About

Humble beginnings

Like everyone else, I started trout fishing with bait. Marshmallows and salmon eggs and sometimes Velvita cheese were the local favorites. Yes, this was way before the advent of the ubiquitous Powerbait revolution. Fishing for trout with Lures was reserved for people who fished in the Sierras or for the more “advanced” fisherman. They knew something we didn’t.

 Fast forward, I was introduced to the concept of Area fishing by a friend, we’ll call him Frank.

Frank is very familiar with the practice of area fishing. He is from Japan and is very honed in the craft. He is also well equipped with *JDM equipment. I met up with Frank one day in my hometown of Fremont fishing a local lake that regularly gets stocked with trout. I made close observation of Frank and his way of fishing. He threw custom-made spoons for the trout and always did very well. It was well over a year before I was finally able to finagle a sample spoon from him. That day I caught 52 fish! It was an eye-opener and a game changer.

From that day on, I explored the concepts of Area fishing in Japan. I found myself binge watching YouTube videos and drooling over all the specific trout tackle offered on the Japanese Domestic Market* (JDM).

 *JDM equipment is not absolutely necessary but it definitely enhances the experience!

The one that started it all......

The lack of ultra-light tackle for trout and, specifically, trout lures, in our North American market is in stark contrast to what is available in Japan. Having fished for trout since I was nine years old, to this day, decades later, I find it surprising that the overall selection of trout lures in tackle shops remain the same! This is what spurred me to look into making my own. Moreover, it was my friendship with Frank that opened my eyes to custom-made spoons. He had been making his own spoons for quite some time and he was kind enough to share his craft with me.

Years back, I spent 2 years fishing with a local bass club, I learned much about fish behavior and actively pursuing your quarry. No bait here. The challenge of figuring out how the prevailing conditions, on any given day, are affecting fish behavior is all part of the game. It’s the same with trout, albeit they are a little more predictable than bass. How trout react to your offerings on any given day will dictate what size, color, and action of your spoons you should be selecting.

The combination of a readily available trout fishery in our suburban communities and the need for better lure choices led me to launch Suburban Trout.

As we are certain you will catch beyond your limit of fish using our lures, we strongly advocate the practice of safe catch-and-release methods.

 See you on the water!