When it comes to fishing for trout in the spring of the year everyone seems to be looking for that one thing that will give them "a leg up" over other fishermen. That one special bait or lure that will help them catch trout, when everyone else seems to be having a difficult time. Well, I have been fishing for trout for more than two decades and have found that more than the trout bait or lure that you are using, the tactic that you employ seems to make the most difference when it comes to experiencing springtime trout fishing success.
Below I will outline a few springtime trout tactics that should be employed by anyone who wants to experience more success when fishing for trout this spring. The spring of the year offers some unique challenges that fishermen don't necessarily have to deal with during other fishing seasons and those challenges would include competition (fishing pressure), high water conditions, and muddy water conditions. The good thing is that every one of the challenges can be overcome by employing the one or more of the trout tactics being outlined below.
- Use A Longer Fishing Rod - This springtime trout tactics is most prevalent when fishing for trout in rivers that are running higher than they normally do. You see, if you use a longer fishing rod than you normally would, being able to "feel" what is happening with your bait or trout fishing lure is much easier. For example, rather than using a standard five foot ultralight fishing rod (which under 'normal' water conditions is ideal for trout fishing) use a seven to seven and a half-foot ultralight rod instead. Although often overlooked, this simple springtime trout tactic will make you a much more successful springtime trout angler.
- Drifting "Mealies" - Meal worms are often thought of as an effective trout bait for ice fishing, but get forgotten as soon as the weather begins to warm up. Drift fishing with small hooks that are baited with "mealies" (meal worms) might be the most effective of the spring trout tactics being discussed in this article. A meal worm can be threaded onto a #8 or #10 fishing hook, in much the same way a jig body is threaded onto a jig head, results in an extremely realistic presentation that hungry spring trout find hard to resist.
- Micro Jigs - Another often overlooked trout bait are micro jigs, which means a jig that is from 1/100 to 1/32 of an ounce. These teeny jigs can be fished in lakes or rivers and are like little pieces of candy to hungry springtime trout. If you are going to fish micro jigs without the help of a slip bobber (which adds weight to the rig making casting these tiny jigs much easier) make sure that you are using long fishing rod and very light fishing line. Most experienced micro jig fishermen advise using two-pound test line when fishing micro jigs without the help of a slip bobber. In muddy water conditions, use a jig that has a white head and brightly colored body. This will mean that the jig is much more visible to hungry trout.
Tactics
The bottom line is that the aforementioned spring trout tactics are all extremely effective and should be a part of every serious trout fisherman's fishing arsenal. If any of them aren't a part of yours, they should be added sooner, rather than later.
Spring Trout Fishing Tactics
Trevor Kugler is president of JRWfishing.com, a website dedicated to ultra light fishing, with an emphasis on ultra light river fishing for trout. Check out our new blog focused on trout fishing tips and techniques to help you be more successful on the water: http://jrwfishing.blogspot.com