For more than two decades I have been fishing for and catching the four main species of freshwater trout (brook, cutthroat, brown and rainbow) and in that time I have learned a ton of tips and techniques that have enabled me to become a very proficient trout fisherman.
In this article I will outline 10 tips for catching trout that will literally have them "jumping into you creel.
" There are two main types of water that are conducive for catching trout; lakes or flowing waters such as a rivers and streams.
Some of these tips are more conducive to lake fishing, some of the tips for river fishing, but the point is that these 10 tips for catching trout will make you a much more successful trout fisherman.
Keep in mind that these 10 tips are being listed in no particular order of importance and will all aid in you catching more trout.

• Always Use Light Fishing Line - Many trout fishermen make the mistake of using fishing line that's much too heavy.
  The perfect size fishing line for catching trout is four or six pound test monofilament.
  
• Wear a Fishing Vest - Whether you trout fishing in a lake or especially if you are fishing for trout in a river a fishing vest is the most efficient and effective way to carry all of your trout fishing gear while you are on the water.
  
• Powerbait is The Best Bait For Stocked Trout - If you are fishing for stocked trout in a lake, there is no trout bait that is more effective than Powerbait.
  Always have a jar or three available to you when you are fishing in a lake for trout that have been stocked.
  
• Use The Weather To Your Advantage - The weather has an amazing impact on the activity level of trout and knowing the simple ways that the weather impacts trout behavior can help you make sure you are on the water fishing at the most opportune times.
  
• Use The Moon Phase To Your Advantage - Just like the weather, the phase that the moon is in has an amazing impact on a trout's activity level, and thus it's willingness to bite your offering.
  Try to fish when the moon is in the new or full moon phase and you will magically start catching more trout.
  
• Artificial Flies Can Be Used By Spin Fishermen - Everyone who is interested in catching trout knows how effective artificial flies can be as bait for trout, yet many spin fishermen think that artificial flies are "off limits" to them.
  Nothing could be farther from the truth with the help of a casting bubble (sometimes called a "fly fishing bubble").
  
• In River Fishing Situations, Live Worms Are a Great Bait Choice- There are few trout fishing techniques that are more effective than "drift fishing" a live worm in a river trout fishing scenario.
  I have been by drift fishing live worms with great success for my entire trout fishing "career".
  
• Keep Your Hands Clean - Trout have a very sensitive sense of smell and can easily detect "unnatural" scents on the bait or lure that they are thinking about biting.
  For this reason you want your hands to be clean of as many unnatural scents as possible so that you don't "lose" bites.
  
• Be a Proficient Knot Tier - More trout are "lost" every day from faulty knots than from any other single factor.
  For this reason you always want to make sure that you attach your lure, hooks, or fly to your line with an effective and well tied fishing knot.
  
• The More Time That You Can Spend On The Water, The Better - There is simply no substitute for practice when it comes to trout fishing.
  The more time that you can spend on the water putting your favorite trout fishing techniques into practice, the more proficient that you will become at catching trout, it's as simple as that.
  

Keep these 10 tips for catching trout in mind, implement the ones that make sense to you and your favorite trout fishing style, and before you know it your creel will be busting at the seems.