Question:
Fishing for Rainbows, Brookies & Lakers towards end of May in large lake in
Eastern Townships, Qu¨¦bec (Lac Megantic). Wanted to know a good technique
for catching them off-shore (bait, accessories, line, etc), since I have no
access to a boat. I'll be using a spinning rod & reel.
Answer:
I fish in small lakes from shore at this time of the year. I really like
to use a sliding float and very little hardware. The sliding floats I like
to use are pencil type floats. "Thill" makes some very nice models. I use
very light line. 4 lb test is perfect 6 lb good. I start out by sliding a
tiny rubber ball on my line. These tiny rubber balls cost about 75 cents a
dozen in Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire. Then, I slide my line through the tiny
ring at the end of the pencil float. Then I attach a tiny split shot about
18 inches above my hook. I like to use a #8 or #6 high quality bait hook.
I then put on a medium size lively worm hooked in 2 or 3 places by the hook.
I want lots of movement from the worm. I then slide the rubber ball up the
line. Sometimes 40 feet up the line if the water I am casting to is 40 feet
deep. The tiny rubber ball will be on my open faced spinning reel when I
cast the line but it will flow out quite easily with the line. When the
float and hook land in the lake, I let out line until the tiny rubber ball
jams up against the tiny ring in the float. The float should ride upright.
If the float lays flat....that's because there is too much distance between
the split shot and the tiny rubber ball. I keep adjusting the tiny rubber
ball until I get the right depth. I want my bait near bottom during the day
and further off the bottom early in the morning and in the evening.
When everything is right, it's just a question of waiting for a fish.
However, every once in a while, give a tug on your line and your bait will
move. The movement will attract fish from greater distances. If you don't
catch fish this way....there are no fish in the lake.
I guess, using one of those new Humminbird wireless fish finders would be
ideal for you. You could cast out the transducer to check out the depth and
see if any fish are there or at what depth the fish are travelling. I know
for a fact that trout in lakes roam around during feeding period. I used to
fish in lakes that had clear deep water surrounded by high rocks and cliffs.
From the cliffs, I would spot trout hunting for prey so I would move down
and cast to them.
One thing for sure, in the lakes where I fish, boats and canoe often
spook them. Even making any noise with your feet will spook them. Fishing
from shore, not making any noise, not showing yourself to the fish is deadly
to the fish. I have seen trout spook when a cottage screen door slammed
shut at the other end of a lake or when a car door was shut 3 hundred yards
away.
