These migratory adults, called steelheads because they acquire more silvery markings, will spend several years in the ocean, but must return to the stream of their birth to spawn. They prefer cool, clear rivers, streams, and lakes, though some will leave their freshwater homes and follow a river out to the sea. They average about 20 to 30 inches long and around 8 pounds, but can grow as long as 4 feet and weigh up to 53 pounds. They are members of the salmon family and, like their salmon cousins, can grow quite large. They are torpedo-shaped and generally blue-green or yellow-green in color with a pink streak along their sides, white underbelly, and small black spots on their back and fins. Rainbow trout, also called redband trout, are gorgeous fish, with coloring and patterns that vary widely depending on habitat, age, and spawning condition. Their hooks bend at a sharper angle, which creates less gap between the hook and the bait’s back, helping increase the odds that a glancing blow from a trout will result in a connection.The rainbow trout is native only to the rivers and lakes of North America, west of the Rocky Mountains, but its value as a hard-fighting game fish and tasty meal has led to its introduction throughout the world. I’ll pair my swimbaits with a slightly smaller jighead than recommended, and I lean on what are sometimes referred to as “quick strike” jigheads. Both of these lures have a slim body, so there’s less bulk for trout to get their mouths around, but the ribbed flanks and paddle tails still produce plenty of vibration. My favorite is the 4-inch Keitech Swing Impact, though I’ve also had a lot of success with YUM’s 3 ½-inch Pulse Swimbait. Granted, big trout will suck it right in, but to avoid missing smaller fish, opt for swimbaits with thin profiles. Trout, on the other hand, are used to eating smaller meals like bugs, so when they decide to make a move on a baitfish, they tend to quickly swipe at it and just “taste” it with a partially opened jaw. Even small bass and pike, as examples, tend to open wide and inhale their prey, which means you can often catch them successfully on slightly oversized swimbaits. Trout have relatively small mouths compared to other baitfish-gobbling species.
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