Laker Bait?

[CrappieAttitude]

I am having a "boys weekend" trout fishing excusion this weekend in the Brainerd Lakes Area. We are planning on targeting the elusive lake trout and I was curious as to what you guys would reccommend for bait. I have guys coming from all areas of the state, and I want to be prepared to throw many different things down the hole.

In the past while fishing for them, we used white power tubes tipped with a cisco. We also used various airplane jigs. Typically we fished areas with a live bait restriction, however this particular lake has no such restriction. Should a guy have shiners along? Have any of you tried the packaged shiners you can buy in sporting goods stores? I am thinking that they should work, and are a whole lot cheaper than ciscos. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your help!

CA

[Fish&Fowl]

Quote:

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go to the BWCA/Duluth forum - there is a "sticky" topic on inland lake trout fishing right at the top that goes on for about 5 pages with lots of good info.

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Don't know about the shiners, they seem to work good but can be a pain to keep alive. Never used packaged shiners, but if they get 'em to stink like a ciscoe I'm sure they'd work good. If they are just frozen shiners, I'd stick to ciscoes. Good luck!!

[CrappieAttitude]

Thanks G-Man!!

CA

[igotem]

I'm like you, I've fished a lot of waters that don't allow any kind of bait so now I rarely use any even when it is allowed. I have put down shiners on a tip-up or set line and have caught fish but more often than not I don't get anything with that setup. However, you may as well go ahead and set a few of these cuz you never know.

Besides tubes and airplane jigs, which are always good, I would have an assortment of spoons like little cleos, pimples, kastmasters, vinglas, doctors, etc. Most any spoon will work and at times will produce better than a tube.

Walleye Flyer jig heads are also good and you can put many different types of plastic on them including tubes. They used to make a 1 oz. walleye flyer but I can't find them anymore so get whatever is the biggest size you can find or more importantly the one with the largest/stoutest hook.

Storm Lures also make a bunch of good soft baits that work real well. I like the many varieties of the Swim Shad, the jigging soft minnow, the finesse minnow, and the rattle tube.

One other bait that I like that I don't think many people use is a rattlin' rap or any of the other similar style baits. They've got good action on the drop and obviously rattle when you jig them up. I've caught several lakers on these baits.

Good luck out there this weekend. I hope you guys really pound them, and maybe catch a trout or two.

[CrappieAttitude]

I appreciate the info. It looks to me like I am going to need to make a Reeds Run. I am always a sucker for trying new things out.

I hope we do pound them....(The Trout) There is no hope for the other....it is inevitable.

CA

[caseymcq]

Try Berkly Gulp Minnows. I used 4" pearl/silver minnows this summer with a 3/8 oz. white or glow jig head and the lakers would pound it.

[knoppers]

I have tryed and used everything said. the biggest and most important thing is to find active fish. when lakers are biting, they will just about hammer anything you can throw at-em. I prefer to jig a tube or any jig with a powerbait on.

[CrappieAttitude]

Thanks guys for the info. We ended up getting one laker that was 25.5" long. It was a good time regardless of having a tug on the end of your line. We had a couple of "lookers" and a few "suckers", but the only one we pulled up was a dandy.

Looking forward to chase them some more!

CA