Laker seminar on Black Friday

[stinkyfingers]

There are some guys like Raptortrapper who couldn't make the drive to the Springs through some dicey weather to listen to Robby Richardson from Sportfish Colorado give us his views on catching large lake trout. He guides mostly on Blue Mesa but seemed to have experience on the six or seven lake trout lakes in the state. I wound up throwing out about everything I thought I knew about lakers which isn't much. He likes a med heavy rod with a fairly soft tip to detect light bites but plenty of backbone to set a hook hard. Fishes in the open when he can with 5' spinning rod. Short rods inside of course. All jigging, doesn't mess with deadsticks. Reels would be something like a Shimano Sedona or better in a 2500 to 4000 size, the bigger ones to hold lots of line. The key is a good smooth drag. Also had a baitcast reel like a little bass job. Whatever you're comfortable with.  For line, he likes a pure fluoro like Seaguar or a fluoro blend down to 50' depth. 10# test which seemed light to me. Fishing deeper he goes to braid like PowerPro. No stretch is the key here to get the hookset. For lures, he's all about tube jigs. He had dozens of sparkle tubes in 3-1/2" to 5" mostly and up to 7" and a couple up to 10" which were sort of obscene. Glow is well thought of. Darker colors and the smaller sizes for when the fish are not in the mood. Smallish jigging action, coming to a dead stop now and then. He's big on his electronics to find where they are in the water column. He prefers his Lowrance LCD over a flasher but I don't think that matters. What made me sit up was that he doesn't mess with suckers or scents. He says that they're good for smaller fish but he's all about catching big fish who don't care about bait. He's sure got the pictures to prove it. Fish over 40" and over 35#. If your looking for a laker guide look no further. www.icefishcolorado.co m
Thank you to Chris at Colorado Tackle Pro for putting it on and the chili was great.
P.S. -- If you guys want to get together and get Stinky a gift certificate for a guided trip, it would make a great gift idea. Thanks in advance.

[Raptortrapper]

GREAT STUFF Stinky!!!  Thanks for posting this!  I've already learned more than I ever knew about lakers!  I have a M Fenwick Elite Tech coming from Old Goat that he found on Craigslist for me.  I wonder if that will have enough backbone to it to get the job done.  If not, it will make a superb walleye rod! 

Gotta start putting together a "laker box" in my ice fishing stuff with those lures you mentioned.  Son of a gun I'm getting REALLY excited now!! 

[stinkyfingers]

That Fenwick Elite should be perfect. Robby may have had one there. I'm having ryno build me an acid rod out of one of my old medium UglyStik tip sections. Made for northerns but should work for lakers also. Good luck out there this year.

[Crazy Tom]

4000 size  reels     big reel for anything in colorado

[Raptortrapper]

Thanks for this info Stinky!  I am so excited to actually have the correct equipment before paying good money for a guided trip.  I've never been on a guided trip of any kind, so this will be my first.  I certainly want to take advantage of this, and am going to look at this as going to school for the day.  I do need a reel to match up with the Elite Tech rod I have coming, so I'll look at the Sedona reel.  I have some 10# XACT line from Vicious that was recommended by another laker guy before I heard about this seminar.  He said it has some stretch, but it is very low stretch.  He liked it, and had good luck with it, so I ordered some.   

You have any experience with this Vicious line?  Is it any good, or should I pitch it and go with the other stuff for those deeper depths??

[stinkyfingers]

I don't know that line at all. I'm a braid guy when all is said and done. Give it a try.
Crazy Tom-- You gotta remember that this guy's sometimes starting in 130' of water using 10# line on a 30# fish so he's going to let it run and let the drag do the work. Said he's never been spooled but close a few times.

[Crazy Tom]

The standard 20" Lakers I catch dont run off to much line on the  2500 size reels I use. 

[SLAYERFISH]

130' of water?  Screw that.

[stinkyfingers]

I just remembered another thing that Robby Richardson mentioned in passing the other night. He said the Blue Mesa shallows have a solid population of jumbo perch as a result of all the water they've gained in the last couple of years. As I recall, Nate and Slayer and others hunt the perch for sport and table fair. Lefty fishes that lake quite a bit and may be able to confirm. Or one of the Gunnison sporting goods stores may have a bead on that species. Wish it weren't so dang far over there from the front range. Personally, I think I'd rather hunt perch than lakers and there's bound to be closer waters.

[Raptortrapper]

Perch are one of my favorites on the table.  We have some nice ones around here, but if I make a trip down to the mesa for a long weekend, I may spend part of a day in the shallows chasing the perch.  I enjoy a good fish fry, and perch are one of the only ones that I keep.  Everything else usually, not always, but usually gets returned.  I always return big ones though.  Never been able to bring myself to keep a big fish of any kind.  Nothing against those who do, just a personal thing is all.

Keep thinkin Stinky!!!  What else can ya remember???!!!

Does Robby guide on Perch trips too, or just lakers??

[lefty2053]

I can tell you this. Since they netted all the Bigger Lake Trout for what possibly 5 years the population of perch is worst then Rabbits populations. 4 Years ago I never caught now knew there was perch in there. Now everywhere you go there are perch. When the lake was full this summer it was hard to find anywhere from shore to fish it because of the Sage Brush was in the water. I found a spot near the Lake city bridge and threw out a bobber with a piece of worm on it. Instantly I started catching perch. I am going in the morning to the Lake city bridge and will try out the edges. I like to fish in 12 FOW in that area anyway.
Last year I caught Perch in 60 FOW.

[stinkyfingers]

Keep thinkin Stinky!!!  What else can ya remember???!!!

Does Robby guide on Perch trips too, or just lakers??

Nothing more to remember. I'd forget my name if my wife didn't yell it at me every day. I'm sure Robby would guide you even if you were just trying to catch a cold. Call him. Limit on perch on the western slope is no limit.