What are the Best Trout Baits? The 5 Best Trout Baits
The 5 Best Trout Baits
Table of Contents
Intro
- Berkley Powerbait Floating Trout Dough
- Live Grubs
- Emerald Shiners
- Salmon and Trout Eggs
- Atlas Mike’s Trout Mallows
Trout are an incredible species of fish. Beautiful, strong fighters, and a sometimes very challenging adversary to attempt to catch. Although artificial lures can work very well for all trout species, some of the best trout baits are live or are fished like live bait. In this article, we’ll showcase some of the top trout baits available and talk about why you need to give all of them a shot on your next trout fishing outing.
- Berkley PowerBait Floating Trout Dough
Available in every color of the rainbow and then some, Berkley PowerBait Floating Trout Dough is undoubtedly one of the best baits for trout. It’s heavily scented to attract trout from long distances and it’s buoyant so it can be floated off the bottom right in the strike zone. PowerBait is most effective when molded into a ball around a size 6 to 10 live bait hook depending on the amount of dough used.
Berkley PowerBait Floating Trout Dough comes in variety of trout eye-catching colors
- Live Grubs
Grubs, maggots, spikes, whatever you call them in your part of the world, one thing stays the same and that’s that they’re a top trout bait. Grubs are commonly used to tip on a lure such as a hair jig, but can also be fished on a tiny size 10-14 live bait hook. Don’t be afraid to load a liberal amount of them onto that hook or jig.
Grubs can be a trout’s favorite meal
- Emerald Shiners
Not all minnows are created equal in a trout’s eyes. Of course a trout will eat any species of minnow, but there’s something about an emerald shiner that they just can’t resist, making them a top trout bait. Scent is likely a large component in a trout’s choice to eat an emerald shiner over another species of minnow, but color and the emerald’s soft body structure may also play a key role. Shiners are typically most effective fished under a float on a small single hook or a hair jig.
The emerald shiner, like candy to a trout
- Salmon and Trout Eggs
During the spawn, trout and salmon release their eggs over shallow, gravelly areas in strong current. Some eggs may not catch on the bottom as soon as they’re released and end up drifting downstream, becoming an easy meal for a lucky trout. These eggs are a super healthy protein filled snack, so when presented correctly salmon and trout eggs are a top fishing bait for trout. There are many ways to fish salmon and trout eggs, and each method works well in a certain place and time. The eggs can be “cured” in such a way to allow them to be put on a tiny size 10-16 hook without them popping. This presentation works well in low and clear water for trout that are spooked easily. The eggs can also be tied into a mesh netting so the hook does not need to be put into the egg itself. “Skein” is the term used to describe eggs that are still attached to the membrane and can be fished by using a unique knot involving a loop to hold the eggs onto the hook. These two methods typically work better in higher or more stained water. There are many cures and dyes available by companies such as Pautzke to change the scent, texture, and color of eggs to make them more favorable for fishing.
Pautzke BorX O’ Fire Cure can be used to dye salmon or trout eggs unique colors and harden them up to make them easier to fish with
Pautzke also offers single eggs that have already been cured and are ready to fish with
- Atlas Mike’s Trout Mallows
Similar to PowerBait, Atlas Mike’s Trout Mallows are soft, scented, buoyant and dough-like. The term “mallow” comes from their resemblance to marshmallows. Also like PowerBait, mallows work best when floated just off the bottom and are available in a plethora of different scents and colors. These are a favorite for stocked trout fishermen!
This particular Trout Mallow is “Glitter Chartreuse Cheese”
Trout fishing is a blast, but it can certainly be tricky. However, some of the best trout baits are rather simple. We hope that the baits we covered in this article help lead you to more success on the water!