Best way to fish lakers

[groundsluice_pete]

I'm new at laker fishing. I recently fished Hidden Lake (Kenai Pen.), and saw some nice fish taken, but had no success myself. I saw that one successful fisherman was using either herring or hooligan on a single Mustad hook. I couldn't get much info on what depth he was fishing- bottom, mid or near the top. How do all you experienced Alaska laker fisherman catch yours?

[KGrant]

On a tip up i use herring  on a single hook, 1-5' off the bottom.  Or I jig with a bucktail, or most any spoon tipped with herring at the same depths. Try and find a drop off, work both sides of it.

[Fishin Fireman]

Here we are fishing in Dan's new Fish Trap Yukon , now we just to sucker some other guy into buying another one so we can fish like this. LOL

[Barleydog]

Hidden lake eh Pete?  I know a gent who fishes it, I'll pick his brain.  I know the clarity is good, and the depth is around 25ft. or so where those fellers probably hooked the fish right? 

[KGrant]

I catch most of mine between 15 and 30 feet of water near the bottom.  (in Fielding)

I just got my LX-3 so maybe I'll start finding some suspened fish.  I'm still learning how to use it, and man is it a rush when you see a big glob of red heading to your jig! 

Hmm....maybe we could attach that Yukon to my shack somehow....duct tape??? 

Kevin

[Fishin Fireman]

Hmm....maybe we could attach that Yukon to my shack somehow....duct tape??? 

Kevin

Thats thinking Alaskan , Kevin  A Good ole RED GREEN Ice Shanty

[groundsluice_pete]

Hey, thanks guys for all the tips and info. Going to give it another shot this weekend if the weather holds. And will try your tips. Glad it's a lot warmer here (+10) than up the Fbx. way!

[GBP04]

Hey Dan we should get out one weekend and do a little Ice fishing.
John

[Baiter]

I am heading out to hidden lake tomorrow to try my luck in hookin one of those lunkin lakers, hopefully I can at least get a nibble or three.  Will post how the day was, hopefully it will get a bit western out there, but we'll see.  I have heard the bite isn't going that great anywhere in the state right now, but who goes fishin just to catch fish.  Wish me luck.

baiter

[groundsluice_pete]

Hey Baiter-
I'm assuming you're talking about the Peninsula Hidden...?
I went today. Dead as a doornail. Nobody was catching anything. I saw, herring, bucktails, pimples, and spoons fished. My wife had a kokanee on up to the rim of the hole but it fell off which was the only thing I saw caught today by anyone. Moon is waning, and it seems like we have a low pressure system moving in. Hope you have better luck than we did.
Pete

[Baiter]

Well since I have heard your news, I think I will wait for another week to try hidden.  Plus I am a BRONCOS maniac and wouldn't miss tomorrows game for anything, well maybe if I was guaranteed to catch a lunky laker.  Anyways I was out at BIg Beaver Lake today outside of wasilla.  Quite a bit of action but only landed two, but they were rainbows both over 20in, one measuring 23in.  It was a cold one though just because there was a little breeze from the NE.  Happy hookin boys.

Baiter

[DIRTBALL2]

groundsluice pete, Well I don't really qualify as an experienced Alaska fisherman since I live in Minnesota. But I will be happy to pass on to you what I know and my experiences fishing lake trout. Most of my experience has been fishing wilderness lakes in Ontario, CA. If it is legal to fish with 2 lines, I always put down a tip-up with a frozen cisco for bait and just let it sit right on the bottom. Using this set-up, you will occasionally tangle with some real hog type northerns. For my line that I'll be jigging, I like to use anything real shiny. Like a Swedish Pimple, Doctor Spoon, Sutton Spoon, Len Thompson spoon, etc... I always tip the spoons with a hunk of cisco. Drop your spoon in all the way to the bottom. Start by doing some jigging right on the bottom. If nothing is happening there, move your spoon up about 6 inch's to a foot and repeat. Keep repeating until you are all the way up to the bottom of the ice. Didn't catch anything? Drop it all the way back down to the bottom and start over again. Somewhere in there, you should happen to stumble onto the depth where the fish will be holding. Also like to use an airplane jig occasionally for lakers. Don't forget to put a hunk of cisco on the rear hook. What color you ask? Well an old timer once told me, "You can use any color you like as long as it's white!" Lakers will sometimes mess with your mind. If you are standing there jigging and all of a sudden your line won't go down the hole, take up your slack and nail 'em. This happens when a laker grabs your bait on the drop. I live right near Lake of the Woods on the MN and Canada border. Got lots of good places to fish but I sure am jealous of you guy's up in AK. Here's hoping my BS has helped a little bit. I hope you catch a ton! DIRTBALL2

[groundsluice_pete]

Thanks Dirtball. I'm really racking up the pointers here and accumulating a good knowlege base. I have put aside the laker fishing temporarily to fish for land-locked cohoe, which we did well at this morning. I plan to go back after lakers when it warms up a little. Anyway, thanks again.

[DIRTBALL2]

AkDan, No I don't happen to live in Baudette. I live in the boonies, about 7 miles south of Warroad, right on the edge of the Beltrami National Forest. I live about 1 mile south of Co 12 on the Old Buffalo Road. Moved up here 3 years ago from Maple Grove after I retired. I love living up here because it reminds me of my old hometown(Cambridge) during the 50's. You can park your car uptown, not bother locking it, and know when you come back that it will still be there and no one will have bothered it. Where do you live in AK? Are you originally from the LOW area? Tight lines! DIRTBALL2

[Barleydog]

Atta way DB2!  Finally pried some of that dusty ol' knowledge found in your gray matter to share with us young folk eh Keith?   Good to hear your input on lakers.  Sounds dead on how we fish them.

[DIRTBALL2]

AkDan, There's going to be a real zoo in Waskish this spring. URL has been closed for the taking of walleye's for about the past 10 years. The walleye fishery had been almost destroyed because of over harvesting and too many fish were being taken because of netting being allowed there. The crappie fishing just went crazy there. It was nothing to go there and get a limit of crappies that were mostly 13 to 15 inch's long. During this closed period the DNR did some pretty heavy polanting of walleyes. Now when you go there, only about every 4th fish is a crappie. The walleyes have come back with a vengence. They are re-opening it to walleye fishing this year on May 15th. I only live about 70 miles away from URL but I'm not going near the place on opening weekend. It will be total chaos down there. If you have some property there Dan, I would guess it has at least doubled in value if not even more.
     Barleydog you old rattlesnake! How the heck are you? Did you get the PM yet that I just sent you? Speaking as an old pro, I feel that it is my duty and obligation to occasionally drop these pearls of wisdom on those less gifted than myself!LOL! 8)   DIRTBALL2

[Barleydog]

Dan and DB,  SOunds like a great place!  Any place with fat walleyes, ample pike, and bears sound good to me!

Keith, Perles of wisdom eh!   That's why we keep your generation around, to fill the empty void.    No IM.?.?. Must have forgot what ya typed!  It's O.K..... Senior moment I'm sure!