Trout fishing is a well-liked hobby. People worldwide would want to fish a trophy trout like a professional angler, but this is not an easy job for a beginner as it requires the right time, place, and equipment. One must also master the art of attracting a trout towards the trap. However, this article will come in handy if you want to enjoy a smooth fishing session. Imagine cutting your first-ever trout fishing setup! and winning the lottery, if that is what you are looking for, then you have landed at the right place. You will surely ace your fishing if you follow these tips and tricks.
What Is a Trout?
Trout is a term used for different creatures in the water. A trout is closely related to the species of salmon. They can be found in North America and Eurasia, and people find their use in games and foods. These species can survive independently of one another and are distributed over a wide range.
Where Is Trout Found?
Different species of trout live in different kinds of water bodies, for example, lake trout live in freshwater lakes and rivers, whereas rainbow trout can be found in the sea along with freshwater. The commonly preferred species of anglers are Brown, Brook, and Rainbow Trout You can find a perfect trout if you search for it at a place that satisfies its basic needs.
Things necessary for a trout to survive are
- Clean and cool water
- Food (insects, minnows and crawfish
- Shelter and protection
Behaviour and Preferences of Trout
You must know your prey and its behavior for a catch. Trout-like freshwater bodies with a few species having the capacity to tolerate salty water. They prefer a cool and calm environment. They feed upon insects, crustaceans, leeches, and worms. Larger trout feed upon smaller fish as well. The favorite snack of trout is minnows, they gather around it in large groups, hence if you are in search of a trout gobble, minnows are your best friends.
Habitat of Trout
Their habitats depend upon the movement of water.
- Still water-ponds and lakes
- Moving water-streams and rivers
Hence the movement, location, and tactics of the fish vary accordingly.
Still Waters
Trout tends to move and cruise across the ponds and lakes for food. Hence it is hard to find them in one place unless they are having a rest or are hiding from predators. It is also more likely that they won’t move farther away from their habitat. Hence you can get lucky fishing
- Above or close to vegetation
- Near rocks, logs, and stones
- In deep waters (especially during the warm summer months when the fish is looking for cool water. Or when it is hiding from the predators ahead)
The best season for fishing is spring and fall when the water is neither too hot nor too cold. This is the time during which trout is active and is near the surface of the water.
Moving Waters
Trout prefers to stay in one place in streams and rivers as the food comes floating with the water currents. It stays close to a hard object under water which would prevent it from drifting away in the water. Hence they are found :
- Behind a rock or a fallen log
- Near steep banks
- Deep under the water where the water currents are slower
Again the best time of the year is spring and fall, but as the water gets cool, they are most likely to be found near moving waves of the water or near ripples.
Best Season for Trout Fishing
You can get lucky at any time of the year and in any season, but the prime trout fishing season is the spring and the fall season when the water is both warm and cold. The secret lies in the fact that the fish are more active and more likely close to the water surface.
There is more vegetation during these months and hence more fish breeds, which ultimately leads to a larger population. Hence this is the best time of the year for setting up a trap for catching a trout.Now that you are familiar with all the hiding spots and secrets of this treat, you are ready to learn about the basic requirements of the setup.
Tools and Equipment for Trout Fishing Setup
The specific requirement of the tools for fishing depends upon the area, the type of fish, and the technique used. Here is all that you require to enjoy smooth fishing
- Any fishing rod would work as long as it is between 7-9 feet and 1-8 pounds
- A matching reel of sizes C30, C40 and C50
- Bait hooks (professional anglers don’t use just any hooks; they prefer the ones that can effectively penetrate the mouth of the fish. These are of medium size)
- Swivel
- A few bobbers (red or white)
- Bobber stop beads
- net
- #5 lead split shots
- Suitable baits (worms, crickets, Berkley trout worms: they are just like normal worms but last longer than those)
There is a technique known as Fly-fishing, which is an effective way of fishing used by many anglers. The main purpose of this technique is to fool a fish with a fake fly made of animal hair and skin. The equipment requirement for this is specified below:
- Graphite fly rod of about 9 feet or under this
- Fly fishing lines ranging from 4 pounds to 30 pounds test. The weight mainly depends upon the depth
- Matching fly reel
- Spools of 4x and 5x tippet
- Fake flies
It is advised to have multiple spools in case you run out of one so you don’t have to stop midstream. These are all the equipment you need for setting up an effective fish trap.
Best Set up for That Trophy Trout
For finicky feeders like trout, one must master the art of attracting the fish which requires the right bait at the right time. Choosing the right rig also matters in this case. You are more than halfway done if you find out the perfect rig. If you are not familiar with the term rig, don’t worry, I got you. A rig is a setup of the equipment to fit in the situation. It can be on the boat, carried by the hand, or on a rod.
To know the right technique to fit in the situation, you must keep in mind the following tips
- Your location of fishing
- Movement of water
- Weather updates
- You must have the best equipment that falls under your budget
- And the most important of all is patience
There are plenty of ways of fishing for a trout and it is hard to name all the ways possible, however, the top tier is mentioned below.
Fixed Bobber Rig
- When to use it: this is one of the easiest rigs to set up and is perfect for a beginner to start with. This is effective for shallow water or when the trout is on the surface of the water.
- How to set it up:
- Attach the bobber to the line
- Tie the end of the line with a hook
- Now add weight so that the bait is weighed down
The bobbers normally used for this rig are round ones but it is better to use a pencil-shaped one to reduce the friction when the fish pulls on it.
Slip Bobber Technique
Slip bobber rig is a commonly used tap and should be a part of every angler’s arsenal.
When to use it
this is a perfect setup for fishing in mid-water; when the fish is neither at the surface nor the ooze of the water body. The best part of it is that you can fish even at a depth of 50 feet, all you need to do is just pull the line off the reel and pull the knot up.
How to set it up
- Tie a knot on the main line
- Use a small bobber stop bead to stop the knot against the bobber. These beads come pre-rigged commercially, so you don’t need to worry about that.
- The next step is to slide the bobber on the main line.
(the bobbers are sensitive when a fish pulls on it, hence it is efficient to put on some weight. Now you can either add your weight or just buy a weighted one. If you prefer adding your weight, then just use an egg sinker.)
- Use a snap swivel and tie a knot to secure everything in place.
- Trim the tag end and you will be ready with the basic part
- Now use a leader, the length can be variable i.e. 2-5 feet, you just need to make it far enough from the lead so that the fish doesn’t see it.
- Use a size 4 hook
- Tie the knot and lick it
- Now come back to the sliding rig on the swivel and again tie the same knot. The basic clinch knot.
Sliding egg sinker technique
This technique proves helpful when your goal is to fish at the bottom. The setup for this type of fishing is given below
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- When to use this. setup is best for trout cruising below 5-10 feet. This can cover a great water distance so you can consider it while fishing off the shore without any doubt. It is important to keep the bait buoyant so that the fish can see it easily. You must keep it above the plants so that it is not lost there. Keeping it at eye level of the fish is necessary so that the fish can have an easy look at it as it cannot turn its eye down and have a look underneath it.
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How to set it up
- Slide egg sinker on the main line.
- Then use a snap swivel or a basic ball-bearing single swivel and tie it to the main line.
- The most important piece of the sinker technique is the leader. It is the chief element as you can adjust it to your liking depending upon the depth of the water body where the trout is residing. You must cut the leader to your desired length
- It’s also important to tie one end of the leader to the hook. Here you can tie a basic clinch knot
Clinch knot
Here’s a guide to tie the perfect clinch knot. You have to slide the leader through the eye of the hook and make a loop from where you poke your finger through. Wrap it around the main line five times and bring it back to where your finger was. Now you need to lubricate it with saliva as it is prone to burning. This is a crucial step so make sure to lick it. This knot is as strong as any for a monofilament. Mastering this basic clinch knot can prove to be a blessing in many places.
- Now that you’re done with one side of the leader, let’s move on to the other end. Tie this end with the swivel in the same way as described earlier.
- The goal is to make the bait buoyant
- The last step is to attach a worm to a marshmallow (this causes buoyancy)
You can always play around and try different lengths.
And voila! There you are with the most efficient rig setups for the surface water, midwaters, and the bottom. You’ve got pretty much what you need, so roll up your sleeves and off you go!
