How To Use A Spinner To Catch Rainbow Trout

There are many baits and lures that can be used to catch a rainbow trout, but one choice has more versatility that most of the others, the spinner. In line spinners have been known to be effective fishing lures to use for rainbow trout for what seems like forever and in this article I will outline how to use a spinner to catch rainbow trout so that you can experience success the next time that you head out onto the water.

The first thing that we need to discuss is the rod, reel, and fishing line that you use to "fish" your spinner. You want to be able to cast your spinner straightly and accurately and some times need to cast long distances so an ultra light fishing rod that is at least six and a half feet long is in order. This rod should be matched with an ultra light reel that holds at least 100 yards of four pound test fishing line, which is the weight of line that should be used whenever you use a spinner attempt to catch a rainbow trout.

Next we have the spinner itself. I prefer Panther Martin or Rooster Tail spinners when it comes to fishing for "rainbows", and Mepps and Blue Fox make quality trout spinners as well. A key to success is having a variety of sizes and color/blade choices available to you when you are on the water so that you can experiment to find the best choice to use on a particular day of fishing. Some effective color choices to use when fishing for rainbow trout are blacks, browns, silver, or gold with blades that are silver, gold, or even black. As you experiment you will find that each spinner will perform differently under the water.

If you want to know how to use a spinner to catch rainbow trout you need to know how to attach said spinner to the end of your line. Inexperienced trout fishermen will make the mistake of tying a snap swivel to the end of their line and "snapping" their spinner to the snap swivel. This is a big mistake that should be avoided at all costs. You see attaching an inline spinner directly to a snap swivel will ruin the action of the in-line spinner and cost you bites from hungry rainbows. In order to not interfere with the action of the spinner, you always want to tie your spinner directly to the end of your line. If you do this the spinner will perform as it was designed to perform without any impediments.

What about the best size spinner to use when fishing for rainbow trout? In almost all cases the phrase "smaller is better" is something that should be kept in the back of your mind. 1/16 to 1/4 of an ounce is normally the size range to stay in when fishing for rainbow trout. Occasionally you may way to step up to a 3/8 or even 1/2 ounce but this is only if the trout are large and feeding actively.

Finally we have the way in which you "fish" the inline spinner. Whether you are using your spinner in a lake or a river, a straight retrieve is rarely the most effective way to use an inline spinner. Varying the speed of your retrieve and even using a stop and start action when retrieving a spinner is almost always more effective when attempting to catch rainbow trout. In rivers, casting parallel to the current and slowly retrieving the spinner back through the current is the most common technique. Some experienced trout fishermen who use a reel with a fast gear ratio will even fish spinners with the current at a very fast speed (normally the same speed or a little faster than the river is flowing) to trigger feeding rainbows into biting.

Whatever type of spinner or technique that you choose to employ, the bottom line is that you now know you know hoe to use a spinner to catch a rainbow trout.

Trevor Kugler is president of JRWfishing.com, a website dedicated to ultra light fishing, with an emphasis on ultra light river fishing for trout. Check out our new blog focused on trout fishing tips and techniques to help you be more successful on the water.