Far North Lake Trout Tactics

[troutologist]

Hey folks looking for a bit of dialogue here. In 4 days I'm headed but up north to guide for a month at Scott Lake Lodge. Pretty darn excited, I must say.

 

I have fished and guided lakers previously on Great Slave so am not no stranger by any means.

 

Was wondering if any OFNers had guided up north or were guests at a lodge where the guide was using some different technique.

 

I was hoping to add a few new ideas to my arsenal and maybe put a few more big girls in the boat for guests.

 

Thanks for any help.

[fishindevil]

jay have you ever tried leadcore for the lakers ??? and the dropper line set-up its deadly???

[johnnyb]

Gord Pyzer had an interesting article about trolling in the prop-wash for them last year....he came across it while talking to a guy from a lodge up in NWO. Big Williams Whitefish, sometimes with a 3-way and weight to keep it down, but, 10 feet behind the boat....sounded crazy, but was also getting lots of action.

[johnnyb]

Yes...prop wash!!

 

(actually, this was a double post....editing it this way was more fun)

Edited June 6, 2012 by johnnyb

[4x4bassin]

I use to troll around my favorite lake trout lake untill my arms fell off with some sucess , now I jig for them 90% of the time with great sucess. I don't know if you have tried this technique but it sure works !

I use big bucktails around 3/4-2 oz depending on depth and watch the finder for hooks down below and drop the jig on top of there heads and get them chasing , if you have access to a good finder and some big bucktails where you are going try this pattern , you won't be disapointed.

 

Good Luck !

[Spiel]

I use to troll around my favorite lake trout lake untill my arms fell off with some sucess , now I jig for them 90% of the time with great sucess. I don't know if you have tried this technique but it sure works !

I use big bucktails around 3/4-2 oz depending on depth and watch the finder for hooks down below and drop the jig on top of there heads and get them chasing , if you have access to a good finder and some big bucktails where you are going try this pattern , you won't be disapointed.

 

Good Luck !

 

Solid advice, vertical is my fave go to tactic when fish can be located. Include a few heavy type ice fishing spoons as well and don't think slow presentation.

[Headhunter]

Since I don't have my own boat and obviously no riggers, I used snap weights, hooked up about 50 ft behind my big bottomed Williams...

I aint revolutionary, but it worked...

HH

[Lip-ripper]

Gord Pyzer had an interesting article about trolling in the prop-wash for them last year....he came across it while talking to a guy from a lodge up in NWO. Big Williams Whitefish, sometimes with a 3-way and weight to keep it down, but, 10 feet behind the boat....sounded crazy, but was also getting lots of action.

 

My brother had success fishing this way up there. They landed 2 fish over 20 pounds doing it. They did spray an "attractant" on the spoon though, one that was the subject of a recent thread on this very board....

[troutologist]

Thanks guys....will try the prop washing for sure.

 

Also looking forward to trying the Bondy bait out this season.

 

I use a mix of jigging and trolling a 3-5oz bucktail...seems to account for my bigger fish...though my biggest came casting a J13 in 3 fow in July...go figure.

[CIfisher]

Jay,

 

We fish lakers on the North shore of Lake Superior - we often use dipsey divers and silver / gold Williams - running 20 to 40 FOW all summer. Sometimes we tip with a sucker head. No need for downriggers, and lighter on the arms than lead core...On good lakes we will always do well...

[spincast]

one of my bigrer lakers in the boat this year came on a dipsey - 250 back #3 setting, with a clean spoon. Made for lots of headshakes and bulldogging on the retreive.

[phishfearme]

Hey folks looking for a bit of dialogue here. In 4 days I'm headed but up north to guide for a month at Scott Lake Lodge. Pretty darn excited, I must say.

 

I have fished and guided lakers previously on Great Slave so am not no stranger by any means.

 

Was wondering if any OFNers had guided up north or were guests at a lodge where the guide was using some different technique.

 

I was hoping to add a few new ideas to my arsenal and maybe put a few more big girls in the boat for guests.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

 

not sure where scott lake is but for this time in june (and given the early spring) you may want to try this;

 

first - get one of those thermometers that you can drop over the side of the boat and find out where the thermocline is. this is the depth where the water temp drops fast - usually to a temp in the low 50's to high 40's. you want to focus your presentations maybe 5 ft below this. you may be surprised to see that the thermocline is less than 20ft - maybe much less.

 

while fishing with way north outfitters, at both their north and south trout lakes we found the thermocline at 12-15 ft over the first week of july and were able to troll very deep diving lures to get to the trout and did very well.

 

if the thermocline is 20 ft or so you'll need some type of planer boards to hold at 25-30 feet - troll a wobbly spoon maybe 4-5ft behind the planer. try different depths below the thermocline. focus on the depths where you see baitfish on the sounder. the bottom should be 70ft or greater.

 

another trick is to get large (1oz) jigs and attach a dead minnow to it and verticle jig where you see clouds of baitfish on your sounder. turn up the sensitivity to see the bait fish better. rip the jig up 5ft or so and let it sink - repeat.

 

hope this helps, all of the above have worked for us.

phish