Lures for trout

Rapala Scatter Rap Crank: the deflection you get without an obstacle

The bent lip of the Scatter Rap Crank makes the lure dart off line at random without touching anything, to trigger perch and trout in open water.

Luhr-Jensen Hot Shot: the diver that fishes without moving forward

How the Hot Shot holds its depth against the current and fishes on the spot when back-trolled, and how to set it up lie by lie on a trout river.

Illex Chubby 38: the margin crankbait that fishes the first metre

What the floating Chubby 38 does better than its diving version, how to use it bouncing off structure, and what tackle it demands on perch and trout.

Bill Lewis Gnat: the 3.8 cm micro squarebill that actually casts

A 3.8 cm / 1.5 in squarebill weighing 3.5 g / 1/8 oz and running to 1.2 m. Weight transfer, BFS tackle, retrieves and colors for perch, trout and bass.

Rapala Original Floater F11: the balsa lure that started it all

The Original Floater F11 descends from the lure Lauri Rapala carved in 1936. Swim, rigging and retrieve of this balsa minnow for pike and trout.

Smith D-Contact: the heavy crankbait that casts far and accurately for trout

Sizing, inertial glide and pinpoint casting under branches with the Smith D-Contact, a cult Japanese crankbait for trout and perch.

Rapala Ultra Light Crank: the mini crankbait for small-stream trout

3.8 cm, 3.5 g, built for ultralight rods — how to fish small-stream trout with Rapala's Ultra Light Crank.

Illex Diving Chubby 38: the mini crankbait for tight perch and trout spots

Depth, swim and retrieve for the Illex Diving Chubby 38, a 3.8 cm compact crankbait for perch and trout in canals, ponds and small rivers.

Rapala CountDown: the sinking minnow that sets its depth by the clock

How to use the Rapala CountDown's countdown sink system to dial in a precise running depth for river trout fishing.

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Strike King Bitsy Jerkbait: the 6.4 cm micro jerkbait for finesse

A 6.4 cm / 2.5 in jerkbait weighing 3.5 g, armed with size 10 trebles. Contradictory buoyancy in the spec sheet, missing depth, retrieve and light tackle.

Baitsanity Micro BFS Glide Crank: the floater that dives to 40 cm

Two grams, 5 cm, a 40 cm dive and two tungsten dots in the pack: how to tune this tiny floating minnow when you need it to run deeper.

Smith Niakis: the minnow for cluttered streams

How to fish Smith's Niakis upstream in a narrow stream, cast backhanded under branches, and cover a pool in three casts.

Shimano Bantam World Minnow: holding the current seam without leaving it

How to fish the Bantam World Minnow against the current in a river, set the length of your twitches and change the rhythm between holding trout and perch.

Sakura Trinis: letting the current work the minnow for you

How to fish the little Sakura Trinis minnow across the current in rivers, for trout and perch, and let the flow provide the whole retrieve.

Rapala BX Minnow: the balsa that finally accepts hitting rock

The BX Minnow wraps a balsa core in a plastic shell: what that compromise changes for the action, the casting and the lifespan on a trout river.

Lucky Craft Slender Pointer: a minnow to wind in, not to jerk

The Slender Pointer carries the Lucky Craft jerkbait name but is fished on a straight retrieve. Tight rolling action, settings and uses on perch and river trout.

Illex Tricoroll: the pocket minnow for tight, overgrown rivers

How to use the sinking versions of the Tricoroll to fish under branches and in narrow seams, for river trout and margin perch.

Illex Tiny Fry 50: the micro minnow for perch that refuse everything

Why the Tiny Fry imitates a lone fry, how to work it with ultra-fine twitching, and when it unlocks a blank day.

Illex Arnaud 60: dropping a size without losing the edge

What really changes when you move from the Arnaud 100 to the 60: tackle, casting distance, perch and trout targets, and the mistakes specific to small jerkbaits.

DUO Tetra Works Toto: three grams that cast far and count down

Why a sinking micro minnow opens up the whole water column in ultralight, how to count it down, how to work it, and when it beats a suspending micro minnow.

DUO Realis Rozante 63: the minnow you fish on the handle

Why the Rozante 63 works on a pure straight retrieve where other minnows demand twitching, and how to set your speed and depth.

Duel Aile Magnet: reaching the far bank with 5 grams

How the Aile Magnet's magnetic weight system buys you ten extra metres on ultralight gear, and how to use it on a wide river or a windy lake.

Bassday Mogul Minnow: in a river, reel speed is not what matters

How to fish a sinking minnow in moving water: upstream casts, speed relative to the current, counting down pools, and a second use on perch.

ZipBaits Rigge 56: the tiny minnow that unlocks difficult perch

Why the ZipBaits Rigge 56 swims with such a tight roll, how to work it with fine twitching and when it beats a soft plastic on perch.

Rapala RipStop 09: the jerkbait with a rigid tail that stops dead

9 cm, 7 g, 0.9 to 1.2 m: how the RipStop rear lip stops the lure on the spot, and why its slow rise changes the cadences you should use.

Topwater stickbait 1

Topwater stickbait

Kuusamo Professor: the spoon that still swims when everything else stalls

Why the Professor's surface-to-weight ratio lets it swim at almost zero speed, and how to use that over shallow weed flats for pike.

Spinnerbait 1

Spinnerbait

Johnson Beetle Spin: the little grub spinner that outlived 50 years

A nickel Colorado blade, a split-tail grub and a float rig almost nobody tries: everything worth knowing about the Johnson Beetle Spin and how to fish it.

Chatterbait 1

Chatterbait

Z-Man Chatterbait Flashback Mini: the bladed jig with no skirt

A miniature chatterbait stripped of its skirt and sold with a minnow body already rigged: what that format is actually for on pressured fish.

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Smith AR-S Spinner: the inline spinner that starts in ten centimetres of water

Why the AR-S blade spins instantly, how to fish it in a cluttered stream, and why the loose lead shot inside the body changes everything.

Rublex Veltic: change the angle rather than the lure

How the Veltic's compact body lets you present one spinner from three different angles in a trout pool, and the order in which to do it.

Rublex Ondex: the inline spinner you fish on a countdown

Why the Ondex's heavy body keeps the blade turning on the drop, and how to reach perch holding three or four metres down.

Rublex Celta: the inline spinner for narrow streams

Why the Celta starts turning in thirty centimetres of water and holds current better than a round blade, and how to fish it upstream on a small river.

Pezon et Michel Flying Condom: the big spinner that finds pike fast

Why the wide blade and soft skirt of the Flying Condom make it a fast searching tool over weedy pike flats in stained water.

Mepps Aglia TW: the inline spinner you reconfigure at the water's edge

What the Aglia TW's removable hook changes, how to add a blade or a soft plastic depending on activity, and which setup to stick with for trout and perch.

Mepps Aglia Long: the inline spinner that holds in current

What the Aglia Long's elongated blade changes against the round Aglia, how it holds in strong current, its rotation speed and which size to pick per spot.

Blue Fox Super Vibrax Bullet: the bullet body that cuts through fast current

What the brass bullet body changes compared with the standard Vibrax, why it holds in heavy current and how to fish it in fast rivers.

Abu Garcia Reflex: the spinner that reaches the far bank

Why the Reflex's compact, heavy body gives flat, accurate casts into the wind, and how to make the first three metres of the retrieve count.

Mepps Black Fury: the polka-dot spinner that fishes trout and perch

Sizing, dressing and colour choice for the Mepps Black Fury, an iconic inline spinner for river trout and canal perch.

Panther Martin Classic: the spinner whose whole body spins

Sizing, retrieve speed and riffle tactics for the Panther Martin Classic, a trout inline spinner with a uniquely rotating body.

Savage Gear Caviar Spinner: the compact spinner that won't twist your line

Design, weight and retrieve for the Savage Gear Caviar Spinner, the anti-twist compact spinner for trout and perch. The complete guide.

Blue Fox Vibrax: the spinner that thumps more than it flashes

Weight, speed and colours for the Blue Fox Vibrax, the Finnish inline spinner built for stained water and current. Trout, perch, pike guide.

Mepps Aglia #3: the spinner that invented modern lure fishing

Weight, retrieve speed and colours for the Mepps Aglia #3, the historic inline spinner for trout, perch and pike. The complete guide.

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Acme Kastmaster: the machined spoon that simply casts further

Why a bevel-cut bar of solid metal outcasts a stamped sheet-metal spoon, which weights to pick and how to work it for trout, perch and mackerel.

Valkein Highburst: the area spoon that holds up to speed

Why the Highburst keeps its axis when you speed up, how to use it to provoke active trout, and which moments of a session call for it.

Thomas Cyclone: the solid brass spoon that keeps its flash as the light fades

Why the hammered brass body of the Cyclone stays visible in low light and stained water, and how to swing it on big rivers.

Thomas Buoyant: the spoon that fishes thirty centimetres off the bottom

Why the weight-to-volume ratio of the Thomas Buoyant lets it fish low rivers without snagging, and how to steer it on a tight line for trout.

Smith Pure: the river spoon you fish upstream

Why the Pure keeps rolling when you bring it back with the current, and how to use this Japanese spoon for trout and perch in rivers.

Smith Camion Magnum: the thick spoon that holds in hard current

How to fish Smith's Camion Magnum in a fast river, why its thickness stops it losing its action in current, and which weights to choose.

Rodio Craft Noa: tuning your spoon to the tenth of a gram

Why the Noa comes in such closely spaced weight steps, and how to turn a hard day around by changing weight rather than colour.

Nories Masukuroto Weeper: the wide wobble for trout glued to the bottom

Why the Weeper keeps a wide wobble at minimum speed, how to fish it just off the bottom on deep-dug ponds and when it saves the end of a session.

Molix Nano Spoon: the micro spoon for moving water, not stocked ponds

How to fish a two-gram spoon in a flowing river: casting angles, controlling the swing, the tackle that makes it possible, and a second use on perch.

Luhr-Jensen Krocodile: the thick spoon that reaches the deep layer

Why the thickness of the Krocodile's metal lets it sink fast and hold its layer, and how to fish it on the cast as well as on the vertical drop.

Forest Pal: the area spoon for high-riding trout

How to use the Forest Pal's slow, flat glide to fish the top fifty centimetres of a trout pond, at the start of a session and after a stocking.

Forest Miu: the area fishing spoon that swims at two grams

Why the Miu keeps its wobble at minimum speed, how to fish it on a trout pond and which colours to rotate through.

Acme Phoebe: the two-gram spoon your tackle can ruin

Why the Phoebe needs 0.12 mm line and a soft rod to swim at all, and how to fish it on clear lakes and trout that refuse a big signal.

Acme Little Cleo: the concave spoon that fishes heavy current

Why the Little Cleo's hollow shape steadies it in fast water, how to fish it for trout and pike, and which weight to choose.

Abu Garcia Toby Veteran: same silhouette, twice the range

What the Veteran version changes against the classic Toby: density, casting distance, sink rate and a tighter wobble in the wind.

Abu Garcia Atom: the wide spoon that sinks slowly despite its weight

Why the Atom's broad surface lets it fish weed in two metres of water at 35 g, and how to use its gliding fall for pike.

Mepps Syclops: the spoon that doesn't twist your line

Why the Syclops holds a stable action where classic spoons start spinning, how to work it for pike and trout, and which weight to pick.

Acme Kastmaster Flash Tape: the tiny spoon with a hyper-realistic flash

Weight selection, precise casting and retrieve for the Acme Kastmaster Flash Tape, a finesse wobbling spoon with a holographic flash built for river trout.

Illex Native Spoon: the light wobbler that rescues tiny streams

Weight, swim and colours of the Illex Native Spoon, the light casting spoon built for trout and perch in small streams. The full guide.

Williams Wabler: the century-old spoon that fishes pike and trout

Sizing, retrieve speed and spot selection for pike and trout with the Williams Wabler, a cult wobbling spoon with over 100 years of history.