rattles in tubes

[benelli_dude2002]

Just wondering if anyone has tried them rattles in tubes jigs for lakers. You know the ones with the rattles right on the jig part itself. I'm heading up north on Saturday and going stop by Cabela's and pick up some more tubes. Thanks in advance Brian

[Steve Foss]

Benelli:

Most of the tubes I fish lakers with are rattle tubes. Used them a lot the first year I ice fished for lakers, but quit using them for a couple years because eater lakers on Burntside, my home lake, seem to prefer smaller lures. That's been borne out again and again.

But after five years of catching lots of fish up to six pounds, I put away the small lures this season and am back to 4-inch Swedish Pimples, the biggest Jigging Raps, big airplane jigs and — you got it — I've dusted off the five-inch rattle tubes. I'm now targeting large lakers. If a little one wants to slam a big lure, fine. If one turns away, that's just fine too, because the longer I jig the big lures, the better my odds get of icing a biggy.

My thinking on rattle tubes is that, with aggressive and curious feeders like lakers, a rattle is a good thing. Anything to get them aware there's something unusual that's out of their sight and get them moving toward your lure. My tubes are tipped with half a small cisco or a four-inch strip from a larger cisco. Something about meat, regardless of the lure, that seems to appeal to lakers.

So far I've made two outings for lakers this season (inside the Bdub, where it's open early), with one fish to my credit. Four-pounder that came in on a big airplane. But the tube is on one of my rods and I'll be out there with it.

That's a long way of saying, if you're going to fish a tube for lakers, put a rattle in it.

[Boedigheimer]

Trout, I have seen rattles make a big difference for lake trout, especially early in the year. In my opinion loud and bright early in the year, going more subtle as the hardwater season goes on. I just got back from the Atitoken area of Canada, fishing was slower then normal but still alot of fun,I even got fish on rattle-traps. When I have fished Crow lake in the past tube jigs were more effective. Each system seems to have its favorite presentations, probably due to fishing pressure more then anything.The more pressure, the less you can get away with. Oh Ya, another trick to try is using cyalume sticks in your tube, to illuminate your bait. Northland tackle used to market a small light that had a collar to put on the shank of your hook. It would last a long time, and was extremely effective early in the year. Your going up at a very good time of the year, arguably the best of the entire season. GOOD LUCK and remember, never stop jigging.

[Steve Foss]

Those sticks work great in tubes!!! Even in clear water with not much snow cover on a sunny day, it's pretty dark in 60 FOW, and the sticks light it up.

I usually only push my weighted hook about half way up the tube before I force it out through the body. This makes the tube sit more horizontal, makes it dart to the side harder on the upstroke and circle wider as it descends on the downstroke. If you just activate the stick and push in it, then follow it with the hook, you're good to go.

Another tip to counteract the irritatingly slow fall of tube jigs (especially a problem when you're in deep water and have the tube tipped with a chunk/strip of cisco), is to shove a few split shot up into the head of the tube. This not only gets it sinking faster, but makes the tube sit even more horizontal at rest, since it pushes the center of gravity forward. Of course, on a day when the lakers are neutral/negative, you might want the slowest fall possible, so you be the judge.

[knoppers]

I also have used northland rattle jigheads with a powerbait twister tail with good results for lakers.

[Boedigheimer]

Stfcatfish and Knoppers, two questions, whats your take on using deadbait? I have friends that will always have a setline down with fresh deadbait, I rarely do and when I have it hasn't been to successful. And do you think you need meat to catch large lakers, belly meat, cisco, etc. Lakers live in such remote areas and can at times be so aggresive I can't believe you MUST have meat to get the big ones, but then again I don't have a twenty yet either.

[Steve Foss]

I don't have a 20 either. Through the ice, I don't even have a 10. But I know that, in my experience, lakers are happier slamming a lure with meat on it than no meat. That's especially true when they're a bit off the feed.

I vastly prefer livebait on a tip-up than dead. A golden shiner or 6-inch sucker minnow suspended half way down the water column is good, particularly when you're jigging within 50 feet or so. Lakers that come in on your jigging lure and can't be coaxed into hitting will often feel the vibration of that livebait nearby and zip over and slam it. With live bait, you've got taste/smell, sight and vibration that lakers can sense. With dead bait, all you've got is a more limited sight (dead bait doesn't wiggle and flash as much as live) and smell/taste. That's why I like the live bait, because it adds that vibration of a wounded, easy target to the equation.

And if you can legally match the live forage base of the lake, you're even further ahead. Here's an example. On Burntside, my home lake, ciscos have been extirpated by the introduction of smelt. The smelt are filthy in this lake, and all game fish at some time key on them. Lakers, being coldwater fish like the smelt, key on them the most. But I can't find live smelt for sale, because it's illegal to transport live smelt. So I'd always used the large golden shiners under tipups with pretty good success. Some days my only fish came on the tipups. Here's the thing, though. When I started using tiny jigs tipped with waxies to target smelt clouds (or when one of the little critters managed to get a laker lure hook in its mouth), I'd bring a live smelt to the the surface and replace the tip-up shiner with the smelt. Within half an hour, a flag and a laker. It never failed.

Are live smelt legal to fish with on Burntside? On the one hand, they may be considered a game fish, since you need a license to take them, and it's illegal to use live game fish for bait in Minnesota. On the other hand, there are no limits or seasons regulating smelt, so is it a gamef ish? The local CO, once I explained it to him, said he does not believe they are game fish and would not ticket me if I was using live smelt on Burntside, as long as they were caught on that lake and not transported there.

Old-timers up here swear that a dead cisco fished on the bottom is the best way to take a trophy laker. I think that makes sense. Lakers in general are one of nature's vacuum cleaners, and many a time I've cleaned a laker and found squished minnows that we'd thrown down the hole because they were dead. Those dropped to the bottom, and the lakers sucked them up. I know a couple guys who only fish lakers with live minnows under bobbers, with the bait set a foot or two above bottom, just like walleyes. On the days lakers are aggressive and invested in the chase, we outfish those minnow guys. On days when lakers are off — neutral or negative — the minnow guys outfish the jiggers. And often, older bigger fish don't seem to be willing to experiment. They seem to want to eat what they have learned is a meal over the last 30 years. A dead cisco on the bottom? That probably spells meal to a big laker. But that's a patience game, isn't it?

[Boedigheimer]

Stfcatfish, very interesting post. What your saying makes good sense and sounds very similar to other laker takers that I've talked to. Do you use a single hook or a dressed up treble (legal issues)? Is gut-hooking a problem? The next time I go laker fishing I will definitely have some sort of meat on. The fact that they have no problem even finding a dead-bait on the bottom in 50+ feet of water proves that scent plays a big part in there feeding. Bring on the stinky!!!!

[lilman]

Kahles or beaver flicks work well in this application too.

[Steve Foss]

I use a small but stout treble. To make it legal, I put on a tiny plastic spinner blade, like the kind you get with Swedish Pimples, on the line above the hook. I've never gut-hooked a laker this way. When I get a flag with live bait, I run over fast and set the hook right away. That's because my live bait tends to be fairly small, say a 4-inch golden shiner or a 4 inch smelt, and there's hardly a laker in existence who eats those baits that won't get the hook in their mouths almost immediatetly. With a big chunk of dead cisco on the bottom, I'd wait a bit longer but not too much longer. I'd rather jerk the bait out of the mouth of a big fish than gut-hook a 25-pounder that I'd want to release.

[igotem]

I've started using circle hooks on all my tip-ups and have had great success. You just have to learn how to hook the fish. You cannot set the hook like you're used to or you will lose the fish. You have to just tighten up on the fish and apply light pressure and the hook will do the work. I've never had a fish throat hooked, and almost always they are hooked in the corner of the mouth. This is also real nice for pike fishing as I have quit using any type of leader.

Back on topic, I also like to use a rattle in my tubes for trout. I've never tipped them with anything, so I'll have to try that this week.

igotem

[knoppers]

we used to use dead bait all the time, we started going to some lakes in onterio were no bait is allowed, and become used to fishing with out it. when lakers are in a biting mood they will smack about anything. I think the best presentation is to keep your lure moving and making noise, and if you get no takers, move to another spot.

[benelli_dude2002]

I took a couple guys out for lakers yesterday but needless to say I just went along for a ride. I had 2 hits but that was it. I didnt care it was just great to be on the ice and the best thing is we never seen or heard another snowmobile. One guy caught 5 lakers himself and he was only fishing like 30 ft away from me but thats how it goes sometimes. This was his second time for lakers thru the ice so he was pretty pumped. I even tried rattles but I had both my hits were on tubes that didnt have rattles and the other guys didnt even try rattles. I was happy for the other guys to get some action cuz the last we were out a couple weeks ago I caught 3 myself and they had one for one guy and 2 for the other. Same guys by the way. Kept 3 and threw the other 3 back so he gave my one when he dropped me off at home. Tasted good! Right now I been trout fishing more than walley fishing and walleyes fishing is just minutes away whereas trout fishing is about a 1 3/4 hour drive in Canada plus a 8 mile trek on the sleds. Thanks for all the replies! Brian