FishUSA Angler Resources

Best Spinners For Trout: The Ultimate Trout Fishing Spinner Setup

By: Nolan Pyle

July 31, 2024

Whether you’re talking about stocked trout, steelhead, or natives in a mountain stream, there’s no denying the effectiveness of fishing spinners for trout. Spinners are a great way for beginners to catch trout because of their simplicity and ease of use. There is no need to know how to rig a spinner for trout because all you have to do is tie it on. In most cases all the angler has to do is cast and retrieve, the bait does the rest. For this reason, spinners are looked at by some anglers as a novice technique, but I’m not afraid to admit that some of my largest Great Lakes steelhead have been taken on spinners. In this article, we’ll cover some of the best spinners for trout on the market and explain what makes each one unique.

Whether you’re talking about stocked trout, steelhead, or natives in a mountain stream, there’s no denying the effectiveness of fishing spinners for trout. Spinners are a great way for beginners to catch trout because of their simplicity and ease of use. There is no need to know how to rig a spinner for trout because all you have to do is tie it on. In most cases all the angler has to do is cast and retrieve, the bait does the rest. For this reason, spinners are looked at by some anglers as a novice technique, but I’m not afraid to admit that some of my largest Great Lakes steelhead have been taken on spinners. In this article, we’ll cover some of the best spinners for trout on the market and explain what makes each one unique.

Table of Contents

  • Best Spinners for Trout
  • Worden's Original Rooster Tail
  • Mepps Aglia Spinners
  • Panther Martins
  • C.P. Swing Spinners
  • Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Spinner
  • Final Thoughts

Best Spinners for Trout

Worden's Original Rooster Tail

Buy Worden's Original Rooster Tail

If you’ve fished for trout since a young age, chances are you’ve probably used a rooster tail before. It’s a tried and true classic and has been around since the 1950’s. These trout spinners are characterized by a small hackle tail covering up the treble hook on the back of the bait. Here in Pennsylvania, they’re a staple among stocked trout fishermen and FishUSA sells out almost every year just before opening day. It’s hard to say what the best trout spinner color is, but Rooster Tails certainly come in many. It’s hard to go wrong with black, brown, white, or chartreuse.

Mepps Aglia Spinners

Buy Mepps Aglia Plain Spinners

Just like the Rooster Tail, Mepps is a trout spinner bait that has been catching fish for decades. The Aglia series is the most popular when it comes to trout fishing, consisting of ultra-light spinners, plain spinners, and those dressed with bucktail, flashabou, or even a fly. This vast array of options helps make it one of the best spinners for trout. So out of all these options, you may be asking what size spinner for trout? The ultra-lite series is perfect for stocked trout in smaller bodies of water, while the other series come in many different sizes appropriate for any size fish, lake or river you might be fishing.

Panther Martins

Buy Panther Martin Hammered Spinner

Panther Martins are another tried and true trout spinner that has been putting fish in the net for years. They are possibly the most basic spinner on the market, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. The Panther Martin Hammered series consists of a blade with many small bumps on it, allowing sunlight to be reflected even more strongly off of it. This design drives trout absolutely nuts.

C.P. Swing Spinners

Buy C.P. Swing Spinner

Panther Martins are another tried and true trout spinner that has been putting fish in the net for years. They are possibly the most basic spinner on the market, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. The Panther Martin Hammered series consists of a blade with many small bumps on it, allowing sunlight to be reflected even more strongly off of it. This design drives trout absolutely nuts.

Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Spinner

Buy Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Spinner

If you don’t have one of these trout spinners in your tackle box, you should! This spinner is not like the others. It’s constructed of a stainless steel shaft wire, internal vibrating rattles, and a quality VMC treble hook (larger sizes also come with a siwash hook if single hooks are needed/preferred). A patented two-part body made of machined brass emits a sonic vibration when rubbing against the Vibrax’s “bell”. These spinners are designed to take a beating and still run true, and they do! They come in blade sizes as small as 0 for stocked trout or as large as 6 for steelhead and salmon in large, fast-moving rivers. With all these features, it’s hard not to call this one of the best trout spinners ever made.

Final Thoughts

Fishing spinners for trout can be an absolute blast! Hopefully this article helps you make a decision as to what spinner will work best for you in your area. Don’t forget, all of these baits are available at FishUSA!

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