Lake Fishing with Shots - Catch Trout Feeding on the Surface

Trout fishing continues to be excellent at Goldwater Lake (Arizona). Folks are catching their limits in record time using PowerBait.

At this time of year, trout are feeding off the surface of the lake all day. So to catch them, you want to keep your bait on or near the surface of the lake (no deeper than 14-16 inches). Most of the people at the lake are using bobbers (no kidding) instead of sinkers with their PowerBait. This gives them casting distance as well as help keep their bait on the surface of the lake. In all of my years of fishing, using PowerBait with bobbers seemed dumb to most anglers since it went against common sense logic. But it works!

While others at my lake are using bobbers with PowerBait, still others are using slip shots. Once again, this is one of those things that defies logic.

Shots are most often associated with river, stream, and creek fishing - not lake fishing. But when trout are feeding on the surface of the water - you don't want those heavy sinkers taking your bait to the bottom of the lake. But if you've ever tried to cast a weightless line, you know it just doesn't work well. Using a slip shot on the line (just above the swivel) is a way to add a bit of casting weight, while ensuring your PowerBait stays on the surface of the water.

Sometimes you just have to think outside the box (or fishing net) to catch trout.