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Inland Lake Trout Gear & Tactics


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Here's my two cents on the issue.

I have found the 38" genz stick predator series to be a great rod for laker fishing. I have an ambassadeur 5600 on it with 16 lb. test and it works out great. My favorite lures include a plain white jig with a small shiner and an airplane tipped with a little bit of meat.

The way we fish 'em, especially early in the year we start on the break lines, mostly near spawning ground(lakes spawn in the fall) I will start in 35' and work my way out to about 60'. I don't spend too much time on the holes unless I am seeing fish. If I am not seeing fish within 10 minutes I will move to another hole. Gradual breaks at about a 1 or two foot drop for every three or four feet have been the best, but lakers will push bait too, and steep rock faces can be great places to try. Funnel points are great too.

Take Care and Good Luck Fishing!

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  • Steve Foss

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  • Surface Tension

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30 years ago all I would use on Knife Lake was the Swedish

Pimple. It didn't produce for me on Burntside. When the

Tingler spoon came out, I caught some trout on Burntside and

Snowbank. I'll have to try the Slender spoon.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Bump for laker Season cool.gif

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  • 3 weeks later...

What size slender spoons do you want to pick up. I will usually fish no deeper than 50 ft. Please let me know I want to pick some up before our next trip. Thanks guys

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I believe the biggest slender spoon is about 1.5". I think there are only 2 sizes so get the bigger. The smaller ones are great on eyes, perch, crappie and smaller trout species so you may want a couple of those.

I like the gold/chart and gold/glow.

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I only have the larger size Slenders. They are 2.25 inches long, not including hook or swivel. But they are thin, and they are wider toward the head. They fall very flatly and slowly off to the side, and with a wide wobble.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Maybe a dumb question, but are steel leaders necessary when targeting lake trout? I've never caught one so I have no idea what size teeth they have.

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  • 8 months later...
  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

With the Bash topic getting started already I'll bump this thread up.

New Blood Wanted!

I now theres more Inland Laker fanatics out there that can add to this thread, we want to hear from you.

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We've, my wife and I, have have great success over the past few years on Northern Light Lake (Ontario) using Northland Buck Shot Rattle Spoons. These are like magnets to the trout and whitefish. Make quite a bit of noise.

Usually tip them with a small minnow or a piece of belly meat. Let them go to the bottom, pound them on the bottom, and the jig it every few feet up to the ice.

Our favorite spot is a 60' flat, just off the drop off from an island.

Good luck to all this upcoming year,

GoNorth

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Quote:

New Blood Wanted!


How could you not get excited about Laker fishing after reading this thread! Thanks Surface Tension for refreshing this topic. I am a complete newbie regarding Lakers, but I can sure learn alot from these guys. Sounds like the Bash needs to be put on my calendar too laugh.gif

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

kwiggy, heres your chance to do that winter camping and fish Lake Trout.

Stfcatfish, Chunky, Reefraker, and myself camped on B-Side during one of the coldest Bashes.

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The only ice fishing I do for Lakers is on Greenwood off the Gunflint. I have tried large bucktails, airplanes, you name it. What has produced is a small forage minnow jig tipped with a lively minnow. Jig it every once in a while to wake up the minnow, other than that, play cards and wait for the rod tip to bend. Small seems to be the ticket up there.

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Hey KingOscar, welcome to FM. Great to have you here. And thanks for pitching in and adding to the thread. grin.gif

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I must admit this forum has really gotten me excited about the Bash and Laker fishing.

Does anyone use spinning reels? I hate baitcasters with a passion, and cant seem to see how they would be better on the ice?

Also, anyone have a couple great pictures.

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Chode,

Spinning reels are all I have and they work fine. I use 6 to 8 lb mono and haven't had a problem but then again the biggest laker I have caught on Burntside was around 6 lbs and I have only been out there 4 times. Looking forward to my 2nd Bash.

Chaff

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Spinning reels are fine. I used a Shimano 4000 series with 10lb mono and a flouro leader on my rod. I hooked 3, landed 2 a 1.5lb'r and a 6lb'r. Great fun and the fightingest fish I've ever caught.

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Hey Chode,

I also use a spinning reel and yes, It has landed me some big lakers. I usually like to go back and forth between my spinning rod set up and my bait caster. There are a few drawbacks to using a spinning reel. One of the biggest problems is line twist that you normally may not have using a levelwind. Constantly jigging larger lures at depths lakers normally run will cause this to happen with a spinning reel. When I am using a spinning reel, I am usually fishing in the top 20 feet of the water column. Deeper depths, I use my trusty baitcater. The other problem I have encountered with a spinning reel is adjusting the drag while fighting a larger fish. Lake Trout love to make huge runs and being able to slightly adjust the drag to help tire them out is alot easier with a baitcaster. Just my thoughts! My suggestion is to have one of each and keep experimenting between the two.

Later,

Justin

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  • 2 months later...
  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

HL, I've seen some hot and heavy morning action on conventional Laker stuff and then slow up once the sun got high Thats a goods time to downsize and pull out the unconventional laker stuff. Because the AE is on the light side, I'll fish it down in the water column just till it disappears. Normally on clear lakes thats around 20' or if theres a bolder strewn steep shoreline break I'll move in close. A fast lift of the AE then that SLOW free fall mimics an injured bait fish. That action is much different then a lot of other swim lures in that they tend to just swim without that indication of injury. In fact its my opinion that that a lot of swim lures can be made to look like they are displaying a territorial dance. An aggressive and hungry Laker could give a rip and nail that lure but if the bite is off or fish are neutral thats not always the best way to go about things.

So when things slow down switching lures is something we naturally do, along with that you can switch what that lure is telling the fish.

Down sizing even more. One member mentioned lures & baits suitable for panfish. We get into thinking about imitating smelt and Ciscos a lot. Bug life makes up a large part of a Lake Trouts diet and in fact some lakes thats all there is.

If your fishing two lines in your shelter having that small offering just below the ice is a natural place where a Lakers is expecting a quick morsel in the bug variety. That'll enable you to work the lower water column with swim lures.

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in the 2007 regs this is what it says the seasons are for inland trout

Lakes outside or partly outside the BWCA,

Jan 12 2008 - March 16 2008

Lakes entirely within the BWCA (except Ram)

Dec 29 2007 - March 31 2008

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Chode, like Justin, I use both types. I currently have two baitcasting and one spinning rod set up. I come from a baitcasting background, being an open water bass/pike/musky chaser.

But after five hard years of fishing inland winter lakers, mostly on Bside but on a few other lakes as well, I've come to the conclusion that I like the spinning rigs better. Only by a little bit, though, and largely because I don't have to switch hands from the jig to the fight with spinning rigs. I also like the balance better. A baitcasting rig always wants to turn around on you and drop the reel underneath the rod, unless you've got a spiral-wrap rod.

I have no line twist worries with my spinning rig because I tie a ball-bearing swivel to the end of my line, then a 2 or 3-foot fluorocarbon leader, than a crosslock snap and then the lure. The swivel eliminates most line twist for me.

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Stfcatfish - if you don't like switching hands from the jig to the fight why don't you go with a left-handed baitcaster? I am right handed but I use all lefthanded baitcasters because I hate switching hands after casting. Just a thought. Have fun at the bash - I would love to be able to make it up there for that one of these years and learn from you guys - not too many lake trout options down here by St Paul! We have one lake pretty close to me that they just stocked a few hundred adult lakers in but the walleye guys had a fit for some reason so I doubt they will continue stocking them.

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I knew someone would make that point.

It just doesn't work for me. It's like bowhunting. I'm a right-hander but am left-eye dominant. Should I give up my right-hand bow and shoot left-handed? Well, sure, but it doesn't work for me.

So I'm relating what does and doesn't feel right in my world, and anyone reading this can decide what's right for them.

No big deal in any circumstances. Just the way I do it. grin.gifgrin.gif

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Sorry to be the guy to bring it up - I was just curious. I know how it goes - I get a lot of crap for using lefthanded gear but that's just what I like.

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I'm with ya' stf. I'm a lefty with spinning gear and a righty with baitcasters! I shoot bow left handed, shotgun and rifle right handed, handgun left handed, hockey/golf/bat right handed, throw left, kick right. I know, I know....all screwed up! crazy.gif I just tell my buddies that I'm a "double threat"! LOL grin.gif

Brian

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Get a bunch a flag poles rigged walk around grab a pbr boil some zups have a few to many shots of plink go to the steakhouse head to samz for a blatzski

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Yeah. What AllStar said. cool.gif I'll second the "flagpoles".

In terms of sheer production, my tip-up has put way more fish on the ice than my jigging rods. I use the black dacron line, a 4' 10# flourocarbon leader, split shot, and a colored #2 hooked. Chubs have been the best bait for me. I usually have them about 2' off the bottom. Nice and easy fishing. Gives you plenty of time to enjoy a cold one(s).

When I jig I use smelt size airplane and bucktail jigs. It's interesting to read how well people have done on smaller tackle. I'll have to try that.

For whatever it's worth...

My $.02, Huey

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey Phishhead, what lake around the cities did they stock the lakers in?? Was it Square?? I am curious, I would like to try it sometime. Thanks!

GoggleEye

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