Fishing for Lakers in mid-july

[ssauvain]

Guys going on a fly-in July 13th to Birch Lake just north of Red Lake. Supposedly good laker fishing...have fished pike and walleye for years in Ontario...but not lakers. Without planers and boards are we wasting our time even trying for them? Also lures of choice and how would I fish them without any planer boards? Appreciate all the help...in advance. Jacked about the walleye and pike fishing there though!

[Fishandchips]

I have one of the small portable clamp on downriggers,it works great for fly ins and rental boats,back lakes etc.CTC sells them for about $70.00 dollars add a 2-3 lb weight and a good graph and your into lakers. hope this helps Brian

[ssauvain]

I have one of the small portable clamp on downriggers,it works great for fly ins and rental boats,back lakes etc.CTC sells them for about $70.00 dollars add a 2-3 lb weight and a good graph and your into lakers. hope this helps Brian

Where is CTC??? I need to look into how to use them also....thanks Brian.

[pikeie]

CTC is the canadian tire corperation, canadian tire is everywhere lol

[douG]

Lake trout prefer water in the 50 degree F range, and I'm told that some lakes in that area forecast a surface temp in that range in mid July, only warming later in the summer and early fall.

 

This means that you may find lakers in the top ten feet during your stay. I don't see how planer boards will be needed (or help), just longline.

[ssauvain]

Thanks Doug...I had heard the same about that area...so let alot of line out and troll with spoons or will crank baits work????? How heavy a spoons? What about jigs???

[Woodsman]

First you have to find out roughly how deep the fish are. Fishfinders & depth/thermometers will help. CTC used to sell a small thermometer in a glass tude about 6" long. You lowered it on your line to the bottom and waited for about a minute then reeled it back up. The water level in the tube told you the depth & the thermometer told you the temp at that depth. If I remember correctly it was under $10. When you find out the depth of the fish you have options. From flatlining while trooling for shallower fish, using deep diving plugs for slightly deeper fish, leadcore line, downriggers or dipsy divers for even deeper trooling or just drifting & jigging for fish at medium to deeper depths. When jigging use the same type of lures used for icefishing.

 

Good Luck: Rick

[carll2]

a fish finder will be your very good friend and great tool, also try deep diving lures. maybe using leadcore could be an option

[douG]

I fish for lake trout in the spring in Algonquin, and never do all that well, so this free advice is likely worth every dang penny. Everything works. For somebody, just not for me.

 

Try small spoons, 1 1/2 in, in colours like silver/blue, gold/black, black/white. 3 - 6 in stickbaits with 1 oz keel weights in similar colours. Deep diving lures (10 - 15 ft) can also work.

 

I've also seen some very nice lakers caught on large spoons, and even brown/red lipless crankbaits. Salmon type rigs like j plugs work in some waters too. Some even troll huge musky swim baits at high speed with great success.

 

In - line boards are not a lot of money, and can take your shallow diving minnow baits right in to shore.

 

I really have no idea.

 

Hope this hleps.