When it comes to fishing, there is nothing more amazing for any angler than reeling in their first rainbow trout. And despite the sheer beauty of this natural-born predator, they are still carnivores and therefore need sharp pointed teeth in order to capture and swallow their prey.
Any experienced angler will tell you that trout have very sharp teeth and that they can draw blood if you get your fingers too close to their mouth.
What Are Trout Teeth Like?
When anglers think of fish with teeth, the first thing that comes to mind is a catfish.
However, trout teeth are nothing like a catfish, which is more like course sandpaper than anything else. Trout have very sharp, pointed teeth located along their upper and lower jaws that are designed specifically for catching prey.
Most species of trout also have a second row of teeth that are much larger and flatter. Their teeth are angled towards the gills and are designed to force their prey towards the back of the throat.
Are All Trout Teeth the Same?
While there are 11 different species of trout in North America, not all of them had the same type of teeth. There are a variety of differences between the different types of trout species found throughout the lakes and rivers.
Rainbow trout, for example, have very tiny yet sharp teeth located along their entire jawline, with a set of second-row teeth situated on the roof of their mouth. Cutthroat and Brown trout, on the other hand, has a set of teeth situated along their gills, as well as at the base of their tongues. Even late trout teeth are very different, as they feature a row of dagger-like teeth on both their upper and lower jaws.
To add a bit of mystery, spotted trout are known to have vampire-like fangs.
What Do Trout Eat?
Trout are known to eat a wide variety of things depending on where they are growing up and what size they are.
Smaller trout feed on smaller insects such as dragonflies or mayflies. They may also snag up the occasional water mite, fish larva, or tadpole.
As the trout get bigger, they begin eating larger insects, a wide variety of small fogs and fish, as well as worms, grubs, frog eggs, tadpoles, crawdads, and even the eggs of other trout.
They are natural predators, and like most predators, they have sharp jagged teeth that help them grab a hold of their prey and gulp them down.
How Do You Unhook A Trout?
Because a trout has sharp barbed teeth, an angler should not attempt to unhook a trout with their fingers.
Instead, to properly unhook a trout, it is always recommended to use a pair of fishing pliers. When removing the hook, it is important to keep the trout in the water at all times.
You never want to let the trout’s skin dry out or do anything that would remove the layer of slime that protects the fish from infections. Instead, with the fish still in the water, use a pair of fishing pliers and gently remove the barbless hook from the trout’s mouth.
Should You Use Barbless Hooks with Trout?
Unlike other sports fish, trout species are very delicate, and as such, it is generally recommended always to use a barbless hook when fishing for them.
In fact, for most anglers, one of the first rules that they ever learn about fishing for trout is to use barbless hooks and nets. Because of how delicate they are, their fins and gills can be easily damaged if the angler handles them too roughly or keep the trout out of the water for more than 10 seconds at a time.
Do Trout Bite?
Despite the size difference between trout and humans, the fish will bite down instinctively on your finger if you stick it into their mouth.
This is not a life-threatening injury, but it will result in blood being drawn. The teeth of a trout are angled backward and therefore are designed to force its prey deeper down its throat.
Can Trout Teeth Hurt You?
Although sharp, trout teeth cannot bite off your finger. However, they are sharp enough to draw blood if you get your finger stuck in their mouth.
The teeth themselves are angled backward, towards the gills of the trout, and if you attempt to pull your finger out with their mouth closed, there is a good chance that you will snag your finger on the back row of teeth.
If you are a bit by a trout, you will need to wait until its mouth opens up again in order to push in, and then carefully pull out your finger to prevent any serious damage from the sharp back row of teeth.
How Many Rows of Teeth Do Trout Have?
Unlike most species of fish, trout have two rows of teeth.
Their first row of teeth is specifically designed to allow them to grab onto the prey and drag them down from the surface of the water. Because the teeth are angled backward, the prey will attempt to escape, going deeper into the trout’s mouth.
Their second row of teeth, which are known as the vomerine teeth, are spread out throughout the mouth and assist the fish with swallowing the prey once it is caught in their mouth.
Can Trout Bite Through Fishing Line?
Regardless of the sharpness of trout teeth, they are incapable of actually biting through the fishing line.
The teeth of a trout are spaced out far enough apart that it is impossible for them to bite down hard enough to cut the line.
Instead, most lines are cut from the jagged saw-like edges of the teeth as the trout shakes its head in an attempt to break free.
Do Trout Teeth Damage Lures?
Because of the way that a trout grabs its prey off of the surface of the water and gulped it down, its teeth tend to do damage to the lures used to catch them.
Although most lures are created using durable materials, there is some risk of damage to them when a trout strikes. Nevertheless, most common lures are designed to withstand multiple strikes.
The one exception to this rule are flies, which are generally destroyed when a trout grabs a hold of them. Just in case a lure does get damaged by the teeth of a trout, most anglers keep extras in their tackle box.