Soft lures have revolutionised trout fishing in rivers and lakes. These lures are designed to imitate the natural prey of this salmonid. They also offer remarkable versatility and efficiency, making them an undeniable asset when it comes to trout fishing. Here is a selection of 5 essential soft lures for trout fishing in our opinion. We're going to explore the different types of lures, their optimum use and techniques to maximise your chances of catching a trout. This list will give you a good starting point for soft lures for trout that can adapt to a wide range of fishing conditions.
Our article in brief
Here is our list of 5 soft lures for trout that can adapt to a wide range of fishing conditions.
- Fiiish Black Minnow : The best pre-armed soft lure
- OSP Dolive Stick : The soft trout lure par excellence
- Keitech Easy Shiner : The most versatile soft lure for trout
- Daiwa Silver Wolf Urban Shrimp : A highly effective trout craw
- Fox Rage Slick Shad : The soft lure for tricky fishing
- Recommended equipment Ultralight rod, reel size 1000 to 2000, fine braid with fluoro leaders
- Animation techniques Natural drift with background breaks
- Jobs to target : Basins, waterfalls and deep areas
- Ideal period : Start of the season in March
- The different types of soft lures for trout
- Fiiish Black Minnow : The best pre-armed soft lure for trout
- OSP Dolive Stick: The ultimate finesse soft trout lure
- Keitech Easy Shiner : The most versatile soft lure for trout
- Daiwa Silver Wolf Urban Shrimp: A highly effective craw on trout
- Fox Rage Slick Shad: A subtle soft lure for complicated fishing situations
- What equipment should you use to fish for trout with soft lures?
- What areas should you target for trout fishing with soft lures?
The different types of soft lures for trout
The variety of soft lures available on the market for trout fishing is simply impressive. Each model is designed to meet specific fishing conditions and imitate different prey. Here are the main categories we recommend:
- Shads : These lures imitate small forage fish
- Worms : Realistic earthworm replicas
- Creatures : Imitations of invertebrates or crayfish
The size of soft lures is also crucial for trout fishing. We recommend lures between 25 and 60 mm. If you're after trophy fish, don't be afraid to go for 10cm or even 13cm soft lures. You won't get as many bites, but they're usually good ones!
The choice of colours is also an important consideration. In clear water, we recommend natural colours for greater discretion. In more turbid waters, flashy colours will give you the edge.
During our last trout fishing trip in the Alps, we had the opportunity to test different soft lures in mountain streams. The natural coloured shads proved particularly effective in these crystal clear waters, imitating perfectly the small minnows that the local trout love. However, as soon as the water became tinted, fluorescent yellow or even fire tiger colours were essential to get any trout moving.
Fiiish Black Minnow : The best pre-armed soft lure for trout
The Black Minnow of Fiiish has quickly become a The reference soft trout lure in France and abroad. This soft lure comes pre-mounted thanks to a home-made mounting system from Fiiish. This consists of a Texan rig and a system for attaching it to a jig head. This does two things:
1- To be able to explore cluttered areas without risk of snagging.
2- Increase body mobility for a very natural stroke.
These are the ingredients that make Black Minnow one of the best soft lures for trout on the market.
We recommend sizes 70mm and 90 mm in khaki, orange/yellow and neon pink (UV colours). These sizes and colours will allow you to fish in a wide range of conditions.
OSP Dolive Stick: The ultimate finesse soft trout lure
When trout are difficult to catch and hide in pools or near the bottom, a fine-tuned approach is required. In this context, theOSP Dolive Stick is one of the best soft lures in its field. It is not only effective on untrained trout, but just as deadly on pressurised fish.
Its body is packed with salt and attractant to prolong its hold once the trout have attacked it. We love to fish with the 75mm version on a 3 to 8gr lead head, casting over the bottom. With the current, it fishes as soon as it descends and falls in a spiral. This attracts trout from the surrounding area.
Keitech Easy Shiner : The most versatile soft lure for trout
The Keitech Easy Shiner is a soft lure originally used for perch and zander, but less so for trout. But it is just as effective. This lure is very supple and swims perfectly even at slow speeds. It combines the best of both worlds between the body of the impact shad and the tail of the Swing Impact.
This combination provides Easy Shiner a unique vibration that trout particularly appreciate. We love using this soft lure for trout on riffles and linear flats. The only downside to this soft lure is its very fragile tail. We recommend sizes 3.5″ and 4″ in natural colours.
Daiwa Silver Wolf Urban Shrimp: A highly effective craw on trout
The Silver Wolf Urban Shrimp from Daiwa is a soft lure that imitates a crayfish. Not many people think about it, but the crayfish is one of the trout's favourite prey items. The Silver Wolf Urban Shrimp This lure has a multitude of little legs that come to life at the slightest touch of the current and a powerful squid-scented attractant that makes it even more attractive. Mounted on a simple little lead head, it will make all the difference when animated close to the bottom by dry shots. We're particularly fond of the 60mm version.
Fox Rage Slick Shad: A subtle soft lure for complicated fishing situations
Unlike other shads on the market, the Slick Shad from Fox Rage is a soft lure with a very fine profile and a small paddle. This is an important detail that allows it to get into action very quickly, especially when lifted off the bottom. We know that trout often attack at this moment. That's why we think this soft lure is so effective for trout fishing. The Slick Shad is a great success from Fox Rage that we recommend you try out at the water's edge. The 70 mm model is clearly designed for trout fishing.
What equipment should you use to fish for trout with soft lures?
Here are our recommendations for getting the most out of your soft lures for trout:
| Equipment | Recommended features |
|---|---|
| Cane | Ultralight 1.40m to 2.10m, power from 1-5g to 5-12g, fast action |
| Reel | Size 1000 to 2000 |
| Line | Fine braid (PE 0.4) with fluorocarbon or nylon 12-18/100 leader |
Soft lures must be used for a natural presentation. We advise you to use lead heads from 1.5 to 8g depending on current and depth.
For animation, you can simply let your lure drift naturally in the current, pausing lightly on the bottom. Then apply dry fire to loosen the lure and make it drift again. This animation imitates perfectly the behaviour of prey in difficulty and triggers reflex attacks from trout.
Don't forget that discretion is your best ally. Approach the stations from upstream to avoid spooking the fish.
What areas should you target for trout fishing with soft lures?
If you fish for trout with soft lures, we advise you to attack these areas first:
- The deep areas. The soft lure will allow you to fish deeper than any other trout lure. These areas are particularly popular with large specimens.
- The bowls. These are areas where trout find refuge and food. Don't hesitate to dwell on these areas for a long time.
- The waterfalls. These spots are rich in oxygen and prey of all kinds. A well weighted soft lure will allow you to make precise approaches just below the waterfall.
During a memorable fishing session on the Ain in 2024 we found that the transition zones between the shallows and the deep pools were particularly productive. The trout concentrated there to hunt, offering exceptional catching opportunities with our soft lures.
One of the great advantages of soft lures is their effectiveness when fish are not very active. This makes them the technique of choice for anglers who want to maximise their chances of success, even in difficult conditions.
