3 Unique Trout Baits You Probably Haven't Tried..But Should

Because of their fickle nature and excellent vision, trout fisherman have become obsessed with being able to “match the hatch,” or using a lure that precisely mimics what the fish are feeding on at the precise time they’re on the water.This is certainly effective, but it’s not the only way to catch trout. Depending on where you are in the country, trout can be caught on a wide variety of different baits, some of which would probably surprise you.Here are three “unique” baits that can be deadly on trout, even when they are seemingly being very specific about what they’re eating.

Unique Trout Bait 1: Corn

Although it may seem a bit lowbrow, trout in many bodies of water were born in hatcheries, and released into the wild when they reached a catchable size. For these trout, even years in a stream or lake won’t erase the instinctual desire to feed on what they were raised – hatchery pellets. Corn kernels, although usually reserved for carp fishing, do a bang-up job of imitating a hatchery pellet. Slide a hook through a kernel, and fish it weightless behind a casting bubble or even on a fly rod – and you’ll be surprised at how many trout decide to bite.

Unique Trout Bait 2: Salmon Eggs

Trout are also notorious cannibals, and during the spawn they get much of their nutrition by raiding their relative’s rudds (spawning beds) – feeding on the energy packed eggs of nearby spawners. This is particularly common in streams and rivers that flow to the ocean or Great Lakes. Try jarred salmon eggs like the Magic Products BioPro Eggs, or “spawn sacs” (a small clump of eggs wrapped in mesh) and drift them through the deepest runs on your local waters. For many northern trout anglers, salmon eggs are the most effective bait in the early spring and fall.

Unique Trout Bait 3: Grasshoppers

Because they’re opportunistic feeders, trout in streams will often eat anything that falls into the water. Across much of the country, grasshoppers are one of the most common creatures that falls into a trout stream. Whether live and threaded onto a hook, or a realistic artificial grasshopper pattern like the , you’d be remiss if you didn’t at least give them a look the next time you’re out on the trout stream.