Spoon for rainbow trout

When you need to reach far out, or search a large water quickly, the spoon is hard to beat. Classics such as Toby in the 7 to 10 gram class roll and waddle in a way hunting rainbow trout like, and the weight means the lure both casts far and sinks well, so you can fish at different depths.

Why you bring the spoon

The weight gives casting distance enough to reach fish out in open water. It also means the lure gets down to depth quickly, which you steer by counting it down. And unlike the spinner, which wants a bit of pace for the blade to spin, the spoon works already on an even retrieve. See it as the spinner’s complement: the spinner flashes at close range and slow speed, the spoon reaches farther and deeper.

Weight and colour

Seven to ten grams is the all-round choice. Go lighter for shallow water and shy fish, heavier for depth and wind. When it comes to colour, copper, gold and silver work best in clear water, while coloured water and freshly stocked fish often want something brighter. Many spoons come in two-tone variants, for example copper on one side and a signal colour on the other, which gives you a bit of both.

Count down for the right depth

The countdown is the spoon’s big advantage, so use it deliberately. Cast out, let the lure sink and count the seconds before you start reeling. If it stops at even intervals on a certain countdown you are fishing near the bottom, so shorten by a couple of seconds and sit just above. Change countdown until you find the depth where the fish stand, just as you adjust depth in bait fishing.

Technique

Reel in evenly, and the spoon starts to roll at once. What often lights the fish is breaking the rhythm: put in reel-stops and small pace changes, because the take likes to come when the lure turns or sinks in a stop. A small twitch with the rod tip now and then makes the lure make a sudden dart like a fleeing fish, which can trigger a reaction take.

Try your way with countdown and tempo until you find what the fish want for the day. A selection of lures aimed at the species sits in best lures for rainbow trout, and the whole method under spin fishing.