I'm a newbie! Can you answer these questions for trout fishing?

[HanGirl]

I was reading an article, encouraging a certain set up for trout fishing.

". . . rig up like this: Grab the end of your line and tie on a small barrel swivel (size 10 or 12). Now, tie on a set of pre-tied gang hooks. Now, above the swivel add a couple of split shot sinkers for weight. You need enough to bounce your offering off of the bottom as it flows with the current, so the amount and size of split shot depends on the water depth and current flow. Now add a worm to the gang hooks and you're good to go."

I want to try this out, but since I'm new to fishing, I had a few questions.

1. Will this work for lake fishing? [Fish are native, not stocked.]

2. When I tie on the gang hook, how long should it be from the barrel swivel?

3. How far up should the sinkers be from the swivel, and how heavy should they be for lake fish?

4. What size hooks should I plan to use?

Thank you!!

 

[Dead_Cats_inc.]

Let's see what we can answer here.
(1) yes it will work for lake fishing. However the point of this rig is to let it move with the current somewhat, so it might not be the best setup for your lake.
(2) the length of the leader from hook to barrel swivel is usually determined by the amount of current and possibility of snags, since you're on a lake I would just go with between 12 to 18 inches to make it easier to cast, but you could go longer if the fish are spooky.
(3)as for the distance, if you are using split shot I would put them close to the swivel and vary the length of line from hook to swivel if the fish are scared. As for weight you should use enough to cast well but no more, to avoid spooking the fish.
(4) I usually use size 6 or 8 hooks but the trout I go after are on the smallish side( never more than 14 inches) so if your trout are bigger and your using bigger worms (ie night crawlers) I'd probably start with a size 4 and go up from there.
Now for my 2 cents on this rig: I would probably use a variation of this rig that substitutes an egg sinker for the split shot, this allows the bait hook and swivel to move without the weight if you leave some slack in the line. This allows the fish to test the bait a bit b4 it feels much resistance and it allows you to use much heavier weights for casting. Also I would switch to a single hook instead of the gang if there are a lot of snags in your lake as this would keep you from getting hung up as much(and if you do break off you only loose 1 hook instead of 2 or 3 at a time). Good luck.