Gear picks

An affordable telescopic rod and reel combo that collapses down for easy transport — no fighting gear in the truck or through trees on the hike in. You do not need expensive gear to catch trout.

The easiest casting combo on this list — a great pick for younger or beginner anglers getting started with still water trout fishing from the bank.

Another solid budget telescopic combo for still water trout — compact for transport, easy to fish, and affordable enough to grab a second one without thinking twice.

A 40L fishing backpack that fits five 3600 size tackle trays in the bottom compartment alone — plus a full top compartment, rod holders, and tons of pockets. I have used this for three years and it has held up outstandingly.

One of the best scented soft baits for still water trout — deadly on a jig head when retrieved from shore or trolled on the water.

A top-rated scented soft bait for still water trout — deadly in 2.5" Smelt on a jig head and action disc.

A versatile floating crawler that works on a drop shot or a split shot rig. The Nightcrawler color outperforms the rest — grab both the 1" and 2" sizes.

A deadly still water trout bait — rig it on a size 10 salmon egg hook and float it two feet off the bottom. The White/Bubblegum color is a consistent producer, just know they're soft and won't survive more than a few fish.

A versatile pre-rigged soft bait that works from shore and kayak — no setup required.

A pre-rigged Amazon's Choice tube bait that produces still water trout on cast and troll in Pearl color.

A uniquely versatile 1" soft bait for still water trout — effective on jig, troll, drop shot, and ice.

A proven hard bait for still water trout — deadly on cast or troll at any depth.

A slow-sinking crankbait that excels in still water — count it down to depth, vary your retrieve, or troll it slow. The Slick Rainbow Trout color is hard to beat for stocked trout.

A legendary 6-pack spinner kit that covers every still water trout situation in one purchase.

A classic American-made spinner that produces still water trout on cast and troll alike.

A 30-piece metal spoon set covering every still water trout color situation at just $1 per lure.

A 20-piece silver spoon set covering five sizes — cast and retrieve or troll them in still water. The 1/5 and 1/4 oz sizes are the sweet spot for average size trout.

The go-to jig head for rigging soft plastic trout baits in still water — in three essential sizes.

A 50-piece Amazon's Choice jig head set for still water trout fishing.

Versatile pink ball-head jig for rigging soft plastic trout baits in still water.

The only accessory I run on almost every lure — adds erratic flutter on the troll and extra action on the cast when nothing else is triggering strikes.

A must-have size 8 salmon egg hook for drop shot and bait fishing for still water trout.

A size 10 salmon egg hook light enough to keep floating baits like PowerBait Mice Tails buoyant. Same trusted 2X strength gold hook as the size 8, just smaller.

A clean drop shot rig for still water trout — tie a size 8 salmon egg hook, leave a 2-foot tag end, and clip the 1/4 oz weight to the bottom. Keeps your bait suspended right where trout are feeding.

A reliable 100-pack of removable split shot sinkers — perfect for sinking floating baits like Mice Tails at exactly the right depth in still water.

A fluorocarbon-coated copolymer line that gives you near-invisible presentation and easy handling. 4 lb test is the go-to for still water trout bank fishing.

A simple but essential piece of still water trout rigging — bobber stoppers let you set your float at an exact depth and slide it up or down without cutting and re-rigging. Small size is the one to get.

A small but important detail in a slip float rig — thread one bead between your bobber stopper and float to keep the stopper from jamming into the float and locking it up.

A quality slip float for still water trout — pair it with bobber stoppers to lock in your depth and present floating baits right where trout are feeding.