Trout

Trout are a brillant sportsfishing proposition and they attract millions of anglers world wide who love to fish for them in all types of water from tiny creeks to huge man made impoundments. They love lures and will take them anywhere from the surface to the bottom.

Small creeks are great fun to fish and the smaller lures are the ones that give the best results here. The RMG Scorpion 35 is a standout creek lure. It casts very well for a small lure and trout love it.
In running water the best results come by casting the little Scorpion upstream and bringing it back faster than the current. Trout face upstream and they are used to seeing their food coming from that direction. If the current is not strong and there are some potholes in the creek, you can cast the scorpion downstream and slowly retrieve it against the current. Trout will often dart out from the holes or from behind rocks to nail the lure. The rainbow trout, brown trout and frog colours are very successful but when fishing for trout it pays to have every colour you can find in the tackle box. Trout are fickle creatures and what works today might not work tomorrow. The key with trout is to keep on changing lures and colours until you find one that works on the day or even for a few hours. Any of the small Laser Pro lures also work well on trout and they have a slightly wider action that often appeals.

Metal lures are also very effective on trout and they can be cast, trolled and jigged to very good effect. The five, ten and twenty gram Halco Wobblers really appeal to trout and the sparkler version is particularly good. When casting from the bank try to gain maximum distance and use a steady retrieve that allows the lure to wobble and dart. These lures are probably at their best in larger creeks and rivers and they are brilliant in large lakes. If the fishing is slow, let the lure settle right to the bottom and then retrieve it right through the water column.

At times, especially in the largest lakes, the Halco Hexagon Sparkler is a very efficient trout lure. Because these lures are heavy, they can be cast a long way and as they work best with a fairly fast retrieve, a lot of water can be covered in a hurry.

Jigging for trout in deep water, both from a boat and in countries where it is cold enough, through an ice hole, is a very successful tactic. The Halco Twisty, Halco Sliced Sparkler, and the Halco Hexagon Sparkler are all good lures for jigging. Some anglers attach a fly a couple of feet above the jig to increase their chances of catching a trout.

The Tilsan Minnow has proven itself to be a fantastic trout lure and it was designed with trout firmly in mind. You can cast the Tilsan minnow in rapids or deep holes and it really shines as a trolling lure in large lakes. The rainbow trout, brown trout, jindy green, and yellow attractor are proven deadly trout colours. If I had to choose one trout lure to catch a fish and my life was on the line, I would choose a Tilsan Minnow in brown trout and troll it in about fifteen feet of water over a weed-bed.

For really large trout at night, you could try a Halco Nightwalker. The slow gurgling action and the luminous bib could bring just about anything to the surface on a big dark lake. You might want to get your heart checked before throwing this lure into water where jumbo trout live!

By Kaj Busch