Simple, easy visual STRIKE indicator

For the best results trout fishing where I went to yesterday - at a friend's dock - all the action is from bottom fishing. I took my youngest fishing with me, but she had only fished with bait under a bobber before. My good friend (shown below in the picture ...) showed me a simple trick someone else showed him, that works great as a visual strike indicator.

NOTE - On really windy days, my friend says he'll even clip a 1/2-ounce weight between the 1st and 2nd guides (he paints these weights white or other bright colors). The 'secret' of the strike indicator is the large loop of line formed between the 1st and 2nd guides. Our bottom rigs had a sliding 3/8-ounce weight, to a clip or snap, to a 4# 18" or so leader to the bait hook. The loop of line allows the trout to nibble at the bait without feeling the resistance of the rod.

TIP - My friend also slightly bends the clip end of the bobbers he uses as strike indicators, as you want it to just barely hold the line, just enough to not fall off. Some clips on bobbers really hold it tight ... you want to be able to remove it as FAST as possible ...

And it works! My youngest caught a 2+ pound rainbow trout and it having it for dinner tonight! My fiance and I recently took in 2 relatives of hers, grand-nieces aged 11 and 16, after a death in the family. So we've been doing everything we can to make sure we keep them busy and having fun at the same time.

neat trick! Thanks for sharing!

I assume you leave the bail open when using this trick in case they take the line and run?

I've seen the "beer bottle" trick before. Set rod on deck with spool propped into the air by the reel handle so line can be pulled out freely. Leave bail open, set empty beer bottle a few feet away, and using the same concept as this, put the line around the bottle. When the bottle is knocked over, you have a fish!