Flaming gorge lakers tackle?

[Wyohandscold]

So I’m thinking about heading out this next weekend for lake trout. Can you use a walleye
 rod or do you need heavy tackle? I just can’t imagine if you’re lucky enough to hook into a stud a medium action with 6-8 pound test would land it. The other question is what would you all recommend for a cheaper rod for lake trout and what pound test? Don’t want to spend a bunch of money because I’m not going to do this often.

[Wyohandscold]

Also any tips on depth or an area to start would be appreciated

[Special]

Genz meat sticks 38 inch is like 30$ great rod for lakers big and small. Or a ugly stick heavy. High end Fetters custom. Man he can make a rod.  If your head down this week. Rocksprings and Greenriver have been pick through hard. As for me I run braid with floro leader. 40lb braid with 15lb floro. Statistic on hooking into 15lb plus is hard. Doable but you almost have to be knowledge in local water. As for the pups. Lots of them. Find 90 ft and you should see marks around 60 and fish on. Tubs 6 inch you can pick up at the stores for the bigger lakers. As fort the pups I was using PK flutter fish and some of my walleye gear. Same for the burbot. But they like the glow stuff. Good luck have fun.

[huntinfool18]

I landed a 17lb one in lost dog while fishing for pups using a smaller rod and 6lb test. It can be done but easier on the fish if you don’t take a long time to land them. I use a 40” custom made rod with 20lb braid and 15lb floro leader. Your best bet is on the edges of the channels usually 80-100ft of water. It’s really hard to fill bites and get a good hooks set using mono in that deep of water.
Ace hardware in rock springs usually has some cheap laker rods

[POk3s]

If you hooked a stud with 6 or 8 on test you probably would land it after a while. The problem is actually HOOKING the fish. Down 100 feet and trying to set the hook with a lighter rod and all that stretch from 6 lb mono is nearly impossible. NEARLY. You’d also stress the fish out to the max. If I were you, just bring your heavier walleye stuff assuming you have some kind of medium heavy rod and tie about 125 feet of 15 lb Fluoro on there. If you get into your “backing” well...you’ll be there a while but that’s alright.

[WYIfish]

X2 on what Trent said. I use heavy action ugly sticks and love them. I also use a quality diawa bait caster and 12 lb Pline flurocarbon. Gots to have good electronics too.

[Wyohandscold]

Thanks everyone. I think we will hold off this weekend. Might head up in March if we ever get some good ice making weather. That will give me time to get a couple custom rods ordered in for the wife and I. I’d rather have a good set up for the fish we are targeting. In the meantime we will just hit our normal areas for perch and walleye. I might really look into the bait caster. What specific reel do you all recommend?

[Wyohandscold]

Yea we’ve got an old vexlar and a new garmin 73cv

[POk3s]

I like spinning reels myself. Baitcasters always have to iffy if a drag system for me.

[appleye]

I like spinning reels myself. Baitcasters always have to iffy if a drag system for me.

it's funny I think the same way about a spin cast reel

[WYIfish]

it's funny I think the same way about a spin cast reel

I was never smart enough to keep from twisting my line with the spinning reel. now in Summer I am straight spinning reel and leave the baitcaster at home. for verticle jigging it's hard to beat a finely tuned bait caster drag. Be sure to use sharp hooks, it foiled me yesterday, the fish won.