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Generally powerbaits are incredibly successful when we talk about baits and its works the same for all types of fish. But the way you present them to trout also has clear impact on the number of bites you get. Due to the floating nature of them it becomes difficult to present them in the same way as you do for other lures. And this is when the best powerbait rigs for trout comes into action.
These are special types of rigs that have mastered the way to present floating bait to fish. Or at least they have been customized to work better for trout.
Usually their job is to take the bait down to the deep where the fish spends most of the time. And drastically increase the chance to get more hits on the hook and potentially better quality of fish. You can also use these powerbait rigs for trout in other conditions too. Even for artificial lures and other baits these trout powerbait rigs work great, so they are useful all the time.
Bullet sinker powerbait rig is by far the best for shallow and surface trout. It works the same in all situations for surface feeding trout with all types of powerbaits and homemade dough bait. The best time to use it are early morning and before sunset.
Before going deep into the top rigs for trout and how to make them lets just know the basic concept of them.
Best Powerbait Rigs for Trout
There are a lot of ways you can set up your rig for dough or other kind of materials. The basic difference of using different setups is your situation, if you are fishing in deeper lake you will have to use something. Whereas if you want to fish shallower waters and in different temperature and weather conditions you would want to use different trout powerbait rig.
In this article we will discuss the top rigs for trout powerbait and in what situation to use them. We will also share the way to prepare them at home.
Here are the best powerbait rigs for trout to cover almost all situations.
- Bullet Sinker Rig (Shallow water)
- Barrel Swivel Rig
- Surface Floating Rig (For grass and weeds)
- Off Bottom Rig (For deep trout)
- Carolina Powerbait Rig
These are modified powerbait setups from other famous ones and has different names for almost every angler. You can name them whatever you want because none of them has specific name.
Here are the logics behind them, how each of them works and how you can prepare one for your situation.
1: Bullet Sinker trout Rig
The first one we are sharing with you is an impressive rig that adds a ton of value to your line. This rig presents your powerbait to trout in such a way that the fish can not resist at all. I gets very high number of bites comparing with a normal rig that is not special for dough or powerbaits.
What line to use for trout and rigs, read here.
You can use any type or color of bait with it and it will work fine with all combinations. Of course the color of dough also makes difference but that factor is not a part of the rig. Using a circle hook will make you the perfect match however you can also use other types of hooks if you don’t have circle hooks at the moment or you want to try different combinations.
The bullet sinker trout powerbait rig consist of a bullet weight, any type of bead, 18-36 inches of line and a circle hook.
The combination of the rig is to keep the bullet weight away from the hook by the bead by 18-36 inches of line. And use the circle hook at the other end of the line as shown in the image bellow.
You can use this rig when fishing shallow water or even near the surface. By increasing the length of line you will expect the bait to further raise towards surface because of the floating nature of dough baits. And lesser length will lead to fish shallow water during average day temperature when trout are feeding on surface or near surface.
Here are some great spinners you can use for trout fishing.
It is one of the top trout powerbait rigs ever, it works perfect in the right situation. This one should also be a part of your powerbait setup for trout.
2: Barrel Swivel Powerbait Rig
Barrel swivel trout rig for powerbaits is a famous choice for those fishing for those fishing with baits. It works like a charm when assembled in the right way and used in the best matching conditions. This one is basically to target the surface water when the fish is trying to feed during early morning to afternoon time. Also when the temperature falls a little before sunset.
It presents the bait right at the place where trout love to bite and tricks the fish. Covering the whole hook in bait is what tricks the fish by not showing them the hook. But only showing their food makes them bite quite frequently.
You will have to use a lower pound test line on this rig in order to keep the line hidden from the fish. Here is the way to prepare one of these trout powerbait rigs.
Take a 12-18 inches 6-9 pound test monofilament line, a barrel swivel (the smaller the better) and a circle or a treble hook. To assemble you have to use the swivel between the main and leader line. And tie the hook at the end of the leader line with, and make sure to use the simplest and the smallest knots.
This rig will make your powerbait setup for trout even more powerful.
Some of the top trout fishing lures to use in lakes.
If you want your line to be under water or want your bait to sink a little. You can also use a small weight before the swivel on the main line. Keep in mind that the treble hook sometimes lead to deeper hook inside the fish. Which is not good for catch and release, if the fish is not able to live so you should keep the fish.
This one is one of the best trout powerbait rig it works amazing in different situations.
3: Surface Floating Powerbait Rig for Trout
This one has literally no name and also a famous among many anglers. So you may confuse for other name and the name on our list is just a random name. You can call it whatever name you want to use for it.
This one has mastered the art to crush the surface trout. It works incredible for me when I use homemade dough bait on it. The best thing is that this rig can work the same with dough bait as it work with powerbaits.
It is mostly the same with the barrel swivel one except for the weight position. Just use the weight after the barrel swivel on leader line and use even lighter line.
The powerbait will cause the hook to float to the surface and the weight will drag the line deep in the water. Again this is a great thing to include in your trout powerbait setup.
4: Off Bottom Rig (For Deep Trout)
As a trout angler you probably know about the off bottom biting habitat of trout. Its a great way to present your lure a little off the bottom and a lot of people are having success with this method.
Here are some of the best baits for trout.
This trout powerbait rig is very simple too. Just have a heavier weight than your usual size and separate it with at least 24 inches of line. Use a plastic bead to prevent the sliding weight go near the hook.
The weight will sink to the bottom and the power bait will stay a little over the bottom. Where trout like to bite a lot. This rig has high chances of bites in all situations.
5: Carolina Powerbait Rig
You will find nothing famous than this one when it comes to trout fishing rigs. But the surprise is You can use it with powerbait as well quite effectively. The only difference is it is more effective to use a treble hook other wise you can also use the simple Carolina rig.
It is quite famous and may anglers use it for different types of dough baits.
Top Baits for Trout Powerbait Rigs
It is necessary to know the best choices when you are preparing to fish trout with these rigs. In simple words the best powerbait I have ever used is homemade dough bait. It is easy to make and is always available. And the best powerbait colors are yellow and pink. These two colors get the most hits among all colors. Here you will get to know more about what is the best color to use for trout.
