Do Trout Like Garlic? How to Use Garlic To Catch More Trout...Quickly

Trout species have a highly developed sense of smell because of the millions of sensory receptor cells they have in their nostrils that allow them to detect various scents in water.

That’s why many trout anglers started to mix their baits with strong scents such as garlic to attract more trout to bite.

So, do trout like garlic? Trout do like garlic. Trout can detect the garlic’s scent as it disperses quickly in the water and they find it very attractive. If you mix garlic with different trout baits, the garlic scent will make the bait more appealing to the trout which causes them to bite and hold on to the bait longer.

Keep reading to learn more about why garlic is good as trout bait and how to use it to catch more trout.

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Why Does Garlic Work as Trout Bait?

Garlic produces a very strong scent in the water that disperse quickly in the water so it can be easily detected by the trout’s sharp sense of smell.

When the garlic’s scent passes through the trout’s olfactory system, their brain will classify this scent as attractive. The garlic scent is also strong enough to mask any other scents that trout don’t find attractive.

That’s the main reason why garlic works as trout bait as its strong scent will trigger more trout to bite on your bait and it will even make them hold on to the bait longer which will give you more time to reel them in.

Many anglers also prefer using garlic instead of artificial scent attractants because it can be easily found in any grocery store and it comes at a much cheaper price. You will need to do a bit more effort this way, but the results can be rewarding.

You can try both ways and compare the results for yourself, and you can start with the best scented baits for trout here.

Do Garlic Baits Work Better for Stocked Trout Than Wild Trout?

Garlic baits might work better for stocked trout than wild trout because stocked trout are raised in fish hatcheries where they became more accustomed to human-made baits that contain scent additives such as garlic.

On the other hand, wild trout will be more accustomed to natural scents that exist in their environments such as the scents of live baitfish and crustaceans.

How to Use Garlic as Trout Bait?

You can use garlic as bait for tout by mixing it with other kinds of baits that you regularly use.

You can use any kind of garlic such as minced garlic or garlic powder, however, it’s proven that an oil-based garlic scent attractant is the most effective as it will make the garlic scent much stronger and allow it to spread much faster in the water.

Making an oil-based garlic scent attractant at home is very easy, all you need to do is blend your garlic with olive oil or anise oil and some salt until you get the most effective scent and consistency.

What Are the Best Baits to Use with Garlic?

As mentioned before, some baits become more effective better when mixed with garlic.

So, let’s take a closer look at the best baits to use with garlic and how to rig them for trout fishing.

Corn Bait

You can add garlic powder or the oil-based garlic scent attractant to a can of regular corn then leave them to soak overnight. Once the garlic scent is absorbed completely by the corn, it will be a lot more appealing to trout.

If you’re using dry feed corn, you first need to soften the corn before adding the garlic by soaking it in a bowl of water for about 12 hours, then cooking it on low heat for at least 45 minutes.

To rig your garlic corn bait on a hook, you need to add 1 to 3 corn kernels on the hook and make sure it’s completely covered. It’s best to avoid using large hooks because the corn kernels could easily fall off of them.

You can also chum your corn bait by throwing about half a can of corn kernels in an area of the water that’s populated with trout then wait a few minutes for them to detect the scent of the garlic and start feeding.

If you don’t get any successful results within 30 minutes, it’s best to try chumming in a different area.

Dough Bait

To make the dough bait, you will need some additional ingredients such as are flour, water, and eggs. You will also need food coloring or glitter to make the dough bait more visually appealing to attract the trout.

You can mix the garlic powder or the oil-based garlic scent attractant with half an egg then add some food coloring or glitter to the mixture then add about a tablespoon of flour to your mixture while stirring

Keep adding more flour until the consistency of the dough is ideal for molding on a hook. You also can increase the amount of garlic scent, food coloring, or glitter in your dough mixture as per your preference.

To rig the garlic dough bait on a hook, you need to roll a small amount of the dough into a ball shape then slide it gently on your hook.

You need to smooth the dough ball while you’re molding it on the hook as it needs to cover the hook entirely without any cracks or seams. You also need to keep your casts less frequent so that the bait will remain longer on the hook

Worm Bait

There are different kinds of worms you can use to target trout such as nightcrawlers, waxworms, and earthworms.

You can add the garlic powder or the oil-based garlic scent attractant to the container where you keep the worms and leave them to soak up the scent overnight.

To rig worms on a hook, you need to thread the point of the hook through the worm multiple times to create multiple holes in the worm’s body which will release the garlic scent into the water much faster.

Make sure that the hook point exits halfway down the body of the worm. This will allow the other half of the worm’s body to dangle freely off the hook which will create a stronger wiggling action in the water that trout will be more attracted to.

What Other Scents Can You Use to Attract Trout?

Trout are mostly attracted to natural scents that exist in their environment and there are many baits that can produce this kind of scent.

You can use live baitfish such as minnows or shiners which can be found in tackle shops or you catch them yourself. You can also use live shrimps or worms as they create a strong action that will grab the trout’s attention in addition to their scent.

If you’re using dead bait, it’s recommended to make sure it’s fresh and not dry or withered. It’s also best if it’s cut into smaller pieces to release more of its natural scent.

There are some baits that don’t exist naturally in the trout’s environment but they produce scents that trout find very attractive.

You can use some pantry food such as cheese, hot dogs, coffee grounds, and anise oil. You can also use some types of pet foods because they are primarily made of fish or meat ingredients.

Do Trout Like Garlic? How to Use Garlic To Catch More Trout…Quickly

Why Does Garlic Work as Trout Bait?

Do Garlic Baits Work Better for Stocked Trout Than Wild Trout?

How to Use Garlic as Trout Bait?