20 Best Bait To Use For Trout (2023 Updated)

I fish for winter trout in a public stocked city lake, which has muck and filamentous algae (green slime) on the bottom; this bait floats well on a light hook, very visible no mess or bad smell. I used a split shot on 4# line to keep it floating about a foot off the bottom out of the ‘slime’.

If it doesn’t float add a little more bait or use a lighter Aberdeen hook. I still use crawlers, as they seem to catch slightly bigger fish, but for action you can’t beat this. Stores easily, eliminates the need for marsh mellows, cheese, corn, liver and other stuff that goes bad and stinks.

This bait doesn’t smell as strong as other Berkley products I’ve used, worms, minnows and shrimp. I’ve actually re-used if from fish I’ve cleaned and still caught fish, LOL!.

Bought this after seeing people using it online with good luck. I dont know if I was given a bottle that has been in the warehouse for a long time or what, but no matter how I work it, it will not stay on the hook after going into the water.

I have not caught a thing on this. I’m contemplating buying a bottle from Walmart and seeing if I have the same issues or not.

I’ve used this for so long I can’t remember when I started. I’ve caught trout up to 8 or so pounds. I always use Rainbow at the beginning and it always produces fish. Over the years I’ve caught more than 1000 trout on this bait.

Most recently a 2 pound and a 3 pound 10 ounce Rainbow on Rainbow Power Bait.

This Powerbait is so good that it might should be outlawed. I’m a firm believer in “catch and release,” so I catch trout with this bait, clean them, and then release them (after sprinkling them with salt, pepper, and corn meal) into 350 degree peanut oil.

These are mostly “stocked” trout, meaning that the majority of American fisherpersons pay for their (the trout) via fishing license/trout stamp fees. I ran into a flyfisherperson a few months ago at a nearby restaurant (he was wearing hip waders) and asked him how many trout he had caught that morning.

He got all upset and nastily replied that he was a strictly “catch and release” type. I replied, “I didn’t ask how many trout you kept, I just wanted to know how many you caught and released. ” This bait is really good stuff.

I promise you!.

Never review products, but this was wayyyyy too good to not give 5/5. Have caught salmon, steelhead, trout, bass, and panfish on these. If you’re fishing in a hole for 10 minutes and not getting anything, there’s probably nothing here.

If you can dead drift them properly (let them drift in the current naturally), you’re going to get a ton of fish if they’re there. I just wacky rig them and don’t use a bobber with one split shot about a foot up from the hook.

Might just be my personal experience, but found that the rainbow trout were more aggressive for the bait than brown trout, can catch 4″ rainbows with them but not that size browns. Doesn’t matter what size fish they are, again, caught a 5 lb coho with one and lost a 4 pound steelhead.

Sooooo good so if you’re not catching anything with them, you might not be using them properly or there’s no fish there. If going for trout. sometimes you have to drift them right to the edge of the log even though there’s a risk you could lose your rig, but it’s worth it.

They’ll dart out, take it, and dart back under. Definitely worth the price.

My friends near me on the same stream fished a different artificial worm and were crushing the trout. I couldn’t catch a cold. I know it’s not always the bait – there are lots of factors like where on the stream you’re fishing, weight, pool depth, conditions, etc.

but for me, they didn’t work like I hoped.

This sucker is huge! No matter the size it still has great action! Paint schemes are great. Just make sure your setup can handle the weight and your good to go. Pop swim jerk twitch and watch bass come out to see what is swimming by.

Great product, glides and swims like no other, you have to try this glide bait. I am an avid bass tournament angler and I have been through a bunch of different glide baits and this one out-works and out-preforms every other glide bait.

Anything seems to work for trout in the first week after they stock. Weeks or a month later is the real test. Last year I discovered live minnows. My brother and I were the only ones that caught fish.

This year it was mouse tails. Everyone not fishing with these were lucky to get 2 trout. I got my limit over and over again. Color didn’t seem to matter. Use a small hook like 10 or 12.

These are remarkably efficient lures first stocked trout. Simple to fish. I use a 4lb mono line with a number 8 circle hook. I crimp on a couple of small tin split shots about 18 inches above the hook.

All on 5. 5 foot fast rod. This lets the mousetail float freely and makes getting some action on the bait easy. I note that trout even with the circle hook will often gut hook these like using live worms.

I don’t use them in either C&R only streams or once I have my creel limit.

Not only did the mice tails catch fish in my regular Colorado spots, I fished lakes and streams that I never caught fish previous and scored with the mice tails. I got results from all four colors I tried.

Wht/bubblegum, BBgum/white, Chart/Fl. Orange, Nat. / Fl. Red. Other than the fish biting the tail tips off, they lasted and held up well. Im impressed. I used a thin light weight #8 hook with these keeping them afloat.

Rigged with a drop shot or a cast bubble, they catch fish, period.

I don’t know about Trout but it works like magic on Hybrid Bass. I swapped out the jigs that came with my “Captain Macs” umbrella striper rigs for the smaller “Trout Magic” underspin in 1/8 oz. and the results were immediate.

It got even better when I started to include an odd one in the group either “Electric Chicken” or “Pink Glow” in the Z-Man “MinnowZ” 3 inch are so far my favorites. For the main group I like “Pearl”, “Opening Night” and “Bad Shad”.

I often catch more than one at a time, so far I’m up to three at once. These things take a beating and keep on ticking.

I have used this bait several times in the Chesapeake bay and have caught several keeper rockfish on this bait casting toward a rocky shore line. Outstanding bait I will be buying more for sure

Well made underspin jig. Strong enough to land large fish. I use them to cast along shorelines and shallows.

In my experience this is a superior product to the other mainstream product. Its gummy instead of doughy and stays on the hook better. This makes it a better value as it doesn’t fall off so easily which also means you use less.

I have had better results with Zekes as opposed to Berkley Dough from being able to soak it longer. The Berkley bait is still a great bait but I prefer this product.

I’ve been in a slump using Powerbait, so much I buy all kind of colors. I’ll a couple here and there, or lose the fish because the bait comes off. Or the bait hardens over time, or fall of the hook. Went shopping for more Powerbaits when I saw the Sierra gold.

Thinking I’ll have better luck this time around, I bought the garlic and corn flavor. Went fishing up on the mogollon lakes using Powerbait. Caught only one fish on the first day. Day 2 started with Powerbaits again, frustrated because I wasn’t getting any bites, so I switch to Zeke’s.

Lo and behold I was catching rainbows and tigers one after another! I was using 2 poles at the time, and I was getting bites. Best fishing trip ever. My new go to floaters, and am buying other colors too.

I’ve no luck using Powerbait fishing for trouts. I’ll catch a couple trouts, or the bait comes off, or over time the bait harden (I bait the plastic jars). One day I was looking at the Powerbaits (trying to go for a different color) when I saw the Sierra Gold at the bottom of the shelf.

I needed up buying a garlic and corn floating bait. I forgot about the bait when I went fishing one day. no luck with the Powerbait still, so I took out the Zeke’s Sierra Gold try it out. Mind you, I’ve seen this bait before and didn’t think anybody was using it.

Lo and behold I started catching rainbows and tigers one after the other!!!! The best day fishing for me. now I’m looking for other colors to add to my arsenal. Totally recommend this. my new favorite go to bait!!!!.

I grew up using Balls O’ Fire trout fishing when I lived in western Pennsylvania and always had success. Now I live in southern Virginia and there are not any places that trout can survive other than 1 lake they stock here in the winter.

I used these salmon eggs and had marginal success and landed a few trout at this lake. As you could imagine, they don’t sell these salmon eggs here so I had to order them here.

I had two problems with what I received. The first being these had to be old as there was no more oil in the jar and a number of the eggs were dark brown and deflated. Just worthless to use. The second issue is the photo of the product.

The jar I received did not have the same proportions as the jar in the image. I received a shorter jar. Very disappointed with this order.

I have started using the Green Pumpkin versions as swim jig trailers in shallow water. If you pair them with a PB & J colored jig, they make a great Bluegill trailer. Bass hit them hard. and I mean BIG Bass.

how do you expect to write a review when you don’t even have these in any of your stores, including Cabela’s?? you need to emply someone who knows what to stock in your stores, their getting pathetic.

I bought these a few weeks ago. Best purchase of the season so far. These things are awesome on a bladed jig or a Spinner bait

This is a good lure for trout especially at dusk. Bouyant really needs to make a 3/8 ounce version, or if they do, then Cabelas and Bass Pro need to carry it. Also this lure has markings for brown trout, but the paint comes off way to easily.

Bouyant needs to do some product improvement so that that painted markings don’t come off.

First time I threw the Rainbow trout colorway, it was in a fishes mouth the second it hit the water. The flutter action is ridiculous, it’s very very shiny and attention grabbing, and most of all, it casts like a dream.

Highly recommend.

I have been fishing with the Thomas Lures for several years. Mostly the Thomas Buoyant. I have caught several species of trout and other game fish. While fishing in Canada, the Thomas Buoyant have has been very productive on the Northern Pike! My fishing buddies and I have nick names.

such as the “money lure”, depending on what is hitting that day. I have one full tackle box that has nothing but the Thomas Lures in it. They are fantastic!!.

I picked up a gold super duper to try at a local lake that they stock with trout for the winter. I got there with about 45 minutes before sunset. I caught a nice rainbow on the second cast, and that’s mainly because I forgot to let it sink to the bottom on the first cast.

In the next 35 minutes I managed to catch 4 more fish, snagged on the bottom, spent 5-10 min trying to get it loose, and finally gave up and just snapped the line. I had other lures, and yes, these trout were aggressive and uneducated, but it was nearly dark, and I had fished the same lake last year with nowhere near this much success.

The next day I went to Bass Pro and picked up another gold one and a silver one.

I started fishing for brook, brown and rainbow trout in Wisconsin streams last year. Having only been fly fishing for trout prior this was a new twist. A friend mentioned this lure as a ‘go to’. He was right! When other lures aren’t producing, I tie on a super duper and I can be assured a strike.

If you haven’t given this a try, I would grad a few colors and hit the water!.

Jigging Raps were the go to bait at the Cabela’s NTC on Lake Winnebago in September. With the shallow heavy rock reef presence in the lake it was difficult to use any jigging rap that had a forward hook.

Moonshine Lures have no forward hook. The Moonshine Lures were very popular and the Holographic Shiver was the color that worked the best for us. All the stores in the area were sold out and when we lost our last one in this color our luck changed.

These lures have a little different action than other lures I use. Something different. Guys up north like Shiver minnows and will soon be used farther south. If it swims it will bite a shiver minnow.

The shiver minnow is different then other types of jigging rap style lures it has a rolling glide action. Best lure I’ve found when walleye go deep in late July- into fall. Use #3 for larger walleye #2 for 4lb and smaller walleye.

Check out the boys at next bite for videos on how to use them.

I got this a couple of weeks ago. I have used it in several lakes. I have cast and retrieved it and trolled. I have yet to get a single bite. All the lakes have pike, Bass, and walleye. No hits yet. I will say it looks great and has a decent weight.

Absolutely the best trout catcher I’ve used in 60 years of fishing. No longer have to mess with buying / catching worms, wax worms, etc. This stuff really works. Get a couple of different colors ( pink shad and cheese work best for me ) and you are all set.

I like to drift them with the current, but trout will pick them up if still fishing as well. Wish I had tried these years ago.

When it comes to stocked trout, nothing catches more fish than PowerBait. PowerBait is to “synthetic dough bait”, as Google is to “internet search”. All these different variations will catch you fish, the fish does have a preference from day to day.

My go to flavor during the spring in the North East is the corn flavor.

You can’t go wrong with the original Eppinger spoons. There are some other good spoons out there, and some are better situational ones, but when it comes to chasing pike and pickerel, you just can’t go wrong with the Daredevle.

The smaller 1/16 and 1/32oz ones are also excellent trout and yellow perch hunters. The only downside is snags. You have to know your structure, because you WILL snag up any stick or weed within 6 feet of these things 😉 That just is part of the territory with spoons though.

These things are more expensive than the competition, but in general, they are worth every penny.

I grew up in the great state of Michigan where I was taught fishing at an early age. My father gave me my first Daredevles and I can say that I’ve tried MANY other spoons on the market not only in the U.

S. but in Canada. Hands down Daredevles give me more strikes on a consistent basis. They’ve got the best action on the market and slay pretty much any species of fish to ever swim in a body of water.

I live in Canada now and I can get spoons from Canadian manufacturers for much less than I can get Daredevles, yet my tackle box is still stuffed with Dearborn brass n’ copper. No better spoon on the market.

100%.

Amazing bait. Really does attract fish like it says. I caught 18 trout last week, whilst the other 3 people I was fishing with caught only 6. Sticks well on the hook as well

The chartreuse color is not chartreuse but rather some off color green substituted for the real stuff. Pay-a little more and get the real stuff somewhere else.

Using a natural bait is always the best bet. However, keeping a jar or two of PowerBait on hand always handy as fishing trips are getting more and more expensive each year.

I ordered two 100 count bags of tequila sunrise worms. I thought. But I received some blue worms instead. I was contacted by a guy named Josh who said I could send them back and once received, they would send me a refund and then I could reorder.

I tried to reorder before I sent them back but noticed when I finalized the order, it switched to the blue worms. Even the picture showed tequila sunrise color on the confirmation order. I kept the blue worms because I don’t trust them to refund my money.

Too bad; I’ll have to find something similar from a different company.

I have used the Black 6 inch worm for many years. It has become my Bait of choice when fishing is tough. Most of the time fishing is tough anyway. Many other fisherman know about this bait and it gets bites.

I have set up a rod and reel and line to best fish this specific worm and keep it ready at all times. This bait is excellent for the younger fishers to use and learn bass fishing rigged Texas Rig. No Hang-ups.

It gets bites.

These have worked extremely well trolling for trout and also under a bobber. Rig them with on #6 hook and put a small propeller or small spin glow on top for a little extra action. The trout will sometimes kill it like a spinner and sometimes they will eat it like bait.

You catch catch 6-8 fish on the same bait.

Been using them for YEARS. Lot’s of big panfish, white bass. Big largemouth and smallmouth snap ’em up during cold fronts. Got a 20 pound carp on one with a cane pole. I fish for days with only these.

Put a dab of crazy glue between the jig head and plastic body, then a dab of glue where the hook exits the tail and you’ll spend more time catching fish, instead of adjusting the body. Trim the tentacles and claws if you need to fish deeper or faster.

Works well through the ice too. I haven’t bought a minnow or a waxworm in a few years now.

I first fished the pumpkin and chartreuse color nymph on a 1/16ths oz. grub head. I was consistently catching fish in a river in WV when others fishing with artificial grubs were just getting a few nibbles.

The sunfish and smallmouth would attack the legs and tail to the point where I was putting on a new nymph 2 to 3 times an hour. They love how it looks. I ordered more as I had used all of them on that trip and made a mistake and ordered the green/chartreuse color.

I took the new color to the same river in WV, same spots, and had similar success as last time. It was just over a month later, so the conditions were different, but it seemed like pumpkin/chartreuse did better for me.

Still, this is a fantastic lure for typical river variety of bass and panfish.

Just started trolling with downriggers and havent caught anything a few times out. Looked into up dating my lures and bought a trout killer among other lures. Nailed 6 rainbows on the trout killer, while my other lures still produced nothing, it is summer and i cant wait to see what these things can do in the spring or once the colder weather rolls in and they start stocking again.

Only thing i dont care for is the single hook, few of the fish i caught were barely hooked, switch it to a treble.

I recently went fishing up at the Mammouth lakes calif. for a week. My friends laughed when i pulled out my pro-troll trout killer,and told them what it was called. With in minutes of trolling,i starting catching fish.

My friends weren’t laughing any more. Instead,they asked me where i had purchased them. at first i was reluctant to tell them. But after a couple more fish, I ended the torcher and told them. I puchased 9 of these bad boys, and even let my friends use them if the promised to purchse their own.

We caught a lot of fish that week and had lots of fun. Thanks again cabela’s: Donny from Mammouth Lakes CA.

we have a private lake that i like to fish at for huge brown trout and rainbows so i wanted to compare this to the needlefish lures i love to use. and this lure caught 5 14 inch brown trout (the average size fish at my lake) and the needlefish lures caught 5 12 inch rainbows 2 23 and 25 inch brown trout and 3 monster 26, 23 and 29 inch rainbows.