Lure Tactics for Trout — Colby Lesko

A big brown trout taken casting a soft plastic in a river.

Technique and Tactics

Colby Lesko

Casting lures for trout is a super effective technique whether it be from a boat or land based, on a lake or river. The cooler months are by far the best time to be casting lures as the fish are up higher in the water column and often quite angry as they feed up pre or post spawn. There is a massive array of lures effective on trout and an artificial bait to cover every situation. By having a selection of lures, you are able to have all bases covered and make to most of every situation when lure casting for trout. Lure casting for trout can be one of the most effective ways to catch trout. It’s all about using the right lure for the situation and casting it in the right locations!

Bibbed Lure Tactics

Hard body minnows have been around forever and the old balsa wood Rapala Minnows have caught more trout then I dare to imagine. Although the old Rapala’s are still a great option when casting for trout, recent years has seen a big shift towards hard plastic divers. These lures cast extremely well, have some amazing finishes, are strong and very resistant to wear, which make them perfect for casting. You can cast these small plastic diving minnows long distances all day with little effort and they swim well day after day. My favourites are 50mm to 100mm long suspending minnows however the 70 to 75mm sizes are perfect

size for most trout. These diving minnows come in a variety of diving depths, colours, sizes with float, suspend or sink models. Diving minnows by far do their best work on the cast fishing in 2 to 4m of water where the trout feed on small minnows or other fish. Diving minnows also work well in current so are a great option in the rivers. A constant winding retrieve with divers will catch you fish but I prefer to put some jerks into my constant retrieve to make the lure more erratic and appealing to the fish. With the season about to open, the trout will be eager to feed on these larger prey items after the cold winter period. www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.

A Tyenna River brown trout on a bladed spinner.

Soft Plastic Success

Soft plastics are a much newer lure in the fishing world but have proven themselves well and truly in Tasmania, especially early season. Soft plastics come in a massive arrangement of styles, shapes and sizes but small one to four inch models are your best bet for trout. Usually if the water is clear and the fish are on, its hard to go past a three inch minnow with a small paddle tail for trout. These soft plastics are just a perfect resemblance to the bait fish that trout feed on. Some of my all-time favourites are the Berkley T-tail minnow in black and gold or the Berkley Gotam Shad 3inch in AYU colour. You can rig the soft plastics on a jig head with a 1/0 hook, with a varying weight to suit different depths of water. I generally run a 1/6th head to fish in three or four metres of water, so if you are fishing shallower go lighter or deeper go heavier. By having a selection of these different weight jig heads, you can get your lure swimming at a variety of depths for different areas. Soft plastics are the best option when the trout are holding down deeper in the dams or deeper runs or pools in the river. You are able to sink them down on the spot by casting them out and allowing them time to sink. This gets your lure into the strike zone when the fish are holding deep, and you are able to keep the lure down in the zone via a jig and pause/sink retrieve. Soft plastics are my personal favourite lure when casting for trout in both rivers and lakes.

Spoons and Winged Lures

Spoons and winged lures are one of the best options for casting for trout when you want to cover a lot of water quickly, such as fishing from the bank in a dam or some long extensive flats/shallows. Winged lures such Tassie devils are famous for fooling big trout and they are just as effective on the cast as the troll. Spoons also have a great action that really seems to excite smart trout. Couple this with their heavy cast weight, makes them a great option on windy days or as a searching lure as you comb shallow flats or bays looking for fish. I also like to incorporate small pauses and stops into my medium paced retrieve when fishing Tassie devils or spoons and the trout often take it on the pause. These lures generally only run one or two feet below the surface on the cast so are perfect for fishing shallows and flats. A Tasmanian Brown trout taken casting a heavy spoon from the shores of the great lake

Bladed Spinners

Bladed spinners are also popular for the casting trout angler. Particularly in high flow rivers as these lures work well in strong currents. They come in a number of sizes from some very small ones around 30mm long for tiny streams up to 60mm for big rivers and lakes. I have also taken my far share of big lake trout on the bladed spinners and they are a great option over shallow weed beds for fish that are feeding on insects. But by far they catch their most fish in the hard flowing rivers and streams.

Gear To Get Out There

Distance is an important factor when casting for spooky fish such as trout. You want to cover as much water as possible but also keep as far away from spooky fish as possible. Therefore, it’s important to have to have a nice lightweight casting rod spooled with light braid, three to four and a half kilogram is ideal and this allows for long casts even with the lighter lures. I also run a three to four and a half kilogram leader of around one and a half metres for all my trout fishing as this prevents the fish from seeing your braid and also provides a little stretch for big jumping trout. Match this on a 2000 or 2500 spin reel and a 1-3kg or 2-5kg fast taper spin stick and you have the perfect trout

Soft plastics are a great choice in the flowing water.

casting combo. I prefer longer rods over seven foot for my casting and it helps to get that little bit longer cast distance on the lakes and bigger rivers. However if your fishing smaller rivers in tight cover a lot shorter rods will perform better.

Where To Start The Search

When fishing large lakes and open water you want to concentrate your casting efforts in areas where the fish will be feeding and this requires being able to read the water. Food rich areas, weed beds, drop-offs and windblown banks are all going to hold feeding trout and casting your lures in these areas is going to be your best bet. Once you find a few fish you are able to concentrate your efforts is this area or other similar areas around the lake to help you cast up multiple fish in short time frames. My Ideal scenario is that you find an edge of the lake that has good weed beds or flats with deepwater close by that has been the windblown shore after a windy day or big storm. This will stir the lake edge up and expose food items that the trout will be feeding on and the first day after the wind subsides the trout can be still found feeding on these banks. It is much easier to cast and fish without the wind from the shore or boat this is why I wait until the day after. If the weather is calm and sunny, I will stick to casting deeper running lures along weed beds or rock walls and deeper drop-offs where the fish can hide in cover. But if the weather is overcast and windy I will fish flats and edges with shallow running lures as the fish have more cover and confidence to move up in the shallows feeding. You will quite often spot trout moving on the surface as they feed or following your lures back. This is a great sign to concentrate your efforts in that area and try a range of lures.

Observant Anglers Catch More Trout

While fishing smaller water such as shallow lakes and rivers there is often much less water for the fish to be hiding in and casting your way along all the likely looking areas with your eyes peeled will bring best results. In these smaller waters you are quite often able to spot fish before you cast your lure at them, this makes for exciting fishing. If this is possible, you are able to slowly walk or wade your way around looking for fish to cast at. A good pair of polarised sunglasses are essential for this type of fishing and bright sunny days will help to expose the fish. If you can’t spot the fish, try casting into all areas of the river until you find where they are sitting. Depending on the trout’s mood and time of year sometimes they are in the fast shallows other times they hold out deeper in the slow water, so it pays to vary things up.

Get Casting!

Casting is a great option in the cold weather when fishing for trout. It keeps you moving, warm and motivated when fishing in some pretty cold and unmotivating weather at times. Arm yourself with a light spin rod, a selection of casting lures and try and follow these simple tips. I have no doubt you will be able to find a few trout on your next outing casting lures on lakes or rivers. Just remember fish where the fish will be hiding and chose a lure to match the situation!

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