How To Catch Big Trout On Jerkbaits

Did he just say, "jerkbaits for trout?" Hear me out. When you are looking to upgrade from the typical 12 inch stocker rainbows and catch yourself a trophy trout, your best bet is a jerkbait. Once native trout (and stockers, sometimes) reach a certain size, they move to a strictly baitfish diet. This means your bug imitators or live grasshoppers will no longer do the trick. You can fill the boat with 12 inchers all day long, but the big boys simply won’t be interested unless you offer them a big boy meal. Tie on a jerkbait, it’s trophy trout SZN.

Where To Throw Jerkbaits For Trout

As always, the first thing you’ll want to know when trying a new technique is ‘where.’ My first target is an eddy or pool in a river. Trout are some of the smarter fish we commonly target, so a lifelike design is usually featured on trout jerkbaits. This also makes it a candidate for clearer water, which you’ll often find in the snow run-off tributaries trout are known to frequent. Casting into, and retrieving against the current will help the action and resist line twist, something to always consider when trout fishing in rivers.

Jerkbaits will be most likely to catch you a trophy trout hiding out and waiting to ambush, so think about spots they may be waiting for a snack to swim on by. Sunken logs, an eddy, a pool, or a boulder in the middle of a river are superb hiding spots. The fast current on the sides of these obstructions cause baitfish to swim by, and big trout wait for the passersby.

How To Fish Jerkbaits For Trout

Source: Northern Ontario

To imitate these fleeing baitfish, here’s a little spinning tackle hack. Open your bail and pitch the bait into the current, adjacent to the suspected hiding spot. Let the current pull your line tight, and then slowly release more line. The current will push into your jerkbait as you hold tight, causing the wobbling bait to “suspend” without you having to do much action. Close the bail once you’ve let out a comfortable amount of line and begin to reel back slowly. This quick transition is when most trout will hit.

Using Jerkbaits For Trout Like A Crankbait

Another way to fish jerkbaits for trout bites is like a crankbait. This can be helpful to not spook your fish. The violent jerking of a typical jerkbait, much like the bass fishing technique, can sometimes spook trout, but a consistent cast and reel in a slow, steady motion keeps the wobble tight. Especially when fishing against current, you can fish jerkbaits for trout like a standard crank at a shallow depth, giving the impression of a little baitfish moving from point A to point B, unsuspecting of the lurking trout. These tactics have all proven effective to catch monster, trophy-sized, BEAUTIFUL trout!

Here is an example of what might come in a Mystery Tackle Trout Box