As the fall of the year picks up speed and winter quickly approaches, it means cold weather is on its way, or already here in some cases. And when the bad weather starts, that can only mean one thing. It’s time to fish for rainbow trout! And with rainbow trout fishing, comes rainbow trout fishing tips. For the rainbow trout angler, rainbow trout fishing tips are always welcome and hopefully these rainbow trout tips will help you catch a few more of these bruising beauties.

Steelhead fishing is probably a “lifestyle” like any other type of angling. Anglers who consistently catch rainbow trout have secrets and tips that other anglers don’t realize, in many cases. Maybe one of these steelhead fishing tips will help. Some may look incredibly sophomore, but what the heck? Many times the simple things in life are the most important and rainbow trout fishing is no different. In any case, here are some rainbow trout fishing tips to make you a more successful rainbow trout angler:

• When in doubt, ATTACH THE HOOK! – If you feel something unnatural in your skid, it is a good idea to set the hook. Does this mean that you will set the hook on a log or bottom from time to time? Of course, but many times it is also a head of steel. Steelhead rest on the bottom of rivers and therefore your bait or lure must be presented very close to the bottom, and this means snagging will occur. Hooking is simply part of rainbow trout fishing, and I’m sure any veteran rainbow trout angler would agree. The bottom line is if something unnatural happens on your skid or retrieve, set the hook!
• Fish at the right time – This can be an incredible advantage for rainbow trout, and is a great rainbow trout fishing tip. We want to be in the water when the fish are most active, whenever possible. This means having some knowledge about the weather and the moon and how both relate to fish behaviour. No two factors affect rainbow trout fishing like the weather and the moon, so take a few minutes and learn how these two natural phenomena affect the feeding activity of the fish (rainbow trout).
• know your river – As a steelhead angler, it is very important that you have an intimate knowledge of the water conditions of the river in which you fish. You see, rainbow trout will only hold (rest) in about 5% of any particular river, and you need to know where these areas are. And these areas change as water conditions change. That is why some study of hydrology and knowing your particular river well is so important. Know your river, and know it well.
• double your pleasure – If you like to use baits or egg sacs for rainbow trout, a great tip for fishing for rainbow trout is to use multiple hooks instead of single hooks. Gang hooks are simply a pair of hooks tied in tandem, which allow you to present twice the bait. A pre-tied #6 multihook set, it’s perfect for rainbow trout fishing. Don’t you think two egg sacs or drift shrimp would be more attractive to a rainbow trout than just one? I’m telling you from experience, it is. When using baits such as egg sacs or shrimp, always use multiple hooks.

These simple rainbow trout fishing tips will help you catch more rainbow trout. How am I so sure of this? Because they all worked for me, and I know they will work for anyone. Now bundle up, put on your rain gear and go out and catch some rainbow trout. And never forget what Steven Wright said about all of us fishermen; “There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore looking like an idiot.”. I don’t think truer words have ever been spoken.