Non-Standard Laker question.

[Dirtofak]

Does anyone fish for lakers where there is a large amount of fresh water shrimp? What lures, scents, bait? I am talking about augering up 100+ shrimp when clearing the hole? Supposedly decent fish in the lake. They should be fat dumb and full. They could be very hard to target if it is possible at all.

Thanks!
Mike

[Wiener]

Lakers eat anything they can get.

I wouldn't get too hung up on the freshwater shrimp.

If a lakers is swimming bye and sees a nice fat shiner, I don't think they'll pass it up.

I'd use the freshwater shrimp to help me find the rest of the forage base.


Wiener

[Drifter_016]

A different bait may be what's needed to attract them in the first place.
Try 3 to 5 inch tube jigs in white, williams whitefish spoons in various sizes and herring on tipups.
I catch the bulk of my lakers on gold or silver gold williams either hammered or plain. I also do well on jiggs like Bad Boyz and Lil Foxee jigs in various colours. I tip the Bad Boyz with a carppie tube in a colour that matches the jig.
Like this.   

[stoph]

I'm with drifter here on lure choices for lakers, the meegs, white tubes (i like yum vibraking) and williams are my 3 laker go to's, i also like the lindy slick jigs and they can be tipped with a tube or full live minnow (the action on the up-lift is great!).
 As for the shrimp, i was catching lots of jumbo perch on simcoe first ice, they were FULL of scuds, almost every fish regurgitaed scuds in and around the hole as i unbuttoned them. I tied a 'bro bug scud' in brown (almost an exact match to the real deal!) and slayed em! i fished it as a dropper under a small rapala. Its gonna be a good match for the shrimp you got there too maybe, but its small and light so its gonna need to be rigged as a dropper under a heavyer spoon/lure to get it down anywhere near deep enough (i'm going under the presumption that you are fishing over deep water)
 As a general rule for lakers i like bigger baits rather than tiny mico jigs and plastic(i even had sucsess with a clackin rap this yr!)

[Drifter_016]

One FYI for those of you talking about live bait.
It's not legal in Alaska's inland waters, not sure about the salt.
There are areas when bait of any kind is illegal, this includes scented plastics.
Most areas allow dead bait in the winter though, most but not all.

Here in the NWT it's no live bait and barbless hooks.

[Dirtofak]

Dave, I am not dead bait, but after 5 days out this last time, I was smelling close to it! Had to come back for a shower..... ran out of booze anyways.

Thanks for the replies so far!!!!
Mike

[Drifter_016]

Dave, I am not dead bait, but after 5 days out this last time, I was smelling close to it! Had to come back for a shower..... ran out of booze anyways.

Thanks for the replies so far!!!!
Mike

[jkw]

Dave, I am not dead bait, but after 5 days out this last time, I was smelling close to it! Had to come back for a shower..... ran out of booze anyways.

Thanks for the replies so far!!!!
Mike

Jeez Mike you must be gettin soft! 5 days shouldnt matter much lol....I do understand the booze situation though.....at least you werent in hunting camp!