Greetings, fellow anglers. Today I want to shed some light on an age-old tradition enriched with a hint of modern-day technology – trout fishing using casting spoons and spinners. We’ll delve into a new realm of advanced trout fishing tactics involving these classic yet highly effective fishing tools. Remember, it’s not just about the catch but understanding the serenity of the water, appreciating the trout’s cunning ways, and the thrill of that eventual tug on your line.

Before we begin, let’s discuss our primary tools, casting spoons and spinners. These versatile lures are known for their irresistible mimicry of wounded baitfish, a trout’s favorite meal. Their easy-to-use nature and unique ability to attract trout make them an essential addition to your fishing arsenal. But you’ll need more than lures. So, let’s start our journey by looking at the necessary crucial gear for trout fishing.

Table Of Contents

Gear

Tatics

Essential Trout Fishing Gear

1. Fishing Rod and Reel

When casting spoons or spinners, a medium to light action spinning rod between 6 to 7 feet in length with a fast action tip is ideal. Pair this with a reliable spinning reel filled with 4-6 lb monofilament or fluorocarbon line. This setup offers the right blend of casting distance, sensitivity, and strength to fight trout.

Here are a few choices we like: 

  1. Penn Battle II Spinning Fishing Rod and Reel Combo – This is known for its durability, and is a favorite among anglers. The reel is constructed with a full metal body and side plates to keep the gears aligned, and the rod is sensitive enough for light action fishing.
  2. Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Fishing Reel and Rod Combo – This combo is widely recognized for its strength and durability. The Ugly Stik GX2 is a lightweight, sensitive rod ideal for light action fishing. The reel is known for its smooth casting and retrieval.
  3. Pflueger President Spinning Rod and Reel Combo – This combo is also well-regarded for its smooth action and durability. It’s perfect for those seeking a light action fishing rod and reel. The rod offers a comfortable grip and the reel provides smooth, easy casting.

2. Spoons and Spinners

Opt for various casting spoons and spinners in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Sizes between 1/8 to 1/4 oz work well in most trout waters. Silver, gold, and copper are reliable colors, but having a few vibrant colors like red or chartreuse can make a difference on cloudy days or murky waters.

Here are some great choices

  1. Panther Martin Classic Spinner: While Panther Martin is a well-known brand, some anglers believe it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. These spinners have a unique blade design that gives off an enticing vibration, and they come in a wide range of colors and sizes.
  2. Joe’s Flies Short Striker Classic Spinner: This is more than a typical spinner. It combines a spinner with a fly, providing both flash and a lifelike appearance. It’s highly effective but sometimes overlooked in favor of more mainstream lures.
  3. Thomas Lures Buoyant Spoon: This is a versatile, lightweight spoon that can be used effectively in many trout fishing scenarios. It’s not as commonly mentioned as some other spoons but has a devoted following among many experienced trout anglers.

3. Terminal Tackle

Besides your lures, have a selection of swivels, leaders, and split shot weights. Swivels will prevent line twists, while leaders add extra invisibility to your presentation, and weights can help your lures get deeper when needed.

Here are some essentials

  1. Split Shot Sinkers: These are small lead or steel weights used to sink your bait or lure to the desired depth. They’re called split shot because they have a split in one side that allows you to clip them onto your line at the desired location. The weight used depends on the current and depth of the water.
  2. Swivels: Swivels are used to prevent your line from twisting, which can be a common issue when using certain types of lures like spinners. Barrel swivels are a popular choice for trout fishing. They come in different sizes; you’ll generally want a smaller, less obtrusive one for trout.
  3. Leader Material: Leader lines are an essential piece of gear when trout fishing, especially when fly fishing or using light line for spinning or baitcasting. They provide an invisible connection between your line and your bait or lure. Fluorocarbon leaders are typically preferred for trout due to their low visibility underwater and abrasion resistance. The weight can range from 2 to 6 lbs, depending on the size of the trout and water conditions.

Now that we have the gear covered, let’s dive into our primary focus: “Advanced trout fishing tactics.”

Advanced Trout Fishing Tactics

Trout are crafty creatures, they’re always on the move and their feeding habits change based on time, weather, water conditions, and forage availability. Here are some tactics to keep in mind.

1. Understand Trout Behavior

Knowledge of trout behavior is the cornerstone of successful trout fishing. Familiarize yourself with the habitat preferences, feeding patterns, and seasonal behaviors of trout. Remember, trout are sight feeders, so water clarity, light conditions, and the trout’s position in the water column can dramatically affect your success.

2. Precision Casting

Accurate casting is critical, especially when targeting trout holding close to structure or in pocket water. Practicing your casting skills allows you to present your spoon or spinner exactly where the trout are. You need to be able to make long casts to cover a lot of water but also precise short casts to holding cover. 

3. Vary Your Retrieval Speeds

Retrieval speed can significantly impact your success rate. Trout can be moody, some days, they prefer a fast, erratic retrieval, and other days a slow, steady retrieval. Experiment with different retrieval speeds until you find what the trout want.

4. Fish at Different Depths

Trout aren’t always in the shallows. Don’t hesitate to let your spoon or spinner sink to explore deeper waters, especially during hot summer days when trout move to cooler depths. Remember, trout live in lies, resting lies, feeding lies and security lies. Some of the best lies have all 3 components, rest, food, and security. These can be in deep water. 

5. Use the Current to Your Advantage

Cast upstream and let your lure drift downstream, covering more water and mimicking a natural presentation.

To maximize your success, it’s important to understand when and how to use your spoons and spinners. So, let’s tackle these two compelling topics: “Best trout lures for rivers” and “How to fish trout spinners.”

How to Fish Trout Spinners

Fishing spinners for trout is an art, perfected over time. Cast your spinner upstream, and as it hits the water, start a steady retrieve. This allows the blade to start spinning, miming a small fish’s movement. Mix up your retrieve, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and occasionally pause to let the spinner flutter down – this can often trigger a strike.

Our journey through advanced trout fishing tactics led us on an enlightening path. We’ve covered everything from the essential gear needed to tactical methods and strategies and touched on the prime lures for rivers and trout spinners.

By now, you’ve gained insight on “how to catch trout in a river,” an understanding of “trout behavior and feeding,” learned about the “best trout lures for rivers,” and perfected “how to fish trout spinners.” Now, you’re equipped with the knowledge and tactics to make your trout fishing trip more rewarding than ever.

Four Nice Trout with a Spoon
Four trout with fishing rod laying on a rock

Imagine standing on a beautiful river’s banks in early spring. It’s clear and fast-moving, with numerous deep pools and undercuts beneath the overhanging trees – the perfect trout habitat. You’re armed with a medium action, 7-foot spinning rod, a reliable reel filled with a 6lb monofilament line, and a tackle box with various spoons and spinners.

You’ve read the water carefully, identifying a promising pool downstream that’s likely holding trout. The clear water prompts you to tie on a small, 1/8 oz silver spoon, perfect for mimicking the small minnows trout like to feed on.

With your gear set, you take your first cast. You aim upstream, allowing the current to carry your spoon naturally into the pool. When the spoon hits the water, you start a moderate retrieve, ensuring the spoon is swimming with just the right wobble.

Several casts go by without any interest. Recalling the importance of adaptability, you decide to slow down your retrieval speed, making your spoon look like an easy meal.

After several more casts, your spoon gets hit hard as it swings into the pool’s tail. You feel the distinctive tug and set the hook. After a lively fight, you land a beautiful rainbow trout.

That’s a real-life example of using the advanced trout fishing tactics outlined above. Remember, trout fishing is an art that combines understanding fish behavior, water reading skills, and appropriate lure selection. It takes time, practice, and patience, but the results are truly rewarding.

Great Tactics for Tough Conditions 

Fishing can be tough in adverse conditions. Nonetheless, understanding how to adapt and strategize using spoons and spinners can give you an edge. Here are three challenging trout fishing conditions and how you can overcome them:

1. High, Murky Water

During heavy rain or spring snowmelt periods, rivers can become high and discolored. While this may seem like a bad time to fish, trout can still be caught.

Trout will often move towards the banks to escape the strong current. Target these areas, focusing on slack water areas, eddies, and backwaters. Use larger, brightly colored spoons or spinners to catch the trout’s attention in the murky water. Cast upstream and retrieve your lure with the current, mimicking the natural flow of food items.

2. Low, Clear Water

During periods of drought or in the height of summer, rivers can become very low and clear. In these conditions, trout become very skittish due to increased visibility and decreased water depth.

Approach the water with care to avoid spooking the fish. Use lighter lines, smaller lures, and natural colors to keep a low profile. Long casts can help keep your distance from the trout. Let your spoon or spinner sink a bit before starting your retrieve and vary your retrieve speed to entice a strike.

3. Cold Water Conditions

In early spring or late fall, water temperatures can drop significantly. Cold water slows down trout metabolism, making them less active and more reluctant to chase after food.

In these situations, slow down your retrieve speed and keep your lures close to the bottom, where trout tend to hold in colder conditions. Using spoons and spinners with some added weight can help get your lure down to the trout’s level. Trout bites can be very subtle in cold water, so be ready for a light strike.

Remember, understanding trout behavior under different conditions is key in all these situations. Adjust your tactics accordingly and keep experimenting until you find what works best. With patience and persistence, you can turn these challenging conditions into successful fishing trips.