Dead sticking trout

[RussH]

I had some decent success trout fishing the local lake today. I noticed something though. Everyone dead sticks for trout. I did it too. I was working a rooster tail, poorly, getting no hits while I had power eggs floating a foot above some split shot a ways off.

All 4 fish I caught on that setup were hooked in the top of the throat or middle if the mouth and not the lip. One fish died the rest were okay but I didn't feel good about it.

Is this something you should only do if you're gonna be taking them home? I don't like killing fish I don't intend to utilize and even with crushing the barbs I had to have hurt the fish.

Also what's the trick to working a rooster tail. I throw it out let it sink a bit give a bit of a yank and then start reeling nice and slow with frequent pauses. I've caught one fish in 4 trips like that and it was a friggen blue gill.