Inland Lake Trout Gear & Tactics

[Steve Foss]

Mike, I don't have the size No. of my swivels handy. They are Berkeley ball-bearing swivels, and the look about "right" with 12 lb mono. My 14 lb fluoro leader is about three feet long and ends in a crosslock snap. The crosslock makes swapping out lures easier and allows the lures to achieve their maximum action possible.

[Mike Stark]

i didnt know that a crosslock swivel gives you lure maximum action....looks like ill have to get a few at the store.

thanks steve.

[Mike Stark]

bump

[caseymcq]

I bought a Frabil Ice rod last year, 32" Medium. I really like it for medium sized spoons. I caught a 27" laker on it last year and it was a blast to haul in. The rod had enough backbone to put a good hook set into the fish but the medium action was light enough to feel all the fight from the fish. I have a Abu Garcia 100U with 6 lb Fire Line Crystal Ice on it. It has been a pretty good setup.

[harvey lee]

One can purchase Go-Devils here for those Lakers.

http://www.outdoorprostore.com/glow-devil.html

[ICE_KING]

Hey steve can you describe these crosslock swivels a little more? Want to know if i have any... Any similarity to snap swivels? Does anybody think you loose to much action with snap swivels?

[Steve Foss]

It doesn't matter what kind of snap it is. They all work fine.

[Northlander]

Us e a small swivel up 2-3' above a crosslock snap. Dont use a snap swivel at your lure. It takes too much action away. A small snap wont.

[Steve Foss]

That's how I do it too. Ball-bearing swivel to remove line twist, 3' leader, crosslock snap to help lure action and make switching out easier.

[ICE_KING]

Thanks Northlander thats the answer i was looking for. Also thankyou steve for the info all will come in handy! I plan on hitting Sag up some more in the near future but work up here is so busy i havent had any time to get out! PS guys and gals i did fall through the ice today on saganaga/seagull so you never know...! Stay safe and check ice! Our snowmobile path is less than 30 feet away from where i went through so. I was on foot no truck or sled just through the ice! Narrows and anything with current can still have very thin ice. Luckily i got out ok and didnt loose anything valueable!

[thedeadsea]

Guys, a quick question:

I have always tipped my treble hooked ciscos with a small "spinner" blade off a Swedish Pimple, but have seen lots of guys on here comment on beads and a blade. Are the beads necessary to make the set up a "lure"

We got checked by the Aurora warden on B'side last weekend. He just counted our rods/tip ups and checked our licenses.

Steve

[Surface Tension]

Yes you have to make that cisco/treble hook combination a "lure"

The flipper from a Swedish pimple might be pushing the definition of lure. Here is what I do. Take a plastic lid from a Cool Whip container (example) and cut out a blade. Make it any size and style you want. I make willow leaves and the use a punch to make to hole. Of coarse you can use different colors, I like red.

Those don't weigh hardly anything. If you want a bead put a bead or two on. The object is to make a lure but leaving the presentation unfettered.

[son_of_fishlein]

I have only iced 3 Lakers, no lunkers but a couple nice eaters and one slightly bigger, but here is what has worked for me.

1/4 (1-3/8") size Lindy Ratt'ln Flyer Spoon, Perch Color 5ft 14 lb Fluorocarbon leader (it was on clearance, a bit much, but has worked nonetheless). My dad also caught 2 small lakers with the Firetiger color. All together, we caught 4 fish lakers, a few smelt, and a pout with this lure last year, which by the way was delicious! Just looking at the color selection, I would think the Gold and Silver Shiner colors would produce as well.

1/4 Techni-Glo Frostee Jigging Spoon (yellow to white) with the same set up as above caught one fish the year before. My dad actually lost this fish several times with the same lure (different color, white) while bringing it up and he decided to attack mine several feet away (pretty cool to watch on the flasher). Dad was not happy.

My uncle works for Lindy and helped develop the Rattl'n Flyer Spoons, and we get 'em for free, so that is what we have fished with and had luck, so far...

As far as rod and reel setups, you guys would laugh at my equipment but it has worked so far! I couple of random hand-me-down reels, odd shaped/sized rods (heavier-duty of coarse), and one lighter walleye style setup.

[Northlander]

I love them Lindy Rattlin flyer's for everything from Perch to Lakers. Its got a great action on it or you can just pound it. My favorite is the Gold and the Glow perch.

I have been catching walleyes on the St. Louis River with them the past few weeks. Some Lindy TechnaGlow tails on the treble work great on perch and Crappies.

[son_of_fishlein]

I forgot to mention, the two up top were caught on the Flyer Spoons with shiner heads for meat, the one below was caught on a Frostee Spoon with a piece of Cisco.

[thedeadsea]

bump

[Lee Lane]

i sure Like Fireline crystal with a florocarbon leader..i used to use straight mono and it did nothing but break on big fish.

[Mike Stark]

just thought i would get some blood flowing for all those laker addicts.

[Steve Foss]

I somebody getting antsy waiting for ice?

[Mike Stark]

baitcaster reels.....why do folks use em???? i have never tried one for ice fishing. with a baitcaster you would have to hold the rod upright to keep the reel on top...thats too much work for me when im hole hopping and jigging for hours...i could see using it if im sitting in my house but not hole hopping.

[Steve Foss]

Putting a baitcaster on a spiral-wrap rod might change your mind. It really only boils down to personal preference. Lots of folks prefer baitcasters because that's mostly what they use all the time. Others feel the same way about spinning gear.

I run about 50-50, but have developed a definite preference for spinning the last couple years. Unless the baitcasting rod is a spiral wrap. Then I'm equally comfortable with either reel.

Also, I've never bought an ice reel. I just use my summer spinning and baitcasting reels on my ice rods. Started out as a cost-savings but now I like it that way.

[andrew chadwick]

Putting a baitcaster on a spiral-wrap rod might change your mind. It really only boils down to personal preference. Lots of folks prefer baitcasters because that's mostly what they use all the time. Others feel the same way about spinning gear.

I run about 50-50, but have developed a definite preference for spinning the last couple years. Unless the baitcasting rod is a spiral wrap. Then I'm equally comfortable with either reel.

Also, I've never bought an ice reel. I just use my summer spinning and baitcasting reels on my ice rods. Started out as a cost-savings but now I like it that way.

I lost a monster on my twist rod that I feel I would have landed had I been using a spinning reel last winter. I think I will be using my spinning rod more. Genz makes a 42' spinning rod that I think might be perfect.

[Steve Foss]

Can you give us more detail on why the spiral wrap rod/baitcaster reel cost you the fish? I'm interested to hear your perspectives on that.

[Northlander]

Chadwick I doubt it was the rod. Maybe a poor reel or set drag but not the rod.

[Jim Almquist]

Can you give us more detail on why the spiral wrap rod/baitcaster reel cost you the fish? I'm interested to hear your perspectives on that.

I was also kinda curious why the rod was the blame for a lost fish. I have lost more then my share of fish for various reasons but the rod has never been the culprit. The drag not set or a nick in the line or even a dull hook but the rod has never been the problem unless your line got wrapped around the tip.

[NoWiser]

Only 55 days to go until the first trip!! (I fish in Canada). My preferred setup is a 42" Thorne Bros. fiberglass rod, Diawa spinning real (the anti-reverse doesn't work on my Shimanos at -30), 15 pound P-line and a 20 pound fluorocarbon leader. My hooking and landing percentage went up tremendously when I switched from braided superline to the P-line, and it doesn't seem to deter the fish, plus less problems with freezing up. There is nothing like the hit of a big laker in winter, and the ensuing battle......

[Steve Foss]

There is nothing like the hit of a big laker in winter, and the ensuing battle......

Now that the deer cuts are in the freezer, it's all a big countdown until ICE!

[andrew chadwick]

It didn't say it was the rod-it was the reel. Its a 170$ reel, but I feel the drags on spinning rods are smoother. I think I could have played him better on a spinning reel, it was just the way the fish was fighting.

I certainly like the action of the rod for heavy jigs and such. I caught several pike on it last year and the year before and it worked fine.

[Northlander]

Originally Posted By: Steve Foss

Putting a baitcaster on a spiral-wrap rod might change your mind. It really only boils down to personal preference. Lots of folks prefer baitcasters because that's mostly what they use all the time. Others feel the same way about spinning gear.

I run about 50-50, but have developed a definite preference for spinning the last couple years. Unless the baitcasting rod is a spiral wrap. Then I'm equally comfortable with either reel.

Also, I've never bought an ice reel. I just use my summer spinning and baitcasting reels on my ice rods. Started out as a cost-savings but now I like it that way.

I lost a monster on my twist rod that I feel I would have landed had I been using a spinning reel last winter. I think I will be using my spinning rod more. Genz makes a 42' spinning rod that I think might be perfect.

This made it sound like you were blaming the rod. Either way I hope you took that $170 reel back and got a cheaper better one. I have never found a need for a $170 reel. Too many good reels out there for far less money.

[Steve Foss]

Yeah, a smooth drag is a big deal when fighting a powerful fish like that. My Ambassaduer series BC reels are every bit as smooth as the Calcuttas I've used before, and also as smooth as the mid-range Shimano spinning reels I've got. If the reel doesn't have a smooth drag, I don't buy it. If I take a reel in trade with a jerky drag, it gets sold.