'Tis the season for all of the trout anglers in the United States to awaken from their wintertime slumber and hit their favorite body of water to do a little trout fishing. For most of us this means fishing in one of two ways: from the bank of a lake or wading in a river or stream. These are the two most popular ways to catch trout in the United States. Whether these trout are stocked or native, these are the two most popular methods and the two that will be discussed in this article.

Lake Fishing - If you're lake fishing, then you're more than likely fishing from the bank. This means still fishing with bait of some sort is probably your best bet. Since this article is about trout fishing, that means that possible baits will include: live worms, corn, maggots, meal worms, or synthetic bait such as Powerbait. The most effective way to fish for trout from shore is with a set of gang hooks. A set of gang hooks either enables you to present a live worm in a completely natural manner or present double the bait. So, in the case of Powerbait, when you use gang hooks you are able to present 2 balls of bait, rather that just 1 with a single hook. A normal bottom rig will work, just use gang hooks rather than a single hook. This is the best method for fishing for trout from the shores of a lake.

River/Stream Fishing - River/stream fishing is my favorite way to catch trout, there's no doubt about that. There's nothing better than putting on your waders, filling my bait bag with worms, putting on fishing vest, and heading out to catch some trout. The most effective way to catch trout in a river situation is with the good old American worm. I realize that the flea flickers of the world would rather tie on a feather and flail it around in the air to catch trout, but I've always believed that a good old American worm is the best way to do it, and by the way if a worm is fished properly, it's every bit the art form that flea flickers claim their method to be. So, how do you fish a worm properly? Simple, with a set of gang hooks. A set of gang hooks enables the angler to present a worm in a totally natural manner and in a way that the hooks are barely detectable. This obviously results in more bites and therefore more fish. Combine this with the use of ultralight fishing gear, and you've got not only the definition of a 'good time', but also the beginnings of the art form I alluded to earlier.

The bottom line is that trout fishing season is upon us and the tips and techniques in this article will enable you to catch more trout. It doesn't matter whether you fish for trout for food or sport, these tips and techniques work and will help you catch more trout, which you must be interested in since you're reading an article about trout fishing, right? Have fun.