| |
Lake Trout Fishing - Trout Fishing Tip
The ice cracking on some of the northern United States and Canadian lakes can only mean one thing: The trout are biting so come prepared.
Soaking for lake trout this time of year, when lakes in cold weather climate are losing their ice caps, is very popular. After the ice has cleared, lake trout are in the shallow water and hungry. They are no longer confined to deep water without as much to prey on.
Trout fishing is the rage among people who live close to these lakes, and it is also fast becoming a destination for vacationers who love trout fishing. So what can you do that others don’t to catch the most trout to your liking? Here is a list of suggestions:
- Scoop up some sucker fish or mullets as your main bait for the trout. Fishermen, who net large numbers of suckers during their spring spawning runs, regard the suckers’ arrival as the beginning of the fishing season.
- At this time of year, it’s best to soak or use dead bait when you do your lake trout fishing. Lake trout look for weakened bait or bait that did not survive winter because they want an easy meal due to their hunger after a long winter. They are less willing to go after lures, or live bait. The trout’s excellent sense of smell also makes stationary bait a good draw. Experienced fishermen believe a novice angler with simple means while shore fishing can catch as much trout as professional anglers who use expensive equipment in high-priced boats.
- If trying to put a few trout on the bank, use a simple slider-sinker rig with a walker sinker or egg-sinker, swivel shot, and a 3-foot leader with a No. 2 to 8 treble hook. The rig can include bait such as sucker meat or dead minnow or herring, and then cast off the shore. Simply prop the rod up using with a forked stick with the reel bait open.
- Make sure the hooks you are using a very sharp. You can use a file to hone the hook, or purchase laser or chemically sharpened hooks. Using a fluorocarbon leader between the sinker and hook is recommended because it offers decreased line visibility and increased abrasion resistance.
- Land points, islands, and sand flats near deep water are good points for soaking.
- The most commonly used soaking rod is the 6V4-foot spinning rod and a reel with a 10- to 12-pound test line. An 8-foot rod offers more casting distance and provides a wider sweep when the hook is set.
- Match the bait size to the average trout in the lake. The common size is a 4- to 5-inch slab of sucker meat with its skin or a minnow.
- “Beer Canning” is a popular form of soaking. The rod is propped up or laid flat on the shore. With the reel’s bail open, the line is wrapped around a beer can – or soda can, if you like – a few times. When the trout takes, the can will tip over, signaling to the angler it’s time to get to the rod. The line will slip free but only until the angler gets to the rod.
- Other anglers simply watch for the line to move abruptly when the trout takes. Some rod tips also come with a bell that helps signal the catch.
- Lake trout, also known as “Lakers,” usually cruise a large area along the coast so the wait for a school of trout to come to your area might be a while. If no action occurs, reel in your bait every half-hour to make sure the bait is still rigged and it looks fresh. Reeling in the bait is an action that might actually attract trout to the area and uncover the bait from debris in cracks of rocks.
- If still no action after an hour, it might be wise to find another location.
- The prime spots for lake trout are usually around points off the shoreline. The trout generally cruise the deep-water area near the shoreline, but when the reach a land point, they often search the mud and sand for dead bait.
- The warmer the water surface, the more lake trout you will find. As the water starts to warm into the spring, the lake trout depart from the shallow water but are not into their summer habitat in the deep. Lake trout cruise the shoreline and shallow waters until early June in most northern lakes.
If these simple means of catching lake trout do not catch your fancy, high-tech fishing equipment is available to track where schools of trout are located. Many of these units, such as the Lowrance LMS-350A, combine high-resolution liquid-crystal graph with a GPS.
Anglers who use boats swear by the vertical casting method of catching trout. If positioned over the school of trout, you can expect to hook from the first drop as long as you stay on the school. Predictably, at least one of the trout will even swim up to intercept the spoon (or lure), causing the line to go slack long before it reaches the bottom.
Using the high-tech equipment, you can actually see the trout on the graph rising up to meet the spoon.
Whatever your form of attracting lake trout, you can rejoice that no better time than the present exists. Mid-April is generally considered the start of the trout season because the warmer weather breaks the ice and causes the weary trout to stir for food, even near the shore, creating easy access for anglers.
Follow these tips -- from the type of bait to use to where you should prop your rod -- and the trout season will be even more enjoyable.
Thank you to Javier Morales for this "Lake Trout Fishing" article
|
|
| |
Fly Fishing Tips (New!) - Fly fishing is a lot like the dating game. You need to understand your quarry, have the right lure, know how to cast your line and dress properly for the occasion. The satisfaction of reeling in a big trout makes all the preparation worthwhile. Whether you release or cook your trout, it's all about the thrill of the chase...
Fishing For Trout - Are you tired of your friends boasting about how many trout they have caught? Are you weary of going home empty handed after a day on the water? We have some secrets and tips to ensure that you have many more good days than bad when out fishing for trout...
Brown Trout - Native to Europe, the Brown Trout is a freshwater fish that derives from the salmon family. Today, Brown Trout can be found in Asia, New Zealand, North America and South America. American anglers have the best luck catching the fish in U.S. trout streams, brooks, lakes, and in the Rocky Mountains. Closely related to the Sea Trout, the Brown Trout is a brownish or butter colored fish with rusty red and black spots that line its body laterally. While the Sea Trout and Brown Trout are of the same species, the main difference between the two fish is the Sea Trout is a saltwater fish. Brown Trout are generally medium in size and can weigh ...
Lake Trout Fishing - The ice cracking on some of the northern United States and Canadian lakes can only mean one thing: The trout are biting so come prepared. Soaking for lake trout this time of year, when lakes in cold weather climate are losing their ice caps, is very popular. After the ice has cleared, lake trout are in the shallow water and hungry. They are no longer confined to deep water without as much to prey on. Trout fishing is the rage among people who live close to these lakes, and it is also fast becoming a destination for vacationers who love trout fishing. So what can you do that others don’t to catch the most trout to your liking? Here is a list of suggestions...
|
|
