Trout Fishing From the Bank - Oregon Winter Fishing
As winter is in full effect, many of us anglers may have cabin fever with the itch to go wet a line. One resource that we have available to us is the Oregon Department Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Trout Stocking Program. Targeting Rainbow Trout during the winter months can be a great way to brave the cold and take home a delicious meal. ODFW currently stocks over 500 bodies of water with legal, trophy, and brood sized Trout in Oregon. Linked below is where you can see the full stocking schedule for the bodies of water near you.
https://myodfw.com/fishing/species/trout/stocking-schedule
During these colder temperatures, everything tends to slow down and the Trout will do the same. PowerBait on the bottom or a Floating Night Crawler presentation works best during this time of the year. As the weather begins to warm, casting and retrieving lures such as spinners or spoons can be effective for an enticing bite!
The list of necessary trout fishing gear and equipment can be very simple. A rod and reel, and a small selection of lures, bait hooks, bobbers and artificial bait is enough to go fishing just about anywhere you might find trout. A good shopping list to get started might include:
PowerBait Setup:
A medium weight 6-7 foot spincasting or spinning rod with matching reel and 4-6 pound monofilament line
4-6 pound monofilament leader line
Package of size 14 to size 12 treble hooks
Package Size 12 or 14 barrel swivel
A package of 1/8-1/2 oz egg sinker (Depending on depth of fishery)
Jar of PowerBait or PowerEggs (Garlic PowerBait, Corn PowerBait, etc)
Nightcrawler Setup:
A light weight 6-7 foot spincasting or spinning rod with matching reel and 4-8 pound monofilament line
Couple of red/white bobbers
Package of size #3 (1/13th oz) lead split shot.
Package of size 8 to size 6 bait hooks
Cast and Retrieve Lures Setup:
A light weight 6-7 foot spincasting or spinning rod with matching reel and 6-8 pound monofilament line
A handful of 1/16-1/4 oz spinners or spoons (Rooster Tail, Kastmaster, Panther Martin, etc)
