IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Vermont => Ice Fishing Vermont => Topic started by: 802spinnerbait on Jan 27, 2015, 12:28 PM
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I live in Burlington area and have really wanted to get into some lakers. I heard they like smelt bait but I have only ever fished with Pike bait. Can live smelt bait be purchased somewhere?
I have gone out two weekends in a row trying to target lakers in front of the Lamoille river(30-50ft) and just outside the second marina on the left where it drops off to deeper water(40-60ft) from the main Mallets bay access. Both times we just jigged artificial lures with no electronics, so we were fishing blind w/no luck. I heard converse bay(Lake Champlain) is good this time of year and don't mind driving to the NEK if Crystal/Echo/Maidstone are going to be the places with better luck...
That all said I ordered my conversion kit for my Lowrance elite 7 for ice fishing, can't wait to have a little assistance with the electronics.
Any suggestions or pointers are appreciated, is it better to stay mobile when chasing down lakers (no pop-up)? rely on electronics to find the baitfish? target deeper water? switch to live bait rather than artificial? Should you drill a hole let it settle down then go back to it incase you spooked fish?
Bob
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Bob - jigging lakers is lot of fun but the right tackle - presentation can vary day to day.
Lively smelt is a great bait but difficult to come by with the new bait laws.
Caspian, Magog, Willy, Seymour are all lakes where the smelt can be jigged up
at times. I have a flasher and valuable for "seeing lakers" and how they respond to
various presentations. Weather permitting I move around trying different
depths, baits. PM if you have other specifics.
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I dont no about converse, but i fish right on the burlington waterfront durring summer months for lakers
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Berkley gulp comes in a 4 inch smelt version. It works very well on lake george in ny. I get smelt oil for it as well
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watch out in Converse bay,a very dangerous place in the winter because of ice conditions due to strong currents . I went through there myself,can ruin on otherwise fine day.
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Good to know about Converse. I will also take a look at the smelt gulp. As far as the waterfront, I work downtown Burlington right next to the break. I will have to see if the inner break has even got any ice yet, its been creeping out early in the mornings and falling back later day. Just not sure of the thickness if any.
Off to the smaller NEK ponds for now I think.
Thanks everyone! Much appreciated!
Bob
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Are you putting cut bait on your jigs? Here in Maine we use alot of suckers for cut bait as well as suckers on traps? As far a jigs go what are you using?here Swedish pimple s airplane jigs and lead fish are the go to. Sounds like the water depth your in is perfect. Keep jigging
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Get a non resident license and take a ride down to lake george for some lakers!
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no matter what bait you have, I like to run "hitchhikers" grab the biggest dead bait you have throw it on a hook, then throw another live one on (or two if they are fatheads). place on bottom with a lil slack and let the live ones stir it up. shhhhhhhh (whispering) this works for pike too....
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no matter what bait you have, I like to run "hitchhikers" grab the biggest dead bait you have throw it on a hook, then throw another live one on (or two if they are fatheads). place on bottom with a lil slack and let the live ones stir it up. shhhhhhhh (whispering) this works for pike too....
Thanks for the tip, I have used that method for pike but never tried it for lakers. Call me crazy but mediums or fatheads for lakers?!? I guess I have only fished for pike anyway..didn't realize that would work.
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I checked Converse Bay yesterday and it's not even close. Open water 400 yards from the access.