Best PowerBait for rainbow trout

PowerBait is the most reliable bait for rainbow trout, and choosing the right one is less about a given brand and more about having the right sorts and colours at home. The important thing to remember is that PowerBait floats, so with the right rig the bait hangs a bit above the bottom where the fish looks for food. Here is how you choose and get started.

Our pick

PowerBait is cheap, so the smart move is to have a couple of colours at home. If you just want to get going, a classic jar of paste is enough; if you want to cover more situations, take a colour pack.

• Best for most people – Berkley PowerBait season pack, 4 colours (4.8★). Several colours and scents so you can switch with the day’s mood. See price on Amazon
• Best budget – Berkley PowerBait Trout Bait (4.4★). The classic jar of paste, a hard-to-beat price to try. See price on Amazon
• Good colour range – Berkley PowerBait Trout Dough Assortment (4.6★). Several colours at once. See price on Amazon

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Paste or eggs

The two main forms both work, and they both float. Mouldable paste you knead around the hook and control the amount yourself, which gives control over how large and airy the bait becomes. Ready-made eggs you thread on quickly, practical when the takes come thick. If you can only afford one, take the paste — it is the most versatile — but in the long run it is best to have both in the bag.

Colour and scent

PowerBait comes in a mass of colours, often with glitter and scent. You do not need many. A couple of contrasting colours is enough to start with, one light and glittery and one more natural, so you can switch with the day’s mood and the water’s clarity. The ability to change colour is often what makes it break, rather than exactly which jar you bought first.

What to prioritise

Spend the money on a couple of colours and the right small bits for the rig, that is hook, running weight and bubble float, rather than on a whole shelf of PowerBait. The bait is cheap, so it is the rig and the technique that decide. Fresh, soft paste sticks and smells better than an old dried-out one, so buy a sensible amount and keep the jars tightly closed.

Get started

Once you have the PowerBait: rig a ledger so the paste hangs above the bottom, see PowerBait – rig and technique, and read the basics under bait fishing and ledgering. PowerBait is also a grateful bait for children and beginners because it is simple to bait. More buying guides sit under best.