Teach me to find Lakers

I have a heavy burdon on my shoulders. I am going camping the first weekend in March in the BWCA. We will ski into a lake( don’t remember the name), camp and fish. Others will ski, I will fish. Am taking the Otter and the locator. The lake has all the structure, Islands, steep drops reefs 30 feet surrounded by 60 to 90 feet. A section of the lake 100 feet+. Because I have the rep in this group to be the “Ultimate Fisherman” I need to be able to find fish. With lakers however I have no experience. Where should I start looking this time of year. I got the airplane jigs and the tube jigs and the big pimples. Should I bring some cut bait? Sucker or smelt? Will be taking the camera as well so will be able to post some tempting pictures of if nothing else, winter camping in the BWCA.

All I can say is good luck. Only time I fish lakers is in June and not through a hole in the ice. If you get on them I bet it would be a blast. Let us know how you do. I think I would go with jigs or jigging spoons. Should be able to see them on your locator, they are normally suspended. Hope you have good weather and catch some. That is a 12 lb laker in my picture.

Sounds like you are right on top of this… and got all the right tools.
Look for suspended bait on the locator and put a strip of cut bait on the airplane jig… work them with arm long sweeps and falls… they like a moving target.
Good luck! And do keep us posted .
Hoggie

I have never fished them in the winter. I thought I would attach a picture here of my good friend Charlie C. with a big laker he caught some time ago up at Athabasca fishing lodges. I hope the Pic get’s ya up for the trip!

Good Luck….

I have very little experiecne for lakers in the winter but dio know that it is a lot easier to jig and get a good hook set with a longer rod (3 1/2 to 4 foot) If you see them come in remember they sometimes like to hit the bait with their tail first then come back and eat the bait. Lakers will relate to deep humps in the winter as well as cliffs, these would be the first 2 places I would start. Good luck and look forward to seeing some pix when you get back

I’m taking the camera and I have a new scanner so I hope to bring back some nice pics, if of nothing else, a few guys crazy enough to sleep in tents in the winter time.