Here is a Bassmaster article on the history of  minnow lures.  Not trout specific, but informative.   

 

     Another fun way to fish Tahoe is trolling minnow plugs.  These are Rapalas, Rebels, Yo-zuris etc.  They come in floating, sinking, and suspending models.  All sizes and colors are available, so lets narrow it down to a selection of Tahoe productive plugs.  

     Tahoe is huge so I avoid the tiny plugs unless they're behind blades.  an F-8 Rapala is a good small size.  A Rapala F-18 is about the biggest I troll.  For some real deal lunker hunting check out AC plugs.

     Start by stocking up on silver/black and gold/black, in addition to some rainbow and brown patterns.  Some guys swear by clown patterns or purple irredescent, but after hundreds of hours of experimentation, I find that I get the most strikes from the basic Tahoe colors.

     Floating lures are great because they're hard to lose.  Hit the rocks and you just slow down and let them float up.  If you get an important call during a trolling run you can take it and your lure floats to the surface instead of sinking to get snagged in the rocks you were fishing over.  Floating plugs will run shallowest.  Sinking plugs, like Rapala countdowns, run deeper.  Suspending plugs like a Rapala husky jerk stay at depth when stopped. The jointed models give more action.  Some models rattle. Keep all styles in your box in an assortment of colors and sizes.

     Another pro tip is to use Pro-cure super gel on all your lures.  Bites can be few and far between on big blue, so make every bite count with some added flavor.  The trophy trout and rainbow trout blends are popular.  For big brown trout use garlic or crawler scent.