With the opening of many lakes in the Columbia Basin, trout anglers will be turning out in force, after so many months of a chilly winter. They will be dusting off their tackle boxes, grabbing their rods and reels and heading out to their favorite lakes. Most of them will be fishing from shore and the majority of them will be using the same technique—fishing some kind of bait off the bottom. More trout are added to the creels of anglers fishing this way than any other. It sounds simple, and it is really, but there are ways to fish more effectively. By rigging your bait, whether it is Power Bait, or a marshmallow and worm with a sliding sinker, you will have much better success. Just slide an egg-shaped sinker on your line and then tie on a barrel swivel. You may want to add a bumper bead above the barrel swivel. Then add at least three feet of line to your hook. After you cast, allow a little slack in your line. This lets the bait float up off the bottom, and you will see when a fish takes the bait. They won’t feel the sinker and will swallow the bait.
This what sliding sinker rig looks like when it is tied up. It is the most effective way to fish bait from shore.