"Ice-Out" For Trout

[cedarnarrowsguy]

I was looking for any suggestions on trolling tecniques or lures for an early spring trip (right after ice out)for lakers. My work schedule in the past has made it difficult for me to go fishing late april or early may. The times I have made it, I fished from shore with a cisco laying on the bottom. This year I'm planning to cover a little more ground with some trolling. THANKS!

[Eastwind]

cedarnarrowsguy,

Funny you should ask. A friend and I have done an " Ice out" Laker trip the past three years. We wil be going again this year. We have always done well. We always go the last weekend in April or first in May.

Colors/lures that we have done well on are Rapalla Shad Raps, Jointed Shad Raps and Jointed originals, all in Black/Silver. Storm Thundersticks same color combo. White crankbaits, but not the white Glass Shad Rap. If you live in or near the Metro, JRs bait has some generic white crankbaits that have worked really well for us. Another FMer was up last year around the Walleye opener and told me that he did well on Blue/White XRaps.

As far as where to troll, at ice out we look for steep wall type shorelines or reefs that are not too far off shore. Just like Winter. When we fished Crow Lake closer to the Walleye opener, trolling around and between the islands worked best. Don't worry to much about how deep your bait goes as they wil come up for it. My friend picked a bunch up a few years ago on a #5 or #7 original rap in Black/Silver on the weekend we fish ice out.