Part of the Trout Trolling cluster: Start with the How to Troll for Rainbow Trout: Complete Guide, then use this spoke to dial in the specific setup.
In fall, trout feed hard to fatten up for winter, so start big, bold, and fast, then downsize until you find them. Cal Kellogg opens with a Speed Spoon at 2.7 to 3.5 mph, drops to a Trigger Spoon at 2.3 to 2.8, then a Trigger Spoon Junior or Pinhead at 1.8. He keeps a Metal Head fly in the water for big fish and a threaded worm as his finesse fallback. Fish the top 8 to 10 feet.
What makes fall the best season for trout?
Trout know winter is coming, so they feed aggressively to pack on reserves. That makes them ready strikers and lets you power fish rather than finesse. Fall also brings stable weather, dropping lake levels, and clean water. Follow the prime temperature down in elevation, high in September, low by December.
How do I pick a spoon speed for fall trout?
Start fast and large, then slow down. Cal opens with a Speed Spoon at 2.7 to 3.5 mph to cover water, drops to a standard Trigger Spoon at 2.3 to 2.8, then a Trigger Spoon Junior or Pinhead at 1.8. Spoons run clean, never behind a dodger.
Why fish a trolling fly in the fall?
Flies catch the biggest fish. Cal's Metal Head fly was built for fast trolling but works from 1.8 to 3.5 mph, always paired with an action disc. His top trout on it went 13 pounds 6 ounces. Trout see fewer flies than spoons, so a fly shows them something new.
How do I rig a nightcrawler for fall trolling?
Thread half a nightcrawler on a Mustad slow death hook, size 1 or 2, on 8 to 10 pound fluorocarbon. The bend makes the worm rotate. Troll 1.5 to 2.2 mph, with 1.8 as the sweet spot, and run it 16 to 24 inches behind an attractor.
What attractor should I run ahead of a worm?
Cal's first choice is a Turbo Flasher, an inline flasher with heavy flash and vibration but low drag. His second is a Mini Willow Leaf Dodger at 1.8 mph. Keep the worm 16 to 24 inches back so the attractor pulls fish in and the real meat closes the deal.
Do soft plastics work for fall trout?
Very well. Cal calls soft plastics the new frontier of trout trolling. He runs a Trix Worm and Trix Minnow on an action disc, plus grubs at 1.5 to 2 mph as the water cools. Rig on 8 pound fluorocarbon minimum and never go lighter.
How deep should I fish for fall trout?
The top 10 feet, tightening to the top 8 when the surface drops below 50 degrees. Always fish toward the highest part of the biomass, because the most active, willing fish sit above the deeper, inactive ones. A typical spread runs leadcore rods at 5, 10, and 15 feet.
What is Cal Kellogg's four-rod fall spread?
Starboard leadcore rod 5 feet deep, a leadcore rod straight back at 10 feet, a port leadcore rod at 15 feet, and a top-lined rod way back at 200 feet running a fly or Trix Worm on a small sinker, just 2 to 3 feet under the surface.
Watch the technique
Fall trout trolling FAQ
Start aggressive at 2.7 to 3.5 mph with a Speed Spoon to cover water and locate fish. If that slows, drop to a standard Trigger Spoon at 2.3 to 2.8, then a Trigger Spoon Junior or Pinhead at 1.8. Downsize speed and size until the bite is steady.
White and pink is an all-time favorite Metal Head pattern, with bright orange and pink also strong. Keep dark patterns like black and green or black and red for low light, overcast, and early or late in the day.
A soft plastic. Cal's number one numbers bait is the Trix Worm, rigged on an action disc with a number 4 hook threaded near the tail. The Trix Minnow and grubs put up similar numbers, and all three shine when fish are neutral.
Getting the hook into the rear third of the bait means nipping fish get pinned. When a neutral trout grabs the tail, the hook often loops around its lower jaw so it cannot shake free, turning short strikes into landed fish.
Fluorocarbon, 8 to 12 pound test, and never below 8. Fluorocarbon reflects light at the same rate as water, so it is nearly invisible to fish, and heavier line lets you land the big trout fall produces without breaking off.
Often not. If you fish lakes at the right temperature, the trout hold in the top 10 feet, so leadcore and top-lining do the job. Cal saves the downrigger for warmer periods when fish push deeper.
One fish is random, two on the same offering is a pattern. When two rods with the same bait and depth produce, add a third identical setup. Make small changes in color and depth to sharpen a fair bite into a very good one.
- Speed Spoon 2.5 inch - Power Trolling Spoon
- Trigger Spoon 2.25 inch - Trout & Landlocked Salmon
- Junior Trigger Spoon 1.25 inch - Trout & Salmon
- Pinhead Spoon - Trout Trolling Spoon
- Metal Head Fly - Trophy Trout Trolling Fly - 2 Pack
- Trigger Bugger - Trout Trolling Fly - 2 Pack
- Turbo Flasher
- Mini Willow Dodger - Kokanee & Trout
- Trix Worms 3 inch - Trout Soft Bait - 5 Pack
- Trix Minnows 3 inch - Trout Soft Bait - 5 Pack
- Trix Grubs 3 inch - Trout Soft Bait - 5 Pack
- Mustad Slow Death Hook
