... and sometimes just cruising around a big high country lake without much on your mind has a good feel to it. Great choice on the rods too, those things are my favorite. One of the more common trout plugs is a flatfish. This is more a measure of how much weight it can pull. With trolling, it is the same concept. Shocked me … I had never used a downrigger before and I had no idea what speed we would be trolling at. Preferably, fish a hole that is at least 9 inches. This is affected by the speed at which you are trolling it, as well as the diameter of your line, as it will create drag, pulling your lure up. 3. Trolling for Monster Lake Trout Trolling for Monster Lake Trout by Capt Mike, Sea Raider. One thing we need to address is the two types of trout. The downrigger is put at the depth you want and it takes your lure with it. By Fishing World - February 2010 | 21 July 2010. I catch a lot of trout trolling around anclote. You can get these in a wide range of sizes and the big advantage to using these over split shot is that they prevent your main line from twisting. This is where I share my experiences and the things I learn along the way. Personally, I prefer a baitcasting reel for trolling, particularly one with a line counter built in. Most of what I have to say here about structure, depth and so on applies to these fish. How to Fish for Lake Trout: Catching lake trout is a fun and rewarding activity. I caught several of each fish. Use Spoons. Anglers fishing … One thing you will want to pay attention to is if the display is visible in daylight. Trolling for big lake trout is the easiest and perhaps one of the most popular fishing methods, especially when you … Here is a quick look at the 5 best trolling rods for trout: 1. Lake trout is one of the most preferred game fish and people eagerly wait for the season to open. This way I feel like they are mostly reacting to the lure as a baitfish swimming past them and they will just eat it without getting too much of a chance to just look at it first. Even freshly planted trout, that tend to roam randomly will find areas of cooler, oxygen rich water to hang out in for the bulk of the day and it can sometimes be a very small portion of the lake. The only real disadvantages to downriggers is the added equipment and of course reeling them up and down if you don’t have electric ones. Native fish or established planted trout from previous year’s plantings will often times will cruise along this layer, moving out of it briefly to feed on creatures above them, then dart back to the safer, dark, oxygenated water. Now we start talking about more specific topics, mainly the tackle that you will do the actual fishing with. I place my lure at least 4 feet behind the dodger so it is close enough to the dodger that the lake trout will be able to see it when they look at the dodger, but not too close that the action from the dodger won’t affect the natural action of the lure in the water. Plugs are one of my favorite things to pull. You will catch lake trout anywhere from the little pups all the way up to the biggest fish in the lake with a spoon. We were going to be trolling for kokanee and lake trout all day and all I could think about was catching a monster lake trout. I’ll drag this behind the boat as I get situated and start working toward my chosen fishing area. Learn how your comment data is processed. After trapping their prey, the lake trout feed on … A weight to maintain depth -- probably two or three ounces, depending on your speed and the season since lake trout typically swim deeper in warmer months A light lure or trolling spoon shaped like a small minnow, or a live minnow, hooked through the lips so that it can still move Big lake trout will often move into these waters on the hunt for baitfish or if there is a decent hatch of mayfly. Threw out a gold rattletrap and started trolling pretty fast, as you would for mackerel. I personally would rather jig for lake trout with electronics and put it right on there nose. It is common practice to troll for lake trout at a speed of 1.5 mph. So what is a good trolling speed for lake trout? SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE ADD TO FAV ORTIES. Before we start comparing rods, let’s look at what features and components are required to create an ideal trolling rod. With his hand on mine, we began to reel it in. The actual lures you use when trolling for trout comes down to a synthesis of what trout you are chasing, time of year, personal preference and a multitude of other factors. Unfortunately, being here in New Jersey, the winters can be brutal and brings ice to pretty much all my regular fishing … XFISHMAN Northern-Pike-Lures-Multi-Jointed-Swimbaits-Fishing-Lure 5" 8" 12" inch for Musky Lake Trout Fishing Tackle. For small trout, anything from tiny Dick Nite spoons on up to ones about an inch and half in length are a good choice. Big Lake … The gear that you will use on a small lake, trolling for planter trout that are under one pound will vary greatly from the gear you will use when fishing deep waters for lake trout or mackinaw. Would like recommendations of specific areas to troll for Spring lakers on Big Vermillion Lake (near Hudson ONT). Okuma SST. Whereas in larger lakes … Trolling a lake may seem straightforward enough, but the biggest factor to a successful fishing trip is putting your lure where fish will see it. If you’re targeting lake trout during the day, there are a variety of lures that will get the job done. I troll anywhere from 1.5 – 3.2 mph depending on what type of lure I am using. If you combine your satellite images with topographic maps of whatever lake you are wanting to fish, you can dramatically narrow down the ideal areas to target. My first experience with monster fish scared the hell out of me. Biggest was in the 6lb range. Think, when a fish bites. What is trolling? I was into some big mackeral one day and decided to troll for them. This week, we’ve got a lake trout report from the crew at Sport Fish Michigan. This is typically a 5# to 15# lead weight on its own rig equipped with a release that your line is clipped to. 4# to 8# line is a measure of how heavily built a rod is. Please Note: I have many people emailing me saying I am crazy and it is impossible to catch lake trout 50 feet deep with 6-pound test line. There is a huge selection of lures that you could use to target big lake trout. Lake trolls are essentially strings of spinners in a line. They give the trout some added scent and flavor to entice them to bite. You can also use #1 or #0 Mepps, Panther Martins, Moose Spoons, tiny DareDevils, Nasty Boyz or Blue Foxes. I can also tell you that the reason for this is that I’ve never put in the time to learn to fish them correctly. The essential baits Howe likes to have in his arsenal are heavy, flashy spoons like the Super Leech Spoon from Clam … Trolling for Lake Trout. Lake trout are native to North America but it has spread to other parts of the world as well. For really precise depth control, the best way to go is to use a downrigger. While you can fish a spoon by itself, it is often times good to fish it behind a dodger to impart some extra flash and action to it. BIG LAKE: Described as one of "Arizona's Best Kept Secrets" and one of the Best Trout Fishing Opportunities in the state of Arizona! I also vary my speed if I am fishing near the bottom or somewhere in the middle of the water column. Rods in these lengths are good for trolling with lead or for using on a downrigger. The thicker heavier spoons are better for casting so I tend to not use those as much unless I am using a tiny spoon then I don’t think it matters as much. My boat likes to stay around 2.9 mph most of the time so that is where I catch most of my fish. “If you’re looking for lake trout 30 inches or longer you have to be willing to walk away from a hot bite for 15- to 20-inch … Favorites include muddlers or small streamers. I am an avid Bass fisherman but first and foremost I am a fisherman. This article will outline how to be successful at trolling for trout on lakes. If you are just starting out fishing, you don’t need an ultra expensive trolling rod. first trip out fishing for lake trout I bought myself a boat and got I try and go to new places every year and I’m always trying to catch new species. 4. Since lake trout often school by size, he advises anglers seeking trophy trout not to tarry over pods of smaller fish. Okuma Kokanee Black. Typically you will be able to target the top 5′ – 15′ feet of the water column with diving lures. Dodgers and flashers are effectively large metal or plastic spoons that either swing back and forth or rotate around, both adding flash and action to your lures. If I am trolling the spoon in the middle of the water column where all the fish are hanging out and feeding then I like to be around the 3.0 mph mark. 4.3 out of 5 stars 118. When going after lake trout in the late evening, you’ll typically be dropping jigs deep down. 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