By John Kruse
I’ve got to admit that when it comes to trout, I’m a spinner and spoon junkie. I can cast flies well enough to fool the occasional cut-throat and can troll for rainbows as well as the next guy, but casting for trout with spinning gear remains my favorite way to hook into these fish. It must be the way I was raised.
As a teen my father and I would venture over to the Yakima River for day trips, where I would catch feisty rainbows and whitefish with brass spinners. As a Boy Scout, I discovered the joys of hiking to alpine lakes, and catching fish with spinners and spoons came naturally.
Today, I still enjoy fishing in lakes for trout. Some of these lakes are alpine lakes I fish in the summer months. Others are Eastern Washington desert lakes that offer good fishing in the spring and fall.
The reason is simple, many of these lakes are basin shaped, starting off shallow and slowly dropping off. The majority of the fish are hanging in deeper water and you need a lure that can get out to them.
They work great for small streams, but their non-aerodynamic shape or lack of weight works against them when it comes to casting for distance. Because of this I started fishing spoons more and more. They were not always as effective as a spinner, but at least I could get them out there.
Both ways work well for drawing strikes from hungry alpine trout, big Lahontan cutthroat, orchunky 14-inch Dry Falls Lake rainbow trout like the one I caught, photographed and released.
If one color is not working, don’t be afraid to switch toanother until you find the pattern the trout are looking for. Look for them at your local sporting goods store or at the Mack’s Lure online tackle shop.
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