In this article, I will describe some tips I have learned over the last twenty-five years for fishing for stocked trout. All of these tips are effective and have helped me fish for stock trout in many different areas of the country, and I know they will do the same for you. The first thing that needs to be discussed when talking about “stocked trout” is what exactly is a stocked trout and what kind of food these fish tend to eat.
Stocked trout are easier to catch than “native trout” or trout that have survived a two season naturally in a given body of water. You see, stocked trout are raised in glorified aquariums by a local conservation or fisheries agency and fed food pellets from the moment they hatch. This means that the natural foods trout normally eat can be completely foreign to them. For this reason, live baits such as worms or minnows are often much less effective when catching our “populated” trout friends.
Although trout are stocked in both lakes and rivers, lakes tend to be where most trout is stocked, and therefore lakes are where most anglers fish for these fish. Most of the tips below are for fishing stocked trout in lakes, although they can be easily modified for river fishing as well.
- Using Artificial Lures – Artificial lures can be effective for planted trout, but one key is that any artificial lure you choose to use must mimic an insect in some way, shape or form. There is something ingrained in a trout’s DNA that makes them want to eat insects, so insect mimics can be effective for fishing these trout. The general rule of thumb when using artificial trout lures, whether you use artificial flies or spinners like Rooster Tails, is that the smaller they are, the more effective they are. This is good advice to keep in mind when fishing for seeded trout with artificial lures.
- Use Powerbait – When fishing for stocked trout in lakes, one of the best baits to use is Powerbait. You know, those little jars of multi-colored trout bait that looks a lot like Play-Doh (although it certainly doesn’t). smell like plasticine)? Powerbait is a very effective bait for catching trout that have been stocked. If you are fishing for stocked trout, a bottom rig baited with Powerbait and still fished is a great tactic.
- Change Your Bid Frequently – Planted trout can be easy to catch, but changing your bait fairly frequently is important in determining which bait works best on any particular day. A good “rule of thumb” to use is that if your bait or lure hasn’t fished in half an hour, you probably want to change it. In the case of Powerbait (for example) always carry at least 3 different colors with you. The reason for this is that the trout will bite a certain color and in another color you will not get a bite. Experimentation is the key when using Powerbait. The same rule also applies to artificial lures. If something doesn’t work, try another color, size, or style until you find the most effective bait.
Add these simple stock trout fishing tips to your repertoire and put them into practice ASAP. As soon as you do, you will experience much more success fishing for stocked trout.