Using a power auger and portable depth finder is one of the best ways to find productive spots to jig. Be prepared to cut a lot of holes. Use a grid-like pattern to identify areas where the depth changes. Begin by cutting holes every 20 paces-north, south, east and west. Have a partner trail behind you, graphing the depth in each hole. Recording the findings will help you to paint a clear mental image of the lake's floor. What you effectively want to do is survey the bottom, like a highway engineer. Charting different depths in consecutive holes is a good sign. Readings of 105', 97', 79', 66', 52', 38' mean that you're in the ballpark.

Though I have caught some lake trout as deep as 150 feet and some as shallow as 35, day in and day out depths ranging from 100 to 55 feet seem to hold the greatest concentrations. In some lakes, they can be caught in less than 30 feet of water.

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