Outdoors Articles

Before we know it the weather is going to start to warm up, the rivers are going to begin to rise, and trout fishing is going to begin. After six or so months of cold weather and trout fishing being difficult at best, early season trout fishing is right around the corner. In this article I'm going to provide some tips to help you catch more trout during the early season. Most of these tips are going to be focused on fishing in small rivers and streams, but can easily be modified for fishing in lakes as well.

Trout fishing can be a challenge in the early season for many reasons during the early season, but the most difficult to manage has to be high water. Depending on where you live, the trout fishing can be very good in the early season right before water levels begin to rise, but I digress. When your favorite trout river is high, stained, but still fishable you have to make sure you employ a longer fishing rod. This not only improves your casting distance, but also enables you to "feel" your bait or lure much better.

Here's exactly what I do. During most of the trout fishing season I use a five foot ultra light rod and matching reel. During the spring when the water is high I switch to a six and a half foot ultra light rod of the same model. This allows me to "feel" what's going on with my offering much better. During early season trout fishing make sure you use a longer fishing rod than you do during the rest of the season.

High water also means that you're going to need to use much more weight than you normally would. Whether you're fishing with bait or a lure, you are going to have to use much more weight on your line than you normally would. This is obviously due to current flow and water depth. Getting snagged is also much more common in high water conditions, which is something to keep in mind.

When using lures such as Rooster Tails, spoons, and even jigs in the high water of early spring don't be afraid to use colors that stand out a bit. This is a good time of year for chartreuse, florescent, and white colors. Spoons in silver, rather than gold, are also more effective during early season trout fishing.

When using bait for early season trout fishing, gang hooks are always a great idea. These hooks allow you to present your bait (especially if you use worms) in a completely natural manner. This means that you will receive many more bites. Gang hooks should definitely be a part of your early season trout fishing repertoire.

The last thing to keep in mind during early season trout fishing is to be very careful while wading. The high, and many times muddy, water conditions make wading much more challenging than normal. This means that extra care should be exercised during early season trout fishing. Remember to "work with the water" rather than trying to fight it. The last thing anyone needs is to take that wet and wild ride on their butt, while trying to hold on to their $150 dollar rod/reel combo.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana!