Trout BFS Lure

The minnow (jerkbait-style hardbait) is the core lure in trout bfs.

Lure weights of 3-7g are the most commonly used in most places.

Small, slow-moving creeks less than 3in deep may need lighter than 3g, and fast, heavy-current rivers need heavier than 7g.

Replacing trebles with single barbless hooks slightly changes the weight balance and the water resistance. Both changes are minimal, and most minnows handle them without losing performance. Most importantly, single barbless hooks reduce damage to the fish and significantly increase its survival rate.

Before entering the field, always check the field regulations for permitted hook types.

Single barbless makes trout bfs a more challenging game, and epic fun.

As a general idea, sinking minnows are the basic choice for the upstream approach, and floating minnows may perform better in the downstream approach.

Active fish usually react to the up-cross (upstream) approach, while the down-cross approach can become highly effective in certain conditions, such as a sudden temperature drop or lower water clarity.

Popular minnow lengths are 45mm to 65mm, with 50mm being the standard size in most places.

Trout mainly feed on insects, occasionally crawdads and small fish.

But their natural habit of reacting to a fast-moving lure is what makes trout bfs so effective.

A 50mm minnow attracts almost every size of trout, but can only carry a #6 single hook at most (varies by hook eye spacing). So upsizing the minnow is ideal when targeting large trout that need a larger, stronger hook.

There are plenty of lure colors to choose from.

Bright colors help anglers see their cast and the minnow’s movement in the water, while subtle natural colors often become extremely effective on larger, clever fish or under high angling pressure.

It is a good idea to sort colors into bright, vivid, natural, silvery and dark shades.