It’s best to use lightweight rods and reels for trout fishing, since that allows you to use smaller lures and lightweight lines to target shy trout with maximum stealth. When targeting finicky trout in clear water, you may need to downsize your line to 1 or 2 lb test, and you’ll need an ultralight spinning rod for trout to do this effectively.

To catch trout using spinning gear, select an ultralight or medium-weight spinning rod and reel combination to match your conditions. In your given scenario, present bait to the trout in a way that is most natural. This could mean tossing live bait or lures upstream of deep holes and allow the current to direct your bait to the trout.