I am going trout fishing next week. I have never been fishing for trout. My forte is bass, crappie, walleye, etc.

I am going to use my ultralight gear, not fly fishing. Seems to be a pretty good area for Cutthroat trout.

Can you recommend hook size and bait?

I don't expect to catch anything, but looking forward to getting outside, camp fires, and beer and bourbon.

Trout love those little Kastmasters & Mepps spinners. If you're talking about just throwing some bait, I'd lean toward a #6 or #8 hook, depending on the size fish you locate. They're small enough to bite, but not so small as to make them a hassle to use. Powerbait for the uninitiated is productive & easy to use. If you're using bait, I've found rigging it as a dropshot to be effective.

If it's catch and release, spinners will work. Rooster tail or gold spoon have been most effective for me on NC Rainbows. If you can use bait, we've had good results with Power Bait over the years.

I fly fish for trout, so won’t be much help on the bait and hooks but will do my best. First, for the most part trout are a lazy fish that lets the meals come to them. They tend to be finicky and only eat what they feel like eating as it passes close enough by to slurp up. On the occasions that I was successful bait fishing as a kid for trout I used salmon eggs, worms on weighted hooks, or Rooster tail lures pulled diagonally through deeper pools. I find that you need to use the river and running water to your advantage. Second, if you’re fishing mostly stockers, bait that looks like dog/cat food will usually get the fish to bite. I know several guides that use them when they can’t get clients to land a fish and affectionately refer to them as “wood beetles“. It’s what the trout farms feed the fish to be released.

Best of luck on your outing.

DK

I don't get out much anymore, but when I was a die hard confirmed trout bum I switched from spin fishing to fly fishing, which I vastly prefer.

You will want to check the local regs for the specific area you are fishing as, in some cases, they dictate what types of gear are allowed. Our Gold Medal designated waters are Catch & Release, Flies & Lures ONLY.

Even if you aren't constrained by regs. it also depends on whether you are fishing lakes or streams, or from shore, while wading, or from a boat.

Generally speaking, depending on conditions, lures, salmon eggs, and worms will work...or you might consider spin fishing with a bubble/ fly set up.

Depending on the species and location you may hook into spawners, which might dictate different fish behavior and tactics.

If you are wading please be careful of the redds!

I have always had the best luck with spoons like the little cleo or kastmasters.

You can also use a clear bobber and leave about 5 feet of line to it and tie a fly to it. Let the bobber float to your spot. Works well if your lures are not working.Good video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtCnkFoGJdo

you can always bobber fish with worms or grasshoppers.

Been a long time since I have been trout fishing but whenever I went with my grandfather outside of Branson Missouri he had these little jars of things called trout eggs.
We ate lots and lots of Rainbow Trout thanks to those things.

I will only add that -if you are not planning on keeping/eating the trout- that you consider flattening the barb on your hooks. Makes it easier to remove the hook from the fish, and doesn't tear up their mouths as much.
Otherwise...enjoy.

Great time of year to fish for trout. Much better than the hot days of summer. I am a fly-fisherman, but if you want easy bait-fishing try Power Bait. Its the go-to on opening day for families with kids. Agree you should crimp your barbs if you don't plan on keeping and eating the trout.

Lots of great advice...

I would add, if you are used to bass, you do not set a hook in trout like you do in bass. You will rip their lips ( whatever they are) off their face, rendering it nonsurvivable.

When you have a fish on, just keep tension on line.

Just my experience with rainbow trout in Colorado. Not sure honestly how they compare to cutthroat trout.

you can catch more trout then you could eat in a lifetime watch the videos, I use this for steelhead but works the same for trout.

bobber and bead it's a killer set up here in the pnw.

https://bnrtackle.com/product-category/soft-beads/

https://www.youtube.com/c/AddictedFishing/videos

Trout (Fly) fishing is the golf of fishing.
Beware! If you try it and like it, prepare to spend $$$.

When I baitfished for trout the best bait I used was minnows. If you are going to use live bait I would suggest giving them a try. I didn't know there were cutthroats in Arkansas.

I've used little meps spinners. Match the color to the water. Clear, use silver, a little murky use gold. Cast up stream and gently retrieve towards you with just enough speed to rotate the spinner blade. Too fast and you'll pull it away from fish hiding in the eddies. Too slow and there's no action on the bait. Since you've bass fished before you probably already know these things, but with trout it's smaller and slower.

In gentle flowing streams, you can catch a lot with a simple hook, one split shot and baited with a nightcrawler or common garden worm. Just bury the hook at one end and leave the rest untethered. Cast up stream and let it drift down and past you if need be before retrieving. This is NOT a good method for catch and release though as many times the fish will swollen the free floating worm so keep this in mind.

Some Gitzit jigs especially in silver fleck color 1/8 oz or so can be deadly too.

quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie1:
You can also use a clear bobber and leave about 5 feet of line to it and tie a fly to it. Let the bobber float to your spot. Works well if your lures are not working.Good video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtCnkFoGJdo

This is what I do when using spinning gear for trout.

If I'm going to catch planters from a hatchery I'll use artificial eggs on a #6 hook.

If I'm going catch & release for natives I'll use a lure. Either a rooster tail or Kastmaster.

Ask questions at your local sporting goods store or lookup a web site that has info on where you are going.

Enjoy
Cheers~

I usually have good luck with the brown, black or green Mepps Aglia wolly worm 1/12oz. I've used it in fast and slow water. My spinning rod for trout is a 5'6 UL fast action using 2-4lb test it works great for the lighter lures.