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Lake Trout

g man46

By g man46
in Trout

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g man46 Enthusiast

g man46

Posted
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I am going to Canada for my first lake trout ice fishing excursion in March. I was wondering if anyone could help me out as far as what kind of gear to get. (rod/reel, line, lures, bait)
Thanks

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uffdapete Proficient

uffdapete

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g man

Put a post on the Rainy Lake thread for Fishmeister - he's had a lot of experience trout fishing in Ontario.

I can get you started on a few basics. I like a stout baitcasting ice rod with a Garcia 5500 or similar with a minimum of 12 lb. clear/low vis. mono. Some guys go with 14 or 17 lb. depending on the size of fish you're into.
Electronics - beg or borrow or buy a Vexilar or comparable locater if you don't have one - I'd leave my tackle behind before not taking a good locater - that's my opinion.
Tackle - we've done good on a white 4" tube jig with a red "nose" over a 3/8 - 3/4 oz jig and tipped with 3-5" shiner or rainbow minnows.

Fishmeister will have a lot more advice.

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knoppers Veteran

knoppers

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g-man I disagree, there is no electronics that will help, lakers feed about once a month, and if they are interested, they will absolutly pound your lure.
we use power baits almost exclusively, if it be tube jigs or northland rattle jigs, they both work great.
I and all my buddies use about 10 pound test line, usually sensithin, or anything that will have a smaller diameter size. and always use a good reel. I use a baitcaster on a premium rod.
we will be heading up to kenora for our annual laker trip, and I will be using everything mentioned. glow color seems to work good. good luck, at least there is plenty of snow this year.

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fishnutbob Collaborator

fishnutbob

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g-man, I just returned from crow trout fishing, I fish with a vex all the time but if you dont own one and the people going with have them they can tell you what depth the fish are at. Look at my post on the Canada forum 39 trout. One in are group didnt have a vex and he caught just as many trout. Most were right off bottom, but in march that can change they could be high then a vex is a must when you fish 50 60 ft.I hpoe ypu have a good sled with all the snow now and slush Mar will be a bear. Do get a good stiff rod and as uffdapete said a good baitcaster the line seems to work better on the baitcaster Gander mountain has stiff trout rods only 9.99 I bought a 34" and a 28" I used P-line 12lb and vanish 14lb in fluorocarbon line. And white tube jig 4" Berkely was our best bait . Good Luck

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Steve Foss Grand Master

Steve Foss

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I've caught lakers I had to tease and work for more than two minutes, fish I wouldn't have known were there if it weren't for the Vex.

By "working" I mean that the readings from the Vex enabled me to figure how aggressive/non agressive the fish was, and to tailor my presentation to get the fish to bite.

Doesn't always work, but if I hadn't known those fish were there, odds are I'd not have gotten some of them to hit.

I do agree, though, that an aggressively feeding laker will pound darn near anything no matter how you work it, and electronics aren't helpful in those cases. Sure makes it fun, though, to see that big red band sprinting up to your lure. grin.gif

------------------
"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

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Animal Rising Star

Animal

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I've lighten up on my rod and reel. I've dropped the cue sticks for a 34 inch Polar Lites heavy glass rod. I use a 2000 Shamano Sprirex (off one of my summer rigs), and 12 lb mono. Basic tackle is a 3/8 jig to which I attach a wire stinger and use a 4 inch tube. White has been the standard but I have been have some luck with the clear yellow. I tip the main hook with a chunk of cisco. I use 3/4 oz red/white -black/white - yellow/white bucktails. I also use 3/4 oz white, pink and chartruse airplanes. I also suspend a whole cisco on another rod at about 25 feet. The jig-tube produces the best.

I use a vexilar.

Most of the time I never see the fish before it hits but, I do catch more trout by using the vex. Sometimes the trout will come in just above the jig, maybe 3 to 4 feet. I crank it up to and sometimes even past the fish and POW! I would say that this occurs 30% of the time. Other times I'll have a hook up and the fish will get off. The fish or a companion will still be in the area but, at a differnt depth. I drop or raise the jig or depending on my vex reading and usually I get a second chance.

[This message has been edited by Animal (edited 01-27-2004).]

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Steve Foss Grand Master

Steve Foss

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Animal:

I use the same rod, although my Shimano is a 4000 series spooled with 14 lb, in case I get a whopper that wants to spool me, in which case the extra capacity of the 4000 is good.

I put on a barrel or ball bearing swivel and use a 3-foot fluorocarbon leader, too.

Gotta love that rod. One of the best around, and only $12! grin.gif

I've had similar experiences reeling up to and past marks on the Vex. Those lakers LOVE to chase. Plenty of guys dink around with minnows and bobber or jig like they're fishing walleyes, when they should be very aggressive. I've fooled with lakers for more than 2 or 3 minutes at a time, reeling up and jigging wildly, lowering the lure, coming back up, all that over and over again until provoking a strike.

------------------
"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 01-26-2004).]

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Animal Rising Star

Animal

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I've fished the Lower M, but only in late May. It is loaded with trout. I've also fished Essox for trout & smallmouth. Are you guys camping out or staying at a resort or cabin? I've fished the lakes on the Cedar Narrows road for years. Vista is also a good trout lake.

I fish Rainy Lake quite a bit and stay at Taylors Cove. Ed Taylor, owner of Taylor's Cove, likes to ice fish and talks frequently about the Manitou and says that he always has great fishing up there.

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animalal Contributor

animalal

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I haven't been to upper manit in 20 years, I was only fifteen. It had to have been 30 below zero. The fish were 6 to 10 pounds with the bigger ones running 15 to 16 pounds. I only went once, but hope to go back someday. The person that took me with, had caught a 24 pound trout and a 21 pound northern the trip before.

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Animal Rising Star

Animal

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G-Man

I would say the breakdown for this lake is

70% 5 to 6 lbs (fish smaller are rarely caught-at least by our boat)

25% 7 to 12 lbs

5% over 12 lbs

I think the biggest we have had in my boat has been about 25 lbs, but I hear that others catch a lot of 30 lbs fish.

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