Howdy, been a while....Lakers anyone??

[Chugger]

Hey Folks, sounds like everyone's summer is going well. The reports have been spectacular to say the least...Moosebunk anyone???? WOW is all I can say.

Anyway, I get a weekend to myself this weekend and I intend on dragging the lake for some big lakers. Any tips on speeds for the big fellas? Also, has anyone tied a trailer fly to the shank of the trebble of a spoon? What about clipping a swivel on your line after the riggers are set to get a lure down to the bend in the line.

 

I've been all over the standard 4 pounders my lake seems to produce, but I haven' spent a lot of time at depth where the big ones apparently lurk. My lake gets to about 200 feet deep with some great structure out in the middle where it runs right up to 80 ft from 200. It's pretty much like a little submerged mountain.

 

Any tips you can offer up are appreciated, and if I do manage to boat anything out of the ordinary you better believe there will be a report come Monday morning.

 

Cheers,

-Graeme

Edited July 24, 2008 by Chugger

[Nemo]

Switch up the spoon with a crank bait perch rapalas are my favourite. You may also want to try tiiping the spooon with a minnow.

 

Long time no see. What lake are you on.

 

Nemo

[Chugger]

Yeah defintiely been a while since I been on here. I'm on skeleton, it's a deep limestone lake. Been working it pretty hard for the past few years and I can now boat Lakers pretty consistantly, I just haven't got into the big ones that I know are there! I assume you mean a lipless rapala?

Thanks for the tip. I've acutally never tipped my spoons with anything, I'll give it a shot. What about tipping it with a piece of gulp or something?

[misfish]

Hey Chug,good to hear from ya.

Whats this Gulp you speak of? LOL

[Nemo]

Skeleton in Muskoka? You may also want to try dropping a jig in some likely spots if it's calm.

[Chugger]

Hey Misfish, life is good, how's the tour going for ya this summer?? Apparently the gulp catches fish...

 

Yeah Nemo, that's the place, my patience for jigging is slim at best, so I really don't know exactly what I'm doing when it comes to it, but maybe I'll give it a shot. Looks like winds will be light this weekend. I'll let ya know how it goes. Thanks for the tips!

[troutologist]

if youre running riggers try a glow or "wonderbread" jplug. also some of the bigger flatfish/kwikfish in bright, guady colors. You'll have to keep the speeds down for these though.Big spoons have counted for alot of fish too, dont be shy of 6" or bigger models.

 

My best big laker producer is a 3 oz white bucktail jig. usually sold as striper jigs. tie on a stinger and tip with a minnow. The heavy weight allows for good feel and quick descents to depth.

When youre marking fish and have the light winds to jig, drop the bait to the bottom and try for a minute or so there. Then reel up a few feet etc. Also try to reel up really fast for 20 ft and stop. this can be a great triggering tactic on semiinterested lakers.

 

Another good jigging lure is the eppinger cop e cat in 3oz. yellow w/ red ladder or firetiger

 

Last if you know the fish are down there and wont bite try out a 1 or 2 oz. surf sinker (assuming 75fow or more) and rig up a drop shot with a 3" glup smelt or similar.

 

luck and bring 'em up slow

[Chugger]

Wow, those are some sweet tips there Trouologist, thanks a bunch. I've taken note and I'll let ya know how I do come Monday. As I said, I'm looking for the big ones all weekend, those a re few more tactics that I can put in the bank.

Cheers,

-G.

[brkygetr]

I'll second what troutologist said...I've been doing real well this summer at depths of 80-120 ft in a lake that has max depths of 300, surface temps around 67-69 deg.... JIGGING, JIGGING, JIGGING.....some times its hard with a wind but I found even a good drift over structure to produce. Also use your electronics and find the baitfish down there....as soon as you find them at a decent depth off a steep ridge you will find the big boys. Myself I am a fan of the white 4 inch tube jig but bucktails seem to produce just as well, with a big ugly sucker minnow!!!!

 

Good luck

[JoshS]

Some good tips, thanks guys! What weight tube jig heads are you using brkygetr?

[brkygetr]

1 ounce or better...sometimes I use a heavy egg weight (with a lighter jig head) up about 2 ft. on the leader if the wind is creating problems....I actually like this method better as I find the jigging action on the tube changes...you get a softer lift/drop with a more natural look to it...only problem is it is more difficult to feel a hit when your over 80+ ft. ..oh and by the way using 6lb fireline...if your carefull and don't horse the fish this stuff is all you need.. its only got a 2lb mono diameter so it cuts the water well and allows for a more vertical presentation