Do Trout Eat Cheese? A Guide to Fishing Trout with Cheese

Trout are fish that eat other smaller fish. However, you can get their attention with much simpler methods. You can attract trout with baits, flies, worms, salmon eggs, garlic, salt, corn, and – of course – cheese!

Do trout eat cheese? Yes, trout eat cheese. Any type of cheese can attract trout due to its attractive smell and high visibility in the water. It’s also because cheese is a regular food for stocked trout that were raised in fish farms.

Keep reading to know more about how to catch this cheese-lover fish. You can also check the best baitcaster combos that you can use for Trout as well here.

Table of Contents

Do Trout Eat Cheese, Really?

It’s interesting to know that you can catch trout with something so easily accessible and cheap like cheese. What’s more interesting is how non-picky they are when it comes to cheese, any type of it will work.

Cheese is a very good fishing lure for fish other than trout such as chub, carp, tench, and barbel when ledgered, float fished, or free lined. Its effectiveness stems from its high visibility in the water, as well as its oil, which spreads out when it hits the water creating a scent cloud that trout can smell from a mile away. Not just that but it’ll also make your trout hang on to your bait much longer than usual.

The main advantages are its easy accessibility, low cost, and effectiveness in catching trout at any time of year. Whether you choose to try cheese because of its advantages or your lack of other options, you’ll be in luck. You can use bread as bait and cover it with soft cheese. Another option is making balls of cheese and covering your hook tip with it, this method applies to any hook size.

The secret why cheese seems to be irresistible to trout even from a long distance is how most trout, those that were raised in fish farms, grow up eating human food items such as cheese, corn, and marshmallow.

What Type Of Cheese Do Trout Eat?

There’s no specific type of cheese that attracts trout. All cheese types seem to be effective due to its visibility and smell. It’s true that most anglers tend to stick to Velveeta cheese since it’s known to be frequently used in fish farms where trout grow up before being stocked in lakes and reservoirs.

You can go for firm cheese such as Cheddar, Cantal, Reblochon, Edam, Gouda, and Monterey Jack. Stilton or Danish Blue are known for their strong scent and will be an excellent attractant as well. To use this type, break off a piece of cheese from the block of cheese and push your hook into it and leave the point showing.

Or you can go for soft cheese such as Philadelphia cheese, feta, Brie, ricotta, Camembert, Chevre, Roquefort, gorgonzola, and cottage cheese. To hook it, roll a piece of cheese between your fingers as it will soften it then you can then mold it onto the hook as a paste.

Cheese is one of the most flexible baits ever. You can hook any type of it and present it in various ways at any time of the day and it’ll still be effective. You can also flavor it by adding some curry powder, paprika, or other flavorings of your liking. It’s not necessary though as its natural smell and flavor will do just fine.

How to prepare a Cheese Bait at home

One of the most attractive traits of using cheese as bait is how you can make your own bait at home or right on the boat. Check out this simple yet effective recipe of making a cheese mix that works as trout bait:

Ingredients:

1 mixing bowl
1 cheese grater
1 packet of shortcrust pastry
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
7 oz (200g) of blue cheese (such as Stilton or Danish Blue)
3.5 oz (100g) of cheddar

How to make it:

Take half the pastry and make sure it’s fully thawed.
Grate the cheese into the bowl, on top of the lump or grated pastry.
Add the pinch of salt and garlic powder to enhance the scent.
Mix everything thoroughly.
The ingredients will start warming as you mix, if not, microwave them for a minute.
Keep mixing until you have a stiff mixture that is easy to mold.

This easy-to-make recipe will encourage you to make it every time you go fishing for trout. Whether you want to make a big amount and save for later or you find that you have lots of leftovers from a fishing trip, make sure you properly store it or else it’ll be ruined.

To properly store it, you can cut it into the desired size, shape it and then store it in the fridge for a few days. I suggest freezing it if you aren’t going to use it all within a few weeks. Then you’ll have plenty of cheese paste on hand when you need it, and it won’t take long to thaw.

How To Use Cheese To Catch Trout?

Needed items

Any type of soft or firm cheese.
Treble hook, size 16-to-18
Split shots

Fishing Methods

It can be ledgered, float fished, or free-lined according to your preference or the area you’re fishing in. When you cast it in, let it drift to the prime spots without working it out too much. The oil of the cheese will spread out once it hits the water so you don’t need to keep moving.

Steps

Attach the split shot to your fishing rod to add weight.
Break small pieces of cheese by cutting them into small cubes no larger than 0.19 inches (5 millimeters), or a small ball of cheese paste to imitate fish eggs.
Stick the cheese to the hook and give it extra pressure to ensure it’s fixed.
Cast it in trout familiar spots and check on it every few casts.

Pro tips and tricks

Dip the cheese pieces in garlic powder, chili powder, fish oil, anise oil, or salt to double your attractants.
Avoid sudden movements. It’ll clean out your cheese pieces and may scare the trout away.
Make small balls to resemble fish eggs.
Wash your hands before molding or cutting your cheese bait, your hand may content negative scents that keep trout away.
Make sure your shadow is not seen on the water not to spook them away.

Best Alternatives to cheese for fishing trout

Human food

Human food like corn and marshmallow is great when fishing for trout, especially those that were raised in fish farms where they fed on it growing up. The corn sweetness along with its color makes it appealing to trout. While marshmallow’s strong smell draws trout from a distance in addition to how it imitates fish eggs.

Garlic

Garlic is top-notch when it comes to attracting trout. It’s available, cheap, easy to use, and easy to store. Using just a pinch of garlic to your bait can attract a trout from a mile away. It’ll not just attract trout, but it’ll also make trout hold on to you much longer than they usually do.

You can use all types of bait masked with garlic. You can even use it sprinkled on cheese or corn for maximum benefit. This way is more appealing to farm-raised trout as they’re accustomed to these types of food and garlic will make it more irresistible to them.

Anise Oil

Anise oil will stick to your lure and encourage trout to hold on to it much longer as it convinces the fish that the lure is real enough and worth fighting for a little more. Make sure to lightly coat your lures every hour or so of fishing to ensure they stay covered in anise.

Almost all bait will work well with anise oil, however, any type of lure that has a non-smooth surface will work great as the surface allows the oil to stay applied to the lure much longer and more effectively. Try anise oil with bucktails, all types of flies, feathered jigs, and streamers.

Salmon Eggs

Salmon eggs have a distinct appearance, texture, and scent, making them attractive to trout as they swim downstream during the spawning season. They are a quick and simple meal for trout to enjoy at any time of year. You can check my guide for catching Trout with Salmon eggs here.

Do Trout Eat Cheese? A Guide to Fishing Trout with Cheese