Have you ever asked or been asked the question, what’s the best rainbow trout bait? Many trout fishermen ask or wonder the answer to this question and in this article I will draw upon my twenty plus years of trout fishing experience to try to answer this very question. Although the single “best” bait for rainbow trout is more than likely impossible to determine and is largely based upon the fisherman’s favorite fishing style, there are certain baits that rainbow trout tend to feed on more heavily than others, which are the baits that will be outlined in this article.
Let’s begin with the two main types of rainbow trout that are available to be caught by anglers. Those types are rainbow trout that have been “stocked” and rainbow trout that are “native” to the water that they are found in. In truth a “stocked” trout becomes a “native” trout after it has survived 2 or more fishing seasons in the body of water that it was “stocked” in to. The reason that this distinction needs to be made is because in many instances rainbow trout that have been “stocked” tend to feed on things that are different than rainbow trout that are “native” to the water that you are fishing in.
Lets begin our search for the best rainbow trout bait by starting with the obvious, and that would be insects. If you know anything at all about rainbow trout you undoubtedly know that trout love to eat insects and although live insects are difficult to use as bait for trout, artificial insects aren’t. Which is where fly fishing and artificial flies come into play. Artificial flies, which come in all shapes and sizes mimic live insects incredibly well and are among the best baits that can be used to catch rainbow trout. Whether you are fly fishing in the traditional sense or spin fishing and using a casting bubble to fish with an artificial fly, there is little doubt that insects are among the best baits that can be used to catch these beautiful fish. Artificial flies tend to be much more effective when fishing for “native” rainbow trout.
The next trout bait that needs to be discussed is most effective when used for rainbow trout that have been “stocked” and that bait is called dough bait. Although trout fishing purists tend to make a mockery of dough bait, many trout fishermen would consider this unique rainbow trout bait to be “the best. The most popular type of dough bait is called Powerbait.
The final bait that needs to be discussed is the most readily available and well known fishing bait of all time, live worms. Live worms are an effective trout bait choice for both “stocked” and “native” rainbow trout, especially if the trout are in the flowing water of a river or stream. There’s just something about a live worm drifting naturally with the current of a river of stream that any self respecting rainbow finds very difficult to resist.
Now, are these the only baits that are effective for our rainbow colored friends? Of course not, but as I said, these baits are among the best baits that can be used to catch rainbow trout and “the best” could very well be among these three choices.
