FISHING -- Play-Doh or Powerbait?

I always learn something by making rounds on the opening day of Washington lowland lake fishing seasons, and Saturday was no exception.

Two mature women were fishing from the dock at Fishtrap Lake Resort, as they have many times, working on getting their limits of trout.

One lady was using the gold standard for bait: a mini-marshmallow and a piece of nightrawler.  She caught the first rainbow. The marshmallow floated the worm off the aquatic vegetation from the slip sinker to present the bait to the bottom-cruising fish. 

Many other anglers on the dock were using Powerbait, a clay-like scented, floating bait they would form around the hook. This rig also was being fished successfully off the bottom from a slip sinker. 

But the other woman was the innovator.  "Play-Doh," she said, answering my question. "It floats and it's cheaper than Powerbait."

She was getting nibbles, so it's hard to argue with her experiment.

"It comes off the hook easier than Powerbait," the other lady observed.

"But if the fishing's no good, you can play with the kids," another angler said.

My advice:  Stick with nightcrawlers and marshmallows. The trout love them and what kid isn't fascinated by checking out nightcrawlers while munching on the occasional marshmallow?