Rooster Tail for Trout
Over the years trout baits have evolved and some have come and gone.
Rooster tails for trout fishing are a lure that arrived on the scene about 50 years ago but can still be found in tackle boxes across the world.
And for a very good reason…
They catch fish.
Best Rooster Tails – Our Top 3
The most common way to buy rooster tails for trout fishing is a single lure at a time. This allows you to pick exactly what you want. Another great and cost effective option is to go for a multi-pack. That way you have a variety of trout lures to fish, depending on conditions.
- Unique spinning action
- In-Line weighted body design
- Pulsating hackle tail attracts fish
- Genuine silver, brass, or Copper blades
- UV finishes available
- Unique spinning action
- In-line weighted body design
- Pulsating Hackle tail attracts Fish
- Genuine brass, silver, or copper blades
- Unique spinning action
- In-line weighted body design
- Pulsating Hackle tail attracts Fish
- Genuine brass, silver, or copper blades
Rooster Tail Guide
Which Rooster Tail Lure is best for catching Trout?
Conditions play a big part in lure and color selection but we have our favorite spinning lures to bring on the strikes and never leave home without them. Our main target species are brown trout and rainbow trout, and these are some of the best trout lures we have in our tackle box. Read on to find out top choices:
The lures come in a wide variety of patterns so there are a couple of things to look out for before you tie up and go trout fishing.
On a bright day with waters running clear you don’t want to go for anything too flashy. Remember you are trying to mimic natural trout bait like larger insects so stick to something dullish or black and you will get on the fish.
The opposite applies when the water is dirty or murky after rainfall. This is where you want to add some flash to your lures selection. You are going to need something that stands out in the discolored water to draw in the fish. Something with a bight hackle tail will work perfectly here.
These spinners are ideal for lake fishing, larger waters, or just having a wander up smaller streams with a short cast hunting for never fished trout.
The classic Yakima Wordens original can be deadly with a slow retrieve in a secluded stream and strikes can come thick and fast with this spinner.
Presentation of this artificial bait depends on the lure you choose, the conditions you are fishing in and the action of your rod.
Selecting the right trout lure
As mentioned above you need to pick the right type of lure or spinner for the conditions you are fishing. Bright sunny days call for a more conservative pattern like an olive, while dull murky water calls for bright flashy lures to draw in the fish.
Make sure you have a few options in your tackle bag or tackle box. You never know when conditions will change and you don’t want to leave yourself stuck. Fishing a rooster tail for trout can be great sport but make sure you have a few different options available on the day.
Trout lures come in may shapes and sizes but make sure your have an original rooster or two with you at all times.
The best rooster tail colors for trout?
There are 4 main colors / patterns we fish with all year round.
Dark Green & Black Combo.
We fish this pattern when the water is running gin clear. It is the closet we can get to natural bait presentation and the trout rip these out of the water all day long.
Chartreuse & Lime Combo.
This pattern is great in murky waters just after heavy railfall. The green color and silver or brass blades pull in all variesties of fish. you may be fishing for trout but could end up hooking into a Bass, perch or bluegill. Plenty of great fishing can be had with this particular lure and it’s definitely one of our favorites.
Brown & Gold Combo.
This ‘brown trout’ pattern is deadly for all types of fish and we have landed anything from nice brownies right up to Pike and Steelhead with this lure. Can be fished in most conditions and works all day long.
White & silver Combo.
The perfect lure for early brown trout. This lure will also land you some nice bass if they are on the bite. We prefer the silver blade with this one as it mimmics a swimming minnow and they are irrisitible to a hungry trout.
Blade pattern and color selection.
The main choices here are silver and gold. Both work really well but it’s best to have both options in your fishing bag just in case. Like everything, there will be days when the gold blade fills your landing net and other days where you won’t get a bite.
A quick change to a silver blade and bingo – the fish are on…
Hackle pattern
The lure hackle – ‘the bushy bit at the pointy end of the lure’ pulsates when the lure is moving through the swim. It covers the treble hook and helps draw in shy trout.
Lure Sizing
This comes down to where you are fishing. On a lake you are going to need the extra weight to get your trout lures out to the fish, so aim for on of the heavier 1/4 ounce lures.
For rivers and brooks you can get away on light gear and opt for one of the 1/8th or 1/16th lures.
Have a few different options in your bag. A bigger lure on a good day may land you that prize trout you have been waiting a long time to catch 🙂
How do you Fish a Rooster Tail
Fishing in Rivers
Well cast trout lures under an overhanging tree along the bank of a river can be deadly for trout. These lures, depending on your level of casting skill are perfect for getting into places you would usually avoid.
Fishing action is very similar to a spinner, size and color selection follow the same rules. A rooster tail is like a standard spinner with a synthetic feather attached to the end, shrouding the hook.
Like all good spinners you should fish these upstream and under overhanging trees where the trout tend to hang out.
Fish them up and down the bank of any river and you will fill your bag in no time at all.
Casting across the current on larger rivers, keeping the lure just off the river bed will also land you some nice fish.
Give the rod a twitch every so often to activate the blade and the hackle and hold on tight.
A fast retrieve can be very productive on larger rainbow trout as well and we have caught some really nice fish with this method.
Cast tight to the bank, under cover, where the insects all hang out with a slower retrieve, again upstream, will also bring on some fish.
Keep a variety of sizes and colors in your tackle box to cater for different colored waters and current will bring on the fish. Brown trout and rainbow trout love these spinners.
Strikes can be very quick, especially in streams with larger pools where bigger trout hang out. Cast upstream of these pools, starting slow and moving to a fast steady retrieve, you are good to go.
We have had great sucess with white and yellow patterns over the years and also caught some nice fish trolling these off the back of smaller boats.
Rooster Tail Design
Fishing in Rivers
The lure is made up of a number of different parts.
Like a lot of lures there is a wire shaft running the length of the lure. The spinning blade sits at the top of this just below the line eye.
Next is the body. Available is a variety of colors, depending on fishing conditions, you may go for a green, brown or chartreuse color.
A standard treble hook sits at the tail end of the lure and like all rooster tail lures this is covered by the hackle.
