Fishing for Trout with Floating Worms

A floating worm is a trout lure that is designed to fish on the top of the water, usually fished in a lake, stream, or river with visibly moving waters. Floating lures can be used to target some of the more challenging trout species such as brown trout and brook trout, while performing consistently with other trout species. Floating worms has been one of the most effective methods when targeting wild trout of all types.

Floating worms provide a favored fishing technique for fisherman who consistently target streams and rivers. “Float fishing”, which refers to floating a bait past a trout, that is either in a grazing state or simply hiding among brush and/or rocks. It is crucial when float fishing that you use the proper trout fishing equipment, as with all trout fishing. Your rod should be an ultra light, your line should be clear monofilament, and your reel should be a small spinning reel. Unlike other types of trout fishing, your line when float fishing should be exceptionally light, no heavier than 4# test, since you are fishing on the top of the water and trout are more likely to notice a heavier line in this scenario.

The ideal hook when fishing for trout with a floating worm is a kahle style hook, when set into your floating worm this style of hook should prevent many snags and tangles.

When fishing fishing for trout with a floating worm it is most effective to allow the bait to drift towards the targeted trout, to do so you will need a constant current, making rivers and streams the ideal location for float fishing.

Many times when fishing on a river or stream I have been lucky enough to spot a trout before my floating worm was even in the water. When you come across a trout that is facing the current and appears to not be moving it is likely he is waiting for food to be brought to him from the current. In this scenario it is advised to cast 10-25 feet ahead of the trout and let your floating worm drift past the waiting trout.

The most effective and consistent method when fishing for trout using floating worms, has been a Kast-a-bubble float coupled with a very small headed jig, no larger than 1/16 of an ounce. The Kast-a-bubble float is clear and is nearly invisible to the trout, while keeping your floating worm just below the surface, or adjusted to the desired depth. While fishing the Kast-a-bubble/floating worm rig in a lake the desired depth is rarely more than 4 or 5 feet, and in rivers can much shallower no more than 3 feet deep. The jig hear is utilized to bring the floating bait just off the edge of the stream or lake, targeting slightly deeper waters where you are more likely to find larger “trophy” trout.

The whole floating worm concept can be utilized with live night crawlers as well as with artificial baits, however I have more frequent and longer lasting strikes when using PowerBait’s floating worms, so that is where most of my experience lies… I recommend them to anyone interested in giving float fishing a try.