What are the Best Trout Lures? The 7 Best Trout Lures
Table of Contents
Intro
- Inline Spinners
- Spoons
- The Flatfish
- Hair Jigs
- Floating Trout Worms
- Berkley Gulp! Minnows
- Crankbaits
Trout - one of the most sought after game fish in not only the US, but everywhere in the world they inhabit. If you can figure out how to catch them with their finicky eating habits and moody temperament, you’re rewarded with a fish sporting amazing colors and incredible patterns. Despite them being sometimes notoriously difficult to catch, some of the best trout lures are as simple as they come. In this article, we’ll highlight the top trout lures out there and explain why they’re able to make these tough to catch fish tick.
- Inline Spinners
A tried and true classic for all species of trout, inline spinners have been a staple in many trout anglers' arsenals for generations. Almost as simple as it gets, the spinner consists of a wire body, metal blade (typically Indiana style, but may be Colorado, Willow or something unique), a typically metal body, and a hook. The flash and vibration given off by the blade can be too much for an aggressive trout to handle at times, so they bite it out of aggression. Rooster Tails, Mepps, Panther Martins and Blue Fox Vibraxs are all trout slayers.
This Lake Erie Steelhead couldn’t resist this Blue Fox Vibrax
- Spoons
Out of all the fishing lures for trout, spoons are as simple as they come. It’s literally a flashy piece of metal with a hook made to represent a wounded baitfish. Just like spinners, spoons have been bringing trout to hand for decades. Also similar to spinners, spoons give off a vibration and flash that gets trout fired up. Some spoons are weighted because they are specifically designed for casting while others are light and thin for optimal action when trolling. The Acme Little Cleo and Kastmaster, Thomas Buoyant, Michigan Stingers and Dreamweavers are all excellent spoon choices.
The Acme Little Cleo may be the most popular trout lure of all time
- The Flatfish
A crankbait specifically designed for trout, the flatfish works excellently both cast and retrieved and trolled. When fishing a creek or river, some will even simply hold the bait stationary in the current until a trout gets tired of it in its territory and strikes. A wide variety of available sizes makes them a viable option for everything from small stocked trout to giant lake trout and even salmon.
The Worden’s Original Flatfish has a unique design to give it a specific trout-triggering action
- Hair Jigs
Following the simple theme for trout lures, a hair jig just consists of a leadhead jig with some marabou, bucktail, or other hair-like material tied onto it. Hair jigs are quite versatile and can be fished effectively under a float or cast and retrieved in a variety of ways. They can even be tipped with bait like grubs or minnows when the bite gets tough.
The Hawken Beau-Mac Marabou Steelhead Jig is a slayer of more than just steelhead
- Floating Trout Worms
When the creek or river you’re fishing gets low and clear and the trout have the opportunity to heavily scutinize every presentation you show them, the floating trout worm becomes a key player. Threaded on a jighead or rigged wacky style through the middle of the bait on a plain hook, these worms have an incredible wave-like action that drives trout crazy. Although these trout lures do float, they are not intended to be fished like a topwater. The bait’s buoyancy allows it to float off the bottom or stay suspended depending on the amount of weight used.
The Berkley PowerBait Floating Trout Worm is a must have for any trout angler
- Berkley Gulp! Minnows
Although extremely underrated, the Berkley Gulp! Minnow is truly one of the best lures for trout, especially when baitfish are the main forage. It’s most effective when rigged on a jighead and fished under a float. When presented this way it’s easy for the angler to twitch the bait and give it a minnow-like action and hold it in the strike zone for longer. Gulp! Minnows are also scented to attract a trout’s attention from a long distance away.
The Berkley Gulp! Minnow may not look like much, but it’s a serious player when it comes to trout fishing
- Crankbaits
Although a broad category, the crankbait that works best for you is going to depend heavily on where, when, and how you’re fishing. For larger rivers or for trolling, the Storm Wiggle Wart or a squarebill style of bait can be the ticket. For small creeks and smaller trout, a tiny Rapala Shad Rap or Countdown may be more appropriate. Trout seem to prefer a tighter wobbling crankbait more often than not.
The Storm Original Wiggle Wart is one of the top crankbaits when talking trout fishing
Trout fishing with artificial lures can be a true thrill. Aggressive trout can strike so hard they nearly rip the rod from your hands. We hope this article helps bring a few more finicky trout to the net for you!