Lake Trout bait and rigs!

[elks]

So the few times I have fished for lake trout, we used store bought sucker let em thaw to cut off strips and use big white tube jigs tipped with sucker meat! How do you set up?

Do you catch your own sucker and freeze? Do you freeze whole suckers or just cut up sucker meat and freeze? Freeze in water? How thawed do you let it get?

Can sucker be caught easily through ice?

[IFF]

If I catch my own, I cut it before freezing, bait up while its still frozen, If store bought, I leave it frozen and cut small chunks with saw blade.

[Maddog]

I catch my own suckers from the same lake I intend to fish in the winter. There is night and day difference between the ones I use and the ones that are store bought

[COlipripper]

Store bought ones can be old, freezer burnt, and mushy. I've wasted money on them before so I try to catch em at all times when icing. Mine are super fresh and sometimes it matters.

I filet off the meat almost right away but leave skin on. Then once I'm home, I'll cut em up further into 1x1" or 1x2" strips and put about 10 pieces into a ziplok sandwich bag with just enough water to cover them. This prevents freezer burn for long periods of time. I freeze the bags flat for easier use and the pieces break off individually. I don't thaw en route to lake. One bag per fisherman when pulling them out for use. It's efficient, less messy, and prevents waste or deterioration.

Everyone uses that same setup unless you want a big one 

[bronvike21]

Where do you catch suckers at?

[IFF]

You can find suckers almost any place, CC Chatfield, Aurora, Antero, lots of ponds have white suckers, I even caught a long noise at Pueblo. fish shallow with a piece of worm.
heres a list to keep you busy
Barker Reservoir
Barnes Meadow Reservoir
Big Creek Lake(lower)
Big Creek Lake(upper)
Blue Mesa Reservoir
Bonham Reservoir
Boyd Lake
Brush Hollow Reservoir
Chambers Lake
Clear Creek Reservoir
Cowdrey Lake
Crystal Creek Reservoir
Daigre and Wahatoya Lake
Dillon Reservoir
Douglas Reservoir
Dowdy Lake
East Delaney
Echo Canyon Reservoir
Eggleston Lake
Eleven Mile Reservoir
Estes Lake
Franz Lake SWA
Georgetown Lake
Granby Lake
Green Mountain Reservoir
Gross Reservoir
Lake Henry
Hohnholz Lake #3
Horseshoe Reservoir (Lathrop SP)
Joe Moore Reservoir
Joe Wright Reservoir
Jumbo Reservoir (Julesburg)
Kenney Reservoir
Lon Hagler Reservoir
Lonetree Reservoir
Long Draw Reservoir
McPhee Reservoir
Meadow Creek Reservoir
Miramonte Reservoir (Dan Noble SWA)
Mount Elbert Forebay
Mountain Home Reservoir
Narraguinnep Reservoir
Navajo Reservoir
North Delaney
Paonia Reservoir
Parvin Lake
Platoro Reservoir
Rampart Reservoir
Ridgway Reservoir
Lake San Cristobal
Sanchez Reservoir
Sands Lake SWA
Seymour Lake
Shadow Mountain Reservoir
Smith Reservoir (Costilla Cty)
South Delaney
Stagecoach Reservoir
Stalker Lake
Summit Reservoir
Taylor Park Reservoir
Thornton Gravel Ponds #2 & #3
Turquoise Lake
Twin Lakes
Vallecito Reservoir
Watson Lake
Wellington Reservoir #4
West Lake
Williams Fork Reservoir
Willow Creek Reservoir
Wolford Mountain Reservoir

[Bigassbassman]

I catch suckers in Evergreen every time I go.  Easy place to stock up.

[IFF]

Those are for Long noise suckers, White Suckers might even be a longer list.

[IFF]

Really ? Evergreen ?  What kind are they ? Size ?

[lefty2053]

And every Creek you can find has suckers in them.

[Bigassbassman]

Really ? Evergreen ?  What kind are they ? Size ?

I think both longnose and whites.  Some with pretty good size.   

Got this one last year.  That's a 26" rod.

[elks]

Thanks for the answers!

Would I be ok using suckers from the river here in town?

A
So are tune jigs bet bet or spoons or what else? I have minimal experience with lakers but Saturday might be the day!

[IFF]

One I caught at Pueblo was pushing close to 5#,

[Catfishking]

I catch my own suckers no point in buying them

[HDSIV]

Big frozen shrimp work well for me

[COlipripper]

As long as the sucker is dead, you can transport them and use their meat in other lakes.

I've caught em in Chatfield, the prospect park ponds, Aurora, Antero...I could go on.

[JohnnyO19]

Shad caught from Cherry Creek worked great @ WF too 

[Bigassbassman]

Shad caught from Cherry Creek worked great @ WF too 

Hmmm...good to know...I wonder how you found that out...