fishing pressure from other anglers, the thicker the grass and brush surrounding their habitats and the lower the water levels. Although regarded as a myth by some, the trout could be more educated on avoiding lures and bait later in the season. Rule of thumb: If the air temperature is uncomfortable for you below freezing or scorching hot , it will be uncomfortable for the trout as well, since they are cold blooded and their body temperatures reflect the temperature of the water they swim in.
Trout are most actively feeding in comfortable water temperatures between 34 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Trout feeding picks up just as the water temperature rises one degree above 40, 45 and 49 degrees Fahrenheit, so taking the water temperature every hour is beneficial.
Since trout don't have eyelids and can't dilate their pupils, they must seek shade in extreme sun to avoid bright lights. If possible, fish under cloud cover when water temperatures are cooler or look for shady areas where you can quietly wade in with rubber boots. It's common to see anglers fishing right before dusk until dark, or even under a full moon, hoping to catch bigger fish the darker it is.
We shared a love of the outdoors and that was a pretty good foundation to build on. Through lessons learned prying errant casts from trees and bushes, freeing snags from unseen obstacles, baiting hooks, selecting lures, and handling fish, we both became better anglers and more importantly, better communicators.
Sheltered by the newness of our relationship, lessons were heartfelt and filled with patience. We grew together as anglers and found an increased enjoyment as fishing buddies. After years of fishing together, our skills found parity. I still claim to catch the most fish and she claims she usually catches the biggest fish. But we both enjoy our time on the water in our own ways while creating memories together. Now it was our turn to become mentors — the chance to share our hard-earned knowledge with our son, Theo.
We were ready to take the first steps toward passing on our love of fishing while creating a new lifelong fishing buddy. With confidence and years of experience in my quiver, the first outing with my 4 year old son was to be nothing short of magical. After practicing to cast and collecting gear over the winter months, we picked our ideal fishing spot and settled in for a day on the water.
This was not going to be the experience I had envisioned. Years of lessons learned and now I can offer some advice for parents taking their kids fishing for the first time, as well as beginners trying to catch their first fish.
Hopefully, these tips will help you avoid some of the frustration and struggles that we experienced and set you up for a great first day of spring fishing!
My earliest experiences fishing with my son were a true test of my patience. Over the years, I learned to temper my expectations and enjoy the experience.
As Theo has grown as an angler, we now challenge ourselves with a variety of fishing adventures. Yet every spring, we look forward to starting our season at the same fishing spot where he caught his first fish. Not only do we catch a lot of trout, but each trip produces a competition, a new story and memories that will last a lifetime.
TIP: CPW offers a number of spring fishing events where novice anglers can test gear and learn fishing techniques. Written by Doug Skinner. Well written article! I saw my Grandson catch his first fish in Eleven mile canyon not the easiest place for a child to catch a fish.
I let him reel it him by his self and I can still see his big smile in my mind to this day and I always will. My first fishing trip with my son sounds a lot like yours was. I think we caught more crawdads than trout that day, and I spent more time putting on worms and untangling line than I did with a rod in my hand.
But in the end he enjoyed being outdoors, so that was the big win. Thanks for sharing your story Doug. Thanks for this advice for catching trout. It sounds important to research the area to get an idea where the best fishing spots are.
My husband and I want to take our kids fishing and wanted some tips on making the trip fun! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.
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