Fishing for Stocked Trout - Tips for Catching Trout that Have Been Stocked

As we enter the spring it means one thing to fishermen and that thing is that fishing season is here. One of the most targeted species of fish during the spring is the trout and the main reason for that is that fish and conservation agencies throughout the country release hatchery raised trout (often referred to as stocked trout) into waterways for the express purpose of being caught by anglers. Fishing for stocked trout isn't that difficult at all and in this article I will outline some points to keep in mind when fishing for trout that have been "stocked" so that you can be more successful and catch more fish.

Although stocked trout aren't known for being very "smart", mainly because they have been raised and fed by humans for their entire life, there are certain things that can be done by you the angler that will make you much more successful when fishing for stocked trout. The first of those things is to use fishing line that's as light as possible. Four pound test monofilament is the ideal weight fishing line and no line heavier that six pound test should ever be utilized when fishing for trout of any kind.

Trout are stocked into both lakes and rivers and can be caught from both of these types of water fairly easily. When fishing for stocked trout in rivers small spinners or artificial flies can be utilized effectively and if you like to "drift fish" bait in a river, Powerbait trout worms are an effective trout bait choice. The scent that these man-made worms disperse in to the water is difficult for trout to resist.

The most popular place to catch trout that have been "planted" is in lakes and the most effective way to catch trout that have been stocked in a lake is by fishing with Powerbait or similar dough style trout bait. Fishing for stocked trout while using dough bait is accomplished by using a basic bottom fishing rig (that has been baited with dough bait obviously) and then "still" fishing. Stocked trout are very susceptible to being caught when fished for in this manner. A good rule of thumb is to let your bait sit for thirty minutes to an hour and if no bites are received to change the color or type of dough bait that is being employed. Many times stocked trout will bite one color or type of dough bait over another on a particular day for no apparent reason whatsoever. Because of this fact experimentation is paramount to finding the best type of dough bait for a particular on the water.

The bottom line is that while stocked trout aren't the most challenging fish in the world to catch, and are much easier to catch than their "native" cousins, fishing for stocked trout is a very enjoyable activity that is enjoyed by millions of trout fishermen all over the globe.