Tips for Increasing Your Trout Hookup and Landing Percentage
The rate at which anglers hook and successfully land wild trout, specifically large wild trout, varies according to angler skill and of course the tackle and lures selected and used. However, we have found that among BFS anglers, the land rate for wild trout 22 inches and larger is somewhere around 20%, due largely to the trout fishing rod being underpowered for hooking, fighting, and handling.
With that said, here are a few insightful tips to help you hook and land more trout, especially if you are fishing with a BFS trout fishing pole.
Match Your Line to Your BFS Rod and Reel
One of the most important aspects of BFS trout fishing is making sure your line is precisely matched to the trout fishing rod, reel and lure.
Utilizing a line of the proper weight and diameter will seriously impact casting distance, accuracy, and lure motion once the lure hits the water. Line or leader that is not matched to the BFS system will not cast well, will foul at a higher rate, and can impart unnatural action to the trout fishing lure.
While the line you use should be dictated by the rod, reel and lure specifically, we recommend 4-strand Varivas PE braid for baitcasting reels and 8-strand Varivas PE braid for spinning reels, with a light nylon leader which offers a little bit of stretch for shock absorption, and which is more difficult for trout to see, especially in clear water.
Opt for a Moderate Action, Rather Than a Very Fast Trout Fishing Rod
In the world of BFS trout fishing, you actually don’t need an ultra-fast trout fishing rod. While the conventional wisdom is that the faster rod enables you to detect light strikes and short strikes, that dynamic is not really applicable here.
In fact, a rod with a slightly slower, more moderate action will benefit you in two ways. One is that it is more forgiving with casting, especially with a baitcasting reel. A super-fast rod will require you to be an expert caster and release at the precise second necessary, otherwise your lure will not hit or reach its intended target. You’re also more likely to suffer a backlash with a faster rod. A more moderate rod will cast more smoothly and accurately, especially on the backcast.
The other advantage of a more moderate action in a trout fishing rod is that it is more forgiving of a trout’s erratic head-thrashing. With a faster rod, the trout’s wild head-thrashing is likely either to throw the lure or to rip clean through the trout’s fragile lips. A slightly slower action will give with the fish, absorbing some of the shock and resulting in a potentially higher land percentage.
Fish a BFS Baitcasting Outfit Instead of a Spinning Outfit
When trout are feeling more ornery, they are prone to charging and even striking a lure the second it lands. Fishing a baitcasting outfit rather than a spinner will give you the ability to engage the spool the second the lure lands, resulting in no dead time during freefall and a potentially higher hookup ratio.
Keep Your Line Tight When Fishing with Barbless Hooks
Many wild trout anglers fish trout lures with barbless hooks. While a barbless hook will incur less stress and damage to the trout, and will result in lower bycatch mortality (with conscientious handling and release of the fish) the barbless hook will also result in more thrown lures and lost fish.
Therefore, keep your line tight when fighting the fish. Any play or slack in the line is a prime opportunity for the trout to spit the lure or shake its head and throw it.
Try Trout Minnows If the Fish Are Snubbing Spinners
Trout spinners are effective; they catch trout, which is why trout fishermen have used them for more than 100 years. With that said, trout minnows can be extremely effective in situations in which trout are not responding to spinners as they usually do.
With a trout minnow, impart a slightly different cadence to the lure from the straight retrieve that’s typically used with a small spinner. Rather, with a minnow, either slash the lure, twitch the lure, or utilize an erratic retrieve. The subtle twitches and pauses of the minnow will often prove irresistible to the fish when other techniques fail to entice a strike.
Use Side Pressure Rather Than High Pressure
Some anglers will tell you to “keep your tip up” once you hook a fish, but this is not always good advice. In fact, encouraging a trout to come to the surface, and to breach, is going to encourage it to thrash its head or jump, which is when a good number of fish are lost - perhaps even a majority.
Rather than keeping your tip high, use side pressure - pull away from the fish rather than up. This will put pressure on the trout and tire it out rather than pulling it to the surface where you run a higher risk of a lost fish.
Know When to Let Fish Run
Some big fish are going to want to run and you need to know when to let them. With a light leader and light finesse tackle, if you don’t know how to play fish you are going to lose them because they will just break the line.
Be patient, set your drag right, and sit tight when fish run. Don’t start cranking again till the fish is tired from the run.
Know When to Turn
When a fish has just completed a run or has taken several and stopped, apply that side pressure and pull the fish in. This will bring it closer to you and will discourage it from running into rocks, logs or weeds that will tangle you and let the fish get away.
Get Low and Know How to Net
When you’re getting the trout close to you, and are getting ready to net it, remember this vital piece of information: get low and bring the net to the fish, don’t try to horse the fish to the net.
Those last few seconds, even milliseconds, before netting the fish are some of the riskiest of all. When the fish sees you it may panic and in those last few throes it may spit the lure or break the leader. Also, it’s a lot easier to maneuver the net under or around the fish than it is to maneuver the fish, especially if it is a 20” or greater trout.
Upgrade to a BFS Trout Fishing Pole This Upcoming Season
Armed with these tips, hopefully you’ll slightly increase your hookup and landing percentages, especially with larger wild trout.
If you’re up for the challenge, upgrade to a BFS trout fishing rod this season. With a bait finesse system, you’ll be able to cast farther and present lighter lures more accurately - plus, the BFS game is a lot of fun. Shop our collection of BFS rods and finesse lures and contact us if you have questions.