Tips on Spin Fishing for Trout

The general idea in fishing is to get the bait or lure to where the fish are. When the water is warm or the sun is bright, trout head for coolest water they can find — deep shade covered holes.

Trout are efficient feeders. They expend as little energy as possible when feeding. This is especially true when the water is warm. The warmer the water, the less oxygen that it can hold and this means less oxygen for the fish. When the oxygen level in the water is low the trout will reduce their energy output — even at feeding time.

Trout let the current do the work for them by bringing food right past their feeding station. Trout move very little laterally when feeding, yet they let the current move them up and down to intercept food. A trout won't spend more energy on food than it will get in return. That fact makes it important for you to get your spinner as close to the trout's feeding lane as possible. One of the most effective ways to do this is to run your spinner with the current. This allows you to get the spinner down deeper in the water, particularly in swifter water.

To work a hole, run your spinner through the feeding channels, the areas where the current runs along an undercut bank, around a rock, or around other debris in the water. The trout hold in these areas because they provide cover and the current sweeps food to them.

Try to keep your spinner on the edge of these holding areas, the idea being that the trout can take the spinner without expending excess energy.

When fishing with the current don't let your spinner sink — start reeling as soon as it hits the water. If you let your spinner sink, you'll be wading through the hole trying to get it off the rocks.

To run your spinner with the current, you will need a good spinning reel. One that operates smoothly and retrieves more line with fewer turns of the handle. A good reel will allow you to vary the speed of your retrieval to match the speed of the water and the depth of the hole. If you have to crank the handle like a madman just to keep the lure off the rocks — you've got the wrong reel.

When it comes to the spinners themselves, I've found that I have more control over my retrieve with a larger bladed spinner such as a number two Mepp. The larger blade seems to provide more lift, even when retrieved at a slower speed. What I mean by that is, the larger blade helps keep the spinner off the rocks.

Running your spinner with the current is a technique that anyone can master. You'll be amazed at how quickly you pick up the skill.

One last tip — When fishing a river or stream, don't skip those long holes against the bank, the ones with all the overhanging branches. Running your spinner with the current will allow you to get the spinner right next to, and sometimes even under those branches, down where the lunker trout like to hide.