Lakers

[_Icecold_]

Hey guys, so I go up to Sanbornton at least 3-4 times every winter because I have family that lives up there and I usually fish for bass but since winnisquam is 5 min down the road, this year I want to get into fishing on there, (alsoi will fish winnipesaukee), but anyways, I hear the main fish caught out of those two lakes is lake trout. So I've heard some stuff over the years about where to go. I hear you generally wanna fish about a foot off the bottom in 35-50 ft of water? And I'm not sure what to use as bait (I use tilts). So if any of you guys have any info or tips or corrections for what I know, they would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Ben Sten

[SmellsLikeFishNH]

Get some smelt Ben, that's the primary forage food for them, and that's what they will hit........setup about 18-24" above the bottom.

Good luck!

[dunphy11]

Smelt is definitely the primary food source. Each lake holds great amounts of fishable rainbows, white perch and crappie.  Don`t be afraid to try dead bait on bottom, I have had great success with chumming a little with smelt, shiners , cut sucker and placing a chunk on bottom using light leader and the smallest split shot possible.

[winnisquamtrout]

suckermeat on the bottom or smelt, try to find bottom structure rock piles etc.....

[JRFlatlander]

All the tips above are good tips.  My tip to catch some lake trout would be use a jig pole, set one tip up out and jig a few holes.  If you have a flasher even better.  You can go wrong with a jig pole and a bucktail jig with a chuck of meat for a trailer

[ice cracker]

Medium- large live shiners 1-3 feet off bottom. Can't go wrong

[_Icecold_]

Thanks for the tips guys, there greatly appreciated. I'm gettin anxious just thinkin about ice fishin for lakers. Now, is the depth I was told was best for lakers (35-50 fow) accurate? Or does it vary with weather, time of year, etc?

[budwinslow]

Yes it does vary with weather!  Sometimes they are just sitting low and will only hit bait sitting on the bottom.  Other times they are agressive and will hit bait just under the ice, or will come screaming from 50' away to hit your jig! It is never a guarantee, but mixing up your presentation helps cover the mood and the weather

[stripernut]

Most of my lakers I get in 15-20 ft, many in 5 ft of water and have gotten them in a foot of water under the ice near a stream mouth... The ones that I find in shallow water seem to be there to feed, often deeper fish are not as aggressive... I get most of my lakers jigging, with some on the tip up I throw in.