Late Ice Lakers

[AdkIceman]

Hey guys,
Been having a little trouble getting lakers once it gets to be about this time of the year the last couple of years, wondering if anyone can give me any advice. Last couple of times I hit Lake George I have only gotten three lakers, Two of them came from 40-50 feet of water near perch grounds. I am hitting Blue Mountain Lake this weekend in Hamilton County NY. I am gonna be targeting brookies and lakers. I am gonna have two tip ups set for speckles in <10 feet of water near a stream about halfway down with emeralds or hopefully smelt if I can jig some up, then for lakers I am gonna be in no more than 50 ft of H2O with two on bottom with emeralds or hopefully smelt and one just under the ice. I know Lakers move shallower this time of the year but I still cant seem to connect as frequently as I would hope or as good as I do in Middle or Early winter. Does anyone have any tips they can throw my way.

~AdkIceman~
 

[iceintheveins]

Well here in CO, two of the lakes I fish actually get better as winter goes along, and one pretty much totally shuts off after January because the ice gets 4 feet thick. But then it perks up again in March. Sometimes the bigger macks are more accessible this time of year than any others.
I haven't landed any large lakers this year as our lakes are getting overpopulated and running out of food. But I got 16 smaller macks last weekend fishing smaller tubes on the bottom with a postage stamp size piece of anchovy.
When lakers are less active, barely jigging or actually deadsticking your lures will garner way more strikes. Smaller tubes and marabou jigs are best and always tip with cut bait.
Are you seeing fish on your sonar or do you even use one? I do think they start moving a bit shallower, so I would try 40 feet in for the most part, and if your not getting bites there, try moving to 20 feet or so. But patterns here in Colorado are totally different than where you are fishing or any lakes that have baitfish.

Tyler

[bigredonice]

in my experience, as the springtime rolls near the lakers in this area seem to really spread out, being found practically everywhere at all depths, swimming in smaller schools than those of earlier in the winter.  Definetly look for migration routes or try to be right on the baitfish.

[Pasquatch]

Like Lance said, follow the migrations of baitfish!

[TroutFishingBear]

Like Lance said, follow the migrations of baitfish!

That info always bugs me when infisherman says it because WE DON'T HAVE baitfish AT ALL west of the continental divide in colorado.

Try to find an inflowing stream, fish 20-50 ft. of water, near the bottom with SMALL tubes like 2-3". Jig very nonaggressively and just tease the laker for a long time. Don't give up, the most aggressive of lakers look at it for a long time before taking. Hope this helps. Good luck!

[Pasquatch]

Like Lance said, follow the migrations of baitfish!

That info always bugs me when infisherman says it because WE DON'T HAVE baitfish AT ALL west of the continental divide in colorado.

Try to find an inflowing stream, fish 20-50 ft. of water, near the bottom with SMALL tubes like 2-3". Jig very nonaggressively and just tease the laker for a long time. Don't give up, the most aggressive of lakers look at it for a long time before taking. Hope this helps. Good luck!

What the hell do the eat then? Crayfish? Weird, Weird fish.......how do they get so big?

[icefizzlemachizzle]

By baitfish, I believe trout fishing bear is referring to pelagic species that school and roam such as alewifes and smelt.  Bear..I'm thinking western lakers probably rely mostly on sculpin and dace species, suckers and larger zooplankton?

[Pasquatch]

Yeah, I know what he meant, I'm just joking with him...(You gotta pour some smelt in there!)
Our lakers actually are supposed to rely on sculpin as much as smelt.

[fishkill 1]

Lakers were doing just fine this weekend . Between three of us we caught 27 LAKERS from fri. to sat.. They have been smashing the emeralds like MAD Had lots and lots of bait taken this weekend without a flag being tripped.. CHECK YOUR BAIT OFTEN. Also iced a 15 and a 21" SALMON. It was about time we found ummm

[trav]

By baitfish, I believe trout fishing bear is referring to pelagic species that school and roam such as alewifes and smelt.  Bear..I'm thinking western lakers probably rely mostly on sculpin and dace species, suckers and larger zooplankton?

Your right, we are referring to the lack of pelagic baitfish species. Our lakers rely on mysis shrimp, suckers, the odd baitfish they might find, and when they get big enough kokane salmon, and rainbow trout. It's a totally different pattern of lake trout out here. I've been fortunate to be able to fish for "great lakes" lakers and "Colorado lakers" and I can tell you there is a definite and profound difference in them. Our lakers are very opportunistic in there feeding and will take what ever they can to survive, they don't have the large schools of high protein baitfish that yours do. They are very finicky and need to be finessed into biting most of the time.  They are "strange" lakers indeed, but still fun to fish for.

[Pasquatch]

Ok, I think I understand better now, you'rew lakers are more scavenger type fish, not active predators. They eat whatever they find swimming around, right?

[iceintheveins]

Yeah we have suckers and sometimes kokanee and smaller trout for mackinaw to eat. Our lakes used to be full of bigger macks but now the big ones are vanishing because of no more forage, the big ones being harvested (which is encouraged by the CDOW to the chagrin of anglers), and they are beginning to overpopulate.
Our lakers are totally different. Like a different species of fish. I think we need to plant some smelt or some type of baitfish they can eat so we can return to Colorado's glory days. I'm tired of catching nothing but dozens of 1 - 5 pounders. Our fisheries management is among the worst in the nation.

Tyler

[deadsmelthead]

I havent read any of the replies so ( dont have the time ) late ice lake trout and lake trout in general follow the baitfish they feed upon.. For example the lakes I fish for them they 90% of the time feed on smelt.. Smelt in turn feed on micro bul crap like zoo plankton which as the ice season ends migrate closer to the ice theus  making the smelt hang,suspend closer to the ice... Now bear in mind that smelt spawn 1-2 weeks after ice out in streams and small creeks and bada bing bada boom you can lamb bast lakers in front of these areas ESPECIALY using dead smelt..Because ?? why hunt it down if  you dont have to so anyway I have had way to much to drink tonight and havent posted in months here so forgive me ...

[hali-man]

I have had way to much to drink tonight and havent posted in months here so forgive me ...

LMAO! You're forgiven.
I had one crack at the Lakers this year and didn't hook up.
I'm sure it's a matter of just doing it over and over, like every other species.
Next year I will be better prepared.

 8)