With the trout opener behind us, the local lakes are still loaded and heating up with these fun & willing fish. What a great opportunity to get out on the local lake and catch fish. More importantly this is a great chance to introduce someone into fishing. The local lakes have been stocked within the last month with lots of hungry trout and they are ready to be caught. Xfactor tackle provides a great selection of baits that will put more fish in the boat for any beginning or experienced angler. I will walk through some of my favorite rigs for local trout.
Lets start with the basic float rig. This is a great beginner rig as it provides a visual indicator to the angler and does not require the constant casting of hardware. I like to run a slip float rig, as it is much easier to adjust for fishing different depths. As for the type of float I like to use the Cleardrift 1/8oz size. (Any fixed or slip float will do). Under the float I have a swivel with a couple split shot above, leading to a 2-foot leader to my hook. On the business end of the hook there are a couple great options from Xfactor Tackle. The single salmon eggs and 3" miracle worms are the perfect fit for stocker trout, and they come in a variety of colors. Either bait can be fished by itself or in a combination like the picture below.
Or if you would rather fish with a bait that is on the move you can slide about half of a miracle worm onto a 1/16oz jig head and fish it under the float. The key with this variation is to let the jig sink till the float hits the bobber stop. Once you are at the right depth you can begin a small twitching motion. This is a great way to entice these freshly stocked fish.
From the bank, a slip sinker bottom-fishing rig is generally preferred. For the bottom rig remove the float entirely and just have a 1/4 to 1/2 oz egg sinker about the swivel. Now extend the leader to something longer like 4'. This will help keep the worm or single eggs out of the weeds. (Note: a small #14 corky can be pegged next to the hook to add more floatation if needed).
The great thing about these baits is the variety of rigging options and ways to fish them. No matter which way you fish, trout can’t resist the Xfactor! Good luck on the water and Fish on!!!
God Bless,
XFactor Tackle Pro Staff
Rick Denham