Everybody seems to have their own opinion on what makes the best trout bait. What you use will largely depend on where your fishing and how the pond is stocked. Some fisherman love fishing with trout lures, but it’s hard to beat fishing with a mixture of commercial and natural baits. While there’s a little bit of truth in everyone’s opinion there are few surefire ways to fill your cooler this fishing season. These five trout baits are your only options, but they sure are a good start.
5 Best Trout Baits
5. Salmon Eggs
Salmon eggs have been a staple of trout fisherman for as long as I can remember. Luckily foraging for salmon eggs is as easy as going to your local sporting goods store. We might pay big money for caviar, but that doesn’t mean salmon eggs are expensive. For a few bucks you’ll be stocked with enough eggs for your whole fishing trip. Salmon eggs have always been hit or miss for me depending on my location. If you don’t get fresh eggs that are cured properly you aren’t going to have a lot of luck. If you’re new to trout fishing salmon eggs are a great place to start. They are easy to fish, very inexpensive and attract a lot of bites. That doesn’t mean that they don’t of a few downsides. For a less messy option try the artificial Berkley Powerbait Power Eggs.
Pautzke Bait Balls O’Fire Salmon Eggs
Pautzke’s Ball’s of fire Salmon eggs have long been a staple of traditional trout fisherman. The Green label balls of fire Salmon eggs have long been my favorite natural option. You can find them in just about any bait shop in their extremely easy to use. Simply put on enough to cover your hook and sit back and wait for trout to get the smell. You can even make them float by threading a mini marshmallow onto the end of the hook.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Easy to Buy at any sporting goods store
- Store easily and last a long time
- Not very messy and easy to rig up
Cons:
- Sinking design limits rig setup
- Doesn’t leave a strong scent trail
How To Fish With Salmon Eggs
Salmon eggs are a sinking bait, so your best bet is going to use a float or bobber. Suspend your rig a few feet off the bottom or in your trolling setup. Salmon eggs leave a slight scent trail, so they work well in currents.
4. Nightcrawlers Minnows and Other Live Bait
When the waters high and muddy it’s hard to beat a natural trout bait. It only makes sense that when conditions are rough you’re going to have a lot more worms in the water. There are a ton of different natural options that you can choose from, but it’s hard to beat the classic nightcrawler and minnow. In heavily fish dreams where trout are extremely wary most people are going to be using minnows. You can use any type of minnow from 1 1/2 to 3 inch. Just hook the bait through the mouth with a size 4-6 hook and toss it in.
In areas down south you might even want to try crayfish. They are an often overlooked and extremely deadly trout bait. Small crayfish are great for smaller trout, but don’t hesitate to go for the big monster crayfish. The largest trout are going to be caught on the biggest crayfish.
3. Scented Marshmallows
I can remember walking up on a fisherman as a kid with a large haul of trout and asking him what bait he was using. He gave me a jar of marshmallows and told me how to use them. They weren’t the type of marshmallows I was accustomed to around the campfire. It was a small jar of colorful fishing marshmallows with a natural scent. That weekend I caught a few of the largest trout I’ve ever seen on those little marshmallows on those little marshmallows.
Mike’s Trout Marshmallows
One of my good fishing buddies swears by the Mike’s brand colorful Trout marshmallows. They are inexpensive and have a natural scent. Just rig them up like you would any other floating bait. I like to use a split shot and suspend them off the bottom. You can even add a salmon egg to spice up the scent.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Easy To Use With Lots of Scents
- Not Messy
- Stores For Extended Periods
Cons:
- Breaks Up Quickly
2. Artificial and Homemade Dough Balls
Every fishermen should have their own homemade dough ball recipe. My favorite dough ball recipe uses a combination of flour cornmeal sugar garlic powder and cheese. These ingredients make it doughy bait that forms easily and holds onto your hook. If you aren’t the DIY/homemade type you can’t go wrong with a classic commercial doughball. Whenever I go fishing I like to bring along both my homemade recipe and a commercial alternative just in case. If you haven’t already tried one of the Berkley Powerbait brand doughs you should definitely give them a look.
Berkley Trout Nuggets
Berkley’s Trout Nuggets are easily one of my favorite artificial baits on the market. The Trout Nuggets are a little bit easier to use compared to Berkley Powerbait Power Eggs. The advanced scent and flavor profile is the perfect bait for trout,salmon and steelhead. The convenient free-form nuggets are easy to set up on your favorite trout rig. These are like your classic dough style baits featuring eye-catching colors and mess free design.
Pros:
- Available Everywhere at a Cheap Price
- Strong Garlic Scent that attracts Trout Salmon and Steelhead
- Easy to Rig and Stores Almost Indefinitely
- Can Pair Doughballs With Salmon Eggs
Cons:
- Cheaper to Make Your Own Recipe
1. Berkley Trout Powerbait
Berkley’s Extra Scent Trout Powerbait is in a category of its own making. These little colorful jars of bait are easily at the top of its class. Available in a ton of different colors for a reasonable price, Berkley Powerbait is sure to attract a ton of trout. It has an extremely strong scent and will stay on your hook longer than most nightcrawlers. There’s a reason why every bait store carries the Berkley brand. Powerbait work best on recently stocked lakes. Stocked trout loves any type of dough style bait.
Pros:
- Extremely Easy to Mold
- Comes in a wide variety of colors and scents
- can be used with just about any rig setup
- Holds its scent and has a really long shelf life
Cons:
- Somewhat messy and Smelly
- Harder to Keep on Hook Than Nugget
How to Fish The Berkley Powerbait
It’s Extremely easy to fish with Berkley’s Powerbait Trout Lure. Simply form a small ball of dough in your fingers that’s large enough to completely cover your hook. Fish the same way you would with any other dough style bait.