How To Choose A Kastmaster For Trout Fishing

Kastmaster spoon

Over several years, the Acme Kastmaster spoon has become the classic fishing lure for trout fishing. Although using Kastmasters to catch trout is the same as using any other little spoon, their designs are a little different.

Kastmasters spoon for trout

The Kastmaster sets stand out from other spoons by just how thick the body of the lure is. Though it has a pretty simple shape, what sets it apart from lighter and more slender spoons is the thickness of the body.

Due to its thicker body, it is significantly heavier than other trout lures of a similar size. This extra weight makes it excellent for casting and diving into deeper water. Continue reading and you can learn more about these Kastmaster’s features.

Choosing the Right Kastmaster for Trout?

Size

Kastmasters are made in several sizes, from 1/12 to 4 oz. However, when it comes to trout fishing, smaller ones from 1/12 to 1/2 oz are the perfect sizes. 

In fact, big baits can even reduce the chance of tricking the trout into biting, as large fish won’t refuse a snack if something smaller and more appetizing swims past, while smaller fish consider larger lures to be too huge to eat.

Overall, 1/8 oz and 1/12 oz Kastmaster are the most popular lures for trout that can be found in any trout fisherman’s tackle box. The 1/12 oz is especially effective for trout fishing in remote areas, and wild trout frequently attack this lure viciously.

The 1/4 oz Kastmasters can give anglers a bit more weight and distance. That’s about as big as you’ll want to go unless you’re hunting exceptionally massive trout. In that case, 3/8 oz and 1/2 oz ones are more suitable for large trout.  

Color

The ideal color can change depending on the weather, the state of the water, and what food the trout are in the mood for that day. However, there are some colors that have worked better than others.

Gold

The gold Kastmaster is the favorite go-to choice of color in the trout fishing community. If anglers are exploring a new section of river or a small lake that they are unfamiliar with, starting with this one can be a brilliant idea.

It works especially well on bright, sunny days since it can catch a lot of sunlight. Additionally, it’s also a fantastic choice for water that is cloudier or browner, as it can pop extremely clearly.

Chrome

After gold, this is the most popular Kastmaster color. Silver (Chrome) can reflect light the most, which is also the solution if anglers want to maximize flash and reflection. Because of this, it is a great option for stock trout, sunny conditions, and clear water. The trout can be attracted by it from far away.

Blue/ Chrome

The blue/chrome combination can catch a lot of fish on a grey, much like the silver Kastmater. Its two-tone color helps it resemble common trout prey in appearance.

On gloomy days, when the gold is not quite bright enough, silver and blue can be an excellent choice.

Firetiger

When it comes to imitating prey fish, the firetiger Kastmaster does an impressive job of imitating what the trout like to eat, which includes other trout. As it is commonly known that trout will eat both their own and other species’ young.

It works best on rivers after a drawn-out rain season when the river is running a little higher than usual and the water is not clear.

How To Fish For Trout With A Kastmaster?

kastmaster for trout

Basic Strategies

Kastmaster is a type of spoon. These objects work by mimicking the appearance and the motion of the trout’s favorite fish. They can even swim with the erratic motion of wounded or helpless fish, fooling the trout into biting a potentially easy meal.

In order to find the ideal way to use Kastmaster, anglers should understand how to operate it properly. Keep in mind that the Kastmaster’s natural motion in the water only partially fulfills their needs. Therefore, anglers ought to perform some twitches, pauses, and other unpredictable movements to get more bites.

There are some tricks for trout fishers to practice with their Kastmasters:

  • Allow the Kastmaster to sink for a few minutes before restarting the retrieval. To a trout, it looks like a fish fighting to maintain buoyancy.
  • On the retrieve, wiggle your rod every few seconds. Making the bait appear more irregular will encourage bites. The trout will lunge forward in an attempt to catch the “baitfish” when it lurches forward, thinking the bait is trying to run away.
  • Change the speed of your retrieves between slow and quick and back again. Fish don’t swim in a straight line or at a constant speed, so neither should your lure.

Using a Kastmaster in a Lake or Pond

In calm waters, trout are on the move, cruising the water in search of food. However, trout don’t want to stray too far from the cover that provides shelter from predators. In lakes and ponds, the following are some possible locations to look for trout:

  • Near or above aquatic vegetation
  •  Around logs, stumps, rocks, or other structures at stream inlets where streams pour into the lake; or pond are bringing cool, fresh water and perhaps a supply of food.
  • deeper waters, particularly during the hot summer months when trout seek out cooler water and cover from overhead predators.

Kastmasters are practically ideal for catching trout in lakes and ponds since they can go far and deep. When anglers first arrive on the water, they frequently check to see how deep the trout are. 

Counting down their lure is an excellent way to accomplish this. Cast out, then reel in while beginning to count. Start with five seconds, increase it by ten, fifteen, and so on until reaching the bottom. After knowing the location of the bottom, they keep changing the depth of the lure by counting down. When they start receiving hits, there is a trout.

When it comes to checking the bottom, there is one more trick to try when the trout are hanging deep. Allow Kastmaster to completely descend before giving it a little twitch and reel. Reset it, then do it again. Once more, this is a struggling fish that resembles a tasty dinner for a hungry trout. Even if they were idle, they would still want to grab it.

Using a Kastmaster in a River or Stream

In moving water, trout tend to congregate in one location and wait for the water current to bring food to them. Aquatic insects drifting in the river are a major source of food for these fish. 

Imagine a conveyor belt that had a variety of delicious food items on it, and all you had to do was sit and catch them. To a trout, that is what the current is. When they are feeding, they will look upstream to observe what passes by.

However, in that case, fishermen can have their Kastmaster moved around by the current. In general, they do not need as much space as they would in a lake. Anglers need to keep their lure small, mostly in smaller streams. Keep in mind that huge trout will bite small lures if they are cast properly. The 1/12 oz is especially great in streams with lots of brook trout.

Once the trout’s location is found, anglers will try to cast upstream and a little downstream. Making sure they are reeling in quickly enough to keep up with the current and keep slack out of their line.

Once you believe you know where the trout are holding, cast upstream and try a little downstream. Make sure you’re reeling in quickly enough to keep up with the current and keep any slack from building up in your line. The trout will react appropriately when they see the Kastmaster float right by them in the same way they do when they see food float down.

Another method is to cast across the river, or even a little upstream. The water will swing the lure downstream as you retrieve the line and cause the lure to flutter. This is excellent for casting across a large area of water at once.

Trolling with a Kastmaster

Kastmaster spoons are excellent for trolling thanks to their weight and tendency to sink more slowly than other trolling lures. They will continue to move around in their distinctive manner even if the boat is moving slowly. This is the best way to keep trout interested.

Moreover, the Kastmasters can run farther and deeper by moving slowly, reaching the cooler water where the trout are most active.

In order to get deeper, anglers should get some three-way swivels. Tie one end to their line, one end to the Kastmaster, and tie a weight onto the third end. This keeps the lures at a low profile without influencing how they move through the water.

Using a Kastmaster with rig for trout

Jigging is a highly productive technique for trout fishing with a Kastmaster. They work particularly well beneath docks and around other obstacles like submerged logs. 

Allow the bait to hit the bottom before jerking it back up. Trout will become captivated by the quick movement and flash right away.

The trout will approach even more closely as they inspect what appears to be an injured fish if you let it fall back down and flutter to the bottom. 

In ice fishing, anglers can also jig with Kastmasters but it is not necessary to let them go all the way to the bottom. Keep it in the first several feet of the ice because, throughout the winter, trout frequently eat unexpectedly shallowly. And a rapid jerk up, followed by a pause to let it flutter down is the most effective method.

Modifying Kastmasters 

kastmaster modify

Although Kastmasters function flawlessly in their current state, there are several ways you may improve their performance.

One of the most common ways is putting a tuft of fuzz or feathers around the hook to make the lure become an even more realistic appearance of normal trout prey.

The additional “tail” will vibrate in a way that will entice fish to approach it as it travels.

Another common way to modify the Kastmaster is by placing some bait on the hook. This adds a sense of smell to the appeal of the Kastmaster. Moreover, its motion in the water will also be impacted. Powerbait on the hook can do wonders if you’re fishing in a stocked region. Guarantee to check if it is still swaying; if there is too much bait on the end, the lure won’t move at all.

Final thoughts

At this point, you should have enough basic information to choose the right Kastmaster for your fishing purpose. Depending on the fishing locales, weather, target species, and applications, an angler can select from a variety of Kastmaster features. We hope that you can find the best one for your particular setup.

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