wanting to start targeting lakers questions!

[Digs]

 I've been ice fishing for 4 years now and have learned a lot from this site...... thank you all.  I've done ok the last few winters no lake trout but enough action to want to keep going out. So if I want to target lakers should I bump up my leaders I use trilene micro ice 6 lb test?

[dunphy11]

6# good for most situations on tip ups. For jigging all different depending on your set up, hand lines? rod and reel? some prefer braided lines others straight mono.

[NH piker]

I'm going to try for Laker's myself this year. I've been ice fishing for 30 years now and never caught a Laker through the ice. I've got some good info which will be a start so I'll pass on what I was told...I went and got a 32" rod & reel combo set up with 20lb braid with 10lb floro leader. I was told to find a rock pile or hump. I thought you had to fish deep but I guess they are shallow at times as well. I was planning on buying a marcum showdown unit but found that I could use my boat fishfinder so I am going with that since my Humminbird 597ci hd has the navonics chip so I have GPS to find the rocks and humps. I have many plastic jigs, lures like PK"s and such. I suggest the best way to find info is to go on Youtube and watch as many video's of lake trout fishing you can. I've watched so many I think I've got a good understanding of what to do to at least get started. I'm going to try Winni, Sebago Lake in Maine, and Champlain in VT. I fish all 3 states. Good Luck.

[PapaAthona]

I was using a braid to Fluoro setup on a 32" jig stick last year.  The braid was nothing but trouble for me but admittedly I wasn't using braid specific for ice.  A buddy of mine suggested to switch to 8lb mono.  I took his advice and had great success.  I'll be using mono this year for sure.  Tip ups I use 6lb Fluoro leaders.  Haven't had any issues yet.  Good luck.  They are fun to catch.

[Mr.Harry]

You can certainly get by with 6lb leader on tip up, depending on the lake and average size of the Lakers in it, but this should cover most of the fish you hook into. Be aware - they can get big. Big big. Big enough that I wouldn't be comfortable with a 6 lb leader. Mostly, I use 12lb on a jig Rod or tip-up I have designated for Laker. That said, I did land a 22 inch last year on a tip-up I had rigged for bow with 6lb flouro leader & teeny egg hook. Fish was nowhere near 6 lbs though. One thing I did learn about jigging for them in deep water though, over 40 feet, you want to make sure your jig Rod is heavy enough/good backbone to deliver a solid hookset with a lot of line out; and then you get line-stretch too with mono. Learned that the hard way in my early jigging forays, jigging with too light a rod and missing some big hits cuz I couldn't rip a good hook set on them.

[Mr.Harry]

They got bony mouths.

[Mr.Harry]

Last thing I would add in terms of fishing 'shallow' for them; I have caught them in 12 & 14 feet of water. Yes, they can be there, but that usually happens as a result of me looking for bows in deeper water than I normally would. When someone told you 'humps', 'bumps' & 'rock-piles' I agree, but look for those types of bottom contour both in AND near pretty deep water. Say, a 'hump' that rises to 20 feet of water but that is surrounded by depths of 40. I like the bottom edge of drop-off's/points where it levels out. Be that 30, 40, even 60 feet or more. Another favorite are plateau-like 'shelves'. A kind of flat bottom expanse of decent size that is both sided by steep inclines, and that has inclines leading down to even deeper water. Before I really knew what I was doing, I would just look for the deepest, darkest, bottom parts of the lakes and drop stuff there. It isn't really about that. Want to find stuff/structure they like that is deep, but not necessarilly THE BOTTOM of the lake.

[Digs]

Thank you all for the great info!

[bassin212]

you want to focus a lot on inside turns on your contour maps (that are in the shape of a U or V that hold) that also contain structure

[Mr.Harry]

I asked a lot of the same questions and am just repeating the answers I got, which worked. One thing I wasn't aware of until I caught my first - they're toothy! Kind of
Wish I'd known that before I went for the lip lock. Rude surprise.

[Maineiac2]

A flasher is a huge help.If you are seeing fish but no bites change up the presentation.If not seeing fish move around,sometimes you don't need to move far. 6Lb test should be fine just be careful and re tie after a fish or two. Definitely would agree with a heavier jig rod for deeper water,I lost quite a few last year with a lighter action rod. Good Luck

[JRFlatlander]

6 is more than enough line.  I use that with a #10 hook.  You can go much heavier too. I will with bigger baits and hooks as needed. Use smelt  35 fow and you'll catch fish

[Arctic Addict]

I is much heavier braid with a barrel swivel then a heavy fleuro leader.  My jig rods have quick snaps and tip ups/ rattle reels have #6 hooks unless I am fishing egg sacks in shallow water late season.  Depending on the water body, I look for areas that hold bait fish.  Finding the little fish is half the battle.  For me, depths depend on light penetration and the turbidity of the water.  Little fish feed on zooplankton and zooplankton will be where the light is.  Big fish feed on little fish. 

[Coffin Dodger]

I thought you had to fish deep but I guess they are shallow at times as well. I was planning on buying a marcum showdown unit but found that I could use my boat fishfinder so I am going with that since my Humminbird 597ci hd has the navonics chip so I have GPS to find the rocks and humps. I have many plastic jigs, lures like PK"s and such. I suggest the best way to find info is to go on Youtube and watch as many video's of lake trout fishing you can. I've watched so many I think I've got a good understanding of what to do to at least get started. I'm going to try Winni, Sebago Lake in Maine, and Champlain in VT. I fish all 3 states. 

In the summer (warm water), your chances of catching lakers is better below the thermocline, due to their preferred temps. A couple feet or so under the ice and below, water temps are pretty much the same at all depths, barring springs. This is why you can catch lakers in shallow water under the ice. Just my 2 cents.

The three lakes you chose to target have an abundance (overabundance, IMO) of lakers, Togue. Great choices!

[Arctic Addict]

The entire water body opens up in the winter.  Trout are a cold water species and will follow the food source.  I've caught Lakers is shallow areas and deeper water under the ice.  In the summer, the thermocline is usually where you want to be as the cold water species are usually in the deeper colder water.  Good luck this year, my best advice is to do your homework and take good notes.

[winnisquam guy]

i like fishing 40-50 fow for lakers, i like flat areas close to bottom structure. tip ups are fine for average sized fish. 6-8lb floro is fine. for me, i only jig. i use a med. action 3 foot rod. i like to have some power to drive the bucktail home when i get hits because as stated, lakers have rock hard mouths. medium action is better due to the strength and sensitivity that they offer. i use on old spinning reel with floro on it . 8 pound test vanish works for me.
some guys use quill line and others braid on their reels. I would start with the floro. most important for laker trout fishing is chum. some use cut baitfish, corn, cat food etc. I use filleted sucker. i prefer to keep bait natural so not to spoil the water I'm fishing. be sure not to over chum because lake trout will lose their aggressiveness filling up on your chum. I'll drop an golfball sized pile of chum down the hole. you want to keep them hungry and hitting your jig hard.
as for jig cadence, i prefer a slow and steady approach. no need for quick jerking jig motion. try to mimic darting baitfish, that's what i try to emulate anyway. hope this helps

[Digs]

Thanks for all the info....... and everybody elses' too. I'll post some pics of some Lakers on the ice hopefully.

i like fishing 40-50 fow for lakers, i like flat areas close to bottom structure. tip ups are fine for average sized fish. 6-8lb floro is fine. for me, i only jig. i use a med. action 3 foot rod. i like to have some power to drive the bucktail home when i get hits because as stated, lakers have rock hard mouths. medium action is better due to the strength and sensitivity that they offer. i use on old spinning reel with floro on it . 8 pound test vanish works for me.
some guys use quill line and others braid on their reels. I would start with the floro. most important for laker trout fishing is chum. some use cut baitfish, corn, cat food etc. I use filleted sucker. i prefer to keep bait natural so not to spoil the water I'm fishing. be sure not to over chum because lake trout will lose their aggressiveness filling up on your chum. I'll drop an golfball sized pile of chum down the hole. you want to keep them hungry and hitting your jig hard.
as for jig cadence, i prefer a slow and steady approach. no need for quick jerking jig motion. try to mimic darting baitfish, that's what i try to emulate anyway. hope this helps

[winnisquam guy]

you are welcome. i look forward to seeing those pics

[NH piker]

I am in the same situation this year of trying for the first time trying for laker's through the ice. I have watched every youtube video that I could find and with all the info from here I am hoping to get into some. I am just wondering how realistic is it for me to think that I could get into catching one or two laker's on the first time out?  I have my Humminbird 597ci set up for ice fishing this year and it will be the first time using a flasher. I'm planning on fishing Winni but don't know where to start and would be interested in the other lake as well. Thanks for all the info guys.

[BrookieSlayer99]

Last year I went out on quite a few trips for lakers and had a tough year. It was only my first year so don't expect tons of fish like I did. However, I did not chum which may have made an impact on the number of fish I caught.
 NH piker- go to leavitt park in Meredith and you can access the lake through the beach. Lots of people use it and there is some really nice structure in that area.

[Mr.Harry]

Someone said chum. Great advice. Definitely helps. I use sucker scraps and innards too left over from cutting prime pieces for jig-tipping. Not too much! like he said - don't want to spoil their appetites, and cut up very small. I will also buy some shiners occasionally and use those specifically for chumming. Or you could freeze left over baits from a previous trip and use them. Something about all the little shiny scales floating down through the water column rings the dinner bell and brings them in from afar. Lakers have excellent vision. The sparkle of scales is key. Winni has plenty of lakers, not necessarily a ton of 'Giants' but you could/should enjoy some degree of success immediately. Especially with a flasher. I still don't have one of those and do pretty well anyway. Just find a big, bad drop-off, some desireable structure, drill a bunch of holes, get a tip-up set, and start jigging. Keep moving he's and switching jugs until something hits. It will.

[icetendy]

thanks for some of the tips guys hopefully it will help me get some pics of some stud lakers on here this year

[winnisquam guy]

as for my tactics, I use only one specific jig 95% of the time. you need to find a jig that the lakers can see in 40-50 fow. if you're going to winnie, get a good map and find your spot.
I'm a walker, so winnie doesn't always work for me. i try not to bounce around too much,the more you stay in a specific area, the more you learn about it.
you can watch all the videos you want, it may be better to go with someone who's experienced or pick the brains of those you encounter on the ice.

[Arctic Addict]

As far as chum goes, I like to make my own.  Smelt-rite oil mixed with dead ground smelt makes good chum.  I grind it into a slurry then freeze it in small balls.  With a little experimenting you will figure out how to get the chum to sink to the bottom.

[JRFlatlander]

Use an old ice cube tray. Freeze the chum mix with a small rock in the cube slots.  Use as needed

[winnisquam guy]

i always tip my jigs with sucker meat, that always has enough unwanted meat to use as chum when i fillet the sucker.