Dave's Top 5 Trout Lures!

As the calendar turns to March, the Mid-Atlantic trout seasons are approaching fast. Trout stocking will be happening in many streams, rivers and ponds over the next few months and many anglers will be out looking to catch their share of these fun and sometimes frustrating fish. While there are many ways to fish for trout, my favorite is fishing with lures. Now on slow days I will still use bait, and I have been known to use a fly rod once in a while, but fishing with spinning tackle and lures is my absolute favorite way to fish for them.

It is important to be stocked with a large variety of lures to make sure your fishing trip is as successful as possible. Different circumstances including weather, water quality, time of day etc. make having a wide selection of lures at your disposal a necessity. Below are the top 5 lures you should never leave home with out!


5. "Flatfish" by Yakima Bait Company - These lures are kind of a mixture between a spoon and crankbait. While their appearance is similar to a spoon (although more curved) the action is more similar to a crankbait. As you retrieve them they dive under like a floating crankbait, and produce an absolutely unique wobble that drives trout crazy. For trout I like lures to be as small as possible, so I prefer size F2. As for colors, these lures are made in a wide variety and on different days some work better than others. But if I had to pick a favorite I would say red and blue. If you haven't already try them out, you wont be disapointed!

4.  "Countdown" by Rapala - Commonly called Rapala CDs, this sinking crankbait is one of the more popular trout lures in this area. These lures are my go to in deeper pools and ponds as the sinking action of the lure helps it get down deeper without a faster or slower retrieve. My favorite size for trout fishing is size 01. This crankbait comes in a huge variety of colors, but brown trout is my favorite by far. Other colors I never leave home with out are rainbow trout, silver and gold.

3. "Roostertail" by Yakima Bait Company - Roostertails are the 1st of 2 in-line spinners on my top 5 list. These spinners are also an extremely popular choice for trout fisherman here in the mid-atlantic region. Like the last two lures on this list, they are offered in a wide variety of colors and sizes. Again I believe the smaller the better for trout, and my favorite color is all white with a silver blade.

2. "Mepps Dressed Aglia" by Mepps - This is the other in-line spinner I have on my list of top trout lures. While I like to use Roostertails, I love Mepps. I use Mepps for everything, bass, pickeral, panfish etc., but they also make one heck of a trout lure. It is just my opinion, but I believe Mepps' have a better/smoother spinner action then all other in-line spinners, including Roostertails. The small blade size 0 is my favorite, and my favorite color Mepps is brown trout. I will also not leave home without white w/ silver blade and rainbow trout colors.

1. "Niti-1 Trout Killer" by Pcola Lures - Now as much as I like the other lures on this list, and they are always in my tackle box when trout fishing, the Niti-1 Trout Killer is always the first lure I tie on each day. This relatively unknown lure drives trout crazy. I catch more trout more consistently with this lure than anything I've used before. The Trout Killer is most similar to a spoon, but not quite the same. The body is more curved than a normal spoon and the edges are not round. The action of this lure is again unlike anything I have fished and is very unique. These lures are offered in 3 colors, gold, silver and black and they all work great (if I had to pick I'd say gold is my favorite color) The easiest way I can explain how it works is to just say go buy a couple and try them for yourself. You will not be disapointed! 

The only pic I have of the Niti-1 is in the mouth of this Rainbow I caught last year! Hard to see, but call Pcola lures @ 1-814-495-5007 for more information and order forms!