Rainbow Trout are among the top ten fish caught in America. Although their natural range is only on the western side of the country, they can be found today in nearly every single state of America. This is mostly due to the large amounts of work and money put into the raising and stocking of rainbow trout.
Most commonly during the late spring through fall, state wildlife agencies will “plant” rainbow trout in varying water sources. These water sources can be rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and streams. The most common method of planting trout is with a large truck that looks like a water truck. Inside the truck will be fish and water, fairly straight forward. The truck will back up to the water source and release the trout directly from the truck to the water through an opening in the truck or a chute of some kind. Another way that trout can be planted is by use of airplanes. This is most commonly used for high-country lakes and water sources where a truck cannot access. An airplane fitted with a tank similar to the truck will fly above the high-country water source and release the fish through an opening. The fish will simply fall out of the opening and land in the water. This method is often used with smaller size fish because it decreases the mortality rate, which is typically around 1% - 5%.
These plantings that wildlife agencies do are often tracked and shared with the public. This allows the public to know roughly when and where they can go and have a decent chance at hooking up with some rainbows. This is one of the many reason that fishing for rainbow trout is so great for beginners. By knowing the when and where of the fish, it takes out a lot of the guesswork that beginner anglers might have when it comes to fishing in the right spot. Of course, as the angler becomes more experienced, he or she might find more joy out of finding rainbow trout themselves or fishing in places where rainbows are native and wild, AKA: (not farm raised and planted in water sources). However, there is no shame in fishing for planted trout, many great memories have been made by these fish.
Another reason rainbow trout is so great for the beginner angler is due to the simplicity of the tackle needs. Anyone can go hook up with some rainbows using nothing but a rod and reel, some split shot weights, a strike indicator (bobber), and some very simple bait such as power bait or worms. You can get all these things extremely inexpensively and make some memories. This is exactly how I learned how to fish as a kid. My grandfather would put me on a river he knew had fish in it and let me loose. Those experiences as a kid are what helped grow my love for fishing and all things outdoors. It allowed me to see the connection of being able to take renewable recourses from the land, and best of all I had loads of fun! For the kids or even adult beginner angler it is important that you set them up in a place where they will have a likely hood of success. Of course, getting skunked is part of the journey and experience of fishing, however it is a lot easier to make an enthusiastic angler out of someone when they can at least catch a fish or two.
If you are in a place that allows portable stoves or open fires think about planning on eating your fish right on the river. All you need is some foil, a little oil, and if you want a little salt or seasoning. Trout taste great and are extremely easy to cook. The best way to cook them, especially if you have some people who might be new to eating something they just killed, is to gut them and cut the head off. Then wrap the fish in foil with some olive oil, salt or any other seasoning you want. Then throw your nicely wrapped package of goodness right onto the fire or grill. Depending on the heat it can take anywhere from roughly 7-12 minutes. Once the meat can slide from the bone and skin fairly easy you are in a good spot. Do note that it is very normal to chomp down on some pin bones when eating trout. Just be aware of it and you can remove them easily when eating.
So get out there! You can find the trout stocking information on your states’ wildlife agency website. Whether you’re a new adult angler or parents with some eager kids, fishing for rainbow trout is a great place to start!