Ice Fishin' Laker Question

[chris.brock]

I'm going to fish a fairly small, local derby in a few weeks on a Haliburton lake for lakers. Does anybody have any tips to offer on how to catch larger fish?

 

The bigger fish I've caught, seem to be flukes and don't come consistently.

 

I typically fish 65 to 80 FOW, minnows, jigging spoons and tubes

 

For the derby I'd be willing to try something different with the hopes of getting a biggie!

[Joeytier]

From everything I've heard and seen, bigger fish are typically taken in shallower water with less frequency...I'm sure others can attest to this.

[kickingfrog]

Go big or go home. Swinging for the fences might mean a strikeout though. If you think the body of water holds bigger fish use some bigger lures and work the entire water column.

[chris.brock]

sweet, quick replies

 

I was thinking shallow too Joey

 

KF, yeah, I'm willing to strike-out, it's the anticipation of a homer that makes it exciting

[Jet]

You can throw bucktails into the mix, but all the lures you're using are the ones I use the most, particularly tubes. White works best for me in the 3-4 inch range.

 

If you have a finder, getting them to chase will increase your odds as now you're triggering their instincts as well as their belly!

[Cudz]

white or smoke 4.5" swammer. Leave it about 15' off the bottom and watch your electronics

[adempsey]

white or smoke 4.5" swammer. Leave it about 15' off the bottom and watch your electronics

I'd do that ^^ but with a second adjacent hole jigging a large silver spoon. Sonar makes it work though.

[chris.brock]

I'd do that ^^ but with a second adjacent hole jigging a large silver spoon. Sonar makes it work though.

I've got a good sonar, special regs., 1 line on this lake though,

[chris.brock]

white or smoke 4.5" swammer. Leave it about 15' off the bottom and watch your electronics

how deeps bottom?

[irishfield]

The big ones like to cruise with their yaps open, sucking up anything they can find to stay BIG! Walleyemaster laughed at me in 2011.. fishing 14 FOW ! .. but guess who got the only fish.

My first one of size came out of SIXTEEN feet of water... and the screen lite up RED at about 7 feet down. The one in my avatar came out of 32 feet.. bait set at 15 feet off bottom. The one that, by line scream and snap (after eating what I was reeling up) came out of 40 FOW and was at about the 15 to 18 feet down spot when it stole my catch.

 

Small lakers seem to hug bottom like the whitefish... but things of size seem to cruise because they're not afraid of being bait!

 

Most know what I fish with...

 

Edited January 15, 2013 by irishfield

[4x4bassin]

If I were you I would first try to get a topo. of the lake and find the deepest hole in the lake , could be 150' or 70' doesn't really matter as long as it's the deepest spot in the lake . Then work out from that deep spot looking for a steep drop off from a 25'-45' flat . Fish right on that drop off or just up on the flat with a drop shot minnow , 1 oz bucktail/gulp minnow trailer (real thing if you have it) or like others have said the swammers work good or any other plastic minnow immitation . As for colours go with white or white/silver .

I have fished Lake Joe a couple times and seen this pattern work very well , we were fishing in 130' and catching 1-2 lbers all day so we moved shallower and fished the drop off into the hole and got into some bigger fish with one guy getting an 18 lber with a 1 lb lake trout in it's gullet ! The big lakers were schooling up the baitfish and our small lakers on that steep drop and were just picking them off .

If you are going to fish your usual spot (65'-80') of water move a bit shallower and look for a good drop off , that's where the big girls swim looking for an easy meal

As well just like Irish has said keep your bait off bottom( at least 10') and get them chasing your baits on the finder , lake trout love to chase !

Good luck in your derby and let us know how you make out

 

Cheers

Dave

 

This is my go-to lake trout bait all season long !

 

Edited January 15, 2013 by 4x4bassin

[johnnyb]

A rattling lipless crank is a good way to start too....rip it for a few minutes to draw fish over to your area

[deffect]

I have taken some of my best fish on shallow flats (15' or less) on lakes around halibuton and dorset. Light flashy spoons+/- minnow head and white tube jigs seem to work great. If you can find them try shallow flats near structure.

Good luck

[Spiel]

My biggest ice Lakers over the years (decades) have consistently fallen to an extremely aggressive jigged 6" Willams Whitefish spoon (silver).

 

Not necessarily jigged anywhere near bottom.......

[Freshtrax]

Biggest fish on simcoe all seem to hit the set line. A big 5 inch shiner about ten ft off the bottom. My fav spots and most productive are in 55-65 fow sometimes ill fish deep but generally the fish deep are hunkered down and not as willing to commit as those cruiseing for a meal. Someone said lipless cranks already. That will get their attention especially in a derby where there will be all sorts of shiny stuff for them to chose from.

 

 

[Christopheraaron]

Just as a disclaimer I can't catch a laker to save my life. You said that you can't have 2 lines, but could you have a set line with a large minnow and another rod with a rattling bait (with no hooks) to attract fish? Just a thought.

[dhickey]

Just as a disclaimer I can't catch a laker to save my life. You said that you can't have 2 lines, but could you have a set line with a large minnow and another rod with a rattling bait (with no hooks) to attract fish? Just a thought.

No...

[Rich]

I've never caught one, my uncle ice fished for them exclusively though and always got his on a bunch of salties on a big old jighead fishing haliburton lakes. He used to get some biggies doing that.

[dhickey]

Shhh

Canadian wigler

4 inch but you need to take the treble off the tail and put a small weedles on it otherwise it gets wrapped up in your line.

jig it with large sweeping motions and make shure no one is around you...

The action is insain..

 

Shhhh

Edited January 16, 2013 by saltydawg

[limeyangler]

Hey chris,

 

I was watching this the other day, gave me a few ideas. It also recommends fishing a little shallower for the big ones.

 

 

 

[johnnyb]

Nice video...I really like that tip-up/rodholder dealy

[chris.brock]

Nice video...I really like that tip-up/rodholder dealy

johnnyb, you should grab a couple buddies, grab the key to the inlaws cottage, and hit the ice for the derby, first Saturday in March, maybe see you out there

[camillj]

I've always had a big (6" or more) old stinky sucker (frozen from last summers left overs) ...lying right on bottom as my second line .... and though it normally averages less than one hit a day ... it is ALWAYS something with 'shoulders'

 

Having said that my PB was in about 30 FOW and I actually saw the flash about 10 feet below the hole so I dropped back down to it and it hit at about 15 ft (mid water)

 

If you dont already have one a flasher (or graph) is essential.

 

White is definitely my color of choice for artificials .. but I like the 2" shiner on a small octopus hook with a single split shot about a foot up from bottom when fishing for the table.