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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Trout => Topic started by: HemlockHiker on Dec 31, 2017, 05:04 AM

Title: Best Live Bait
Post by: HemlockHiker on Dec 31, 2017, 05:04 AM
Hey All,

New to ice fishing and glad to find this forum. It seems like an awesome resource. Just curious what your thoughts are on the best live bait for lake trout.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Best Live Bait
Post by: TwoLightsKid on Jan 02, 2018, 11:42 AM
Varies a lot depending on the predominant forage species in the lakes you are fishing.   In Maine where I am, rainbow smelt are the dominant bait in most lake trout waters I fish and are always a good choice for live bait. 

If you are exclusively after bigger lake trout, then I think big dead bait may be the best bet on many lakes.  I prefer to jig and catch nearly all my fish that way, but if I was really going for a trophy, I would get the biggest bait I could find, cut or stomp on it a bit to get the juices flowing, then drop it to the bottom and be prepared to put in a lot of time waiting.  Not the most exciting way to fish, but big trout are fat, lazy, and cautious, so it’s tough to beat a supersized meal of the real thing served up fresh for them to swallow, no chasing required!