Lake Trout advice

[cschache]

Hope a few guys can help me out, I am heading to Northern Sask beginning of July to a couple of unnamed lake trout lakes that have very little to no fishing pressure, we have to run a few beaver runs and portage the boat a few times to get to these spots and from what I have been told from my friend that has been to these spots before is that they have produced up to 60 pound lakers(Trust but verify!) and I have only fished for lake trout once before and just ran through my tackle box until I got lucky at shallower depths (I will be using my portable depth/fish finder) but I am mostly set up for walleye and jack related fishing. We will be fishing out of a 16 foot aluminum with no down riggers and trolling and jigging from the boat. I am planning on trying to use a 2-3 oz bottom bouncer (unless told otherwise)to get my equipment down to a deeper depth. The biggest rod I have is an ugly stick approx. 7' long and it says max 15# line weight (I think). For some of you these questions may seem stupid and elementary but would appreciate any advice or feedback so I can be prepared! I have been scouting out The Fishing Hole already and could easily spend $600-$700 dollars with out knowing whether or not I need what my check out cart said! HAHA, I am planning on leaving one rod set up for walleye/jack(other close water bodies that have walleye/Jack)and set up another for trolling for lakers. My questions are as follows, What size of a rod and reel and line weight(50# braided?) should I be using? What type of lures/spoons should I make sure I buy to use and what size and or size of jigs(1/2 oz?) to use? Will using a 2-3 oz bottom bouncer be heavy enough to get deep if I need to while trolling spoons or jigs? Any advice is greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance.

[Tfng]

It’d likely be best if I just showed you how. I could even drive, 40-50 pound Lakers we can take my boat too!

I’m joking but that trip sounds like a great adventure.


I’d take some big Gibbs canoe spoons (army truck is my fave), buzzbombs, tube jigs, Len Thompson’s, t60 flatfish, Big Williams whitefish, silver streaks, northern kings and some lake trolls.

I’d want a heavier bottom bouncer and a dipsy diver as well.

You’ll want a heavy rod.

Edit- I’ve seen Bondy’s work well also but they don’t seem to work everywhere.

[CanuckShooter]

I use a good stiff rod [a little heavy for trout] and drag T50 and T60 flatfish. Blue and silver are my fav. They naturally run about 22 feet down, and if the fish are showing a little deeper I'll put on 1 or 2oz of lead. Some guys can catch them dragging an Apex too.

[Puma]

Some good advice above, my add would be troll SLOW. Like think slow paddle SLOW.

[Bhflyfisher]

I would add some bondy baits. Expensive, but very well proven for massive lakers especially if you're jigging. Assortment of 6" jelly tubes would be my picks for jigging.

Dipsy divers can get you to the depths you need depending on their size. You just need lots of line because they run at an angle. I'd be running those with the flatfish/spoons mentioned above.

Sounds like a fun trip.

[cschache]

Originally Posted by Bhflyfisher

I would add some bondy baits. Expensive, but very well proven for massive lakers especially if you're jigging. Assortment of 6" jelly tubes would be my picks for jigging.

Dipsy divers can get you to the depths you need depending on their size. You just need lots of line because they run at an angle. I'd be running those with the flatfish/spoons mentioned above.

Sounds like a fun trip.

Thanks for the info, I am just searching the Bondy baits and yea they are pricey but have to buy at least one to have and try! no regrets! HAHA

[cschache]

WOW! thanks for the tips! I have never heard of some of these different lures before, I guess I have some googling to do! The dipsy diver looks like a must and I think would be better than my thought of using a bottom bouncer! So reading Canuckshooter's and Tfng's advice should I go with a 9' ish long and medium to stiff rod? What about a spinning reel and line size and type? 30#or 50# braided or monofilament line?

[Rich W]

Check out pinwheel lures I know the guy making them and they are hammering lake trout in the Great Lakes


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[bobalong]

We have had good luck with a variety of spoons but the best presentation was still an anchovie rig. Tried dipsies and pink ladies but like the gibbs slip weights the best.
Only tried jigging in the winter and the strobe type lighted jig was by far the most successful.

[mooseknuckle]

we head to northern sask every summer too. some great lake trout lakes up there. a friend of mine i troduced me to the poor mans downrigger. 4oz slip sinker. $3 and some fluro leader material. basically make a 5ft leader and use williams or len thompson large spoons. attach slip sinker at top of leader. get its down to 90-140ft pretty quick. troll.... wait.. when they bite the slip sinker slides down to the spoon. and the fight is on. really simple to setup and use.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by mooseknuckle

we head to northern sask every summer too. some great lake trout lakes up there. a friend of mine i troduced me to the poor mans downrigger. 4oz slip sinker. $3 and some fluro leader material. basically make a 5ft leader and use williams or len thompson large spoons. attach slip sinker at top of leader. get its down to 90-140ft pretty quick. troll.... wait.. when they bite the slip sinker slides down to the spoon. and the fight is on. really simple to setup and use.

Yup this works too....I also throw on a few small silver leafs on the leader to give a bit of flash as an attractant.

Lake trout are easy to catch as they are voracious eaters from top to bottom, fill,there guts on snails then up toothed top to target smaller fish....whatever fills there hole...even a big ol'spoon

[mooseknuckle]

heres a pic.

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[MooseRiverTrapper]

Originally Posted by mooseknuckle

heres a pic.

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How do you rig one of these so they slip towards the lure after a hook up?

[honker_clonker]

We picked up some dipsy divers last year and did well with them. The biggest size gets you down to 70’ no problem. I use line counters or metered line to help try get the lure to the right depth. It comes with a little chart that approximates depth for the amount of line you let out. Big coyote, Williams, Len Thompson, any spoons worked for us. Just have to get them to the right depth seemed the most important. Good luck!

[iceburg]

Originally Posted by MooseRiverTrapper

How do you rig one of these so they slip towards the lure after a hook up?

x2 great idea

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by MooseRiverTrapper

How do you rig one of these so they slip towards the lure after a hook up?

I use one slightly different than the one in the pic. The ones I use have small wires (bent over) on top of the weight. You thread your line through these and then clamp the line in the wire coils at what ever distance you want from your lure. When the fish bites the line releases from the wire coils and slides down to your lure. Use a swivel and a couple beads before your lure or rig to act as a "bumper" for the weight.

[mooseknuckle]

Originally Posted by MooseRiverTrapper

How do you rig one of these so they slip towards the lure after a hook up?

Just pull the mono in to the round part... it will slip between the two pieces of wire that form the circle. Fish bites and the tension releases and the weight slides down too lure. Nothing to it.

[35 whelen]

On a three-way rig I always use the lighter mono so you just lose your weight and not the whole rig if you snagged up on something

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[MooseRiverTrapper]

I was trying to figure out every way to avoid a downrigger. Went a got a Scotty 1060 today with removable mount. Clean looking system. It’s there if I need it and stored if I don’t.

[cschache]

Originally Posted by MooseRiverTrapper

I was trying to figure out every way to avoid a downrigger. Went a got a Scotty 1060 today with removable mount. Clean looking system. It’s there if I need it and stored if I don’t.

Hey MRT, So after much thought I think that I am going to go this way also but am looking at the 1050, what made you decide on the 1060? Now that I have said that what is the size of a cannon ball that should be used (10LBS) and also what length of a power grip should be used (18",36"48")?

[lannie]

Friends had a lodge on McIntyre lake (beside Cree Lake) and they said just bring
Len Thompson Five of diamonds in Yellow and black for lakers. We trolled and jigged and caught lakers very easily. There was not much of a challenge to it.

[bessiedog]

Originally Posted by lannie

Friends had a lodge on McIntyre lake (beside Cree Lake) and they said just bring
Len Thompson Five of diamonds in Yellow and black for lakers. We trolled and jigged and caught lakers very easily. There was not much of a challenge to it.

Don’t ya wish it was that easy on Crowsnest Lake eh?

I don’t seem to mark a lot of critters in that lake.

[MooseRiverTrapper]

Originally Posted by cschache

Hey MRT, So after much thought I think that I am going to go this way also but am looking at the 1050, what made you decide on the 1060? Now that I have said that what is the size of a cannon ball that should be used (10LBS) and also what length of a power grip should be used (18",36"48")?

I’m no expert on this subject. I went with the 1060 instead of the 1050 because of the 2’ per crank of cable retrieve.

[EZM]

I think Everyone here has most of the basics covered and have mentioned the lures to try.

Jigging a 2oz white hair jig, buzz bomb, or white tube is a really fun way (and by far the best way to catch lots of fish quickly) once you find them sitting on the bottom in a particular area. So keep a jigging rod ready to go in the boat.

When trolling - Troll slow, lot's of "S" curves and get your presentation down (whatever you choose to drag) to where you see the suspended fish moving on the sonar (arches and lines up/down on angles) these are active feeders.

Lakers are usually not picky and relatively easy to catch (where they are plentiful) but every once in a while, they seem to hone on into one "colour" or one "vibration" or "action" and won't take anything else and it can get frustrating until you find the right speed, lure, colour or presentation.

Let me give you one example of that ....

Fishing was slow last trip - we were marking lots and lots of fish but not getting many takes - tried all the regular producers for lure, tried different speeds, set backs, flasher, no flasher, willow leafs no leafs ...... uuugggggg

So looking in one of my trays for something that moves a little differently I grabbed a large (like 5"-6" long) Joe Butcher Musky Spinner and it was was like a light switch. Absolutely crazy - the vibration must have driven them to strike - it out produced my spoons, flatfish and anchovie rig easily. That was my last Laker trip but this lure has now a permanent spot in my Laker bag .... the only regret I had was not trying it sooner.

I nailed more lakers in the last 1/2 day of fishing compared to the total of the 3 days before that !!! Give it a go .... here's the one I used. I had fire tiger and, pretty soon of course, my buddy switched over and used a white one with a silver blade and they started hitting both.

https://www.muskyshop.com/bucktails/...-551-tin-buck/

[jednastka]

It does depend what you mean by Northern Saskatchewan. The lake I'll be going to about the same time has ice off in early June, and we do NOT have to go deep at the end of June/early July. We long line 6" spoons (Williams, northern king, Len Thompson) in chrome with blue and white highlights. We also use large Tomics (salt water lure). We have manual downriggers if needed. The trout seem to relate to the edges of drop-offs into deep water that top out at 5-10 feet of rock bottom. Can catch the all day long, but early and late seems to be the best. I use baitcast rods 7 to 7.5 foot rods with medium heavy action with Abu Garcia 5500 or 6500 baitcast reels taking line in the 15-25 pound class.

Vic

[cschache]

Originally Posted by jednastka

It does depend what you mean by Northern Saskatchewan. The lake I'll be going to about the same time has ice off in early June, and we do NOT have to go deep at the end of June/early July. We long line 6" spoons (Williams, northern king, Len Thompson) in chrome with blue and white highlights. We also use large Tomics (salt water lure). We have manual downriggers if needed. The trout seem to relate to the edges of drop-offs into deep water that top out at 5-10 feet of rock bottom. Can catch the all day long, but early and late seems to be the best. I use baitcast rods 7 to 7.5 foot rods with medium heavy action with Abu Garcia 5500 or 6500 baitcast reels taking line in the 15-25 pound class.

Vic

Hey Vic, I just want to be fully prepared for any scenario shallow or deep to maximize my success, its 14-15 hours drive from where I live so a little preparation goes along way from past experience, like I tell my kids all the time, plan, prepare and execute! regardless of how successful I do I will be happy to just get out and fish a species that I have never really fished for! I love a challenge!

[Mackinaw]

go to the fishing hole and pick up some T.C Motto lures work fantastic at coldlake for me

mack

[jednastka]

Originally Posted by cschache

Hey Vic, I just want to be fully prepared for any scenario shallow or deep to maximize my success, its 14-15 hours drive from where I live so a little preparation goes along way from past experience, like I tell my kids all the time, plan, prepare and execute! regardless of how successful I do I will be happy to just get out and fish a species that I have never really fished for! I love a challenge!

I hear ya. Just don't want you to overthink the problem. Get good gear (rod/reel/line) and bigger spoons than you would ever throw for pike here, and you'll be OK. If they are shallower, a light Williams Wabbler will do. If a little deeper, go with a Len Thompson #4 or #16 in the dimpled pattern. The heaviest one we fish regularly is a 300 series Eppinger Husky-Devle.

We use fish finders to find the drop-offs, and then the fish depth, and we have used downriggers set to a maximum of 30-40 feet.

We are headed to Reindeer Lake, so that is a 1050km - 13.5 hour drive for us. On the way out, we overnight in La Ronge, making it a quick and simple first day.

If you want more info, PM me.

Vic

[mooseknuckle]

Originally Posted by jednastka

It does depend what you mean by Northern Saskatchewan. The lake I'll be going to about the same time has ice off in early June, and we do NOT have to go deep at the end of June/early July. We long line 6" spoons (Williams, northern king, Len Thompson) in chrome with blue and white highlights. We also use large Tomics (salt water lure). We have manual downriggers if needed. The trout seem to relate to the edges of drop-offs into deep water that top out at 5-10 feet of rock bottom. Can catch the all day long, but early and late seems to be the best. I use baitcast rods 7 to 7.5 foot rods with medium heavy action with Abu Garcia 5500 or 6500 baitcast reels taking line in the 15-25 pound class.

Vic

X2 one year of the last 8 we went early june as opposed to august and was suprised how shallow they were. Caught hundreds a day while tossing len thompsons for pike in 6-12 fow.