Quick-strike rigs for lake trout?

[Water Wolf]

Hi guys, when you guys set your tip-up or set lines for lake trout do you use quick-strike rigs? Would this be a good way to set up for them?


WW

[iceintheveins]

I actually use the same tube jigs tipped with cutbait on my wind tip up for lake trout. On stationary tip ups, the tubes will work too. It seems to get more flags then plain deadbait rigged on quick strike rigs.
To make a laker quick strike rig, use abotu 12 pound fluorocarbon leader and slip on one #6 or #8 treble, then tie another treble on the end of the line. Smaller hooks work better than bigger hooks.

[Water Wolf]

 Mackdaddy, so you hook your tube jigs just like you would a smelt, one hook near the head and one in the middle?

WW

[iceintheveins]

Mackdaddy, so you hook your tube jigs just like you would a smelt, one hook near the head and one in the middle?

WW

No I just use a tube and a tube jighead and tie my leader to the jighead eye. I also add a small treble stinger to the main tube hook though. Bait with any oily baitfish. Around here I use fresh suckers or if I can't find fresh sucker frozen anchovy works great. But smelt or whitefish work too.

[Barleydog]

WW,
Since the lakers in my area hit rather... well.... mildly, I like to use a smaller single treble with 3 ft. X 20 lb. fluorocarb leader and a dead herring.  I believe tip-up fishing with a leader that has a  straight clean line to the single hook works best!  A guide used by some ol' boys on Lake Superior was to use a hook that had a gap 1/2 the size of your bait width, (laying on a table.)  Using 20 lb. fluorocarb is just a preference, you could go lighter, but I'm still after a 35+ fish, (not that you asked.)  Hope this helps...

[iceintheveins]

WW,
Since the lakers in my area hit rather... well.... mildly, I like to use a smaller single treble with 3 ft. X 20 lb. fluorocarb leader and a dead herring.  I believe tip-up fishing with a leader that has a  straight clean line to the single hook works best!  A guide used by some ol' boys on Lake Superior was to use a hook that had a gap 1/2 the size of your bait width, (laying on a table.)  Using 20 lb. fluorocarb is just a preference, you could go lighter, but I'm still after a 35+ fish, (not that you asked.)  Hope this helps...

My lake trout in Colorado hit extremely light too. Usually its just added weight on a jigging rod or the line will go slack, even with a big fish. They hit about the same as a perch or crappie here. On a tip up set on the lightest setting, they often can grab the bait and rob it without tripping the flag. That is how light Colorado lake trout hit. They are always on the bottom because there are no pelagic baitfish, and they are more scavenger then predator.
We have some big ones though, but mismanagement from the CDOW is making them scarce in some lakes.

[Barleydog]

Mackdaddy,  Because the lake is lacking pelagic baitfish, dosen't mean their turning into carp.  I've fished a couple lakes in Colorado with good success.  Those lakers are feeding on more than just the limited baitfish.  I used to believe that lakers wouldn't take a larger fish.  I was so wrong!  I opened a 10+ lb. fish last year with a 15" grayling in it

[Iceshanty]

Mack and Bear, Please take this CDOW issue elsewhere.  This site is not the place for that and I think we got the point already.


Thanks,
-Scott

[troutrifle]

Hey BarleyDog,
I like to run the heavy tackle with the lakers,here in the east. Back in January I ran 40lb main line, with a 25LB leader. #4 treble with a 13" shiner yeilded me a 24 lb laker. With all that "heavy" gear, it was still almost a 20 minute battle in 140 feet of water. My icefishing buddy is sold on the tiny hooks and light line, but with my heavier tackle, I'm never at a lack for action. When something that big is hungry, line visibility in 150 feet of water under 2 feet of ice is not an issue in my book.
It's getting close to "ice" time now, i'm getting antsy!!!!
Troutrifle

[Barleydog]

Troutrifle,
I hear you on the 40 lb. 8)  If I had a preference, I'd use it!  Even though most lakers fight like a bag of oranges, I'd still like 40 lb., (just in case this hog finds a peanut, or ah laker.)  I can't afford to use 40 lb. in the waters up here, due to the gin clear clarity.  I rarely fish below 50 ft. so light penetration is a factor.  Only time I fished lakers over 100 ft. was on Big Green lake in Wisconsin, and we used old Dacron rope, hand lines, and huge cork bobbers that looked like crab buoy's with good success!  Kinda funny looking back at how we fished for those fish as apposed to how I fish now.  I'd compair fishing for lakers in AK to that of Lake Superior.   Tight lines!

[troutrifle]

BarleyDog,
Thats a tough boat to be in. Ice-fishing provides some of the worst restrictions. Being in a boat or on open water shoreline, atleast one can follow or run up and down the bank fighting a fish on light line. When your down a hole in the ice, you can't move anywhere, and pretty much at the mercy of that bad boy. I'd still think 4-5 ft of15-20 lb flourocarbon leader would'nt be over obvious with a 12 inch shiner tooling around on the end.
Then again you'd know better than me seein' i've never toyed with the fish in them parts.
I hear you boys are already chopping holes up there. Good luck.
Troutrifle

[Water Wolf]

I know one lake that the lake trout feed mostly on freshwater shrimp. Would tube jigs still be a good bet here on set lines and jigged?

WW

[Barleydog]

WW,  You know I have the same thing with a lake in the area that has lakers.  It's never targeted for them due to the lack of baitfish and lack of angler knowledge.  They're smaller fish, but they feed on aquatic insects and stocked fry.  I use a B-2 double glow squid on a 1/2 oz. jighead in 35 ft. of H20.  I generally tip the jig with just a 1/2 fillet of herring and present it just off the bottom.  If they show up on the graph, I'll stop working the jig, and they'll slurp it up!  May work for you?   

[TroutFishingBear]

in most of my lakes the lakers also feed on mysis shrimp. They will almost always be right on or near the bottom. They do not like any really fast jigging movements. Slow twitches or stops can work the best. Be careful, you will not feel the better fish hit; it will just be added weight. Smaller tubes work well tipped with whatever.  smaller meaning 2-3 "

[iceintheveins]

WW,  You know I have the same thing with a lake in the area that has lakers.  It's never targeted for them due to the lack of baitfish and lack of angler knowledge.  They're smaller fish, but they feed on aquatic insects and stocked fry.  I use a B-2 double glow squid on a 1/2 oz. jighead in 35 ft. of H20.  I generally tip the jig with just a 1/2 fillet of herring and present it just off the bottom.  If they show up on the graph, I'll stop working the jig, and they'll slurp it up!  May work for you?   

Bingo. That is A LOT like most of our Colorado Lakes. No Baitfish and finicky lakers where finesse is needed.

[Master Angler]

WW, I use quick strike rigs for lakers making them out of heavy monofilament, and hooking the bait the same as any other quick strike rig.  When using dead bait for lakers I lay it right on bottom.  I use this on a tip-up and also my ice rods.  Because lakers can often be finicky, on my ice rods I'll leave the bail open and tie on a piece of orange flagging tape to my line.  WHen the tape disappears you've got a fish on free spool. The line slides through the knot on the tape easily, so you just reel them in. 

[deadsmelthead]

When I use dead bait which is 90% of the time I thread it no nead for all those trebles hanging all over the place, thread your bait and you won't miss any fish.