Spinning Rig for Small Stream Trout?

[Hondo64d]

What’s your recommendation for a small stream spinning setup for trout? Stream size could be anywhere from 15 to 60 feet across, fast water with occasional slower, deeper pools, open to tight overhead vegetation. Pretty much any small water wild trout. Rod, reel, line, leaders, bait? Quality over affordability.

Thanks,

John

 

[Jimmy]

https://www.panthermartin.com/Lures/spinners/regular

I prefer the Gold regular, and gold yellow. Worked well for me on wild cutts, rainbow, and wild brook trout. Small 5-6 foot rod, maybe 4 lb test line, and a spinning reel.

The shape of the spinner lets these spin at a slower retrieve than some other spinners.

 

[Jimmy]

I grew up using the little jars of salmon eggs. Use a little size 12 gold egg hook, put a small split shot above it and let it slowly roll/bounce down the stream bed.

 

[fishdart]

TFO rod and Pfleuger President series reel.
4lb test line, something with low memory mono/fluorocarbon co-polymer.

Gold spinners, silver spinners, etc. #0, 1, 2 mepps aglia were my go-to until I started twisting my own.

Trout magnets, fished both under a float and dragged along the bottom.

Small yo-zuri pin minnows, especially if browns are on the menu for the bigger pools.

Tungsten-head mop fly can be used on that light gear as well.

I'm not a bait fisherman so no opinions there.

 

[ODB]

I use a small Shimano with 4lb line, i think a 6' 6" rod and Mepps 0s and 1s. Usually silver, bronze and brass. I change all hooks to single. I have found that presentation beats a color variation any day.

I love ultralight spin fishing and will spin fish until the water drops enough to really get after it with a fly rod.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

I'd go with something in the light or ultralight power with a fast action in a 5'-6" or 6'-0" length. Something like a St. Croix Premier. Shorter length because I assume you may have limited casting space from a bank, but you can certainly go longer if that's not the case. At 6'-6" and up I'd look at a light action though for cast-ability. The ultralights get a little "whippy" in longer lengths.

For reels, I like my Okuma's on a budget but would go Shimano if budget was no concern. Probably something in the 1000 size, 2500 if you want to throw a heavier main line with a lighter leader.

If you're potentially interested in a custom rod I build them as a hobby. Feel free to shoot me a PM.

 

[Team4LongGun]

6 or 7' 1 piece st Croix rod, 6 lb P line, shimano 1000 reel, black rooster tails.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Pfleuger Presidents are hard to beat for the money!

 

[Rich M]

5 ft pole
2500 reel
6-8# line
Small spinner, spoon, rapala
Some bare hooks for stuff forage along bank
Do t need a lot of power
Tear em up!

 

[Coveyleader]

Small streams, long rod, longer than 7 feet, panther martins, deadly.

I’d rather forget my pole than the panther martins. Maybe crimp barbs, or hooks, or put a single on, as most fish inhale them and end up pretty bad shape, especially brooks trout.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Love my little Daiwa Presso travel rod and Penn Fierce 1000 combo. I can cast flies with it in the right conditions.
Daiwa Presso Spinning Pack Rod https://a.co/d/gXDpPc3

 

[Beaverbuck1986]

St croix legend elite 7 or 7’6” ML paired with 2500 sustain.

 

[wytx]

6'6" ultralight action 2 piece rod and that President reel mentioned above works great with 6lb test, I like the green colored mono.
Panther Martins spinners.

 

[roadrunner]

An Ugly stick in a 6'6" medium light action if you can find one with 6 lb test on a 3 lb test diameter.

Your stream is a river to me

 

[ODB]

Maybe crimp barbs, or hooks, or put a single on, as most fish inhale them and end up pretty bad shape, especially brooks trout.

I highly suggest this and do it myself as noted above. In my youth I killed far too many small (and even bigger) fish with those treble hooks. If my life depended on it, it's all I'd use, but as a sporting dude, I'm a single-hook guy. As a matter of fact I rarely even touch a fish these days - when they are close I grab the hook with hemostats and just back it out - plop, right back into the water.

 

[DoubleAron]

Lots of great suggestions and advice here. I will add one of my personal preferences.

10lb braid line and tie on floro or mono leader depending on what your doing. I would use 8lb leader. You are not fly fishing so tiny line is not needed. I prefer braid most of the time. I keep a few reels with just floro to use with something like a slip bobber and jig where I want it deeper than my leader.

I also tie a snap to the end of the leader to make it simple to swap from a spinner to a spoon and then something else with having to tie on again each time.

 

[philos]

Love my little Daiwa Presso travel rod and Penn Fierce 1000 combo. I can cast flies with it in the right conditions.
Daiwa Presso Spinning Pack Rod https://a.co/d/gXDpPc3

I second the Daiwa Presso travel rod. I'll carry it when I fly fish just in case.

 

[Drenalin]

I fish almost exclusively similar (and smaller) streams with a Pflueger Trion combo, both the 5'6" and 6' models. I haven't had a problem out of the two I use over about the last 7 years, and they're cheap and available. I fish with crickets a lot and like a high vis line down to a barrel swivel and an 18"-24" fluorocarbon leader for that. In faster water, it helps me to be able to see what the line is doing.

 

[Yoder]

My two favorites for small streams are St Croix one-piece 4.5 ft and a two piece 5.5ft. Their Premier rods aren't too expensive, they are made in the USA and are super sensitive. I really like Pflueger reels. I've had good luck with 1/8 oz Roostertails, Trout Magnets, Berkley Atomic tubes, Trout magnet crank baits (Brown Trout pattern) and mixed results with the small pink trout worms. 4lb Mono line, the Fluoro line always tangles really bad, and I don't think it's anymore invisible to fish than mono.

 

[Hondo64d]

I appreciate the suggestions. Lots of choices. Decisions, decisions…

John