Lake Trout

[Tyler D]

This year will be my first year fishing lakers, just got my rod, and now I need to spool it. I will be fishing mostly in big trout lake on the whitefish chain, Im sure no deeper than 80 feet. I was thinking that I reallydont want to use mono, because of the stretch, but super braid lines seems like it would be too visible. I was thinking maybe berkley vanish, which is what I use on my other rods, what would you guys recomend?

Also do I need a trout stamp to fish them, I thought you only needed one to fish in designated stream trout lakes and streams, but my freind thinks I will need one.

[caseymcq]

You will need a trout stamp to keep lake trout.

You could go with any type of line. If you went with a super-briad you could use a length of mono for a leader. If you do use a super-braid make sure you set your drag a little looser or maybe get hooks that are stiffer than what you might use for fishing walleyes.

Good luck fishing on Big Trout. There is usually a few 12 lb'ers. pulled out of there.

[Steve Foss]

If you're fishing outside much, don't use braids. They hold more water than mono and will freeze. If you're in a heated fish house, braids are fine. Lakers are not line shy, but I'd put on a few feet of fluorocarbon leader, because you never know.

Also, if you're out in the cold and using braids, you rod is a bit more brittle than it is in a heated house, and combined with the no-stretch braid, setting the hook hard in those conditions has been known to result in a broken rod now and then.

I use standard 10 and 12 lb Trilene XL on my two laker rods (fishing in water that produces lakers in the teens every year and over 20 in some years), and still use the fluorocarbon leader. You don't get a lot of line stretch with only 50 to 60 feet out, not like you do casting on open water, and it hasn't been an issue for me at all fishing lakers.

I tie a ball-bearing swivel to the end of my main line and add the leader to that. Since I use lures that spin (jigging raps, spoons, etc.), the swivel keeps the line from twisting up. My leader generally runs about 3 feet long, and the swivel doesn't seem to bother the fish.