Lakers

[T]

I have been going to Kipawa for years now, but I never really fished for lake trout.  This year, I would like to target them at least a day or two.  My crew will be heading up at the end of July.  Looking for some tips on how deep and what lures to use.  Thank you in advance for the info.

[john c]

We don't target lake trout but catch a few drifting for walleye when we are in 40 or 50 feet of water dragging a jig with a worm on it. 

John

[Greg]

Hi T,

I lake trout fish every year and usually do pretty well - we usually lake trout troll from about 10am or 11am until just before supper 3 to 4pm.  In a 5 day trip the last two years, my average is about 4 to 6 lake trout a day.

My boat does not have down riggers so I go with the "cheap" approach...

What to buy:
Get specific large trolling rods with big "PENN" reels, wind up lead core line (usually 20lb to 30lb) and then tie a gang-troll on it.

Gang-troll - http://mrfly.ca/fishing/trout-fishing-supplies/spinners-lures/lucky-strike/lake-trolls-rigs/lucky-strike-gang-troll-bear-valley-nickel.html

Gearing up:
Then take some heavy mono-line (20lb or 30lb), cut an 8 foot section off (this will be your leader).  Get a large threading needle and a treble hook - tie the hook onto the mono-line - then thread the needle from the back of a dead/frozen minnow so that the needle comes out the mouth and the treble hook is tucked right inside the minnow.   Tie the other end of the leader to the bottom of the gang troll.  So you have lead core line > gang troll > leader > hook.

The method - the lead core line is marked in 10 meter sections (different colour for each 10 meters).  Each colour you put out represents (moving at approximately 2km per hour) about 10 feet of depth - Go to an area of the lake you are familiar with and ensure you have a steady long shore line structure which drops quickly (between 30 to 70 feet).   I hope your boat has a good fish finder - sometimes trout are at 40 feet, other times they are at 60 feet - depends on the weather, pressure, sun, etc.   Usually I put a rod in the inside (closest to shore) rod holder and will put out 4 to 5 colours.  The outside (farthest from shore) rod on the other side of the boat, I will put 5.5 to 6 colours (this is IF i am already in at least 55 feet depth).  Then set your drag really soft, so that the slightest hit makes your reel go "click click click" - the rods will wobble around a lot as the gang troll moves around. 

Things to watch out for:
- shoals - darn shoals (good for walleye fishing, bad for lake trout fishing) - we came up on a shoal last year fishing a new shore line - depth went form 60 feet to 10 feet in seconds - snagged both hooks on bottom and broke off BOTH lines above the gang troll - each gang troll is about $25 at Canadian tire.      In less than 10 or 15 seconds, I lost $50 of tackle. 

- wind - going as slow as a boat can possibly go, sometimes if the wind picks up, it will blow you into shore or slow you right down (if you are facing directly into the wind), making your line snag.  I always try to fish with the wind behind me - I don't mind if it makes me go a little faster (I have a GPS/Mapps fishfinder and it tells me if I am "speeding" - if I get above 2.5km/hr or 2.7km/hr - I slow down (or even go into neutral).

- if/when you get a fish on, turn into the center of the lake (away from shore) - we usually kill the engine and the person "who's turn it is" (we setup a rotation) grabs the rod with the fish, and someone else in the boat grabs the other rod and reals it in quickly to get the line out of the way - nothing makes for a sadder lake trout troll day than getting 180 feet of lead core line entangled with the other rods' 180 feet of lead core line and losing the fish!

- one point - I mentioned frozen minnows - there are rules in place (and game wardens do check) that you HAVE to buy them in Quebec and keep the receipt in the boat with you - this was the rule the last few years, I probably need to confirm before going this year again.

- keepers - bring a good measuring tape in the boat - I really done care if I catch keepers or not, but it's nice to catch one - the new regulations last year changed the minimum length from 55cm to 65cm.  We did not catch one keeper last year, but we got about 15 or 18 others - we didn't care, we had such a good time!!

This method always catches lake trout for me every year... here are some pics from 2015 - click on little pic to open large pic.
http://gregkipawa2015.weebly.com/    There are some nice size Lakers in these pics.

Good luck...
Greg

[RHYBAK]

LOL

Or you can just put on a Dipsey Diver or a 2oz. clip on weight, 5 feet of lead and a nice shiney spoon.
Let it down to about 40 feet and troll.

[Greg]

RHYBAK -

I've tried that technique and have fished with others using that approach and I was hooking them up at a rate of 2 to 1... maybe just luck, maybe just the conditions that year, but the following year - that guy came back up with a mirror of my setup

The oldest fishermen trick in the book - watch what other fishermen, who are catching more fish than you, and do the same.

[RHYBAK]

LOL... I know. I was just trying to be funny.

I gave all my wire line rigs away when I sold the cottage.
Must have had 15 Christmas trees ( gang trolls).
Still have a tackle box full of trolling spoons.

I've learned to get what I want with downriggers.

When I'm up at Kipawa in June, I just put on a deep diving Rapala or Reef Runner and troll for whatever hits.
The lakers are still  in the top 20 feet feeding at that time.

I have a lead core outfit still but I just put on a bare spoon and let all the line out.
I stopped using bait for Lakers 25 years ago once I realized they hit bare spoons just as well.

[Greg]

Yes, I was there in early June once and on a really cloudy/rainy day, I got a couple of small lake trout in 15 to 20 feet just trolling with a deep diving crank bait lure... it really changes with the heat/water temperature.

One of the most experience lake trout guys I know, who ALWAYS kicks my butt when fishing trout also taught me one thing - trout are a very sensitive fish.  On days where it is thunder storming, or the day after a thunder storm, the lake trout bite is REALLY sparse (even if it wasn't raining).  He would just relax the day after a loud thunder storm and go catch more the following day.  I remember one day, he showed up standing in the door of our cabin at Alwaki with a big smirk on his face and he held up two lake trout more than 80cm long - this was after I just spent 6 hours trolling and got only one which was not even 50cm!  All I said was "yep, jealous".  That dude can lake trout fish like nobody I have ever met.  And he uses the same setup as I do and I described in my first post.

To bad you gave away all your gang trolls - I need a few more      I would have paid for a bunch of used ones for sure!   Another thing to add to the spring shopping list.

[puckster_guy]

 I've had so so luck jigging a cleo around 60 feet on the bottom. I cruise  around the depths till i see some marks close to the bottom then toss down the spoon. Not the most productive method but it does work.

[RHYBAK]

I've had so so luck jigging a cleo around 60 feet on the bottom. I cruise  around the depths till i see some marks close to the bottom then toss down the spoon. Not the most productive method but it does work.

Problem is , your marks could be ling or whitefish also.
Not necessarily Lake Trout.

[puckster_guy]

I've had so so luck jigging a cleo around 60 feet on the bottom. I cruise  around the depths till i see some marks close to the bottom then toss down the spoon. Not the most productive method but it does work.

Problem is , your marks could be ling or whitefish also.
Not necessarily Lake Trout.

I agree Rhybak, However all three are acceptable. I think ling taste better then walleye. A good friend smokes his whitefish. Tasty. I'd like to get more Kipawa whities anyway. Funny thing...ever since I got my camp(going on 6 yrs now) I only fish Kipawa. All my gear is there.

[T-Bone]

Wow...fishing for lakers looks like it takes a lot of time, a lot of work, and a lot of tackle. Guess that's why I don't target them ever. I understand that fishing is about the process, the procedures, and the possibilities...but this all seems like an imbalance in effort and success, but I'd guess success is measured in the satisfaction of catching.

Like the muskellunge...the fish of 10,000 casts. Uh...no thanks. If I catch one while fishing for something else...wonderful. But all that effort to catch a fish sound less than relaxing...more like work. I work enough...

Feeling crotchety...must be winter closing in on me...

Dag.

[Greg]

Crochety!  For sure!!  LOL

I think you nailed it on the head - the satisfaction of catching a nice big lake trout is awesome, just like catching a big musky (like I caught last September) - I was just fishing, sometimes in that exact weed line where I caught my big guy, I have caught pike, small mouth and large mouth.  It really was just a bonus - I put no extra effort into catching musky, I use the same tackle, same lures, etc.

As for lake trout trolling for 4 or 5 hours on a nice hot sunny day - I look forward to it all year because it truly is one of the most relaxing times I have all year.... it takes me less than a minute to gear up and get my line in the water for each rod - it is something you just get used to - just like anchoring in that exact spot, getting a worm or leach on a jig and then doing your patented slip bobber thingy (...will have to learn & experiment with that one day )

Oh, and while you are trolling... that cooler diving for a cold beverage is very enjoyable.

[RHYBAK]

Feeling crotchety...must be winter closing in on me...

Dag.

T-Bone
Look at the bright side.... 150 days to go.

[Canuckbass]

Smoke or white Tube jig with 3/8 oz tube jighead is all I ever I usually use and drift in summer.

Iceout to mid June you can troll any minnow bait. White Husky Jerk has been good to me, Reef Runners are good too.

I don't enjoy catching on the heavy trolling rods, not as fun fighting the fish.

[T]

LOL!  Wow.  This conversation went all over the place.  Any particular spoon, size, color preferred more than others?