This morning produced 5 trout within an hour. All were released due to the hair rig. For those of you not familiar with this bait rig, it was originally developed for carp fishing. The hook is not actually in the bait, rather it is farther up the line. This allows the trout to swallow the bait as it does every time you fish powerbait, but the hook catches where you can easily twist it out. For hooks, use very thin wire long shanked aberdeen hook. Just snell them on leaving a long tag end. Take your power eggs (they stay on the best) and put them on a baiting needle. (you can make one out of copper wire doubled over) Then put the tag end through the loop in the needle, and pull the eggs onto the line. Tye a slip knot at the end of the tag and secure a small piece of rubber band in the knot. This makes sure the eggs dont fly off. When you fish it, give the fish plenty of slack so the hook can get all the way in its mouth. It hooks them in the corner of the mouth every single time. So if you don't like eating trout, but you do like the results and laid back manner of bait fishing, try a hair rig.

thats a really cool idea but I don't exactly understand how it works.

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hurdle the dead and trample the weak

Thats a great idea! Thanks for the info.
The way it works is the hook is farther up the line then the bait so they swallow the bait but not the hook.

pics or diagram?

Excellent diagrams! This reminded me of a carp article we published several years ago about this very method:

http://washingtonlakes.com/ReadArticle.aspx?id=203

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Editor, COO

"I like to turn it up to eleven. It's one louder. "

Thank you for sharing your techniques and tips, Xiphias, and noclothes1 for the diagrams and pictures. Very nice! Helpful stuff.

Unfortunately, we have the eeyores who's only response is of catch limits and possible short fishing days. Party poopers.

I am grateful to have read your suggestions for more options, whether I choose to apply them or not. Thanks again!

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==urban== please don't tell me to C&R or to fish your way, thank you

+1, and dont forget even just a scent counts as bait.

Great idea to help the odds of fish survival, though...just make sure you stop at 5.

Even if you wanted to keep them it looks like hook removal could be quite a bit easier.

Trout do have a hard time digesting it, they also have the "same" fun digesting Corn that "we" do. Dont stop using it thou if you want, they will pass it, thru like we do. I have fished for Carp many times, and this is a great rig! I feel pretty stupid for NEVER thinking about using it for Trout thou, it also makes for Very easy hook removal using circle hooks