So, you’re finally out on that exciting fishing trip with your friends that took you months to arrange because you all had to take time off from work. However, now that you’re finally out on the open water and getting to enjoy your favorite hobby, you start realizing, after a few hours pass, that you aren’t catching any trout. If you haven’t even gotten a nibble, you’ll probably start wondering about what you are doing wrong, and why this trip that was supposed to be so fun for you isn’t working out as planned.
Are there reasons why you can’t catch trout? Yes, there are reasons why you can’t catch trout, which include:
- You are false casting and need to stop,
- You are fishing in the wrong spot and should move to new water,
- You need to be patient and keep an eye out on the water,
- You need to switch up your bait because the fish aren’t finding your bait appealing,
- The fish aren’t biting, and you can’t figure out why,
- A cold front scared away the fish,
- It’s too windy, or there isn’t enough wind,
- It’s too hot,
- It’s too cold,
- There is too much boat traffic around you, and you need to move, or
- You don’t have the right lure
Since there aren’t a lot of articles available on the Internet today covering why you suddenly can’t catch trout, we created this article to help you out. Below we’ll discuss the reasons why you can’t find trout, some of the most common mistakes anglers make when they can’t catch fish, and what you can do to make sure you successfully catch trout.
11 Reasons You Can’t Catch Trout
Unfortunately, we’ve all had one of those days when you can’t find trout no matter what you seem to try. If you start getting extremely frustrated because you haven’t gotten a single nibble yet, most likely, your mind will begin to race, and you’ll want to figure out what you are doing wrong. Below we’ll review eleven possible reasons why you can’t currently catch trout. After that, we’ll discuss the mistakes anglers commonly make that scare off fish, and a few things you can do to ensure you successfully capture some trout.
#1 You Are False Casting and You Need to Stop.
One potential reason why you might not be currently catching trout as you fish has to do with the false casting. Every angler wants to get that perfect cast every time. However, there is one thing you’re going to have to realize when it comes to fishing: you won’t get that ideal cast every single time. Chances are you’ll run into obstacles daily that will throw off your cast, anyway, and you’ll need to be prepared for that.
Occasionally when you fish, you’ll come across things like wind, rain, other poor weather conditions, and plenty of other outdoor obstacles that can affect the way you are casting. However, even if you cannot seem to get the right cast today, you’ll need to forget about that issue at some point and move on, or you might wind up ruining your day. After all, on occasion, it can be that oddly imperfect cast that winds up grabbing a prize trout.
Since you don’t need a perfect cast to catch a fish, you shouldn’t get overly concerned about your casting. Fish aren’t judging whose bait they are going to bite based on the angler’s casting ability. Instead, fish want to find a natural-looking insect to eat, and you can make your bait look that way using a bevy of different casting choices.
Keep in mind that if you keep false casting, you’re reducing the amount of time your fly will be in the water. That means you’ve significantly decreased your chances of catching fish because you aren’t keeping your fly in the water for a long enough time. You’ll give yourself better odds of catching a fish if you stop casting after hitting eight or ten false casts, and you go with it. You’re more likely to catch a fish if your fly is in the water longer, and you stop false casting so often.
Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that fish can see you casting repeatedly. So, if you are fishing in evident water, you might wind up scaring the fish away if they hear you false casting quite a bit. You may wind up scaring away all of the fish with too many false casts before you ever get your fly in the water. So, you’ll need to consider putting an end to your false casting when you can’t seem to get the cast correct.
#2 You are Fishing in the Wrong Spot and Should Move to New Water
For some reason, we’ve all had those days when we keep casting in the same spot and expecting different results. However, more than likely, if you aren’t getting results where you are trying to cast, then you should try to move to a different area of the water. If you think about it, you’ll realize that casting over and over again into the same spot and refusing to move while you fish isn’t very efficient.
Also, if you are fishing and using a boat, you can move to a different part of the lake and try a new spot. On the other hand, if you are fishing from the beach or shoreline, you’ll want to move to a different beach area and try a new place.
If you didn’t already know it, one thing most successful anglers have in common is knowing when to move their water spots. Learning when you need to make a change often comes with experience and being able to think on your feet.
#3 You Aren’t Being Patient or Watching the Water
Patience is another skill you’re going to need to develop if you plan on becoming successful at catching trout. However, we can quickly lose patience when we fish for a bevy of reasons. For example, whenever I need to move to a new fishing area, I tend to want to rush things so that I can get back to fishing as soon as possible.
However, sometimes, being too eager has a way of throwing me off later.
That’s because when you first change your fishing location, you shouldn’t be rushing things and trying to get back to the action too quickly. Instead, you should try to be observant and patient after you swap fishing spots because you’ll be able to learn about the environment you are now fishing in and adjust appropriately.
So, when you first change fishing spots, instead of making a mistake I often make and wanting to set back up and fish again right away, take a few moments of relaxation. Sit down on the beach and observe the top part of the water for a few minutes. Check to see if you notice any bugs hatching on the water. If you see bugs hatching on the water, try to figure out what kind of bugs they are, the size, the color, and if the fish are eating those bugs. Also, see if you can figure out the feeding rhythms of the fish.
By sitting back and observing your environment for a few moments, you’ll be able to figure out what’s going on around you more efficiently, and then you can mimic nature effectively. By mimicking nature effectively, you’ll be able to figure out what baits and lures are the best to use, where you should cast, and when you want to let your fly drift.
#4 You Need to Switch Up Your Bait Because the Trout Don’t Find Your Bait Appealing
If you’ve been fishing with the same fly for a while and catching nothing, then it might be time to change up your game. If the fish don’t find your bait appealing, it won’t matter how many times you cast it into the lake; you still won’t get any bites.
For example, if you are fishing often with a dry fly and you notice the fish aren’t eating them, then that’s probably a good sign that you need to switch what you are using. It might be time to swap out your dry fly for a nymph or hang a dropper on your dry fly.
Some people become very persistent and stubborn about when and where they should use a dry fly. So, if you want to keep on using a dry fly when you aren’t getting any bites, then it might be the time to take a break and relax on the beach for a bit. Once you see bugs flying around again, then it will probably be time to fish again, because the fish will be hunting for prey when the bugs are out.
However, even when you see several bugs out, and there is a bevy of fish in the water, thinking that you can toss your fly in with the rest of the natural bugs and hope that a fish will bite your fly instead, you might not get a bite. When fish have a lot of different types of insects and prey to select from, they are likely going to be pickier about the kind of bait they will bite.
On occasion, you’ll discover that fish don’t want to bite on your fly when they have a multitude of natural bugs available to feed on for that moment. So, instead of just throwing your fly into the mix, you might need to do a little additional work and planning. Try to target one fish and float your fly past that fish a few times. By taking the time to get a fish to notice your fly, that fish will be more likely to bite.
#5 The Fish Aren’t Biting
While it’s nice to think there must be a one-size-fits-all reason why the trout aren’t eating at the moment, there is rarely a simple explanation. While we might want to dismiss the fish in that area as simply not biting or being active, that’s probably not the real reason they aren’t eating. When you notice the fish aren’t biting, that’s when you’ll need to try something else, like moving spots or changing your bait.
Since the fish might not be biting for a bevy of reasons, you’ll have to take a little time and do some experimentation to figure out what you need to change up. Once you figure that out, you’ll be able to catch several trout.
#6: A Cold Front Scared Off the Fish
Another reason why the fish might not be biting has to do with cold fronts. When a cold front comes through an area with fish, it tends to scare the fish away. If that happens, then you’ll need to change your spot on the lake and find a new one.
#7: It’s Too Windy or Not Windy Enough
When you are trout fishing, the wind can be your pal, or it can be your worst enemy. When the wind is blowing fiercely, it can make it difficult for you to control your boat or fish the way you want to that day.
On the other hand, wind can move around baitfish as well as your trout and bring them closer to you. So, sometimes, it can also be your friend. Whether the wind will help you or not that day will depend a lot on the strength of the wind.
When you are fishing on the lake, and you realize there is little to no wind, then you’ll want to make sure you are using the right type of lure. If the wind isn’t blowing strongly, then you’ll want to use lures that work better when the weather is calmer. Types of lures you can use when you don’t have much wind include finesse lures and topwater plugs.
#8 It’s Too Hot
At water temperatures over 62° fahrenheit most trout start to experience discomfort and their inclination to chase after food or strike is significantly reduced. Even more important is if they expend too much energy in such warm water their chance of survival is highly decreased after the struggle of being caught. If you’re fishing for sport, i.e. catch and release, it’s best not to go after trout in warmer waters.
But if you plan on keeping the fish you catch, they’ll likely be hunkering down in cooler areas. So be on the lookout for inlets, cascades, deeper pools, and shade.
Sometimes, the weather can be too hot for the angler to enjoy fishing as well. If you still want to fish when the weather is warm, but you cannot tolerate the heat during the day, then you can balance this out by going out fishing at night when the weather is cooler. Or, you can search for shady areas and places on the lake, so you’ll stay cooler when you fish. Also, bring a lot of water with you, and consider this might be the best time to just take a break by jumping in yourself to cool off.
#9: It’s Too Cold
It can also be too cold for the fish to be very active, and that can affect your ability to fish. Remember, fish are cold-blooded creatures, and that means they are affected by temperature, heat, and cold differently than people, who are warm-blooded, are. Fish can still eat even when they are below a frozen water surface. Also, ice fishing should remind us that no matter how cold the water gets, you can still catch fish.
However, while you can still fish when the water is cold and expect to catch a few trout, it can be a lot more challenging to find fish when the water is cold. However, if you know where to look for the trout, then you can find them. When the water temperature gets freezing, you’ll need to fish deep, because fish will be deeper in the water. You’ll also need to fish slowly and make sure you use small lures.
#10: There’s Too Much Boat Traffic
Another thing that can ruin a great day of fishing is when you have too much boat traffic out on the water. When there are too many boats on the water, fish can get scared and hide. However, some species of fish, like bass, bite when there are a lot of boats on the water. Also, sometimes waves crashing into docks and other areas inspire both bass and trout to feed, so if you can figure out how to fish in these places, you’re still likely to catch plenty of fish, even when there are a lot of boats on the water.
#11: You Don’t Have the Right Lure
Another thing you’ll need to do is to make sure you have plenty of lures to use in all situations. Remember, most baits will work most of the time as long as you use them correctly. So, make sure you purchase plenty of lures to cover all types of conditions and issues when fishing for trout, and you should be just fine. I list some of my favorites here.
Now that we’ve covered the eleven reasons why you might not be catching trout and how you can address and overcome those reasons, we’ll cover six mistakes anglers make that prevent them from finding more trout.
6 Mistakes Anglers Make That Prevent Them from Catching More Trout
Unfortunately, nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes, and even the best anglers experience issues on days when they try to catch trout. Unfortunately, there is a fine line between failure and success when it comes to fishing, because a bevy of things that you cannot control, many of which we discussed above, can affect your ability to fish.
While we gave you pointers above to help you modify and adjust your fishing approach so that you can overcome those issues, there are still several common mistakes that anglers make that prevent them from catching more trout. Since there are so many factors that we cannot control when we fish, it becomes essential to try and cut back on the errors and focus on managing the aspects of our fishing game that we can control.
With that in mind, we want to help you minimize the common mistakes that anglers make that prevent them from catching more trout. That way, you can become aware of what those common mistakes are so that you can avoid them in the future. We’ll discuss the common mistakes that anglers make that prevent them from catching more trout below.
#1: A Lack of Angler Preparation
One thing that is extremely important to consider when trout fishing is your preparation. One of the most common mistakes anglers make before fishing is a lack of preparation. Now, you can be slightly unprepared, or seriously unprepared.
The problem is, whether you are slightly unprepared or seriously unprepared, you may wind up getting out on the water and realize you don’t have something you need. In that case, you might have to go back home and get what you need, or if you are too far from home, you’ll have to spend additional cash on something you only need in the interim, meaning you are out the money.
However, one thing that’s great about unpreparedness is that it’s not a difficult problem to fix. We recommend making a checklist of the items you’ll need for each fishing trip and keeping that checklist somewhere you won’t lose it—on the fridge, in your tackle box, whatever. Then, before each fishing trip, you can check off your checklist to make sure you’ve packed everything you’ll need.
#2: Lacking an Appropriate Plan
Another problem many anglers face is they lack an appropriate plan once they get out on the water. To succeed as an angler, you’ll need to learn how to make a proper plan for the environment you’re in and the trout you are seeking to catch. You can’t just get to your body of water and start repeatedly casting haphazardly everywhere without a plan.
Instead, you should think about the trout you want to catch, where on the lake you’ll find the trout, and the fishing techniques you’ll need to use to catch trout. Knowing those three things gives you a guide for an outline of how you should create your appropriate plan and approach fishing that day. Remember, though; you’ll still need to be flexible about your plan since you may need to modify things as you go along. Remember, the condition of the water and the elements of nature are always changing, and that means you’ll need to be flexible enough to adapt and change with it, too.
#3 Angler Disorganization
If you’re too disorganized to find the items you’ll need to fish, then you’ll wind up wasting a lot of time trying to find the things you’ll need. Instead, try to do your best to keep your fishing tackle and gear as organized as possible so that you can find everything you need quickly, and avoid wasting time on the water. Efficiency is essential if you want to learn how to fish successfully.
If you can familiarize yourself with the items you have and have what you need to be placed in areas that are easy to access, then you’ll be able to cast a lot more often and fish much more. The extra time you’ll spend fishing should increase your chances of catching more fish.
#4 Forgetting About Cover
Another common mistake many anglers make is forgetting about cover once they are in the water. While cover can be annoying because it can snag your bait and you might lose some of it, forgetting to fish where there is cover means you are avoiding areas where the trout are probably biting. The cover is where trout like to hide, and if you aren’t fishing near the cover, you will find far fewer trout. So, don’t forget to stay brave and explore the areas with cover for trout.
#5 Forgetting About Seasons
While a lot of anglers like fishing from memory and going to spots where they’ve had success in the past, we don’t recommend doing that. Instead, you’ll have a lot more success if you focus on what the current conditions are and how the seasons will affect where the trout are hiding. Once you can shift your focus to the current season and weather, you can modify the way you catch trout and experience more success.
#6 Moving Too Quickly
Another thing you’ll want to avoid is moving too quickly. Remember, trout are the kind of fish that will bite more if they can see your bait moving around in the water. So, make sure you aren’t casting too much and instead focus on slowing down and saturating pieces of cover as you fish. That way, trout have enough time to see your bait moving. If you move too quickly, the trout won’t be able to see your bait moving.
Final Thoughts
Now that we’ve covered eleven reasons why you might not be catching trout, you should have plenty of information to guide you about how you can correct yourself, and what you can do. Remember, if you notice that the trout don’t seem to be biting today, then it’s probably time to try something different. Try a different lure, or move to a different spot on the lake. You’ll need to take some time to explore the environment when you first get there, make a plan, and use your knowledge about trout to catch fish successfully.
