Trout

Trout Lures at Charlie's Fishing: Spoons, Small Crankbaits, Minnows and Finesse Softbaits

Trout lures are small, light and precise. Trout see very well, hold in clear and often moving water, and ignore anything that swims wrong, so trout fishing comes down to a natural lure, a thin line and an accurate cast. In this collection you find our lures for trout: casting spoons, compact vibration lures, small crankbaits and minnows, finesse softbaits for the jig head and drop shot, small surface lures, and the hooks, snaps and leader material to fish them on light tackle. It is for anglers who fish streams, rivers, clear lakes and stocked trout waters, and for those who cast for sea trout from the coast. Below you find which trout lure fits which situation.

Spoons and compact casting lures for trout

A spoon is the oldest trout lure there is, and still one of the best when you need distance and a flash that trout see from far away. The Abu Garcia Toby Spoon 15 g (7.5 cm) is the classic: a slim, slightly curved metal body that wobbles and flashes like an injured baitfish, stays stable at different retrieve speeds and casts a long way. It works in still and running water and is made for trout, sea trout and asp along banks and drop-offs. The Abu Garcia Toby Spoon 20 g is the choice for wind, strong current and big lakes where you want to cover a lot of water. Wind a spoon in steadily, or let it flutter down on a slack line now and then: trout often take it on the drop. For a compact lure that casts like a spoon but vibrates like a small shad, look at the Fiiish Power Tail Evo 30 (3 cm, 2.5 g), the Fiiish Power Tail Evo 40 (4 cm, 5 g) and the Fiiish Power Tail Evo 50 (5 cm, 8 g): dense, streamlined lures with a tight, high frequency vibration that keep swimming at slow speeds, so you can hold them deep in faster current and fish them with a cast and retrieve or with short lifts. More in Metal Jigs and Spoons, Abu Garcia and Fiiish.

Small crankbaits and minnows for rivers and lakes

A small hard lure lets you fish a stretch of river quickly and find the active trout. The BlueBlue Zepper 40F (4 cm, 4 g) is a floating mini crankbait with a wide lip and rattles, made for trout and perch feeding on small baitfish; wind it in steadily along the edges. The Jackall Chubby Bug 35 (3.5 cm, 3.7 g) is a floating super shallow crankbait that looks like a beetle struggling on the surface, with silicone legs that keep moving during a pause: fish it slowly under overhanging trees and along the margins of streams and slow rivers when trout and chub feed on insects. The Rapala X-Rap 8 cm (7 g, 0.9 to 1.5 m) is the minnow for bigger river trout: twitch it hard for a darting slashbait action, or wind it in for the classic Rapala wobble. The Probaits Twitchaholic 80 Shallow Runner (8 cm, 9.8 g, 0.5 to 1 m) combines the agile behaviour of a minnow with the stable run of a crankbait and has a magnetic casting system for distance, and the Toppies Primos (7.5 cm, 9 g, 0.5 to 1 m) is a suspending twitchbait that hangs still during the pause, which is exactly when a following trout takes it. For sinking minnows, the Jackall Live Darter (5.2 cm, 4.5 g) darts widely from side to side on short, sharp rod tip movements and has a tinsel tail that keeps pulsing when you stop, made for trout, perch and chub in clear and pressured water. The BlueBlue Arvin 60s (6 cm, 6.5 g) is a sinking stickbait with a subtle rolling and wobbling action for current and still water, and the BlueBlue Snecon 50s (5 cm, 3 g) glides from side to side like an injured baitfish on a slow, steady retrieve. Count a sinking lure down to fish deeper pools. See all Crankbaits & Twitchbaits, the ranges of Rapala, Jackall, BlueBlue Fishing, Probaits and Toppies, and read our blog BlueBlue Fishing Japan: Four Lures We Tested in Dutch Waters.

Finesse softbaits for trout on the jig head and drop shot

In clear water and on stocked trout waters where the fish have seen every spoon, a small softbait on a light jig head is often the lure that still gets bites. Fish it with a slow retrieve, short lifts or on a drop shot rig, and keep the jig head light: 1 to 5 g covers most trout fishing. The Greenfin Tango Pin 5 cm is made for exactly this: a slim pintail that imitates fry and small invertebrates, with a gentle after quiver and a water soluble protein blend that keeps releasing scent, and it is plastic free and biodegradable. The Rapala CrushCity The Stingman in 7.5 cm is a salted pintail for the drop shot, a light jig head or a weightless offset hook, and the ultra soft Toppies Skeletonius (7 cm) has a floating tail that rises off the bottom like a small fish. The Toppies Pintius 7 cm is a floating pintail that survives nose hooking on the drop shot much longer than most softbaits. When trout want more movement, the Rapala CrushCity The Kickman in 3" (7.5 cm, 3 g) and the Greenfin Samba Paddle 7 cm are compact paddle tails that work at the slowest retrieve. A worm is a natural trout food too: the PXS Kagashi Worm 3" 7,5 cm is a slim pin tail worm for the drop shot, a round jig head or a micro jig, and the floating Toppies Wormius (9.5 cm) moves like a real worm on a drop shot, Carolina rig or wacky rig, even in light current. More in V-Tails & Pintails, Paddle Tails and Ned's & Worms, per brand in Capt'n Greenfin and PXS Pitch and Strike, and read our blog Perch Fishing with Drop Shot, Carolina Rig, Ned Rig and Finesse Baits: the same rigs work for trout.

Surface lures for trout in summer

On warm evenings trout rise to insects and chase fry at the surface, and a small topwater lure then gives you the most exciting bites of the year. The Rapala X-Light Pencil (5 cm, 4 g) walks from side to side on short rod tip twitches and is subtle enough for cautious fish in calm, clear water. The Rapala Skitter Pop 5 cm (6 g) has a cupped lip and a balsa body, so you can pop it, walk it or skitter it across the surface. The Swiss designed Stucki Fishing Mini Bubble 35 (3.5 cm, 2 g) is a tiny popper for spring and early summer when the baitfish are still small, and the Stucki Fishing Bubble 55 (5.5 cm, 7.7 g) casts further on a lake. Fish them with pauses, and wait a moment before you strike. See all Topwaters, the Stucki Fishing range and our blog Topwater Fishing for Pike, Perch and Asp: Techniques and Best Surface Lures.

Sea trout lures for the coast

Sea trout along the Danish, German, Swedish and Dutch coasts want a lure that casts far into the wind and swims naturally over shallow sand, stones and weed. The Abu Garcia Toby Spoon 20 g is the classic coastal spoon for sea trout and sea bass: long casts, a stable wobble in waves and current, and a flash that works in both fresh and salt water. The BlueBlue Blooowin 60S (6 cm, 4 g, about 1 m) is a compact sinking lure with an internal tungsten weight that casts accurately even into a strong headwind, and it swims with a tight wobble and an S shaped glide; wind it in steadily or jerk it. The BlueBlue Snecon 90s (9 cm, 15 g) makes a wide S curve on a steady retrieve and becomes even livelier in current and at long range. In the warmer months, when sea trout hunt in the shallows at dusk, the Rapala Precision X-Treme Pencil 87 (8.7 cm, 12 g) is a long casting topwater pencil with a walk the dog action. For a softbait that fishes weedless over stones and weed, the Fiiish Black Minnow 90 N2 Shore Combo 5g (9 cm, 5 g) swims naturally at slow speeds and keeps its hook hidden in the body. Many of the lures in our Seabass and Seabass Hardbaits collections are sea trout lures too.

Line, leader, hooks and snaps for trout

Light tackle is what makes small trout lures work. A rod with a casting weight of about 2 to 10 g casts a 4 g crankbait or a 3 g jig head properly; for spoons of 15 to 20 g you want a rod up to about 25 g. Fish a thin braid such as the Sufix Nanobraid, an ultra thin, low stretch braid for UL spinning and finesse that gives you direct contact with light lures, and tie on a fluorocarbon leader: trout have sharp eyes, and fluorocarbon is almost invisible under water. The Stroft Fluorocarbon FC2 starts at 0.20 mm (3.4 kg), a good leader for trout in clear water; go up to 0.25 or 0.30 mm around rocks and on the coast. For the drop shot and wacky rig, the BKK Predator WG is a wide gape finesse hook with a micro barb, so you can unhook and return a trout quickly. To change lures without retying, the Fiiish Snaps in Ultra Light (8 kg) and Light (10 kg) are compact stainless steel snaps that leave a small lure free to move. Check the rules of the water you fish: many trout waters have their own rules for hooks and lures. More in Lines and Leaders, Sufix, Stroft, Hooks and Rigs, Small fishing tackle, Jigheads, BKK Hooks and Rods and Reels.

Which trout lure for which situation

• Big rivers, lakes and distance: Abu Garcia Toby Spoon 15 g or 20 g.
• Fast current and deeper pools: Fiiish Power Tail Evo 40 or 50, or a counted down Jackall Live Darter.
• Small streams and shallow margins: Jackall Chubby Bug 35, BlueBlue Zepper 40F or BlueBlue Snecon 50s.
• Bigger river trout: Rapala X-Rap 8 cm, Probaits Twitchaholic 80 Shallow Runner or Toppies Primos.
• Clear water and stocked trout waters: Greenfin Tango Pin 5 cm, Rapala CrushCity The Stingman or Toppies Pintius 7 cm on a light jig head or drop shot.
• Trout feeding at the surface on summer evenings: Rapala X-Light Pencil, Rapala Skitter Pop 5 cm or Stucki Fishing Mini Bubble 35.
• Sea trout from the coast: Abu Garcia Toby Spoon 20 g, BlueBlue Blooowin 60S or BlueBlue Snecon 90s. Also see Perch, Chub, Asp and Seabass.

Why buy trout lures at Charlie's Fishing

We are a specialised predator fishing webshop and stock trout lures from Abu Garcia, Rapala, Fiiish, BlueBlue, Jackall, Toppies, Capt'n Greenfin, Stucki Fishing, Probaits and PXS, picked for control and precision on light tackle, with the hooks, snaps, braid and fluorocarbon to match. Every order ships from our own stock in the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and we are happy to help you choose the right trout lure for your water.

What is the best lure for trout?

There is no single best lure. A spoon such as the Abu Garcia Toby covers rivers and lakes and casts far, a small crankbait or minnow finds active trout quickly, and a finesse softbait on a light jig head or drop shot gets bites in clear water and on stocked waters. Carry one of each and you will rarely be stuck.

Which size lure should I use for trout?

Lures of 3 to 6 cm suit streams, small rivers and stocked trout waters. Go to 7 to 9 cm for bigger river trout and for sea trout from the coast, where a heavier lure of 15 to 20 g also helps you cast into the wind.

Which line and leader do I need for trout fishing?

A thin braid gives you casting distance and direct contact with light lures, and a fluorocarbon leader of 0.20 to 0.25 mm keeps the connection almost invisible in clear water. On the coast and around rocks, a 0.25 to 0.30 mm leader is safer.