Trout Fishing Tips

It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people will sit there watching trout rise or jump out of the water for insects and never move try and cast their line into that spot.

Figuring out where trout are hanging out is half the battle. But once you do figure it out, you can improve your chances of catching them by casting your line into that spot. Trout are lazy fish - they don't want to work hard for a meal. So if you present your offering to them, you have a better chance of getting them to take it.

But watching trout rise (or jump) is important for another reason. In addition to telling you where trout are - it also tells you that they're feeding near the surface of the water. And if you're lake fishing - this information is especially important!

Lakes are usually deep and so there are different feeding zones. As the day progresses, trout may change feeding zones. When you see them rising (or jumping), you know they're actively feeding near the water's surface - so you'll want to keep your bait near or close to the surface of the water (in other words, you don't want to be bottom fishing deep in the lake when trout aren't there).

Watching trout rise is another of those telltale signs that gives you a couple of bits of information which can in turn help you choose the right fishing technique.

Labels: trout fishing tips, trout secrets, trout tactics, trout tips

One of the biggest keys to successful trout fishing is being observant. There are usually telltale signs around you that will give you an advantage of how and where to catch trout.

Watching the birds is one of these telltale signs. Birds have an uncanny ability to spot trout in the water from the air! If you pay attention to the section of water they're flying over and where they're swooping down to grab fish, you'll know where the trout are!

And if you know where the trout are hanging out, you'll have a better chance of catching them!

You'll notice in the image above, that this Osprey has a trout in his claws. I took this picture a few weeks ago at my while I was fishing at Lynx Lake. I watched as he swooped down and grabbed the trout from the lake. By being observant, I was able to stay in touch with where the trout were hanging out in the lake that day and make sure our kids took home their bag limit.

Watching the birds (as well as the rest of your environment) is important when trout fishing. Being observant of these little telltale signs will make you a better trout angler!

Labels: trout fishing, trout fishing secrets, trout tips, Watch the birds

Brook trout are fall spawners so many trout anglers consider this to be the best time to catch them. And since brook trout need cool, clean streams in order to spawn, you can often find them in making their way into tributaries this time of year.

Like other trout species, brook trout like to hang out near boulders, logs and other structures that provide cover and security. They feed on worms, grasshoppers, and other insects.

When fishing in lakes, try trolling near shore with worms or spinners tipped with worms. Salmon eggs, Wooly Buggers, and dark colored nymphs are also effective. Corn is also effective on hatchery brook trout.

Artificial flies are also work well when fishing for brook trout – especially dry flies, streamers and nymphs that imitate natural food sources.

Keep in mind that of all the trout species, brook trout are usually pretty small and if fishing in streams or small rivers, you’ll need to use light tackle (2-4 lb test). In lakes, you can usually get away with using 4-6 lb test line.

Although most brook trout are pretty small, there have been some amazing trophy-size brookies caught. In 2006, an angler in Manitoba caught a 29 inch brookie. Although this catch would have most likely given him the world record, he released it after snapping a few photographs - thereby eliminating his chance of a world record. However, in 2007, the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame awarded this angler a catch and release record.

Labels: Brook trout, trout fishing tips, trout tips

Often times when I'm trout fishing my favorite lake, I'll spend the day reeling trout after trout while others around struggle to hook one. We may even be using the techniques (shore fishing with powerbait on a sinker) ... yet I'll catch trout, and they won't.

Sound familiar? Here's one of my trout tips for you ...

What these folks often don't know is that I'm also using trout attractant - which can sometime mean the difference between a good day at the lake and a bad one.

Like it or not, we have a human smell. And this human smell is often transferred to your line and bait as you handle them. If you're a smoker, it can be even worse. One of the ways to fix this problem is to put a dab of trout attractant on your leader and bait.

You can buy the stuff in any sporting goods store (even in Wal-mart). Attractant is specially designed for different types of fish (trout, bass, game fish, etc.). You'll either want the trout formula or the one for live game fish.

Although you can "spray" this stuff on your bait, I like to remove the cap and use the tube attached to the lid to wipe attractant on my leader and bait (sometimes, I'll even dip my bait into the bottle).

Trout attractant gives your offering a bit of edge over other angler's. If you're struggling to catch trout, you might want to pick up a bottle and give it a try!

Labels: trout attractant, trout tips

In the past two weeks, I've made several trips to Lynx Lake in Prescott, Arizona to enjoy the fall trout fishing action. I've been teaching my nephews and their friends how to trout fish ... so we've taken full advantage of their days off school.

As usual, we've managed to walk away with our daily bag limit on each fishing trip. But in addition to sharing our boy's excitement when they reel in their catch, one of the more interesting things to me is watching others around us get skunked.

It doesn't take long before they start moving in closer to us (thinking we've found a secret trout hole), and eventually they start asking our secret - of which I'm always happy to share (especially when there's kids involved).

Anybody can bait a hook and throw it into a lake and wait for trout to swim by. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. But the good anglers are always paying attention to the little things .... such as outdoor temperatures (especially water temps), where trout are rising, and other things.

These are the things that separate intermediate trout fishers from advanced ones. If you want to be a successful trout fisher, you need to understand these things and adjust your fishing tactics accordingly. And the longer your fishing day, the more changes you may have to make.

Fall is one of the best times of the year to be out trout fishing. Water temperatures are cool, and so trout are usually actively feeding near the surface. Pay attention to where they're rising (or jumping). That will tell you where they're feeding - and if you look closely, you may even see what they're feeding on!

Trout are lazy fish - they don't want to work hard for a meal. So if you can get your baited hook to them (rather than wait for them to swim by and find it), you'll have a greater chance of catching trout.

For more trout secrets and tips, check out the "Trout Fishing Tips" eBook. Take advantage of the fall trout season while you can!

Labels: arizona, Fall trout fishing, lynx lake, trout fish, trout fishing, trout secrets, trout tips

Trout are slippery! They have a protective slime all over there bodies which helps protect them from infectious diseases. If this slime is removed from the trout's skin, they may not be able to fight off infectious diseases.

When you're reeling in a trout, you pretty much know if it's a keeper before you get it out the water. Anything under 6 inches is too small to keep. And many anglers practice catch and release all the time.

So when you're reeling in the fish, you want to be careful not to reel it upon shore It's best to remove the hook from the fish while it's in the water (or at least pull it up out of the water). Letting a trout flop around the ground, deck, boat, etc. can cause harm to it's scales and protective slime.

You want to be careful handling your catch so as to minimize the amount of slime and scales that are removed. Get the hook out as fast as possible while handling the trout as little as you can. If the trout is large and you can remove the hook while keeping the trout's head underwater, that's even better.

You can still take a moment to take photos of the trout you intend to release. Just try and do it quickly and hold the fish by the tail and belly (as shown in the picture) to help minimize damage to it.

When releasing the fish back into the water, you want to keep in mind that it may be tired from the fight and may need a bit help to regain it's strength so it can swim off again.

You can help out by lowering the trout's head in the water and moving it back and forth to force water through it's gills. Hold the fish by the tail until it shows signs of being able to swim off by itself. You don't want to let the fish go if it's too tired to swim away.

Practicing catch and release helps protect and preserve fishing resources. As anglers, we want to do our part by not causing the fish undue harm.

This trout tip (and more) can be found in the eBook, "Trout Fishing Tips".

Labels: catch and release tips, handling trout, holding trout, how to hold trout, trout tips

Fishing during the summer months are the most challenging months for trout fishers. That's because trout are cold blooded fish. They prefer cooler water temperatures (50-68 degrees Fahrenheit, on average).

And as much as we all love to be outdoors enjoying the warm sunshine, the hot sun tends to heat our lakes and streams so that trout become uncomfortable. This doesn't mean you can't catch trout in the summer months - because you can! It just means you might have to adjust your tactics a bit.

Here are five Summer Trout Fishing Tips:

Trout Tip #1 - Fish early morning (dawn til about 10 a.m.) or early evening (dusk til dark). Water temperatures are cooler during these times and insects are out - so trout will be feeding near the surface of the water.

Trout Tip #2 - Keep an eye on water temperature as the day progresses (using a water thermometer will help). Once surface water temperatures rise above 70 degrees, you know that trout have headed for shaded or deeper water.

Trout Tip #3 - Look for shaded pools or pockets of water. Trout will often be found holding in them when water temperatures rise.

Trout Tip #4 - If lake fishing, rent a boat (if you don't own one). During the summer months (especially mid day), trout will be in deeper water (which is usually in the center of a lake or near a dam).

Trout Tip #5 - Us e a fish finder! When lake fishing during summer months, it can be difficult to find where trout are holding and feeding. Fish finders will not only tell where trout are, but also at which depth (so you know exactly where to fish).

You'll find more tips in the "Trout Fishing Tips" eBook - as well a a better understanding of why summer months are so challenging to trout fishers, but these are five important tips if you want to improve your chances of catching trout.

Labels: fishing during summer months, summer trout fishing tips, trout fishing tips, trout tips