What are the Best Trout Lures for Ponds
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What are the Best Trout Lures for Ponds
Most people consider trout fishing to be relegated to streams and rivers. This is generally true, but the fact is trout can thrive in other waters as well. Ponds in particular are very popular for anglers. It is common for people to open pay to fish locations and stock ponds with trout of various types. Trout taken by anglers from ponds are often easier to fish for than trout in rivers.
The question is – What are the best trout lures for ponds and pond fishing?
There are actually plenty of lures that work and work well on ponds loaded with trout. So many in fact, we can break them down into categories.
Catch and Release Fishing would like you to consider using barbless hooks for fishing as part of your angling experience. If you cannot find or change barbed hooks over, push the barb back down onto the hook itself. This will render the hook virtually barbless.
Secondly, keep only what you plan to eat. Release the others back into the pond for other anglers to enjoy.
To the lures!
By the way, you might want to check our Treble Hook Size Chart comprehensive guide to choosing the one that fit your needs
Spinners
Trout and spinners are hand in hand. Spinners are ideal for trout on ponds because the lure can cover plenty of water in a variety of ways: depth, distance and speed. Varying each of these factors can help produce trout. Spinners are also ideal for new anglers who like to be active with casting and retrieving. Strikes are also fast and fierce, making the angling experience much more enjoyable. Here are Catch and Release Fishing’s choices for spinning lures.
1. Tao Pipe 10pcs Fishing Lures
These are treble hook spinners. This means each lure has three hooks at the end making for a much better hook up when a trout bites. Specifications:
10 piece set has a variety of colors to match what trout want
Packaged in a small tackle box – easy to carry
Heavy enough to cast a great distance to cover plenty of water
2. Panther Martin Pro Guide Anywhere
Panther Martin is one of the leaders in the spinner lure community. This small kit represents the best of the best from Panther Martin. Specifications:
Made in the U.S.
Variety of colors
Blades of high flash silver and brass
3. Mepps Aglia
Panther Martin or Mepps spinners – which is better? That is not an easy question to answer because both have die hard adherents. Catch and Release Fishing’s recommendation is to have a few of each in the tackle box at all times. The Aglia is the Mepps flagship lure. Specifications:
High quality brass construction
Super sharp treble hooks
Blades have different colors to match patterns
4. Blue Fox Flash Spinner Kit
Blue Fox spinners stand out because the body looks like a baitfish with huge eye. This attracts predatory strikes. Specifications:
Several colors for a variety of possibilities
1/8 and 3/16 sizes
Five to a pack
Minnow Imitation Stick Baits
Trout are aggressive feeders and will take anything they can reach. A wounded baitfish is an ideal meal – easy to catch and quite filling. Trout are not well known to rise to the surface for a wounded fish but would rather take one that is underwater. In this case, sinking imitation stick baits are the key. These are the staff at Catch and Release Fishing’s top choice picks.
1. Rapala Countdown
Rapala makes exceptionally fine lures and has been in the fishing business for almost a century. The Finnish company makes their lures out of balsa wood and wrapped in high gloss wrap. The Countdown minnow sinks slowly and stays in the zone when retrieved. Specifications:
Several colors – black/silver and blue/silver are most popular
Sizes of 5 to 13 – Five is the smallest
Two sets of treble hooks for quick hook ups
2. Rapala X-Rap Countdown
The X-Rap has a wider lip than the Countdown and has slightly different action. The X-Rap produces fish – any questions? Specifications:
Huge variety of colors
Dual treble hooks
Casts and retrieves easily
3. Mini Rat-L-Trap
The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap was one of the first lipless sinking minnow replicas. The rattles in the interior, broad sides and erratic action of the retrieve are irresistible to hungry trout. The lure sinks slowly and will stay in the strike zone during retrieve. The mini Rat-L-Trap is perfect for covering lots of water. Specifications:
10 high gloss colors
Dual treble hooks
Interior rattle to attract fish
4. Bomber Guppy
The guppy is a bit more stout than the other two models. It is a floater, so retrieving the lure is necessary to get the lure under the water. Stop and go retrieves allow the lure to rise to the surface. If a trout is likely to hit the Guppy, it is likely to be when the lure is rising to the surface. Fish this with a stop and go retrieve in this case. Specifications:
Very durable
Large lip keeps lure off of cover
Top producing lure
Artificial Bait
The artificial lures with barbless hooks industry has grown considerably in the last few decades. The Berkley company is the absolute leader in the artificial bait industry with a successful line of products for fresh and saltwater fishing enthusiasts. The Berkley Gulp line of scented lures produce fish and have been known to outfish even live baits on occasion. Here are the top artificial Berkley baits.
1. Berkley Gulp Alive Mini-Earthworms
The Gulp line will produce fish, even trout, when other lures simply are not producing. The earthworm lures are perfect for trout. Specifications:
Do not change shape or wear out
Put back into jar to recharge scents
Durable and good for multiple fisheries
2. Berkley Gulp Salmon Eggs
Salmon eggs are a secret lure for serious trout anglers. Salmon eggs are also very fragile and do not stay on the hooks well. The Gulp Salmon Eggs do not have that issue. Specifications:
Three colors – red, green and white
Porous – takes colors well
Recharge scent in the jar
3. Gulp Trout Dough
Berkley makes a huge line of Gulp products. The Trout Dough is for trout and works exceptionally well. Specifications:
Three colors – white, cheese and salmon egg
Floating formula stays off the bottom
Exceptionally durable
4. Gulp Natural Scent Trout Dough
Dough balls for trout are old standbys. Dough does not stay on the hook well. Gulp bait does. Specifications:
Garlic scent disperses easily
Stays on the hook very well
Cheese or chartreuse colors
Spoons
Catch and Release Fishing are huge fans of spoons because they can produce so many different species of fish from panfish to huge salmon. Trout are especially fond of a spoon. Here are our top choices.
1. Origlam 12 pc Spoon Kit
These are small spoons in silver and gold. Simple. Nothing fancy. Catches plenty of trout. Do you need anything else? Specifications:
Single hook – ideal for barbless
Five sizes
Tackle box
2. 35 Piece Lure Set
This set does not have a brand name. It does not need one. They are spoons and catch fish. That is plenty of information.
35 pieces of variable sizes
Gold and silver colors
Solid and hammered finishes alike
3. THKFISH Trout Lures
Another quality spoon set with a two color pattern and hammered finish. Specifications:
Five piece set
Tackle box
Large rings to attach lines
4. Trout Fishing Spoons Lure Kits
Another nice kit of spoons in a variety of colors. Specifications:
Spoons feature huge eye like a baitfish
12 piece set
Tackle box
This is a very extensive list of the best trout lures for pond fishing and gives you, the angler, an opportunity to try new lures. There are a few more things to consider when fishing ponds for trout:
What is the best bait for trout in a pond?
Catch and Release Fishing has covered lures extensively in this blog, and we have considered some baits as well with the Gulp line of products. The one thing Catch and Release Fishing has not talked about are the actual, natural baits. There are plenty of natural bait options for trout in ponds. Here are the best baits compiled by the team at Catch and Release Fishing.
Nightcrawlers – The humble worm found all over the world is one of the absolute best baits you can use for trout. Buy, or dig your own in soft earth like your home garden. Either way works equally well for trout. Some anglers have nightcrawler beds at home as well. You can too.
Corn – Plain, yellow corn from a can is something people use frequently for trout in ponds and on rivers. Corn is cheap, and you can cook the leftovers with your creel full of trout.
Salmon eggs – There are plenty of brands available. Check out the Gulp Salmon Eggs. These work as well or better than the actual salmon egg and are considerably more durable on the end of the line.
What do you use to catch trout in a pond?
Most people who fish for trout in a pond use conventional rod and reel gear and leave the fly rods at home. This is not to say you cannot use a fly rod if the angler chooses to do so. Conventional tackle simply works better.
That is why Catch and Release Fishing recommends the QUDRAKAST Fishing Rod and Reel Combo. This combo features everything needed to start fishing for trout and other species as well. The telescopic rod collapses down for convenient storage and carry.
This combo is also ideal for new anglers learning the sport. The reel is very easy to learn to use and casts exceptional distances.
What color lure is best for trout?
Trout can be incredibly finicky when it comes to what they will and will not strike in terms of a lure presentation. There are three things to consider when looking for the best lure for trout:
Current feeding – Trout in streams and rivers feed on what is hatching. Trout in ponds are after different forage like minnows. Match your colors to what the trout are eating in the pond
Water clarity – Clear water calls for colors like red and orange. Stained water means contrasting colors like pinks and chartreuse. Silver and black are good no matter what the water clarity looks like.
Light penetration – Water in ponds can be very deep. In deeper water, use black, blue and green. Metallic colors – silver and gold work well in full sun and in deep water.
It is always a good idea to take a selection of lures with you when heading for a pond, stream or river. This way you can find what the trout are after.
Catch and Release Fishing has always had better luck with conventional tackle than with fly fishing gear. These lures have always produced for us as well.
Some of these lures do have treble hooks and are much more likely to provide a solid hook up and get more trout to the bank. However, this also means there is a better chance of doing harm to the fish when trying to get the hooks out and release the trout back into the water.
Any treble hook can be replaced with a single trout hook, and if you plan on releasing the fish, please consider using barbless trout hooks.
Catch and Release Fishing is about good practices and conservation. It is a hope you will do the same.
We look forward to seeing you on the water!
Check out our fly fishing hook size chart
