Hard lures
From March to May, trout are active, coming out of a long winter and taking advantage of mild temperatures to hunt abundantly. Hard lures can be used to target active fish on edges or in currents.
To fill your box, you'll need three different hard lures that are simple to use but highly effective. The all-purpose lure for large rivers is the sinking jerkbait minnow, which is easy to cast far and can fish all water layers. For shallow riffles, opt for a classic floating minnow with a jerky swimming action to imitate a minnow or trout on the run. Finally, for small streams or areas requiring a lure that dives quickly, opt for a long-snouted crankbait that will quickly reach the fish.
Soft lures
At the start of the season, the water may be very cold, especially if you're fishing a river in northern France. To win over lethargic and wary fish, the soft lure is a very good solution. You can use the classic shad, which works just as well in large rivers as in small streams. You can then adapt the weight of the lead head to the position you want to fish.
In the opposite case, where the water is already relatively warm and the level is low, creatures and imitations of crayfish or insects are very effective. This technique is mainly practised on sight, but you can practice it in an area where you know fish are present. Finally, in large, deep water holes, try mounting a finesse on a darter head, its highly erratic swimming action often fooling fish that would not have appreciated the linear swimming action of a shad.
Situational decoys
Now that you have hard and soft lures, you'll need to make a small selection of situational, but essential, lures. These include spoons, wobblers and spinners, which are a must for trout.
The spinning spoon is very effective in streams where it is difficult to fish with a traditional lure, especially in powerful streams. The wobbling spoon, on the other hand, is ideal for educated fish that know the vibrations of other lures. You can also select a few micro casting jigs; their swimming action is little known to trout and often gives very good results.
