Fish-Hawk.Net

Hi All

looking for a little help here. I've never targeted lake trout and know virtually nothing about it.

I am heading north the first week of June on what is for me a walleye trip. Morning and night I will be fishing walleye. However my understanding is that the lakes within this outfitter's territory also have some decent lake trout fishing and some real quality lake trout.

I am guessing but I think we will be 2 weeks post ice out when we get there. I'd appreciate any insight on post ice out lake trout fishing. Tackle. Techniques kind of thing. What to be looking for shoreline wise.

Mick

I fish for Algonquin Park lake trout in the spring using medium light spinning gear with 8 lb test mono line, mostly trolling spoons and spinners (listed below) with a piece of split shot about 1 foot above the lure, tipping the lure with a small piece of cut bait fish (shiner, minnow, chub, etc.), from a canoe with 200 feet of line out. In my experience the fish are scattered from just below the lakes' surface to a depth of about 20 feet at this time. I usually start trolling where the water is at least 30 feet deep, keeping parallel to the shore, and gradually moving over deeper water until the 1st fish is caught, after which I'll focus on the area from where it was caught. If I don't catch anything after the 1st 1/2 hour I'll switch to a different lure. They can also be caught casting from shore (dawn and dusk are the best times), preferably at spots adjacent to deeper water areas. Occasionally, if the conditions are right (calm lake surface, clear visibility, etc.), you can actually see the trout breaking the surface while they feed, and you can sight cast to them; the trout in the photo was caught that way with a 1/8 ounce jig and 2 1/2 inch smelt colour Berkley Gulp minnow. I know other anglers have had some success catching lake trout with crank baits, but I've never tried them.

Spoons:
Acme Little Cleo, 1/3 Oz and 2/5 Oz sizes, Neon Blue and Rainbow Trout colours
EGB, size 3 (3/8 Oz), pattern numbers 201 and 210

Spinners:
Mepps Comet, size C3 (1/4 Oz), Gold and Silver colours
Panther Martin Classic Regular Teardrop, size 6 (1/4 Oz), Regular Silver and Regular Gold/Yellow colours

Personally I'd be casting jig at these fish over trolling. 3 inch grubs or shad style baits. Rocky points or humps would be where I'd be starting.

RJ

You are going to be guessing until you get there.

Prepare four ways...
some trolling spoons as mentioned above, so troll.
some casting jigs as mentioned above, so cast.

Smaller jigging spoons because, on some calm, overcast days when water temps are below 50 or so, for some odd reason I often find the fish marked up high just off shallow structures won't hit squat. But, you can sometimes pop a few jigging the bottom huggers in 40 to even 100fow.

And... well, the last one if you're dialed in on where they are in shallow (like 30-35 fow or less) but they're not going on anything. Like real cold water after ice out and fish too finicky to chase but you think you're marking them.. Try a hook through the back, and the minnow under a float anywhere from 5-10 feet down.

thanks for the insight boys. appreciate it.

RJ and Moose bunk. .... you fellas wouldn't have any pics of yourselves with big Lakers just so I know you know what you're talking about?

Check out RJ's and Moosebunks web sites. Some of the nicest pics of lake trout you'll ever see.

uhmmm ya....I kinda know that

Jigging a white tube or White 5" jerk shad with a 3/8 oz white jig head in 30 to 5 fow...enough said !!