Monster Quest- Trout Photos!!!

[JustinG]

Well, I just got back from my trip to Ontario looking for big lake trout. Fishing was pretty sporadic. Had a lot of lookers, but not alot of takers. I have never caught so many Pike fishing for trout!!! They were snapping my lines and stealing lures left and right. I learned a good lesson on this trip-If you catch a Northern while trout fishing, RETIE A NEW LEADER!!!! That cost me 2 nice fish snapping the line! I also had a trophy sized fish of over 20 pounds snap a heavy trout rod in half like a pretzel. It came in and crushed my airplane jig like a freight train and it was like someone put a 200 pound dumbell on the end of my line- the rod immediately broke. I horsed him up to the hole on the broken rod only to lose him in the hole. Well, we managed a few nice fish in the uppers teens anyhow....

Here are my fish:

My Friend Vince's fish:

Pesky Pike!!!!!

[Northlander]

Great pics man and nice fish! Those are only about 20 times the one I got on B-side this weekend.

[Nate McVey]

Nice fish Justin! Looks like a great trip.

[DTro]

well that seals the deal, I need to go further North.

Great pics!

[finnbay]

Great lookin' fish, Justin! Those are some chunky trout!

[Steve Foss]

Looks like you had a great trip, Justin. Thanks for sharing the pics.

[Wanderer]

DUUUUUDE.... Shoot me an email when you get a chance.

[chaffmj]

Justin,

Beautiful fish man! Now I know why you weren't at the Bash. I have to head to Canada sometime to get lakers if they are that big. By the way even though we have never meet I think you have been spending to much time with GO. You are starting to look like him! At least you have pictures of the big fish you catch.

[Steve Foss]

Ontario and some of the other Canadian provinces have always been the true Lake Trout God Country. Here in northern MN we're at the very southern edge of inland laker range.

Yep, I've been hoping to get to Canada for winter lakers for years. Sooner or later.

[GoggleEye]

Awww Steve, I wouldn't be too quick to say that northern minnesota is the very southern edge of good inland laker fishing. Big Green Lake in south-central WI is known to be some of the best laker water around. My buddy's dad pulled a 30 pounder out of there a couple years ago. The thing was massive. But you are correct in that Canada is the God of laker country!! NIce Pics Justin!!! Thanks for sharing! Sorry to hear about your rod!

GoggleEye

[Steve Foss]

Hey GoggleEye, are those lakers in Big Green native? That would be cool to have lakers that far south (other than the Great Lakes, of course.)

[GoggleEye]

You know, I don't have a clue!!!! I am going to guess no. Either way, it's a nice thing to have in an area where there are really not any lake trout waters besides Lake Michigan. I grew up in southern WI, so it was nice to have an inland lake to fish when Lake michigan was like an ocean. A couple years ago, we went out on a large pontoon with a guide (the guy who just happened to catch the WI state inland lake trout record in Big Green Lake) on Big Green Lake and did a bunch of trolling for lakers. This guy put us on the fish like crazy that day. We caught a lot of nice lakers that day, nothing too huge, but some very nice fish. I'll have to look into whether they are native or not, you got my wheels turning now!!

[Steve Foss]

I was born and partly grew up in southern Wisconsin, too (LaCrosse).

I went to a Big Green guide's Web site and I reckon he's the same one you're talking about, because that catch is mentioned.

I also ran across a Wisconsin DNR study that said the only two inland Wisconsin lakes with native laker populations are Trout and Black Oak lakes in Vilas County up north, and that the trout in Big Green came from Lake Michigan. Both Lake Michigan and Lake Superior strain lakers have been stocked in Green. Big Green sounds like one great laker fishery.

Lakers have also been stocked in some western reservoirs, but as far as I know there are no lakes with native laker populations south of northern Mn and its equivalent latitudes in Wisconsin, Michigan and New England, leaving out the Great Lakes, of course.

If you shoot me an e-mail (my addy is in my sig below) I can e-mail you the pdf of the research I found.

And Justin, sorry to take this off topic. It's just too easy to get me excited about lakers. Back to the chat about your great catch.

[JustinG]

Thanks, guys!

Yeah, this trip was tough on my gear. I ended up with 1 broken trout rod, a broken Mr. Heater, a rip in my Otter travel cover, a big hole and a tear in my Otter Lodge canvas, 2 broken tackle boxes, and numerous airplane jigs bitten off by pike. I'm going to have to take a second mortgage out on my house to make repairs!!! I guess stuff like this will happen when dragging your gear 70 miles behind a snowmobile. Hopefully, the next trip I can take the truck out there.

Sorry I missed out on meeting everyone at the Bash again this year, but it sound like you all had a good time!

Justin

[Jim Almquist]

Great looking fish pics JustinG but the problem I have with them is now my lakers look like the bait for yours

[Kyle Sandberg]

Great fish! Sorry about the broke rod and missing that same fish. All that work for nothing.

[caseymcq]

WOW! Those were some awesome fish.

Were you catching the pike deep?

[JustinG]

Yeah, Casey, those pike were out in 50 FOW. They were pretty annoying. I lost all the airplane jigs in my tackle box to them! I also put a great big brand-new bucktail jig on and jigged it 2 times and that got bitten off by a pike too!!!! I caught one around 8 lbs. on the last day while I was reeling in and that stupid fish chased it right up and it shot right out of the hole like a torpedo!!! Never seen anything like it!

[hanson]

Awesome Report Justin! Awesome!

And yes I'm jealous! Guess a guy just needs a good day on the ice Laker fishing to fuel the fire. Now I'll be chasing the big one the rest of my life for sure.

As for the busted up gear... time to do a little modification to your Otter. A little compartmentalized plywood insert will separate your gear, keep it from moving around, and protect it while towing behind your sled. I haven't had an issue since I built mine 3 years ago.

[Steve Foss]

Chris, after I get through this first season with the Otter, I'll be doing that. Especially to keep a 20lb propane tank anchored in the shelter during travel. I have left the big tank at home because I won't have it slamming around inside the tub and killing expensive gear.

[hanson]

 Originally Posted By: stfcatfish

Especially to keep a 20lb propane tank anchored in the shelter during travel. I have left the big tank at home because I won't have it slamming around inside the tub and killing expensive gear.

I think Paul Waldowski put eyebolts into the sides of his Otter Tub and used bungee cords to hold his 20lb propane tank into a corner. You could also attach a plastic milk crate to your Otter tub somehow and then put the 20lb tank into that. You could get creative with the attachment, but U-bolts would probably be a simple way to attach it to the tub.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, Chris. I like the eyebolts idea but also like the idea of a couple other compartments so the electronics and heater and rod bag and such still don't go banging around. Running over those rock-hard pillow drifts sure does bounce stuff badly. I'm also thinking about making a custom auger blade cover for my Strikemaster. My existing cover never has come off, but it's been a close thing a time or two, and all it takes is once to slice the [PoorWordUsage] out of travel cover and tent.

[JustinG]

Yeah Chris, I think that will be my project for next fall. The past few years I was able to haul everything for laker fishing around in my truck out on somewhat smooth ice roads to fish. This is the first year I have needed my snowmobile to pull the Otter since I bought it 3 years ago. I fish everyday during the winter, so I expect this kind of stuff to happen...well, just not all at once!

Justin

[fishgutz77]

it's hard to put a price on fun so don't add it up to soon. My partners FL-8 bounced out somewhere on B-side and I looked for 20 min. on the sled with the GPS and still could'nt find it.I found the battery and not the unit. anyway great pix and thanks for sharing.

[Steve Foss]

Ouch, fishgutz! That's a hard blow! If I find one sticking out of the snow I'll know who to get ahold of.

[JustinG]

Fishgutz,

E-mail me the approximate location of where you think you may have lost it and I will look for it when I am out there fishing this week. phantom_lord at charter dot net. I will keep an eye out for it in the shopper and the paper as well.

Justin

[Ryan_77]

Nice fish Justin. I miss going up to the North country and getting those hogs. I might have to make time and just go.

[Steve Foss]

Hey Ryan, welcome to HSO/FM. Great to have you here.

[Ryan_77]

Great to be here hope I can learn a few tricks and help anyone who needs it.

[Ryan_77]

That is a sucky bummer fishgutz. I am pretty sure that ranks up there with the worst trip ever. I hope it has a good ending for your buddy.