Trout Magnets for Wild Rainbows

A selection of trout worms. My favorite colors for hatchery fish are the chartreuse and pink, and the wild fish prefer the pink and orange.

If you are a trout fisherman, chances are you've heard about the trout magnet series of artificial lures. These lures consist of a series of plastic worms and jig heads, and are becoming increasingly popular across the country for trout, bass, and panfishermen alike. I decided to give these interesting lures a try myself one bright spring morning at a local Mt. Hood lake.

A trout grub rigged on a shad dart style jighead

I wasn't sure how to fish these unusual plastic baits, so I simply hooked half of one of the pink worms on a small feather jig and began working it along the shallows. The water was clear, so it seemed like a good day for a finesse bait like a soft plastic. As I worked it along the shallows, my rod quickly bent over and I reeled in a pretty six inch rainbow.

The worm looks pretty big for the trout!

A nice trout caught from a stream near the lake on a trout magnet

Before long, I was into more. Soon it seemed all the trout in the area were fighting to get to my jig and worm combination, and for good reason. The natural action of the worm looked irresistible when paired with the magenta jig, and I could see many of the trout engulf my rig in the clear water. I hooked several more nice trout and lost a big one, but it had been confirmed that the trout magnet worm is an essential part of any angler's setup in the Mt. Hood area. I strongly recommend giving one a try.

One thing I like about the worms is that they're great for sight fishing. I didn't actually see the trout but I did see the brightly colored worm disappear.