Question:
Would appreciate some tips/technique/rigs/bait etc on fishing for lake
trout. Usually like to troll.
Answer:
I fish Seneca Lake in NY State. You'll need a good depthfinder with
good resulution and power, for you'll be deep in the summertime.
Also, you'll need some way of determining temp. at depth. I have a
subtroll unit, which is a unit attached to the downrigger cable above
the ball, and measures temp and speed at depth. As a rule, I fish
where 48 degrees intersects the bottom. You'll find lakers there.
Early and late in the season, this will be near or at the surface,
where success from the shoreline is common. When the season wears on,
this temperature will be deeper and deeper. A good depthfinder will
also show you the thermocline zone. Your subtrol unit will confirm it
by showing a quick decrease in temperature within a few feet.
Suspended lakers will usually be found just under the thermocline.
As for bait, their favorite is the sawbelly, followed by the smelt.
When things get tough, they will turn to sculpin, which are
strick.bottom dwellers. If you can get live or dead sawbellies, do
so, and run them behind a hemlock rig (locally made spinner rig with
three gangs of treble hooks). Next best are sawbelly-imitating
spoons, such as Suttons, or Quickstrikes. These are very light,
almost foil-like spoons designed to be trolled very slowly. I have
good luck at 1.5 mph for Lakers. Run these baits about 5-10 feet
behind your ball at greater depths, and farther back at shallower
depths. Run the rigs as close to the bottom as you dare. Seneca Lake
is generally safe for an occasional bounce in with the ball, as it is
one gigantic stone driveway with little in the way of structure to
hang you up. I ALWAYS use ONE Lake Troll attractor rig about 20
inches ahead of my lures. This is THE DINNER BELL for Seneca Lake
Lakers. The attractor rig is a series of large leaf spoons that cause
much vibration that attract curious fish. You need only one of these
rigs going on your boat, not one on each rod! They are heavy, and
cause considerable drag. This should get you started... figuring out
the day's pattern for the fish's activity and preferences have to be
done on the water. Again, 48 degrees intersecting botton. If in
really deep water (Like Lake Ontario) Start at 48 degrees, and search
out the thermocline, and place lures around it, favoring positions
below it. Sawbellies or Sutton's are the best producers for me. 1.5
mph speed.
