In this article I'm going to outline how to use a trout fishing lure. A trout fishing lure could be a rooster tail or any small spinner, a small spoon, small minnow imitation, or any other small lure used for trout fishing. From my more than 25 years of trout fishing experience, I've noticed some things that really cost people bites. In this article I'll explain some of those mistakes and how to avoid them.
The first thing to keep in mind when trout fishing is that trout have very keen eyesight and tend to live in cold clear water, therefore very light fishing line should be employed. Many anglers use fishing line that's much too heavy when fishing for trout. This is a huge mistake. Not only can line that's too heavy effect the action of the trout lure itself, if the trout can see your line you will get many fewer bites. I personally use and suggest using four pound test or lighter, but six pound test line is also passable.
The net step in learning how to use a trout fishing lure is to never use snap swivels. You know those swivels that simply snap apart for easy access? Do not use snap swivels to attach your trout fishing lure to your line. As a matter of fact, if you have any snap swivels for any type of fishing, throw them away. Nothing will ruin the action of a fishing lure like our friend the snap swivel. Either tie your lure directly to your line or use a barrel swivel with a twelve to eighteen inch 'leader' (piece of line). Incidentally this is the best way to rig a trout fishing lure. Take the end of your line and snip off a 12-18 inch leader and set it aside. Now tie a small barrel swivel (size 10 to 12) to the end of your line. Now take your leader and tie it to the opposite end of the barrel swivel. Now, tie your trout fishing lure to the leader. This is how to rig your trout fishing lure.
Now for how to use the trout fishing lure that you just rigged up. For the most part you don't want to simply cast your trout fishing lure out and reel it back in. The goal is to make your lure appear injured or otherwise different than any actual prey that swims in the water that you're fishing. A good trick is to "snap" your rod tip as you.re reeling your trout fishing lure in. In other words, make your trout fishing lure look as much as you can like wounded prey.
Varying the speed of your retrieve is a good idea as well. I'm referring to varying your speed within each individual retrieve. Many times if a trout is following your lure, and that lure suddenly speeds up (as if it's "trying to get away"), many times the trout will strike. It's never a bad idea to make sure that you're fishing when the trout are the most active as well. This can make a huge difference in bite rates and can be as important as which trout fishing lure you choose to employ.
Another tip is to allow your trout lure time to sink before reeling it in. Many times the closer to the bottom the lure is, the more success you will have. Trout tend to hang out near the bottom, especially in river and stream situations. As any "flea flicker" will tell you, this isn't at all true when a hatch is going off, but that's neither here nor there. In any case what was just described is how to use a trout fishing lure.
