Line to Lure for Lake Trout

[Captainslug]

Maybe I have been doing it wrong for years but I would like to know other peoples technique for attaching their lures to their line while ice fishing for lake trout.

I have always used a black colored snap swivel. Have I been doing it wrong? Should I be tying directly lure to line?

[NSR Fisher]

It depends if your bait is meant to spin or not. It also depends if you prefer to use a fluorocarbon leader as well as main line braid which is what a lot of guys recommend for lakers. 15 pound test power pro ice tec and some 14 to 20 pound fluorocarbon will be perfect.

If you are ripping a jigging spoon, I would use a swivel. But I would have the swivel maybe 2 or 3 feet above my spoon, and from the swivel to the lure I would use clear fluorocarbon, at least 14 pound minimum for Lake Trout. I would tie my braid direct to the swivel.

If you are just using a bucktail or other jig that doesn't spin much, you can use a FG knot / Double Uni / Albright to tie your main line to your leader material, then your leader right to the jig. No need for a swivel.

Hope this advice helps!

-Ben

[millsboy79]

Originally Posted by Captainslug

Maybe I have been doing it wrong for years but I would like to know other peoples technique for attaching their lures to their line while ice fishing for lake trout.

I have always used a black colored snap swivel. Have I been doing it wrong? Should I be tying directly lure to line?

For me the species doesn't matter.

Braid to surgeons loop; mustad stay-lok snap; fluorocarbon with a surgeons loop; direct to the lure.

Only thing that may change is the size of the snap and the pound test of the fluoro.

8-13lb for trout (3 or 4x tippet usually)

50lb Seguar STS Salmon Leader for pike waters.

[NSR Fisher]

8 to 13 pound Flouro is pretty light for lakers. Try for a line class record Mills? Haha.

[millsboy79]

Originally Posted by NSR Fisher

8 to 13 pound Flouro is pretty light for lakers. Try for a line class record Mills? Haha.

I live in Calgary so the only Lakers around here are in spray. If we make the trek to cold or somewhere that had real Lakers I would use the 50 there too.

Sorry I forgot myself for a minute.

The fishing is so much better up north.

[LCCFisherman]

Issue with the heavier flouro is that it is stiff. So if you want your lure to drop fast and act "naturally" while jigging I wouldn't go anything above 20lb test. Use a blood knot

[NSR Fisher]

Agree anything above 20 is a bit too thick for trout, especially for something you want to have some flow like a buck tail.

I find anything from 14 to 20 is perfect all around leader line. If you are going to spray and they are a lot more pressured / not as big you could get away with 8 or 10 pound test.


The importance of a properly set drag is never more apparent than when you are fighting a big laker 100 feet below you :-)

[58thecat]

Swivel to line, keep it simple stupid your fishing not catching mermaids....

[Vigsy]

15lb power pro Albright knot to 15lb flouro and non slip loop knot to lure. really gives them tubes life.

[-JR-]

I tie at least 6 feet of flouro onto my braid. Just google the knot.

A lot easer to real a knot around your real .

[Coiloil37]

Here’s some knot info, including attaching braid to mono.

http://m.leeroysramblings.com/strong_knots.htm

[cube]

Originally Posted by -JR-

I tie at least 6 feet of flouro onto my braid. Just google the knot.

A lot easer to real a knot around your real .

True.
Though a knot does not help much with line twist (depending on lure and technique).

If you look at knot strengths line to lure knots, like you would use to put the swivel in, ar much stronger than line to line knots.

To be honest I use both but if line twist is at all a concern I use the swivel at least 18" up the line.

[The Fisherman Guy]

Originally Posted by cube

True.
Though a knot does not help much with line twist (depending on lure and technique).

If you look at knot strengths line to lure knots, like you would use to put the swivel in, ar much stronger than line to line knots.

To be honest I use both but if line twist is at all a concern I use the swivel at least 18" up the line.

The above is exactly right, especially when fishing for Lake Trout through the ice.

Jigging is inherently going to cause line twist, which causes a bunch of problems later on. Most of the time, I use a line to line knot so that there isn't anything to distract the fish from the lure. I prefer the double uni knot, as I find it faster to tie than a blood knot.

As for the OP's question, Lake Trout live in clear water, and have very good eyesight. Tying directly to your lure eliminates the extra visuals of a swivel attached to the lure. Also eliminates the risk of snap swivel clasp failure when fighting a fish.

[Fish along]

I guess it depends on where you are fishing, in my opinion presentation means nothing to big hungry Lakers make sure line is very strong ,50lb sounds about right tie a loop in the end of the line and run it through your swivel, attach the lure or bare hook (baited) to the swivel and you are ready for Lakers. I met an Irishman in the NWT who went fishing for Lakers first time with some locals ,he said they cut the holes with chain saws, first one he caught he thought the thing was going to pull him into the hole,weighed about 40lbs which was probably average,they are a lot like pike extremely aggressive and when feeding will attack anything moving.