Laker Ice Rod Preference

[Augerdogger]

I'd like to try my luck at jigging for lake trout this winter and I'm considering buying a Thorne Bros. Professional Plus ice rod.  This rod comes in either solid glass or solid graphite with either a handle for a casting reel or a spinning reel.  At this time, I'm leaning toward a solid glass rod with a spinning reel, but don't have the experience to know any better .

Please weigh in with your opinions:  glass vs. graphite; spinning vs. casting reel; and why.  Thanks.

AugerD

[TroutFishingBear]

Graphite/spinning

[billditrite]

what he said

[Augerdogger]

Thanks for the input, guys.

Cider:  You're right about the casting reel having the advantage of sort of knowing what depth you're fishing.  But I use a Vex, so I know exactly at what depth the bait is and, like you, I'm more comfortable with a spinning reel.

AugerD

[TroutFishingBear]

My preference would be graphite for increase sensitivity.  Lakers bite so subtly that you need every bit of feel that you can muster when jigging for them.  Seems odd that a large fish would bite so tentatively, but that is just the way it is the majority of the time.

Ahh. Another person that agrees with me about lakers biting so lightly. You can't even feel the big ones hit usually! They are just added weight. There is a thread about this entitled "are lakers always light strikers"

You will be surprised that, funnily enough, a lot of people think I am crazy when I say they hit lightly!
My ongoing theory is that it has to do with forage. The lakes that I fish in have no baitfish, except suckers. And since suckers don't move much in the winter, the lakers don't have to move as much to find them, and therefore hit lighter. What baitfish live in your lake trout lake cider?

[iceintheveins]

I think a senstive graphite rod is a must. I use a 34" frabil ultra ice, which has good feel and sets hooks well. But I do have a problem with lakers spitting the hooks. So I am going to try a longer thorne bros. rod this year.
Cider, that is the way all lakers act around here in Colorado. They do not even really hit, they just lightly suck the bait in. All you feel is added weight or your line goes slack and your jig feels weightless.
Its funny because everybody here in Colorado says the lakers barely even can be felt when they hit. And everybody in the east and Canadian Border states area say lakers smash lures. And each side accuses the other of being crazy. I think they must be hard strikers there, and extremely light strikers here.
Like TFB says, I think it's because the forage around here moves so slowly. We have no shad, ciscoes, alewives, or other suspending pelagic forage. Only slow moving suckers, chubs, perch, and freshwater shrimp.
I have to use light line and sensitive rods to feel the almost inperceptible strike of a laker around here.

Tyler

[Augerdogger]

Again, thanks for all the input.  It seems that both graphite and glass rods have their proponents.  Guess I'll have to get one of each and try them myself   .  Now all I have to do is convice the Treasurer.

AugerD

[TroutFishingBear]

  Lakers are awesome through the ice and seem to bite anytime, all day, and under any weather conditions. 

In my experience and all other lake trout fisherman that fish the  same lakes I do, lake trout just aren't active if the sun is out. You can get one every drop in the morning before the sun rises and about 30 min. to 1 hr after that, but then they almost never bite during the day. You can get them in the evening too like that. But you can also get em from about 3 pm on if it is a very stormy day. But whatever the conditions, lakers don't bite from 9:00 to 3:00, and they never bite if it is sunny.

[NAD42]

  Lakers are awesome through the ice and seem to bite anytime, all day, and under any weather conditions. 

In my experience and all other lake trout fisherman that fish the  same lakes I do, lake trout just aren't active if the sun is out. You can get one every drop in the morning before the sun rises and about 30 min. to 1 hr after that, but then they almost never bite during the day. You can get them in the evening too like that. But you can also get em from about 3 pm on if it is a very stormy day. But whatever the conditions, lakers don't bite from 9:00 to 3:00, and they never bite if it is sunny.

...first of all, IBT-44 trout rods are what I use...and lakers don't bite from 9-3???...and never when it's sunny??....now that is funny!!!!

[trapperdirk]

Well these Colorady lakers need something thats for sure cause there is something wrong with them if all they do is suck on something jigged . I think we should send you some of our Canuck ones to help improve your strains and give yours some attitude .
  Your lakers don't smash spoons or refuse to bite between the hours of 9am and 3pm . **censored** .They are weird and need something.
   The only thing I can figure for their poor activity as in not chasing and smashing spoons is poor oxygen levels and I also read a post somewhere where IFB said when he caught walleyes in 3-5 FOW they would come up with their bladders in their mouths .To me thats odd too .Something is weird in Colorado .

[iceintheveins]

Well the lake trout seem reasonably active, I get plenty of them numbers wise and some big ones occaisonally. It could be the high altitude causes very low oxygen levels, as most of our lake trout lakes are 7500 feet or higher above sea level. A hard hit for a lake trout around here is a halfhearted tap.
I notice the same thing as IFB. Lake trout are really fickle during late mornings - afternoons during sunny weather. However during a storm they will bite all day. Those days usually can be expected to produce a couple dozen macks. Early mornings around sunup and sunset also produce better.
My theory for light hitting, slow moving lakers is this. We don't have the suspending, roaming baitfish that most eastern or Canadian Lakes have. They eat mostly slow moving suckers or freshwater shrimp. So they conserve energy and do not respond well to aggressive jigging. In fact just a small lift every 30 seconds or so, followed by pauses and jiggles usually works best. However they do like a little motion rather than none.
Your right trapperdirk, it's almost as if they are two different fish. Here they are finicky, almost glued to the bottom most of the time, and hit so light that it's comparable to a crappie, even lighter. However our lakes do produce monster mackinaw, and most say the bigger fish hit just the same or even lighter. Just the difference in the environment here I think.

Tyler

[trapperdirk]

 I'll tell ya Mackdaddy if a laker whallops a spoon jigged here you better have a good grip cause its a smash that will jerk the rod outta your hands if your not ready . Brookies do it too .

           TD

[Fishmon]

The Lake Trout that I fish for in Lake George, NY will take the rod out of your hand if you are not careful.  They smash lures rather than inhaling them like a walleye or crappie.  I now use a vexilar unit where you can see the rocket before it hits you - big advantage.  I use both a spinnning reel and a baitcaster reel setup with different jigs rigged up.  I love my Ambassedeur baitcaster because of its drag.  I use 8# test flourocarbon line on both rods.  The rods I use are plain old Eagle Claw $8.95 fiberglass medium/heavy action rods about 36 inches long.  I bought them at a local shop in Lake George after the owner talked me out of buying  much more expensive graphite rods.  I am very happy with them.  They have large eyes, plenty of backbone for a good hookset, do not ice up, and believe me, it gets cold in upstate NY.

[kingfshr16]

Fishmon, could you please tell me what shop you got those rods in? My uncle has a couple that he loves, says he likes them right up there with his St. Croix and I would like to pick one up as an extra to have rigged. Thanks in advance.
~Kingfshr16~
   

[Fishmon]

Kingfishr - Purchased rods at Fish307.com which is just north of intersection of
Route 9 and 149 on left side of Route 9.  Not sure what direction you are coming from, but get off exit 20 on northway if coming from south and go past outlet stores to above intersection and go straight for about 1/2 mile.

The rod model is "brave eagle" made by eagleclaw and is 36 inches long and cost $8.95.  As I mentioned, I am very happy with 2 rods for less than 1/2 the cost of a high tech graphite rod.  Lake trout don't seem to mind that I am using a more cost effective equipment.

[TroutFishingBear]

To me thats odd too .Something is weird in Colorado .

This may sound crazy but maybe the CDOW (colorado division of wildlife) is doing something to the lakers here because they hate lake trout. Maybe they are doing something to the pike too because the pike here in most of colorado's lakes are dormant during winter and very rarely bite. Lord knows our CDOW euthanizes all of our good fish, maybe they are doing something else we don't know about???

Whatever the reason though I can't wait to use my 2.5"-4.0" tubes tipped with a bit of sucker meat, jigged very lightly in 40 ft.+  of water right near the bottom in the extremely early morning so I can catch a lot of big fish.  30 lber here I come!

Lakers remind me of walleye how they are so sensitive to the light! And they hit like a dead crappie! But boy the sure do fight!

[Fishmon]

Surprised to hear that Lakers hit so lightly in Colorado.  Must be altitude and maybe low dissolved oxygen in water that slows down their metabolism.  Pike are affected in a similar way in lakes that are full of decaying vegetation.  Poor buggers are trying to stay alive and shut down their metabolism to do so.  In lakes with enough oxygen, the lakers are rockets under the ice.  In Lake George where I fish, they prey heavily on smelt and ciscoes with an occassional perch for a chaser and don't seem to mind chasing them.