Lake trout

[Icecoast]

Hi I live in southern NH ane I am fairly new to ice fishing. I am looking to target lake trout this weekend. Not asking for any spots but was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction? I was thinking about trying 19 mile bay? Tried alton last week around the gazebo but didnt even have a follow from 7 to 5pm. Just a bunch of dink perch. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[stripernut]

The key I always find when I am fishing Lakers thru the ice is to move till you find them. I often get them shallower than many people fish... <1' in front of a stream with lots of smelts around... Rocky points, front and sides. It is not uncommon (if I am not finding fish) for me to cut more than 50 holes... But that is rare.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Heading to alton this weekend and it will be my first time. Not asking for any spots but do people catch lake trout there? Looking for any tips or suggestions. This will be my first time there and first time targeting lake trout.

Soooo, you did, or you didn’t fish Alton? This was two days ago?

[Panzertank831]

Ive been working on targeting lakers specifically this season, and it can be tricky.. I've been targeting smaller lakes. I feel the big lakes can be a tougher to decipher the bite for big predatory fish. It's so much harder to get on the spot without experience and some motorized transportation.. 
I've been pulling up a few smaller lakers up in the white mountains region in the last couple of weeks, and I would be happy to get out with you and get on some fish!
Main thing is going to be depth, and structure. They can be fineaky but we'll worth it! Tight lines!

[Hottuna5150]

It's so much harder to get on the spot without experience and some motorized transportation.. 
I've been pulling up a few smaller lakers up in the white mountains region in the last couple of weeks, and I would be happy to get out with you and get on some fish!
Main thing is going to be depth, and structure.

I wouldn't get hung up on motorized transport. Lake trout are my favorite target species and i've never owned a machine. A mile hike is just part of the hunt for me. There are plenty of great, big lake laker spots well withing walking range. Spend some time with a map utilizing the keys you've already found on the smaller white mtn lakes and it will pay dividends. Map study can make or break trips or at least it has for me.

[mowbizz]

Our Circus “premier” laker fisherman, Jiggin, would say...”if you CHUM, they will come”!
A good chum pot will change a day from slow to “go go get em” (another Jiggin quote”) 

[Hottuna5150]

Our Circus “premier” laker fisherman, Jiggin, would say...”if you CHUM, they will come”!
A good chum pot will change a day from slow to “go go get em” (another Jiggin quote”) 

Seems to be a magic threshold that turns them from active to chumsuckers. I've been guilty a time or two of over chumming

[ian L]

When u overchum that’s when u put a lil hook into a piece of chum and send that down it’s worked for me to get that one finicky chum eater , somtimes they dart at it as it falls or slowly eat it off bottom or they will pick it up and drop it again you learn a lot with a camera

[mowbizz]

Seems to be a magic threshold that turns them from active to chumsuckers. I've been guilty a time or two of over chumming

Even if they are just sucking up the chum it’s fun to try and entice them with your offering while watching them on Marcum TV! 

[Capt. Black]

I wouldn't get hung up on motorized transport. Lake trout are my favorite target species and i've never owned a machine. A mile hike is just part of the hunt for me. There are plenty of great, big lake laker spots well withing walking range. Spend some time with a map utilizing the keys you've already found on the smaller white mtn lakes and it will pay dividends. Map study can make or break trips or at least it has for me.

Good advice. I’ve never had transportation on the ice and we do well with Lakers. Try to find sharp drop offs next to 30’ of water. If there’s a brook nearby so much the better. A map is invaluable. They have them for many spots on the F&G website!

[fishermantim]

Is there a "secret chum recipe", or is it some generic mix of readily available ingredients?

[Steve H.]

I've had decent success with smelts from the grocery store (fresh or frozen). 

[Icecoast]

I did fish it no luck.

Soooo, you did, or you didn’t fish Alton? This was two days ago?

[Maineguy93]

As mentioned, studying your maps is half the battle. You won’t find fish if they are not there. I suggest you check out navionics, I started using it last year. The app cost $15 a year it’s the best money I have ever spent on ice fishing. After that try to target humps and drop offs near deep water.

[Dipstick]

Hello icecoast, I'm in SW nh.I do not frequent winnie, however, all above info is good. A flasher is key in this game, but If you don't have one a couple of broken up shiners or smelt as chum definitely. If you are jigging in NH bait on a treble hook is a no no. Take a swedish pimple or kastmaster, replace treb with single hook and bait. I personally like 25-45 fow, bang the bottom, reel up slowly, repeat. Everyone has their own preferred methods, a lot of good people and Info on here. Stay safe and have fun finding your groove!

[TheCrittaC]

Hello icecoast, I'm in SW nh.I do not frequent winnie, however, all above info is good. A flasher is key in this game, but If you don't have one a couple of broken up shiners or smelt as chum definitely. If you are jigging in NH bait on a treble hook is a no no. Take a swedish pimple or kastmaster, replace treb with single hook and bait. I personally like 25-45 fow, bang the bottom, reel up slowly, repeat. Everyone has their own preferred methods, a lot of good people and Info on here. Stay safe and have fun finding your groove!

You'll definitely want a fish finder of some kind, be it a flasher, graph unit, or a Panoptix if you won the Powerball last night. Real-time response is key with whatever you get. It's obvious when a laker shows up because they behave much differently than perch, but sometimes you can get rainbows and browns to chase in a similar manner.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

I’ve tried everything now including the panoptix and it’s official I’m just a flasher guy

[zwiggles]

I’ve tried everything now including the panoptix and it’s official I’m just a flasher guy

Livescope?

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Livescope?

No it was not livescope

[lowaccord66]

Livescope?

I own both....ps22 beats livescope for laker jigging deeper than 80ft.  If you don't know what to do with the settings both of them suck tremendously...and I am not inclined to share what those settings are. 

For what its worth Frank on the LVS32 you can run both the flasher and the livescope same time on split screens.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

That is nice! That I could get into!

[Guinea]

it’s official I’m just a flasher guy

The police have been notified.

Seriously, when I spent more of my time on lake trout waters, I didn't catch as many as the people with transport, cameras, or *ahem*, flashers, but I caught them. As was stated before, maps are a huge help. The F&G site is a good resource for them for some at-home scouting, especially if you don't use electronics. It'll get you started, anyway.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

The police have been notified.

Seriously, when I spent more of my time on lake trout waters, I didn't catch as many as the people with transport, cameras, or *ahem*, flashers, but I caught them. As was stated before, maps are a huge help. The F&G site is a good resource for them for some at-home scouting, especially if you don't use electronics. It'll get you started, anyway.

Lmao!

[800stealth]

Hahaha, given the art work we've seen the flasher thing may be true...

[AQUAASSASSIN]

My trench coat is covered in salmon egg oil, Night Crawler dirt, and power bait glitter. I just make sure I stay the alotted distance from schools before I do it  and they said I’d be fine.

[800stealth]

LOL

[Coffin Dodger]

 

[bassin212]

Icecoast, I’d also use the search function within iceshanty and filter by NH. Laker fishing gets brought up every year and there are some golden threads from the past that still apply. I do it constantly to remind myself and keep it honest. There’s also something to be said for watching YouTube videos..... lots of them, but I think that’s more applicable to using a flasher. Good luck, let us know how you do.

[SHaRPS]

I’ve tried everything now including the panoptix and it’s official I’m just a flasher guy

You and I both. I use my flasher off my bassboat even during tourneys. Trying to explain to them why they lost is the best. Just 2 weekends ago on the cape..

[lowaccord66]

You and I both. I use my flasher off my bassboat even during tourneys. Trying to explain to them why they lost is the best. Just 2 weekends ago on the cape..

I can show you the way Mike....when you are casting to bass 100 ft in front of you that you see on livescope its a mega game changer.  Issue is the average Joe has no clue how to effectively run those machines both the ps22 livevu and the lvs32 livescope.  Even so the flx28 was on my boat this year too!