Ice fishing techniques for lake trout?

[tb4me]

So some of you may have read I'm going Laker ice fishing on lake Bernard this weekend. Here's the catch.lol. I have never actually been ice fishing for lake trout. So what techniques do you all recommend I use? Jigging with jig heads and minnows. Or spoons and minnows? I want to be sure I make the most of my limited time on the ice. I also sooo badly want to add to team 6's numbers . Anyway just looking to some friendly advise on catching these and the whitefish. Thanks guys n gals

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

the basics are to keep moving and fish the entire water column..

 

myself, i will typically drill about 4-6 holes to start, then fish each hole for 10 minutes, carefully watching my flasher for any signs of interest...

 

as far as baits, you can't go wrong with a white tube and minnow (or even the tail end of a minnow)... other baits i like are buckshots, various spoons (williams, cleo, swedish pimple), and on occassion i'll try and call in a fish with something with a loud rattle.

[trapshooter]

A 4" white tube jig is pretty hard to beat for lakers. I usually tip with a medium minnow. Spoons tipped are another classic laker bait to jig in the winter. It will really help if you have a flasher or other sonar device. The 2 biggest things are that lake trout can appear anywhere in the water column and the best way to get them to hit is by making them chase. These 2 things are paramount for catching winter lake trout. Without one, a good strategy is to drop to bottom, jig, pause, jig pause etc. then reel up 5-10 feet and do it again, working your way up to the bottom of the ice (believe me, you can catch a trout 5' below the ice in the winter). Another proven tactic is to drop to bottom and slowly/steadily reel all the way up. Repeat and experiment with different retrieve speeds. It's fun when you get a hit like this because you're reeling then all of a sudden your rod is doubled over!

 

A jig and a med-large minnow is also pretty darn good.

 

Good luck and have fun!

[tb4me]

Wow that was fast! Thanks for the tips! I have to respool my line what is the best for these bad boys? 10 lb ice line best?

[trapshooter]

10lb mono is what I use on a spinning reel and I have 14lb mono on a baitcasting set-up. Tubes and other baits spin a lot and twist your line so I run a small barrel swivel 18" up the line. Usually use 12-14lb fluoro for my leader line.

[tb4me]

are you using ice rods or regular rods. I have never seen somone use a baitcaster in a ice rod before.this is the only reason I ask. Hey thanks again for the tips. Just another reason I love this place so much!

[DRIFTER_016]

Ice rods.

I have several that are configured for running bait casters.

For line I run 15# to 20# PowerPro with an 8#-12# flouro leader.

[Guest gbfisher]

are you using ice rods or regular rods. I have never seen somone use a baitcaster in a ice rod before.this is the only reason I ask. Hey thanks again for the tips. Just another reason I love this place so much!

 

 

The locals use Jigging Raps(black silver) and Williams ice spoons(hammered half and half) with good success.It's is exactly like fishing lake Simcoe. Same fish too. As for what rod to use. Anything you feel comfortable using will work. I use my summer spinning reels with 30 lb pp with a 15 lb floro leader. I've done quite well on that lake with this set up. I use a medium heavy Berkley ice rod to jig with. Meegs baits work well up there as well. I use a lighter rod with this lure though. Even a simple gad with a split shot, treble hook and minnow work well.

Ill be up there on the 26th. Can't wait!!

 

 

Good luck.

Edited March 11, 2011 by gbfisher

[trapshooter]

Yeah, you can get ice rods that are made for baitcasters. Allows you to use heavier mono then what you can on a spinning reel.

[adempsey]

This site has some good info:

http://www.fishingsimcoe.com/tackle-talk/lake-trout

http://www.fishingsimcoe.com/tackle-talk/artificial-baits

 

Any of the artificial baits mentioned in that other site should work fine.

 

If it were me, I'd take a Williams Whitefish spoon (silver or half and half - either ice jig or regular version), a 3"-4" white tube jig (poke the jig head hole through the centre of the tube, not the front like in bass fishing - use the thinner profile tubes, not those big thick ones used for flipping) and a Meegs/Badd Boyz/Blue Fox jig [not sure what you would call this group of jigs specifically] with a 1.5" white or chartreuse micro tube threaded onto the end.

 

Drop the jig to the bottom and just tick it off a few times, pause, repeat, raise it up a foot or so and repeat bottom ticking. Occasionally reel it up 10' and drop it down and repeat. If that doesn't work you could always raise it up 10' and perform the same actions. Can keep raising it up the entire water column.

 

The issue with trout is that they can be anywhere from below the ice to the very bottom. That's where a flasher comes in really handy.

 

This thread might also be useful to you: http://www.lakesimcoemessageboard.ca/forums/index.php?showtopic=445

 

Good luck!

[BillM]

Bring a graph with you. An absolute necessitie when trying to entice lakers or whities from the deep. Goodluck!!!!

[Cudz]

My favourite technique is watching my vexilar non-stop. This is very important. It is when you look away that those lakers will cahse and by the time you pick up your rod it is too late and they are already going back down to the bottom. I hate that!

[alphaalpha]

My favourite technique is watching my vexilar non-stop. This is very important. It is when you look away that those lakers will cahse and by the time you pick up your rod it is too late and they are already going back down to the bottom. I hate that!

 

 

Hey Cudz, I have been out a few times still trying to get my first laker and whitefish. This is my first year with a finder and it is definately helping but I have a hard time getting the "followers/risers" to commit. Any tip(s) on how to push them over the edge so to speak to get them to bite once they rise? Hopefully I will get out sunday or monday for one last kick at the can.

 

Thanks,

AA

[Sinker]

All ya need is a spool of 8lb mono, a few hooks, a few sinkers and a willow gad. Honestly. That's all I use on Bernard, and I do well there. Better than a lot of others around me. Set one line within a foot of bottom, and set your second line down about 25ft.

 

Some guys make it way more complicated than it needs to be.

 

S.

[adempsey]

All ya need is a spool of 8lb mono, a few hooks, a few sinkers and a willow gad. Honestly. That's all I use on Bernard, and I do well there. Better than a lot of others around me. Set one line within a foot of bottom, and set your second line down about 25ft.

 

Some guys make it way more complicated than it needs to be.

 

S.

 

Personally I like to jig and use a flasher. Set lines are somewhat boring for me. So, it's not really about being complicated, just a different method - which really isn't complicated at all.

 

However, your approach is definitely tried and true. I just assumed the OP wanted to jig. Of course, if Bernard allows two lines, he could have the best of both worlds.

[dhickey]

Hey Cudz, I have been out a few times still trying to get my first laker and whitefish. This is my first year with a finder and it is definately helping but I have a hard time getting the "followers/risers" to commit. Any tip(s) on how to push them over the edge so to speak to get them to bite once they rise? Hopefully I will get out sunday or monday for one last kick at the can.

 

Thanks,

AA

[dhickey]

looking to go out monday.

let me know if your intrested?

Edited March 12, 2011 by saltydawg

[tb4me]

Went os sat.. all we did was wash lures n jigs, oh we also drowned a few minnows..

[Cudz]

Hey Cudz, I have been out a few times still trying to get my first laker and whitefish. This is my first year with a finder and it is definately helping but I have a hard time getting the "followers/risers" to commit. Any tip(s) on how to push them over the edge so to speak to get them to bite once they rise? Hopefully I will get out sunday or monday for one last kick at the can.

 

Thanks,

AA

I have been having trouble myself with this. I find that if you wait until the fish is about 4 ft away and then really burn it at the start they really put the heat on and chase fast. causes a reaction type strike. DOn't underestimate how fast they can swim

[troutologist]

Bring them in with loud baits like a Lindy Darter or Live Target Golden Shiner. If they don't commit have a 3-4" white tube rigged and ready with at least a 1/2oz head....need to get the followup down quick. If there are fish that hang around and dont hit for a while, try a 1/4oz Northland Buckshot with a minnow or minnow head.

 

Also have lots of gas for your auger. You can sit on a spot and catch some fish, but you will always contact more aggressive fish if you move alot.

[alphaalpha]

Thanks for the tips guys! it is really appreciated. I got out one last time today and got into some nice whities but couldn't get what i suspect were lakers to commit

 

oh well at least i don't smell like skunk. report will be posted in a bit

[Homer Is King]

Great thread. Thanks for sharing all this info!!

 

I'm hoping to hit Lake Joseph next weekend (ice permitting) for my first laker. Definitely going to try some of these tactics!

Edited March 15, 2011 by Homer Is King