Inland Lake Trout Gear & Tactics

[caseymcq]

I would rather use a spinning set up too. I have a 36" Heavy St. Croix that I really like. It is set up with a Abu Garcia Cardinal 101. The rod has enough back bone for a good hook set while sill having the flexibility to play the fish. The reel has a decent enough drag. I have been tossing around the idea of borrowing my wife's Cardinal 501 ALB for the winter (it is on a summer rod now), quite a bit smoother drag.

[Steve Foss]

quite a bit smoother drag.

Do it for that reason alone, Irishman!

[Fred_Bear]

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......

Why do you think you're hooking percentages increased? I've always used braid thinking the opposite would be true. I figured with 60ish feet of line down and very bony jaws, having a no stretch line would really get a good hookset into them. I think having a little stretch would help with they're crazy head shakes though. I've never a line that wasn't braid for lakers though so I have no experience. I just have too much confidence in Power Pro right now. Went 8 for 9 on fish landed for strikes last year on the opener, and that was using barbless hooks.

I also just don't feel like mono or fluorocarbon would be strong enough. I lost the biggest fish of my life 2 winters ago when my swivel broke right under the ice after a 5 minute fight with some crazy runs. After that I always make sure I'm geared up to land that monster that you never know when you'll get on the other end of your line. No more leader anymore now and I haven't noticed a bit of difference without it.

[Fred_Bear]

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 won't use a baitcaster reel anymore, they just can't take line fast enough like the spinning reels can, and the best way to loose a hooked laker is to loose tension on the fish. Pretty easy to do when those kamikaze fish take 20 feet runs off the bottom to come smash your bait and keep swimming right through it. No way a baitcaster can keep up with that. Using barbless hooks doesn't really make this easier either.

My setups are a 42" genz stick for tubes, twister tails, and other heavy baits.

I use th Jason Mitchell 30" walleye rod for light baits like jigging shads and buckshot spoons. It's a pretty light rod but I love it and I've landed some pretty good fish on it with no problem

Both rods have a Pfleuger Trions spooled with 12 lb Power Pro, NO leader.

[Fred_Bear]

Wow sorry for the novels haha. Finally found a place to talk lakers and it really got my blood pumping. Come on January!!!

[Steve Foss]

I won't use a baitcaster reel anymore, they just can't take line fast enough like the spinning reels can, and the best way to loose a hooked laker is to loose tension on the fish. Pretty easy to do when those kamikaze fish take 20 feet runs off the bottom to come smash your bait and keep swimming right through it. No way a baitcaster can keep up with that.

Definitely one thing I like about spinning reels, and especially because I use my summer reels on my laker ice rods, which retrieve faster than those little ice reels. I've actually got one Shimano 4000 series I spool up with 17 mono or 24 braid on a bit stiffer rod for when I want to target big fish with big lures. Looks a little goofy, but does the job.

On the line thing, I've used both extensively and believe it boils down to personal preference. Except for one or two rods set up with mono for outside hole hopping, my other bunch of laker rods are set up with 15 lb superbraid (for inside the portable shack). Each fishes differently, of course, but in the end both do an excellent job.

Hookset is only one example of difference. With 60 feet of line out, regular mono requires a pretty whopping hookset IMO, while a single sharp POP with the rod will set hooks well with braid. I also worry about snapping rods when outside in below zero weather with braid on the hooksets. Hasn't happened to me yet, but . . .

I like fishing braid over mono also partly because when I'm using a wobble lure like a Chubby Darter or Sonar or Cicada I of course get a much stronger feel for what the lure is doing. I can't say I've noticed a difference as far as losing fish based on mono/braid line performance.

This season on my braided rigs I'm not going to bother with a fluorocarbon leader, and will just put the swivel a couple feet up and run braid to the lure. Lakers are not line shy, and that very thin green braid in the dark underice world of winter lakers is probably not something the fish can see anyway. Fewer worries about nicks and kinks in the leader, too. So I can leave the fluoro at home. One less thing to bring is a good thing.

[Mike Stark]

this is what happened when i got a little too excited when a 12lb laker smashed my jig in about 12fow. i was fishing with mono with about 6ft of line out. i like to say it broke because it was such a HUGE laker but i might have set the hook a little too hard.

im going to try fishing with power pro ice this winter when im inside or fishing deep. Mono on everything else.

[Far-I]

HAha I remember when that happened Mike! Kinda gets me revved up, I still haven't had a Laker that could do that to my equipment.

[Great Outdoors]

Stevo,

Did you get the picture of the "Lakermobile" I e mailed you earlier this week??

I can't wait to get it on the lake!!

[NoWiser]

Why do you think you're hooking percentages increased? I've always used braid thinking the opposite would be true. I figured with 60ish feet of line down and very bony jaws, having a no stretch line would really get a good hookset into them. I think having a little stretch would help with they're crazy head shakes though. I've never a line that wasn't braid for lakers though so I have no experience. I just have too much confidence in Power Pro right now. Went 8 for 9 on fish landed for strikes last year on the opener, and that was using barbless hooks.

I think it all has to do with line stretch. I used to use braid (Power Pro Ice) and it worked well. Caught plenty of decent sized lakers using that setup, including a nice 36 incher. What used to get me in trouble was their head shakes when they were swimming towards me. I would have to crank like mad, walk backwards, and try to raise and lower my rod with the fish. With the mono, and longer rod I have now,its much easier to deal with this. No matter what depth I'm fishing, I very rarely jig deeper than 40 feet down, and usually around 25-30 feet, so getting a hookset is never a problem as long as the hook is sharp. Besides that, we don't bring shelters with, so whatever the weather is outside, thats the temp we fish in. Braided line just froze up too much. With mono I can usually just scrape the ice off with my boot in one quick motion. As far as strength goes....give me 15lb mono over 20 or 30 lb braid anytime. The leader is more to prevent line twist than anything, and I have had them (swivels) break before, so I use a pretty heavy one.

If you went 8 for 9 last year on opener, though, I wouldn't change a thing! Thats pretty darn good. Most of the guys I fish with still use braided, I just happen to have tried mono and found out that is what I prefer. What general area (don't have to name lakes) do you fish? I'm about an hour north of Fort. Man, I can't wait!!

[Steve Foss]

Stevo,

Did you get the picture of the "Lakermobile" I e mailed you earlier this week??

I can't wait to get it on the lake!!

I did. What beast! You should post it here to create massive envy. After all, it IS a piece of lake trout gear.

[Mike Stark]

GO...you cant leave us all hangin...i want to see this lakermobile.

[grousehunter]

I really don't know what I'm going to do not being able to chase lakers on burntside all winter this year. I do not think a couple trips are going to feed the addiction.

Lets seet this new lakermobile GO!

[Great Outdoors]

Stevo,

I'd post the picture of the Lakermobile if Mr. Low Tech (that be me) could remember how to do it.

I lucked out last year on my only picture post, but doubt if I could do it again.

[Far-I]

Well figure it out! I wanna see it too

[Mike Stark]

GO...send it to me...ill post it for ya.

[Great Outdoors]

Will do!

I'll drive it out of the garage, snap a few more pics, and send them later this afternoon.

[Mike Stark]

sounds good. im anxious to see this rig.

[Steve Foss]

Here's the Maki Attacki.

[grousehunter]

Holy [PoorWordUsage] that thing is awesome!

[chaffmj]

Nice ride TGO!

I have a question somewhat related to laker fishing but more to all kinds of ice fishing and that is snowmobile or 4 wheeler?

[Mike Stark]

ha! nice! that thing is a beast. you are going to be riding in style GO! if you ever need help cruising that beast around b-side...you just let me know...i would be glad to help!

[Great Outdoors]

chaffmj,

Those tracks on the Ranger also fit 4x4 ATV's.

I've talked to people that have them and slush doesn't stop them down at all.

If anyone was on Snowbank last year you know how bad the slush was.

One crew pulled their fish houses out with a Polaris 500 with tracks, and never missed a beat while all others were bogged down.

I bet wanderer wishes he had them on the north arm last year!!

[Mike Stark]

here is another view of the "lakermobile"

this thing is SWEET!!!

[Great Outdoors]

mstark83,

Since it also has a high output heater & wipers, some may refer to it as the "Big Sissymobile"

To that I reply, you got that right!!!

[Surface Tension]

Nice rig Jim, buddy, ol' pal, my best bud.

I can sit inside and guard it while you drill our holes and set up our tip ups.

You know what Jim. Its going to be much easier to keep track of you now.

[Fred_Bear]

NoWiser, we fish that same general area later in the year, but always head a little further north to hidden gem just for the opener each year.

I can totally see how having some stretch in the line would help fighting fish. Switching to longer, softer rods has definitely helped. Yeah I'm not too worried about a fish seeing my line 40+ ft below snow covered ice, its gotta be pretty dark down there. And usually fish that hit higher in the water column come in so fast and drill the bait so they cant really have a chance to see much at all.

I got a little carried away with a hookset last year using braid. Still got the fish though

[Great Outdoors]

You'll never keep track of me!!

I'm in the process of coating it with fur and sticking a big flat tail on it.

You and Stevo will think it's a 1200 pound beaver going down the lake!

[Steve Foss]

ou and Stevo will think it's a 1200 pound beaver going down the lake!

Not gonna say it . . . not gonna say it . . . not gonna say it . . .

[Great Outdoors]

I meant the machine, not the driver, Fur Face