More info on Lake trout

[BigTipUp]

Now that I think I have it narrowed down to an area for fishing for Lakers, How about any info on gereral structure or what I should be using? As I stated in my earlier thread

I was just a little boy and it is hard to remember all that stuff, All I cared about were those big fish. Help anyone?

B T U

[cedarnarrowsguy]

I've had success on the steep drops on a main point of a lake. Rock walls have also been good to me. Tube jigs are pretty common to use and airplane jigs, both tipped with a cisco. As far as depths... your depths can vary a lot, depending on what they're feeding on. I've caught them in 6 fow to 50+......

[igotem]

Sharp drops and underwater points/humps next to deep water are best. A fish locator is almost a must. Fish can be anywhere in the water column you are fishing. I like to start jigging about 5' off the bottom. I'll jig there for a couple minutes or so and then crank up 5 to 10' and repeat. If you see a fish on your locator, crank up or drop down to just above the fish and continue jigging. You'll get a lot of fish chasing your lure, and you'll just have to figure out what will trigger them. The biggest key is being mobile. I like to drill a bunch of holes in an area before I start fishing. I start in about 20' of water and go straight out perpendicular to the break out to 80+' of water, depending on the lake. As a rule, I start up shallower at first light, and work my way out. Just keep moving, the fish will let you know what they want. Once I work an area, I'll pick up and move to another and start again.

There are plenty of lakers in those lakes in that area, so you should mark fish. Getting them to bite is the challenging part. Once you pattern them its a blast.

The white power tube in 3" and 4" size with 1/4 oz. to 1/2 oz. tube jig is my bread and butter. I also like tubes in blue, silver, chartruese, pink, or combos of these colors. Walleye flyer jig heads with various plastic bodies also work very well. I also like to have some hair and/or feather jigs in the colors mentioned above. Airplane jigs are widely available, but other styles can be hard to find sometimes, depending on where you live, but you can find them online or in catalogs usually in the saltwater or big game sections. Feather jigs are the hardest to find and I think work better than a hair jig. I make my own, but you can find them. Jigging spoons are also a must. Any spoon can be used. Some that I like are Doctor spoons, Kastmasters, Little Cleos, Swedish pimples in 1/2 oz. to 1 oz. You can tip your spoon with a minnow head if it is allowed on the body of water you are fishing. I know Whitefish Bay on LOW is barbless in the winter and you cannot use/possess any part of a minnow dead or alive. I've gotten so used to fishing without bait for lakers that I rarely use it even when I'm fishing for them where its legal to do so. I'm know bait does help at times, but I've caught plenty without it. Don't forget to grab a couple rattle baits out of your bass box like a Rattlin' rap or Rattlin' spot. I've caught lakers on those as well, and they throw a lot of sound. Since your fishing over deep water a lot, I like to use a low strech line like fireline and attach a 8 - 12 lb test mono or flourocarbon leader. Be sure to attach your leader with a ball bearing barrel swivel to eliminate line twist. I would use a barrel swivel even if I wasn't using a leader to avoid severe line twist. If you're more of a mono guy, berkley sensation is a good low strech mono line. I'm sure there are others, but that's the one I've used.

Your walleye rods will work, but when you hook that fish over 4 - 5 lbs, and you will, you'll begin to feel the inadequacies. A 30" - 42" MH rod should do the trick.

Hope this helps,

igotem

[fisherking01]

Great information igotem, you have it covered pretty well. Another structural feature to look for is the obvious humps and to a greater extent, (IMO) saddles. I have done very well in the traditional saddles, as well as some that are very descrete, not a lot of steepness.

If you can find them the "delta glider" glow in 3/8 oz will outperform the walleye flyers hands down. I don't know if anyone makes them anymore. I have in recent years used a lot of flyers because of the unavailability of the gliders, but still have a couple for "competition". As stated the use of live or dead bait is pretty much never used for me. Another lure that is ok is a buzz bomb, they make a lot of vibration and work well on occasion, I usually tip them with a plastic grub.

I would say if you want one lure to fish with all of the time I would agree the tube jigs in white.

We've applied our winter techniques in the summer on a fly in with unbeleiveable results. We've had 50+ fish days, thats each. six fishermen, 300+ if your arms can take it. Neat thing about lakers in the summer, they school on humps and structure holding baitfish, if you can stay on them you can catch them like sunfish over the side of the boat. The more people fishing in the immediate area the better. Once one is hooked more will follow and become involved in a feeding frenzy. To a lesser extent they will do this in the winter also. Many times they will show up in multiples on your locator, hook one and you can see others chase that one up, if your quick enough, just maybe you can get back down to catch another before they move on.

The biggest thrill of laker fishing has got to be seeing that red mark come off the bottom FAST, I mean really fast. You get tensed up for the strike and BAM! or else you get all tensed up and nothing.. Then theres the times when you're not paying attention and they'll rip the rod out of your hand.

Neat thing about fishing barbless is after you catch some and take your pics and all that stuff, you can usually shake the hook out of fish you would release without handling them, remember also if it is cold out you should unhook them in the water if you are going to release them, I understand their eyes are very fragile and freeze really easy.

It's exciting to say the least, Lots of trial and error with rods, I think is very important to have a rod with more backbone than your walleye rods. Baitcaster reels are the reel of choice. I prefer to use 10 lb mono, Broke a couple of rods with the braided line, really depends on your rod, if you use a softer rod, I think the braided lines would do well. I have a strong tendency to set much harder than necessary, comes from a buddy of mine who says "if he smacks you, smack him back" referring to the fish of course. Hope this helps.

[igotem]

Good info fisherking. I just about spilled my coffee reading the part about the "red mark" screaming up from the bottom. I get that twitch in my arm, ya know? The anticipation is just kills me.

Well now that I can't concentrate on work, I'll have to find out about those delta gliders. I always like adding to the arsenal. Sounds like they're not around anymore, but it will be fun looking.

igotem

[fisherking01]

The delta gliders were packaged by Oxboro (?spelling) The last ones I found were in a leftovers bin at a local bait shop, green, so I need to repaint them, I've tried silver and gold, but they don't have the same effect as the glow.

Really I've thrown everything in my tackle box at trout, and you never know what they will hit. My biggest trout to date 44" came off of a little yellow bucktail jig with nothing on it, just dropped it down and wham, she had it. I'm hoping to tangle with that one again when she grows up!

[Hemlock]

Great info here guys. I target these lakers in Whitefish Bay as much as I can. (Not enough though) It's nice to see others have noticed that anything can happen when targeting these fish. Sometimes it's fast and furious, and other times it is not.

The above depths and structure are all consistant with what I've found, except for the underwater humps...haven't tried that yet.

This is one species that puts my flasher to the test, and gives you the knowledge and excitement in order to hook these brutes.

[fisherking01]

Nice to see you back in the mix Hemlock. Maybe we can get together on Whitefish for lakers or Yellow Girl for a mix. Coming up Feb 17-20. Exciting thing about Yellow girl is you never know whats going to hit next! Perch, walleye, pike, Laker. I see your avatar looks a lot like mine, maybe someday I'll change it.

[cedarnarrowsguy]

Good point guys on the bait issue. I've always fished lakes east of Rowan where bait is allowed. I'm going to plan a trip next year on Crow or Whitefish Bay. Another word of advise might be "watch your bait on the way down" I've caught quit a few fish as I drop my lure down the hole...a fish fires up off the bottom to meet it!

[JZ]

Great information here guys! We have fished many times in the Sioux Narrows with limited sucess. We even had a guide that was native to the area in the summer that helped is try catch them. As far as we are concerned they are the most unpredictable fish we have ever worked with. I think if we ever trout fish again we would hire a guide. And from talking to the locals there are very few people that know the lake quite as good as Hemlock. If you read some of his posts from walleye's to Lakers there are few fishermen as experenced as him. So take Notes Bigtipup!

[fisherking01]

Good luck locking up and setting the hook if they take it on the way down, they don't hold it long! If your line goes slack and you're thinking " I cant be on the bottom" you're probably not! They can be there and not be seen on the vex. lots of suprises!

[Hemlock]

Thanks Fisherking01 and JZ. I have fished the area for many years, and have had good days and bad days. JZ is referring to "hiring" me as a guide, and we have come up short, what is it now, 3 years? I think we've chosen the same week in January all three years, maybe it's time for a late March ice trip, eh?

Fisherking, I'd love to get together for a day or two of fishing, let me check my calendar and see if it would be workable. I like your idea of heading up to Yellowgirl if things aren't hot with lakers.

[fisherking01]

Hemlock, don't forget the PEROGIES! My friend is heading up next week for a couple of days. He usually scouts the area for a decent evening walleye bite. It's too bad the Maple Leaf is closed, it would have been a great place to have a Canadian get together.

Hey there's crappies in Yellow girl? Heard stories of huge slabs, have not targeted or caught any. The more I think about it, living where you do, Why fish anywhere but LOW, I see your point!

One more note for Whitefish bay, There are some spots to catch a few eyes for shore lunch, since it's barbless and no bait we have tried many lures, the flyers with a power grub are ok, best we have found is a jig with a foxy grub. Caught a couple on a small little cleo, jigging agressively also.

[BigTipUp]

Thanks to all, this is a great place to gain information.

JZ, In your thread you talked about a guy named Hemlock that you feel is sharp when it comes to guiding for these monsters.

I see that he posted on here with some information,

Does anyone know if he has a web site for his guide service?

Has anyone used his services besides JZ?

Sorry for all the questions, it is just that if I am going to pay for a family trip I want it to be a good one (these days money is tight)and I want my girls to have the same memories that I have from when my grandfather and dad took me.

one other thing, What is the story behind the picture that is attached to your user name? It is different to say the least.

B T U

[Hemlock]

Big Tip Up, I'm no guide by any means, I'm a father of two young boys and a business manager of a family business. I have some knowledge of the area and have fished LOTW for many years, but not at the 200+ days a year, like a guide should/does.

JZ has lined up a few different days of fishing iwth me in the past, unpaid.

I enjoy helping people, getting out and having a beer and good conversation at the end of the day.

Not sure what's up with his avatar.???

[scott-z]

Do you have any suggestions for crappies through the ice? We have been going too Hay island and the Thompson Creek area for a number of years now and would like too try some new areas, but don't know where too start. You mentioned Yellow Girl...Where is that?

[fisherking01]

I really can't offer much other than I have heard stories of crappies on yellow girl. It is part of LOW, north of Whitefish bay. It is accessible by snowmobile and you have to be careful in the portage areas because of current and thin ice conditions. Hay Island and Thompson are traditionally good areas and are usually accessible, hence that is where the people are. Yellow girl is more of an adventure in the winter.

[scott-z]

Thanks fisherking. We are still looking around...thinking about trying Rainy this year.

[fisherking01]

Hemlock, is that eye in your avatar one of the famous "9" ?

[Hemlock]

Famous "9"? Must not be, since I don't know/remember what the famous "9" is.

[fisherking01]

hemlock, excuse me, I was mixed up for a minute, now I'm OK. Back to laker information

When targeting lakers it is sometimes very productive to drop your lure directly to the bottom, pound it on the bottom several times, lift it a couple feet off and hold it for say 30 seconds, agressive fish close by will hammer your lure hard. Another technique used is to hit the bottom and pump your lure up, reel, up,... say 5 feet at a time to the top of the water. Ive had the best luck with iron in this situation. Deep water the blue-silver seems to work best, I guess blue is seen better in deep water, but I have done well with a hammered gold-orange wobble lure (heavy short daredevil) also. I like to use heavy iron, and really haven't used light iron lures much.

Sometimes dead sticking will work as well as anything. I've had times when I'm reading a map looking for another spot and they'll slam the lure!

The more versatile and mobile you are the better your odds of finding and catching fish. It really depends on what you hit. You may find the fish and stay on a spot all day, some days you may miss em at every spot. I really like to try new spots and rely on some favorite back-up spots. keep your kool and fish hard! fisherking01