Everybody suggests ultralight rods for small trout but I do not have one!

[joejoejoebob0]

Hello, so I live in an area with a lot of trout fishing and small stocked trout. I would like to go out fishing but I kind of suck so I never really catch anything. I have been watching a lot of tutorials on catching trout and I think I am ready to go back out and try again, but the only problem is the rod I have is a LIGHT Fenwick HMG rod and not the ULTRALIGHT variant. I have this because that is literally the lightest rod that Bass Pro Shops had in store that was of any decent quality. Is this gong to be a problem because people always suggest an ultralight? Or can I still catch trout with this. Thank you!

[PH_Carpman99]

If you can accurately cast small lures a good distance then yes you should be able to catch them (if no then probably not) . Trout are easily spooked (scared) so moving quietly and using light tackle is recommended, polaroid glasses can help reduce the surface glare and possibly allow you to see the fish (before they see you, they also offer some protection from sun/wind burn and sharp objects).

Note where other anglers are fishing, are they catching any ? are they catching what you want to catch ? what are they using (tackle setups, bait/lures) ? what sort of retrieve are they doing (slow/fast, straight/stop and start)? why are they fishing in this area ? (the river enters the lake here, sunken trees or boulders providing cover for the fish, the wind is blowing food items (insects) the fish are feeding on into this spot).

You could write a book advising people how to fish, in fact I believe it has been done a few times before, but sometimes it's just about being in the right place at the right time (with the right tackle).

GL.

   

[joejoejoebob0]

Yeah so I have been using 1/16 OZ lures for spinners, 1/16 OZ rooster tails, and trout magnets...and the only ones I have had a little bit of difficulty using are the trout magnets because I believe they are 1/64 ounce. I have found however that if I use the EZ Trout Float that comes with them however that I can cast well. What would the recommended lure weight on the rooster tails and sinners be? 1/16 is the lightest that my rod is rated for, but I can still cast 1/64 pretty well.

[PH_Carpman99]

You said the trout in the area you want to fish were small, then your best bet would be to use the smallest versions you can get a decent cast out of.  I find the Spinning blade type lures (spinners) to be quite effective on trout (like a Panther Martin (spinner), looks good to me). 

I'm not familiar with the lures you mention, they probably have a different name or are not sold here. The only advice I can really give is to do what the locals do. 

GL.

            

[joejoejoebob0]

Thank you...I think I have some lures that will work. I just always get confused because the fish seem like they are pretty small so I should use small lures, and the area is big with fly fishermen so they are using very small lures, but whenever I pick up one that someone has littered or lost to throw it away it is always bigger than I think it should be. Maybe the people who lose lures don't know what their doing either because they cant even be bothered not to litter...but I try to see what they use to gain insight into local knowledge.

[PH_Carpman99]

A matter of seeing what works (and what doesn't, trial and error), start of small (maybe you could add a small sinker for more distance if needed, might want to check the fishing regulations of the area to see if this allowed) then consider moving up to the larger lures would be my suggestion.