LAKE TROUT

[Guest]

I have been fishing for Lakers and have had great luck this season, the problem is all my wife and I have been catching are fish in the 20" range. We are fishing in about 24' of water. People have told us to go deeper for the bigger fish but all of the people fishing in 55' of water are not catching near the fish we are in 24'. Do we need to go deeper and just be more patient? Or are the big ones hanging around the same areas as the small ones? By the way where we fish at 24' just 100' away it drops to about 60'.But there is more structure in the shallower areas, any help?

[chunkytrout]

Hey Bob, welcome to the site! From my experience those lakers generally work the same contours pushing the baitfish from the shallows out to the bigger holes. It is possible, the older, lazier fatboys are just waiting out there for the youngsters to push the dinner cart out to them.

[eyesandgills]

My experience in Canada has been to look for those areas in the 60 to 80 ft. range as a starting point - always looking for these areas next to some steeper / shallower structure. If the food base is there, the trout will try to push the forage into those areas, concentrating them. My best has been that kind of a scenario next to a rock drop off from an island. Most of the bigger fish we have caught have been in that range or even deeper. (I think the deepest I've caught a laker has been in about 100 ft. of water.) Not sure where you are at, but wanted to offer my thoughts. What are you using for technique - artificials or live bait? Best of luck!

[roadkingclasic56]

I would definitley fish the deeper water. I would set a tip-up, if it's legal, in one area and jig the other. Change around if nothing happens. Happy hunting!! Lake Trout through the ice is some of the best ice fishing there is!!

[Guest]

Thanks for the replys, you guys say to go deeper but the people fishing these deeper spots are not catching big ones or smaller ones for the most part, while my wife and I are catching around 15 20 inchers a day. So should we stay where they are hitting or go to the deep and be patient and wait for the fattys? or are the fattys close to where those 20 inchers are?