Late fall and early winter can be a great time to pursue stream trout, particularly in ones that have naturally reproducing populations or ones that carry over fish from earlier stockings. And when doing so hardware, more specifically spinners and spoons, can be top presentation options.

SPINNERS – Smallish spinners in the 1/16-to-1/8-ounce size excel in small to medium sized streams, roughly 20 to 50 feet average width. Slightly larger/heavier spinners have a place on larger/deeper waters, where longer casts are appropriate, and the fish are potentially bigger.

I like to think of spinners along the same line as spinnerbaits for bass. They are great cover-the-water lures seeking out active trout. By varying your rate of retrieve you can ply deeper and shallower water. Even in the cold water trout will position in shallower, faster water when feeding, so be sure to cover the bases.

The basic spinner cast is one that quarters slightly upstream. For the spinner to work correctly, the blade must “bite” the water for it to properly rotate. If you angle your cast too much upstream, and the lure is riding the downstream current, the blade might not engage, or do so sporadically. In contrast, a cast that angles mostly downriver will have no problem with blade rotation, but fish will often nip at the lure and miss it as it brought back against the flow.

The blade of the spinner also provides the lure with a bit of lift. As such, it can be fished at a slightly slower speed than a spoon of a similar weight. Relatively steady retrieves, ones lacking erratic changes in speed, will result in far more hookups. Make the lure easy for the fish to eat.

When making hardware choices, consider water clarity. Since spinners give off vibration, they might be the best choice if the stream is on the dingy side. Also, keep an open mind. Some days the fish might prefer spinners, other days spoons get more action. I like to use a VMC crankbait snap, size 00, so I can quickly change out lures and not have to tie knots with cold hands.

SPOONS – When compared to spinners, I suspect spoons get much less use from anglers when targeting stream trout. Which is unfortunate, as I consider spoons equally effective if not more so.

Whereas spinners provide a blend of vibration and flash, spoons furnish a level of flash that’s combined with a slow, methodical wobble. They both provide flash, but the spoon does so in a more subtle fashion, something trout often prefer. As such, spoons are often the first choice in clearer water.

As with spinners, spoons produce best when fished with casts that lean slightly upstream. A steady retrieve imparts a wobbling action as the lure swings with the current.

It’s important to understand that both spinners and spoons tend to get reaction strikes from trout. To be most effective, plan on being mobile. If you’ve worked 20 casts through a productive looking pool, and the last 19 have come up empty, chances are another dozen casts will as well. Give a spot an honest chance, but when it’s gone cold, be willing to move on.

Naturally, how far you move to the next spot depends on the nature of the stream and habitat. On small streams, you may hike a quarter mile, on larger ones only a few yards. The point is, don’t camp out on a single pool as you might when fly fishing or using live bait.

Regarding rod/reel setups, for both spinners and spoons, I recommend ultralight or light power rods of less than six feet, ones with a fast action. Often, it’s necessary to sling casts sidearm when under the canopy of smaller streams, which plays in favor of a shorter rod. One thousand-sized reels team well with such sticks. I prefer nylon monofilament when fishing spinners or spoons, feeling its stretchy nature allows fish to eat the lure better, and stay buttoned up once hooked. Mono also performs better than braid in subfreezing temperatures. Six-pound test is a good all-around choice.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle