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Ruimachoado,This is a tough one to answer as lakers can be so variable based on the the lake, time of the year and even day to day. The best advice I got early on was to stay mobile. Overall I will say I tend to start my days around 40' (unless the late season smelt runs or sucker staging has begun) then I start much shallower. If I'm not seeing many marks or active marks in 10-15 minutes at a hole, I move to the next one. Sometimes just twenty feet (on ice, not depth) makes a huge difference. Once you start marking fish establishing a chase or bite ceiling helps a lot. If they only rise a little, I downsize and shorten the distance I pull away. I tend to think overall that structure matters a lot more than depth but that doesn't mean there aren't days that pounding a sand flat doesn't produce in a big way. In general NH lake trout don't seem to be as aggressive as they are in some of the neighboring states but often with a more finesse approach you can still put quite a few fish on the ice. Hope there's something useful in here somewhere.
For instance on Sebago, I pound bottom until a mark appears and then you start burning it up and once you get say 25’ up the rod bends in half and it’s every damn time. I wish they did that here as a rule and not that 1 odd day a year
The aggression part I have to agree, I catch more lakers on a 2" paddle tail than with a little bigger presentations, but my whole concern is consistency on finding cruising fish, a few holes I fish normally have a fish come by at least every hour, but that's on a good day, that tells me I'm on the wrong depths or just targeting wrong structure(holes and funnels)During the smelt staging those same holes are loaded with smelt and lakers and can easily put 20 fish on the ice before lunch time, but that's when bait is concentrated on a relatively small area.So after my whole mumbling my question is, should I keep targeting same depths but different areas or should I target deeper water( 60ft+)?
I guess without putting too fine a point on it, it sounds like you found a killer smelt staging spot. Which is awesome, but early season (at least on my staging spots) they won't put up the same numbers as they will in march. Not even close. I would try branching out, try fishing inside turns, points, rises, etc (structures that aid in feeding) either that are adjacent to deeper or "big" water this time of year. Like I said, I might start at 40' on a given day on a given structure but by days end I might have found my best numbers in 10' fow or 120' (the prior usually late ice but not exclusively) on or near that same structure or I might end up putting 4-7 miles on the boots to find aggressive fish (relatively speaking). I know I'm not directly answering your question, and that is not intentionally to be difficult, it is just that in my experience there is no way to answer it concisely.
On the aggression piece, does anyone else think NHs laws in chumming have an impact on their aggression?
Phenomenal post Keith. You are spot on with the aggression here. I think it’s actually why I do t fish them here and just get a bunch by accident. For instance on Sebago, I pound bottom until a mark appears and then you start burning it up and once you get say 25’ up the rod bends in half and it’s every damn time. I wish they did that here as a rule and not that 1 odd day a year
No not even in the slightest. I also think it’s a horrible thought to bring to the table if anyone’s asking. More rules, that’s what we need!
Oh yeah, we def do not need anymore laws. I was just thinking out loud. The ones in shallow sure seem to have wised up to the egg game, but that also could be overthinking it as well.
That is veryyyy true. One thing to consider however, we are in a bigger cycle year for bows and have been trending the last few again. I remember last time this happened the egg bite went cold as well. Then the new smaller class coming up through last time set it on fire again. I think there is a corrallation with cycles of the different age classes.
Lakers dont eat eggs. Start an egg thread for dick.
LollllI have caught them on eggs a time or 2
Nice thread, I'm no laker guy but appreciate the knowledge being laid down...
Im so addicted. Anytime you want to get slimed lemme know. Can even be on your home turf although not preferred.