Help! Trolling Lake Superior Salmon/Trout

Hey folks, new to the site writing from the wonderful town of Taylors Falls. I am looking for some information on how to get started trolling Lake Superior for lake trout and other trout/salmon species. I have spent the last few seasons trolling deep water walleye with precision trolling techniques, line counters, etc. My old man and I recently went in on a 19′ Triumph 190CC, and we would like to utilize our new size advantage on the Superior. I am in desperate need of gear recommendations and tips on how to use it properly. Fist on the list is rod selection. Looking at getting a few 9′ Shimano Teloras, but need recommendations on length and power. What line to folks normally run? Lead core? Wire? Braid? I would like to start off with no more than 4 rods, possibly running 2 with slide divers and 2 with boards to get the hang of both. Need advice on what type of slide/dipsys to get and what size(s). Do you run planer boards differently on superior than you would walleye? I just usually run a crank bait behind a board, but would I need to add an inline weight in this scenario? Lastly is depth and structure advice. Shallow in the spring, deep in the summer as water warms? Where does a guy start the process of moving around trying to mark fish?

Very long winded, I know, but thank you to anyone who is willing to help. Thank you!

I would check CL. There is a guy (Gary)that sells tons of lake Michigan stuff for pennies on the dollar. For my money, I would start with 10 -15 dollars used rods and used reels and then build out the higher end stuff as you need it. Personally I would start with a few braid and mono set ups and branch out from there. The options are endless! I personally liked to run 2 10 colors down the chute over riggers to play with depth before I transition to being comfortable commiting to given colors on boards. Now that I’m in to it I would stay away from the 10 color and go less colors or full cores of steel or cooper. PM me and I can give youy two cents

Also check some of the FB groups. You can load up on gear to get started. This came up yesterday 5 penns for 50! I know this isn’t directly your question, but I really like having a lot of different gear and playing around to see what they like and you like to run on a given day. In WI you can run 3 lines each so it can go faster than you think!

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Nick, I don’t have much time right now to dump everything I know but I will give you a little teaser.

As far as rods go, you’ll be looking for MH. In my opinion, taloras are slight overkill. Keep your rod purchases to $40 or less. Currently I like my Shimano TDRs. The only thing I don’t like is that they don’t have a hook keeper. You can find these for under $30.

I’ll run through all my setups later today. I had a buddy up there help me out with most of my gear and am slowly finding out that he’s been spot on about everything.

Oh, before I divulge any more information, I need to see a pic of your new boat.

Thanks for the responses fellas. Haha and regarding the new rig biggill, still do not have it in our possession, but I can show you the one we have lined up! My dad is still working on the logistics of getting it to Minnesota. My uncle used to work for Winkleman, and had a Triumph when they first came out through sponsorship. Amazing boats! But hard to find, most are on the coast now.

Thank you for the rod recommendations! I was looking for less expensive options anyway. Totally right, lots of gear on craigslist, and I aim to take advantage of some of that. Do you run line counters or just colors to gauge depth?

I personally would eventually get two line counters with braid or good mono to run dispeys off each side. As for the other set ups, riggers don’t need them, and typically boards are run with predetermined color setments as to not clip to the LC. In theory you could use counter on flat lines off boards, but typically you are fishing the top few feet of water so I just guess for that. The curve isn’t that sensitive if I guess 150 ft back and it’s really 125 IMO. Like I said earlier, running LC down the chute would require a counter if you want to keep changing the depth. With that said I have counters on most of my main rods, but bring a bunch of odd ball older stuff to play around with once I get bored..

So it sounds like I can run braid/mono for both planers and dipseys. And Im just running boards like I would for walleye correct? Run the bait out to reach the desired depth, clip on the board and run it out. I can mess with lead core and stuff later, but it sounds like to run these two setups it is not needed.

And what do you guys think, 9’+ med-heavy rod should do the trick for both dipseys and boards?

I fish lake Michigan and have to assume the setups are about the same. To start, at a minimum, I would have two decent linecounters with 25+ lb mono for your outside boards. A couple leadcore rods, I like counters on mine but not 100% required. Two counters with 30lb powerpro for dipsies, and two mono rods for riggers.

I like having counters for my riggers too, but I think you could get by without it if needed. 5 colors is the most I run for leadcore, mono or braid with 10oz weights is another option a lot of charters use.

Yes, it’s like running boards for walleyes, but your baits are usually going to be heavier. Don’t be surprised if all of your boards sag back some. 9′ MH should be fine for boards, I personally like a 7′ rigger rod maybe in a medium. They’re going to bend A LOT when attached to the ball.

Do you need inline weights between your boards and your bait? Or can I just run a reef runner or a husky jerk alone behind the board? Do you like to add snap swivels to the bait or add a swivel up the line a few feet?

If you’re targeting salmon, you’re probably going to want more salmon lures like flasher/flies, spoons etc… You can run cranks, but your success is going to be limited.

I do use a snap swivel, a big one, and the highest quality I can find. A flasher spinning in circles will make a giant mess of your line if you don’t have quality swivels.

Here is what I run when I’m out there.
Most all of my rods are the cheaper version’s of Diawa’s that they have made over the last 20 years, I think they are called Wilderness series now.
I also use Diawa linecounters for all my rods, a couple Accudepths and the rest are Sealine’s. Mostly the 47 series. Not necessary, but nice.

Inline planer boards: 8.5’MH with 20# braid to a length of flourocarbon leader.
Leadcore up to 5 colors: Same rod with braid backing and @30-40′ of flouro leader.
Downrigger: 8′ Med. rod, 30# braid with 15′ of flouro leader.
Dipseys: 9.5′ Heavy rod, 50# braid to the dipsey, flouro leaders to spoons/flys etc.
I’m not that hardcore into it like many are, I average maybe a dozen trips a season. A warning tho, it can get addictive I work 5 minutes from Marine General here in Duluth, and I can’t even let myself go in there just to “look”.
You’ll get alot of great info here, and Cory and Russ at Marine General are great resources for info and gear. Half the fun is trying to put together a pattern each day out there. It can change 180 overnight due to a wind change. Very challenging at times.
I’ll be up out of Silver Bay on thursday and friday with my son, trying to get in a couple good days before fall sports start for him. I’ll be running all of the above at some point those days, hoping to put the right spoon/crank/flasher-fly in front of a few fish.
Have fun! And that’ll be a great rig to fish out of. I would consider putting a couple of planer reels on it in the future so you can run big boards off each side, with the clear waters on Superior getting baits away from the boat can make all the difference.

Wow thank you so much for all that info xplorer! That will help me put together a gear list and budget big time. My last question is what depths and structure do you normally focus on during a given season? Springs Im thinking shallow, like between 10-30 feet, summer deeper 40-80+, and what about fall? Do you try to run along drop offs? Shoals? Flats? Cant thank you all enough for your help.

Nick Arens wrote:

Wow thank you so much for all that info xplorer! That will help me put together a gear list and budget big time. My last question is what depths and structure do you normally focus on during a given season? Springs Im thinking shallow, like between 10-30 feet, summer deeper 40-80+, and what about fall? Do you try to run along drop offs? Shoals? Flats? Cant thank you all enough for your help.

Way too many variables to give a good answer. It all hinges on water temp. South warms first from dirty river water heating up and then sun warming the dirty water more. The wind will blow that warm surface water around and a lot of fish use the water temp as structure as the bait is there. So, structure moves…. aside from reefs and such.

Later in mid season the water temp begins to get deeper and you have to know where your temps are below the surface. To make it even more confusing ports are spread out 10mi or more so you have to decide to fish surface, suspended fish in temp zones or bottom…. picking your port is import and for surface and suspended. I look for 45 to 55 degrees, surface or suspended to target some times they are in warmer though and your spread should tell you.
So basically you need to decide how you want to fish, to pick an area as the season progresses.

Mark nailed it, many many variables.
Michigan State has a website, http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/index.html that can help with surface temps alot.
Early season, in general, you are running from surface down to @15′ max. Mostly trolling sticks off boards. I’ve caught lakers in as little as 4′ of water off Park Point when the smelt are in (we’ve seined them off the beach when pulling for smelt before, thats how shallow they will go for food)

As the water warms, you either move up the shore with the cooler surface water, or go deeper to find cooler temps. Guys that really focus on salmon follow the cooler surface temps, the relatively few salmon we have in MN waters move noth up the shore as summer goes on. Thats why I’m heading to Silver Bay, hoping to find a coho or two, and a chance at a king for Junior.
Superior’s “structure” is really temp breaks, bug lines and current seams.
I’ll leave it at that for now, since I know biggill will have alot of info for you. Take it all and find out what works for you and your boat. It’ll be fun trying to get it setup just the way you and your dad want it to fish!

xplorer wrote:

I’ll leave it at that for now, since I know biggill will have alot of info for you.

I’ll work on a brain dump after hockey tonight. You and Mark probably have much more experience out there than I. It’s always nice to see what others do out there.

Another important thing to remember. Superior is not a lake and has nothing in common with an inland lake. It truly is a sea and needs to be treated as such. I think we’ve all been out there when we shouldn’t have. Sometimes due to lack of experience and sometimes due to ignorance. Either way, goal #1 is to get home safe. Be aware of the weather conditions and even familiarize yourself with how weather patterns work. It helps you make better decisions because the forecasts aren’t always accurate enough to keep you out of trouble.

Btw, I was considering Triumph when I was looking for a boat last time. Same one you bought.

I ended up with this rig. Pretty similar hull.

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Ok, here goes.

When I first started trolling Superior I basically purchased two older trolling rods with Diawa Great Lakes SG47 Sealines. I don’t remember what I spooked them up with but I think it was something like 20# power pro or fireline. I ran dipsys and actually did pretty well. They are very versatile and can cover anything from 25-80’. They even pull your line away from the boat in case you’re worried about spooking the fish. I caught kings, cohos and lots of lakers with that setup. I ran out of McQuade, Knife River and Two Harbors. I payed attention to water temp but never really knew what I was looking for. Now I know.

For you, I’d highly recommend getting a couple 8’6” to 9’ MH with 40 or 47 series reels for dipsys divers. I’d recommend heavier line, 50# braid. Make sure you pair this with 40-50s mono or floro too. No need to create a weak link. Make sure you buy quality swivels an/or snaps rated to a minimum of 50# if not 100#.

Then I’d go with 1 or 2 10 color lead setups. One could be 10 colors the other could be something like 6 or 7 colors. You can use these with boards or straight back. I’d also go with 30# or heavier LC. I have 18# and wish it was heavier. I fear the day a 30# laker breaks my heart.

I fish the lake for 6+ years before ever buying downriggers. Now I can say they take probably 50% of my fish these days. A great investment if you plan to fish there a lot.

I’d also recommend bringing your walleye rods out too. You can certainly put them to work too. Assuming you have 20# line or better. Personally I wouldn’t recommend anything under 30# but if it’s all you got, use it.

As far as structure, as mentioned before, water temp is your structure. There’s also bug slicks that form out in the open water that carry fish too. You have to get the right wind conditions to find bug slicks though. You’ll know when you see one.

There are also reefs. I fish these a lot farther up the shore and on Isle Royale. These can be tricky. The lake isn’t mapped like you’re used to so many times you get a surprise rise in depth. Sometimes the lakers are very tight to these and can be tricky to keep your baits in the zone. These are great for catching bottom and wreaking havoc. It’s tough for beginners but you can catch tons of lake trout on them.

I could go on and on and on and on. I don’t know where to end. I’ll send you a pm with my phone number if you have any questions.

Guys, this is all excellent. I feel like I can actually make some good educated decisions now. I have one question about lead core, as I am usually just long lining braid. For this application, do you guys just run lead to gain added depth, or to manage the depth of the bait? I feel like since you have counters, the color doesnt really matter. If you could clear that up for me I should be set to get started! Also, what size boards and divers should I be using for the big pond? Ill be sure to call you folks if I have questions, and I will hopefully remember to follow up with you guys with updates!

Also, sweet rig biggill!

10 colors of standard leadcore will get you approximately 50’ of depth. Suffix Advanced will get you 70-80’ of depth with 10 colors. You can add 4-16 oz snap weights to get as deep as 100’ or more if you need.

I’ve been using Church TX-22 boards with as much as 10 colors of lead without issue. It pulls pretty hard on the board but it’s not usually a big deal. I will say I hate using a lot of leadcore on boards. You’ll have upwards of 500’ of line out and that isn’t much fun to reel in.

I’ll be honest and say I really only use the line counters on the downrigger for lead length and for my dipsys. All the others don’t matter all that much. I count the colors of lead and flat lines behind the boards it doesn’t really matter that much when using shallow diving stick baits behind boards.

Dipsys I use size 1 or 0 (mag). I have issues with the mag dipsys twisting during deployment. I probably don’t keep enough tension on the when letting them out.

I use leadcore to control depth.
I run 27# lead, and for every “color” I’m dropping the crank about 5 feet.
So if I want a #8 X-rap at 15′ down, I will run it out on a 2 color line. The crank dives about 5′, and the lead takes it down another 10′.
Or if I want to run a spoon out away from the boat, I will run it on lead. Running one on a 5 color will allow me to troll it at about 25′ deep out off a board away from the boat.
I have also used half-pound and pound balls to get baits deep when I didnt have riggers (I only have manuals, so sometimes I still run heavy lead behind the boat)
Like biggill, I have run #1 dipseys (with the ring on) alot. They have put alot of fish in my boat over the years.

Thanks for the clarification guys. For walleyes, I have always had the bait design dictate the depth. If I want to run in 30 foot range, Ill tie on a deep tail dancer, if I want to run in 8 foot range, Ill tie on a shallow shad. Than I let the appropriate amount of line out with the counter per depth charts to get the bait in the zone. That being said lead core will be new to me, but it is probably more simple that what I do now haha.

I was out a few weeks ago and all the lake trout (limits) hit at 6 feet or less over 700+ feet of water. Just pulled stick baits. Just saying anything is possible. Changes daily. Guys making it out there often like my guide have a distinct advantage. IF I were serious about fishing out there and didnt have any connections I would hire a guide at least once. Cheapest training there is on new water.

Quick follow up/report from Thursday.
Hit the silver bay dock at 8:30….I know, but Junior is 16 and was up til like 3am playing Xbox with his buds. We left the house at 6:50.
Lines set at 9. Ran 1 board line with a pink Xrap, one dipsey set to 3 out 60 with a monkey puke spoon, and 2 riggers down 30 and 40 with green flasher/fly and a Mongolian beef glow spoon. Surface temps were 59.5 when we set in about 350 foot of water off Palisade Head.
First fish 9:40, 4# laker on the dipsey. 10:20 6# laker in the rigger spoon, 10:30 third laker 4# on the Mongolian beef again. Junior handled all three and laid them in the net like a champ.
Fished the next 5 hours without so much as a drive-by. The board line switched off between a 2 color and flatline, changing sticks every hour. And never took a hit. It was scorching hot. Surface was 66+ as we trolled back to the harbor about 4. Then just before we were about to pull lines the dipsey goes off. Junior had dropped it to 88 out so figured it was a laker. Instead after 5 seconds it was gone. Just then About a 100 feet behind the boat a fish jumped clear out of the water. My guess is steelhead, but couldn’t tell for sure.
Anyway, nice day with My son out on the lake. Toooo much sun tho.
We were both too wiped to drive back up this AM with the forecast being even hotter. Here’s a couple pics.

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All but 2 chunks (for the grill tonight) of the Lakers are in the brown sugar brine and will be hitting the smoker tomorrow AM.
Smoked Redfin laker is awesome plain with a few saltines, or made into a spread. Yum, can’t wait.

Sweet! Thanks for the report xplorer! Perfect eaters. Was out fishing yesterday on the Croix and got absolutely roasted, but still a beautiful day.