It is very easy to become addicted to fishing for trout with lures. Once you start targeting specimen fish, it can literally become a lifestyle! Complicated, yes and no, you just need to fish a venue where these big fish swim, and you will be surprised at how many small waters hold such fabulous trout. The secret to becoming a trout specimen angler lies in two words: patience and dedication.
A dream trout!
The perfect rod and reel combo
You need to choose the right gear when going after big trout. The river I fish is a relatively big one where the average size is 50 cm with some beauties of over 65 cm. I love the Gunki Street Fishing S-228 M/ML. Its length of 2.28 m gives me leverage, the 3 to 15 gram test enables me to cast a wide selection of lures and the solid carbon tip means I can work a tiny lure without sacrificing power.
Street Fishing S-228 M/ML a top notch rod!
I also really like the Gunki THG FV 2,500 reel. It is light, 215 grams and has a ratio of 5.2/1, which means it retrieves 73 cm with each handle turn. This relatively high ratio is an asset when fishing in fast-flowing rivers. I spool it with the thinnest braid possible to gain in casting distance and sensitivity. This also helps reduce the resistance my line creates in the water therefore meaning higher quality lure presentation. The 0.11 mm Gunki Slide Braid is ideal, to which I add 2 metre 0.17 to 0.25 mm Gunki Ice Fluorocarbone leader depending on the current and the conditions.
THG FV 2,500 reel, silky smooth and powerful.
Lures
Depending on the conditions, I will either use hard or soft lures:
I just love the Gunki Gamera range and even more so the HW versions in the 50 and 63 sizes. The lures sink and are hyper stable in the current, swim with the slightest twitch and cast like magic … perfect for targeting big trout in wide rivers.
HW minnows, ideal for fast-flowing rivers and long distance casts
Soft lures, not often used by trout anglers but these lures are really efficient, especially for specimen fish. I mainly use the following ones:
- The Gunki Tipsy-S, a tiny 3.8 mm soft lure with a hyper-mobile paddle, the trout just gobble them up.
- The Gunki Kiddy in the 5 and 7.6 cm versions, with their V-style tail, they are ideal for darting action applications.
- The Gunki Whiz in the 5 and 7.6 cm versions, with their paddle are ideal for slower applications.
Soft lure, able to face any situation
When it comes to choosing the colours, even if each biotope has ones that work better than others, I really like the Gremille, Ghost Brown and Motoroil. The Fario, Vairon, Impact Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout are my favourites ones for hard lures. Of course others may work really well in your waters, the only way to find out is to give them a try!
The jig head is also an essential part of your tackle. You need one that is adapted to the size of the lure, able to resist big trout in the current and that does not create too much ‘drag’. Well, look no more, ranging from 1.5 to 5 grams, the Gunki G’Slide Mat Natural is all that! One last tip, crush the barb on the hook, you will not lose any fish but it just makes unhooking the so much easier.
How to fish
It is quite easy:
- Hard lures: you can cast up or downstream, both work well depending on the conditions. Click on the link to read the article by David Pierron on this style of fishing: Fishing for trout on hard lures.
- Soft lures: it is a bit of a mix in-between classical lure fishing and ledgering with an earthworm. Click on the link to read the article by Mathieu Cabar on this style of fishing: Fishing for trout on soft lures.
Have a great trout season
Have a great trout season and don’t forget to share the photos of your catches on our Facebook page.
David B.
