Two Popular Types of Trout Fishing Lures and How to Fish Them Effectively

There are countless types of trout fishing lures on the modern market, in thousands of combinations of sizes, colors and patterns. Moreover, many of these, like trout minnows and spoons, are extremely versatile with respect to how they can be fished, eliciting strikes from curious wild fish even when other techniques seem to be failing.

This short post will cover two of the most popular broad classes of trout fishing lures, along with their relative virtues and how you can fish them effectively.

Trout Spinners: Why They’re Effective

Trout spinners are arguably the most popular trout fishing lures in history, and every year, countless anglers flock to tackle shops to load up on Rooster Tails, Mepp’s Aglia and Black Fury, and Panther Martin pattern spinners.

They are highly effective on trout for numerous reasons, but among these is that spinners produce both flash and sound, throwing sonic vibrations as the blade turns through the water. This can attract trout from a distance, but the disturbance can also incite fish to strike when the lure is presented right in front of them.

The fact that spinners, like our Buggy Spinner, produce both flash and sound also makes them potentially effective in both clear and slightly turbid water conditions, which means they can be effectively fished in low water as well as after heavy rains have raised the water and stained it.

Some spinners are also dressed, which means that the hook is embellished with feathers. These add motion and color to the lure, and can replicate natural forage, improving the realism of the presentation and boosting the likelihood of a strike.

Trout spinners can also be highly effective because they enable a fisherman to cover a lot of water very quickly and efficiently, since spinners are commonly fished with a straight retrieve.

Another thing that makes trout spinners such popular lures is that they are easy to use. Even when fished with a straight retrieve, they often get strikes, and it is exceptionally easy, even for beginner anglers, to learn how to cast and retrieve a spinner.

How to Fish Them

The simplest and one of the most effective ways to fish a trout spinner is to cast to structure and begin a steady retrieve, at a speed just high enough to keep the spinner blade turning. Structure to target includes overhangs, eroded areas near banks, and submerged or partially submerged logs, vegetation, or rocks.

Another effective technique with a trout spinner is to cast the lure diagonally upstream and then run the lure downstream at a pace just slightly faster than the current. Wild trout will position themselves facing upstream, which will angle them to see the spinner coming by them as you work it with the current.

One lesser used technique is to cast the spinner and give it a stop and go retrieve. This will cause the blade to stop and flutter on the momentary drop, which can be effective at coaxing cautious yet still curious fish to strike.

Tip: If fishing a trout spinner with spinning tackle, close the bail manually rather than using the reel handle. Using the reel handle creates twist in the line, which is something you want to avoid as trout spinner lures are prone to producing twist in the line as well.

Trout Minnows: Why They’re Effective

Trout minnows constitute a class of plugs and stickbaits, so-called because many of them look like small fish, though some of them, like our Kurokawamushi, are not expressly designed to mimic the look and feel of baitfish.

Trout minnows may have a lip that causes them to dive when retrieved. Some are floating, whereas others are sinking, which means that there are trout minnows that can be fished in both extremely shallow as well as relatively deep water.

Trout tend to be visual feeders. The lifelike realism is one thing that makes trout minnows effective, but it is not the only thing. Most wobble when retrieved, and can be caused to dart from side to side, which produces reaction bites to the erratic motion, attracts wild fish. However, in the case of a trout minnow, the vibrations emitted are less aggressive and more muted than they are with a spinner (unless the bait has an internal rattle, or the flat-side body which is sometimes the case).

Trout minnows are also highly effective on fish because they are extremely versatile. Whereas spinners are typically fished with a straight retrieve, minnows can be fished high or low in the water, worked aggressively, twitched, jerked, slashed, or given a stop-and-go retrieve. This versatility gives anglers a lot of flexibility with how they want to present and work the lure in order to induce a strike.

How to Fish Them

There are many ways to fish trout minnows. These trout fishing lures can be cast to structure, just as with a spinner, then worked steadily back to you.

However, most trout minnows are more effective when worked with a more erratic retrieve. Cast the minnow to structure, or upstream or across the stream, then give the reel handle a few cranks or the rod tip a few twitches, making the lure twitch and dart in the water. Often, when you get bit, it will be while the lure is paused.

You can also slash, rip or jerk a minnow, by aggressively raising and lowering the rod tip, or by slashing it from side to side. This will cause the trout fishing lure to dart erratically through the water, which awakens the predatory instinct in a trout. Most trout respond very favorably to this technique.

Explore These Trout Fishing Lures and Upgrade Your Bait Selection Today

The techniques covered here are only a few of those that will prove effective with the two types of trout fishing lures explored. Take a look through our collection of trout spinners and minnows and upgrade your bait selection before you hit the water again - and if you’re looking for a real challenge, consider upgrading to a BFS rod that will offer greater castability, sensitivity, and control over tiny lures, when you need a very precise presentation