hook set for trout

first year trying to seriously get into trout fishing. from limited experience, it seems like these fish hit a lure nothing like a bass. seems like a nip, nip, nip.... then if they like, they'll take a bite.

i was just wondering how you guys land em. is it more of a reaction hook set, or do you let em take it for a while then set the hook. so far i've found that any attempt at letting them take results in a thrown hook. also most of my fish are rear hook pick ups, not front hook.

today i experimented with J-9 and J-11 rapalas. got some hits on J-11, but was trying to figure out if it's too big of a presentation.

if they aren't taking the whole lure, its too big. In the wild they may take something that large but won't inhale something like a bass. Scale down your lures, and see your hookups go up.

If you're fishing in moving water, try a small bucktail. You want to get it so its being tugged by the current and pretty much "hovering" in place.
In still water, hmmm, well I've seen the best results with PowerBait eggs but you can try a small KastMaster too.

If you're using the eggs, really make sure the hooks are on the small side -- 8s or 10s.

Good luck!

Make sure you use a rod with a soft tip! I'll go with glass or IM6 graphite in a ML action. You don't want it to rip out of their mouth