LAKE TROUT SUGGESTIONS

Does anyone have any good lake trout tips? The lake I’m fishing is 70′ deep 20+ water clarity. I marked lakers all over the bottom at the deepest spot. I was using a three way swivel silver spoon and siscos for bait. Any tips would be great! Thanks!

1 lb lead balls, white or wonderbreak colored spoons. Could try a pound ball – white flasher – white fly combo. Let it thump up and down off of the bottom, assuming its not a snaggy area… Big jigs and tails, snapping them off of the bottom. 3 way rigs like you are doing. I don’t fish lakers much, but that is what comes to mind.

Dont know what you’re using for line. At 70′, there is some significant stretch in mono. I’ve only fished through the ice for lakers, so I wont be much help except to say using braid is nearly a must at that depth. Good luck.

thanks whitts! I only fished trout once before and got skunked. It’s frustrating marking all those fish and not getting a nibble. I guess that’s why they call it fishing instead of catching!

We’ve done well in the past using airplane jigs with a smelt or cisco as bait. If they are right on bottom you might try just deadsticking on the bottom or slow drifting them just above the bottom. Good Luck!

In Canada we have used blade baits (sonars) in the 1 ounce size and snap jigged them 3 times and then reeled as fast as you can up to the top of the water column. But hold on lakers tend to hit this method very aggressively.

Thanks to everyone! This site is really helpful! I sure appreciate everyones help!

I would try those airplane jigs or great big 1-3 oz hair jigs with plastic tails or Gulp. Snap jig, pound bottom… I’ve also heard of guys jigging then reeling to the top quickly, lakers will sometimes follow the bait and hit it near the surface. Probably can’t go too big bait size wise.

Again, not sure how much help I am as I don’t fish lakers often.. But I know on L. Mich they will often let the cannonball “bounce” on the bottom, followed by the flasher/fly combo… Just pounding bottom, usually white colors, searching for lakers. 1.5-2.5 mph.??

Mike

Lake trout fishing that I have done we used a 1 to 1 1/2 once jig with sucker meat and let it lie right on the bottom with a tight line. You really have to pay attention because the lake trout will pick it up and the bite is very light. This has proved to be a very effective presentation for us for numbers and big fish. I can’t wait to try the “sonar” suggestion as many times reeling up my jig I have been hit and using the sonar sounds like fun. My opinion is to stick to mono, you have some stretch but lose less fish then using the braids. Good luck!

I fish lakers in canada with standard walleye rods and 6lb line. We use 1/2 oz jigs and dead ciscos or perk minnows a spoon kinda thing. also big bucktail jigs or ariplane are good. 5″ gulp alive were hot last year on 1/2oz jigs lift and drop with jigs or rip flashig spoons usually white or blues were best. large buckshoot spoons have been good.

The jigging will work great for lakers. If you want to troll, use a beefier rod in the 6-7 foot range and tie on a 40 foot jet diver or use a dipsy diver with a 5 to 8 foot leader behind it for the lure. A stick bait will work great, but I like flash baits. A gold blade with an orange stripe on one side is hard to beat for a laker color on any body of water.

One thing about lakers is that they will rise a lot to hit a bait. If that water bottoms out at only 80 feet you’d find little need to get much deeper than 30 feet down.

#7-#9 swedish pimples! hammered ones in silver gold and some of the silver greens and silver blues if the fish are going there is no need for meat but if your marking trout and having a hard time connecting try tipping with some meat.

drop em to the bottom jig them a few times. (3 to 5 foot lifts) then let them rest snap and real up about 10 feet fast and repeat.

these things work!

good luck!

I DIDN’T KNOW THAT. THE TROUT WILL ACTUALLY GET AGGRESSIVE FROM WHAT IT SOUNDS. THANKS FOR THE GREAT TIP!