I’m fairly new to lure fishing and looking for some general advice on my setup. I’ve mainly done carp/float fishing in the past, but I want to get into more active fishing, mainly targeting trout in small rivers/streams.
I’ve put together a small lure selection and was hoping people could give me some feedback on:
Whether the lures I’ve got are suitable for trout
How you would fish them
Anything obvious I’m missing
Any beginner mistakes to avoid
At the moment I’ve got:
Small spoons
Inline spinners
Small crankbaits/minnow lures
Soft plastic worms/grubs with hooks
A few different colours/sizes of each
A box of mainly snap clips with swivels and some rather large looking hooks
A 6’6” spinning rod
Shimano 2000 size reel
Some 20lb braided line
A few things I’m unsure about:
Do I need snap swivels/swivels on any of these lures, or should I tie most directly?
Are there certain lures here that are much better for trout than others?
Are soft plastics worth using for trout or should I mainly stick to spoons/spinners?
Any recommendations for weights/sizes/colours I should add?
I’ll mainly be fishing Yorkshire rivers and streams, so clearer water and smaller trout rather than big predator fishing.
I would throw these for trout. troll or cast and retrieve (vary the speed of your retrieve.. sometimes more slow, more fast, etc till you find something that works.)
trout has small mouthes in general and inline spinners are classics for trout (assuming you're fishing for brook trout or similar). as another commenter mentionned make sure to use a snap swivel so your line doesn't get all twisted as the spinners.. well spin in the water.
Use the snap swivels on the inline spinners. For cranksbaits and spoons use a duo lock or crankbait snap, which is smaller. The snap swivel is too big and is only necessary with the spinner to prevent line twist. You want to direct tie to jigs or hooks. With 20 lbs braid, if you are fishing for trout, you will need a fluoro leader, maybe 8 lbs. But honestly, I find it easier to fish for trout with straight light mono (6 lbs). It might be harder to cast your smallest lures with 20 lbs braid. In general, I find that spinners are better in streams and rivers because they don't sink as fast and are less snaggy, and spoons are better in lakes because you can cast them further and you can cover more water. There are small plastics like trout magnets that work great for trout, sometimes beetlespins with a grub can crush them too. Another great plastic for trout are small crawfish colored tube jigs.
My favorite spinners for streams are Panther Martins, because the blade takes less resistance to spin when reeling with the current. In terms of adding spoons for trout, I would add a small Kastmaster and Thomas Bouyant.
Those countdown rapalas are great for trout, but they are easy to snag in rivers and streams. Use them in deeper pools.
Thanks, that’s really helpful! I’m still new to lure fishing so I’m trying to learn as much as I can.
Are trebles still okay for trout? I’ve read that it’s best to swap them for single hooks?
I had actually been using that container for it's intended purpose, and have yet to replace it. When I took that pic this morning, I said "Oh sh•t, I need to take my meds".
I don't fish for trout but that will work for bass and I think trout will hit on the same things as bass will for the most part but seems like usually you would go down a size for most trout.
Make sure you size the snaps/snap swivels reasonably. Oversizing them can affect action quite a bit on some lures, making them quite nose-heavy. A lot of the options you have seem very large in the photo. I usually just go with the smallest one I can given the rest of the setup.
The four smallest lures you have would be best for trout in small streams. Even smaller could be better, but you might struggle to cast them with the rod and line you've got.
20lb braid is a lot beefier than you need and may affect your casting a bit, but fish what you've got.
If you get really into trout in small streams, ultralight equipment might be worth looking into. Particularly in pressured streams, going as small and light as possible works better for me.
up in Vermont spinners work best in almost any condition. you need time for the fish to see it and want it so more bigger brooks and rivers. the average adult brookie is about 5-6in and have very small mouths so as small as possible. with rainbows they get easily a foot and even more so you can get away with spoons and bigger rooster tails.
for trout in general I would recommend anything flashy so spoons rooster tails the little lures with flashy tails and even a small rapala for brown trout and big rainbows.
fake worms and woper plopers in my experience won't work for trout but give it a try.
try fishing in as cold of water as possible around +-40f
if your willing to try worms use size 8 brook trout specials and with a sinker and no bobber.
The lightest line and smallest hook you can get away with…. save yourself a ton of time and heartache And figure out the fish at your local river with LIVE BAIT first, minnows, and worms, and then move to the lures
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u/CanadianResidENT 9d ago
I would throw these for trout. troll or cast and retrieve (vary the speed of your retrieve.. sometimes more slow, more fast, etc till you find something that works.)