When it comes to selecting bait for trout fishing, there are a wide variety of bait options, from colourful artificial baits to live bait. So, what exactly is the best bait for a trout? If you’re new to trout fishing or you want a refresher course, this article discusses some of the simplest ways to catch these cold-water fish in lakes, ponds, rivers, and creeks. If you’re interested in using natural trout baits, well, this is a breeze for you and you have so many options to choose from. It’s always good to experiment with new bait to see what works best as the success often depends on where you’re fishing and what kind of trout you’re fishing for.

Worms

Is any live trout bait more classic than an earthworm? Earthworms have always been a standard live bait for catching any fish species for ages as most fishes love the taste of earthworms. There’s a reason it has stood the test of time. Worms attract fish, after all.

Trouts are especially responsive to worms in springtime and summer. If the weather is cooler, worms are harder to come by. When you cast one into the water, it would be like presenting pizza to a starving man. You need to make sure the hook is well-baited for catching trout. Trout are wise aquatic hunters and don’t like to see visible hooks. Bait it the right way with the worm, and you’ll be getting bites in no time.

Corn

Corn sounds like a completely improbable bait for trout. Why would they want to eat something so unusual? After all, corn is far from being a marine-related food. However, There’s actually a good reason behind it. Many trouts are farm-raised. These stocked trout will be released into the wild once they reach a certain age. When they’re still being raised, they’re fed a very particular food: trout pellets made from cornmeal.

When they release the stocked trout, they still have a memory of that smell in the water. Corn is a perfect bait for many trout. You can use it when casting flies, or with a reasonable float on the line.

Grasshoppers and Crickets

If you want to use a great surface lure for trout fishing, try crickets or grasshoppers. You can use them much the same as flies. On the surface, with their legs kicking, they’re irresistible to trout. They’re also easy to find just about anywhere in the country.

It can be a little tricky to get used to using crickets and grasshoppers. If you’re not used to handling them, they can be quite squirmy and they tend to move around in a frenzy. Knocking over a container of them could end your trout fishing trip if it’s the only bait you have. But if you’re careful, they’re very desirable to the fish.

Crayfish

Crayfish are natural prey for trout. You can use small ones for small trout. If you’re angling for bigger fish, those big crayfish work like a dream. You can get some trophy fish on large crayfish.

Many bait shops do carry crayfish in stock as part of their marine supplies and baits. If yours doesn’t, they’re not that hard to find in the wild. Get yourself to some shallow water and start looking under rocks and logs. It won’t be long before you find plenty of them. Just be aware of their claws. They’re especially good for brown trout.

Salmon Eggs

If there’s one thing that trouts love, it’s salmon eggs. Trout will absolutely raid a clutch of eggs when they find it. In early spring and fall, these are especially effective. You can buy jars of salmon eggs to use as bait as well as imitation eggs. String a few on a line or use a simple mesh bag and cast into the strike zone. The scent will trail in the water and attract trout right away. You can find them in your local marine shops or tackle shops. Though they come in several colours, red eggs often work best. Trout can even see them in the deepest, darkest water. These work well on lures too.