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This episode is about exploring the water types of a river to find hungry trout. And we’re thinking beyond just fast water, slow water, riffles, runs and pools. Sure, recognizing the basic features of the stream you’re fishing is a great starting point. But this is Troutbitten, so you know we’re going to take things a bit further. We want to know more.
And what matters most is where trout are feeding — and why.
Find feeding fish. When we’re on the water, it’s priority one. The rivers we fish are full of wild trout. They are everywhere. But just because trout are holding in a piece of water doesn’t mean they are feeding there. And, moment to moment, we’re searching for where trout are feeding in the river.
We talk a lot about solving the daily puzzle, about the on-the-river mystery presented anew every time we wet our boots, and even every time we round the next bend. That mystery really begins with finding feeding fish. Where are the hungry ones? What event or condition has trout ready to feed, on the hunt, or eager to intercept an easy meal?
Rivers are in a perpetual state of change, and the trout’s feeding patterns respond to those changes.
There are a number of factors that encourage trout to move into and feed in certain types of water. While the real-world conditions and events are infinite, there are five major factors that influence where and how trout feed in a river. They are: water temperature, water levels and water clarity, hatches, bug and baitfish activity, light conditions, and spawning activity.
And if we learn to recognize all of this, we have the keys to the puzzle.
We Cover the Following
- Listener question about leader changes
- Trout response to various water temperatures
- Trout response to water levels
- Trout response to water clarity
- How trout respond to hatches
- How baitfish activity influences trout feeding
- How the spawning activity of various species provides feeding opportunities for trout
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Resources
READ: Troutbitten | Find Feeding Fish
READ: Troutbitten | Finding Bite Windows — Fishing Through Them and Fishing Around Them
READ: Troutbitten | Where to Find Bigger Trout
You can find the dedicated Troutbitten Podcast page at . . .
Season Three of the Troutbitten podcast continues with Episode 6: Why It Always Comes Down to Casting — And What Matters Most
So look for that one in your Troutbitten podcast feed.
Fish hard, friends.
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Enjoy the day.
Domenick Swentosky
T R O U T B I T T E N
domenick@troutbitten.com
Great topic and I know you can’t cover it all in one podcast, so here are a few factors that may (or may not) affect feeding behaviors that hopefully can be covered in a follow up podcast:
Richness/fertility of a river based on geology. Big differences between low gradient, bug rich spring/limestone creeks or tailwaters – and infertile, high gradient mountain freestones.
Acute weather events, especially storms and fronts.
New and Full Moon periods.
Changes in seasonal sunlight.
Nocturnal ecosystems and behavioral drift.
Pre and Post Spawn hunger.
Effects of angler pressure, recreational watercraft, and fish-eating birds of prey all are on surface feeding behaviors.
Thanks for keeping it relevant and fresh.
Can you discuss fishing for stocked rainbows in creeks. I enjoy your podcasts.