Waterton's Lake Trout??

[Huntingonthebrain]

My Brother and I went out for the day on monday to the middle lake in Waterton. I picked up a downrigger and some nice shinny spoons and we headed out. I have never used a downrigger before that day. We had perfect weather...no wind and sunny. The only problem was....NO FISH!!!???

What on earth did we do wrong?
I know it's fishing and all...but we tried everything and every depth with not even a bite.

Any suggestions?

What is the fishing like in the pass for lakers?

[Mudslide]

I'm not an expert but... Were you marking fish on a depth finder? What lures were you using and how were they rigged? How fast were you trolling? All these things can make a huge difference. Controlled depth fishing goes along with controlled speed and a properly presented lure or bait. Were other people hitting fish? I know that's a lot of questions but it's hard to give advise without knowing more details.

[bobbypetrolia]

Were you running leaders? If so, what were your leaders made of and how long were they? How far back from your rigger ball were your spoons? Did you try lengthinging your leaders? Did you try letting out more line from the ball? Where were you marking fish (if you had sonar)? Did you try different speeds? Did you run the lures at boat-side to tune them or find the optimal speed to maximize flash? Did you troll in a straight line or vary your course?
Each and every one of these questions has an impact on your 'luck'. Its not just clipping a flashy spoon to a cannonball and havin' at 'er..........kudos for trying something new out on the water tho, it can be intimadating. Once you get the hang of it, downriggin for monster Lakers is an amazing day of fishing.
:wave:

[Versatile]

Your problem is you went out in a boat :D. We used to catch them from shore the biggest problem was casting far enough to get over the drop off. Then when you hook one you hope to god you can get it up out of the deep before it runs into all the sunken trees and logs down there washed in from Cameron river.

[Huntingonthebrain]

Thanks for all the replies. We sadly didn't have a fishfinder/depth finder. We did manage to find out our depth's though as our cannon ball hit the bottom:(
As for our leaders from the cannon ball I used 18" and one stacker also 18". We varied our length from our clips from close to a small cast away. If they are line shy we were both using braided line, but i'm sure that couldn't have been the only problem. Lures we used were a bunch of different spoons....len thompson's and blue fox. I also tried a willow leaf flasher with a jig as you can't use bait.
We did change it up and try different depths.

[Mudslide]

Fishing without a graph is very frustrating. I have a older hummingbird that you can have if you are near Calgary. (I live in Airdrie) PM me if you want it. I also have a couple of other ones that I would sell you for a reasonable price and they also have speed sensors which is another crucial element in controlled depth fishing systems (both of them are Lowrance). It will at least let you know if there are fish in the area and how deep the bottom is. Bouncing off bottom can be effective (can also lose your gear) but unless you do it constantly you just are never sure where you are, or if the fish are there. Being able to repeat what works will always put more fish in the boat. A graph with a speed readout goes a long way to upping the odds in your favor because you are fishing where you KNOW there are fish. Are you running 18 ft or 18 inches back? It was not clear from your response. I love braids but in clear water I always run a fluorocarbon leader. Just use a double Uni Knot to join the two lines and it will reel right through the guides and onto your reel. The other suggestions are also very good. Vary your speed and course until you get some results. Also don't be afraid to pop the lines off their clips and fish them all the way back up on the retrieve. This will let you fish the entire water column. Hope that helps some. Have fun.
Greg

[Tides and Tales]

Good comments Mudslide. Having a good sounder in combination with a gps chartplotter really makes a difference. They provide an experienced user with many advantages that ultimately put fish in the boat. The sounder tells you the depth, some times the temp, the location and depth of both feed, and target species. If you are in a lake (vs the ocean) some models will even show the location of the thermocline. Other wise the thermocline can be found with a string and a thermometer.
The gps chartplotter is one of the best investments you can make, and often comes combined with a sounder. This tells you exactly where you are in relation to structure, contour lines, feed, target species, submerged hazards, and best of all, the location of the fish you just caught. When one of my clients hooks into a salmon, I will often mark a waypoint immediatly. Once the fish is landed, I run right back to that spot, drop the gear and whammo! If I drive over feed or target fish, I mark a waypoint and turn around on it figure 8 style. These things help you find the fish, than you have to figure out what they want to eat.
cheers,
MK

http://www.tidesandtales.com/photo/photos/145815021e2abf83e7f766a027a47593_thumb.jpg

[Huntingonthebrain]

that all really make a lot of sense!! Thanks guys...I'll take what you have said to the water. I'll have to save up for a good sounder/ fishfinder. Any suggestions for a good one, but on the cheeper side. I still have a shotgun to buy this year.
Mudslide thanks for the offer!! however I am not going to airdrie any time soon.... I can't wait to get my first fish on a downrigger!!!!!!!
I must ask though. Is there a better place for me to get lake trout than waterton that's close?

[Huntingonthebrain]

Lowrance® X96 Fishfinder??

[Huntingonthebrain]

Eagle® FishMark™ 320 Portable Fishfinder??

[Tides and Tales]

Garmin makes some great little units that have both a sounder and chart plotter in one! I have owned several, and they have always worked great. I find that garmin products are user friendly, and somewhat affordable (everything is expensive). I bought 2 discontinued units from GPS central in calgary (3 yrs ago - on the web), and they have been awesome. Major boost to the fishing success. p.s. Chinook fishing is hot in Pt Hardy right now.
MK

http://www.tidesandtales.com/photo/photos/5cddd2bbcd08170f442ec23f2a05db10_thumb.jpg

[waterton]

the best lure to use in waterton is a orange Panther martin. I catch loads of fish every year with this lure. try and find a cliff around the edges of the lake, thats where we catch them all.