<commit_before>title: Jigging for Lake Trout

# Introduction

It can be intimidating venturing out onto the largest freshwater lake in the world, targeting a fish that can be in as shallow as 2 feet of water or deeper than 200. But, if you gear up with the right equipment, use the right techniques, and focus on a few simple tips, you can catch one of the most exciting fish to catch through the ice; the lake trout.

It's not every year that Lake Superior Freezes over. So when it does, you should make sure you take advantage of it! If the ice doesn't form near Duluth, then there are often opportunities to fish near the Apostle Islands, or many of the lake trout inhabited lakes in northern Minnesota.

Fishing for lake trout or "lakers" can be similar to targeting a species like muskies or steelhead. You usually won't pull them in one after another, but when you get one on the end of the line, all of that time spent on the water (ice) is suddenly worth it.


# My first trip out

  My very first lake trout also happens to be my most memorable. Not just because it was my first, or the biggest one I've caught to this day, but because of the difference in my expectations versus the reality of how powerful these fish truly are.

  I had limited knowledge on my first trip out to target lake trout, and after two days without a fish I was starting to get discouraged.

  Other than the information I had received from those fishermen and the assumption that my 24" medium-light walleye rod wouldn't be big enough I made a quick stop to buy some new gear then set off onto the few inches of ice over the clear water of Lake Superior.

  After two unsuccessful days of out on the ice I was starting to loose hope. I just mindlessly jigging on the bottom of the lake in 75 feet of water, starting to think that I was in the wrong area, using the wrong color, if I had turned the lights off in my car, if I had...BOOM! All of a sudden my rod nearly got ripped from my hands and my drag was screaming. After nearly 10 minutes I had finally gained enough ground to get the fish up to where I could see through the extremely clear Lake Superior water. I was only able to get a short glimpse before it shot down all the way back to the bottom of the lake and I had to start the battle again. After another 5 intense minutes I was able to get the fish up through the hole. To this day it is one of my favorite fishing memories.

  Enough with my lake trout stories. Let's go over the equipment and techniques so that you can have your own story about catching a lake trout through the ice!

#

Catching lakers is a whole different world that catching walleye and panfish. Not only will you need to upsize your equipment, you'll need to use different tactics to get them to bite. But before we get into techniques, lets cover the basic equipment you'll need to get started.

Although you could land a smaller lake trout on a walleye rod, it would be worth investing in a heavy action rod at least 32" long. Generally these rods aren't that expensive and you can pick one up for less than $40. If you are targeting lake trout (especially in Lake Superior) you have the potential of catching a giant that could weigh 30 pounds or more! You don't want to lose a trophy just because you didn't have the right equipment.

You can use either a spinning rod or a baitcaster. Each has their pros and cons. Spinning setups are more common, cheaper and generally will have a better drag. The number one benefit of using a baitcasting rod/reel is that they reduce line-twist which can be compounded when you are fishing in over 100 feet of water.

Your typical 200 or 300 size spinning reels that you use for walleye and bass are ideal. If you are using a baitcasting rod, having a spool with a large capacity and smooth drag is a must.

Spool up your reel with at least 100 yards of line of 20lb braid.  Lake trout are typically caught in deep water and can easily pull an extra 100 feet of line out on their long powerful runs. Braid is extremely important and the only line that will allow you to set the hook when you are fishing in deep water. It is also beneficial because you can fit more of it on your spool and it will keep your line from bowing in in the current.

Use a high quality swivel at the end of your braid, then tie on a few feet of 10-20lb fluorocarbon. Lake Superior has extremely clear water so using a strong, nearly invisible leader is important. If you are using a baitcaster it's optional to skip the swivel and tie straight to your leader. Then you can use a leader that is 10-20ft long. I prefer to use an FG Knot that can easily be reeled through the guides, but an albright knot is also a good choice for making a braid to fluoro connection.

### Lures

Leave your finesse lures at home. Lake trout can be extremely aggressive predators that will chase their prey from the bottom of the lake to within a few feet from the ice.

They are often cruising the lake chasing down smelt and herring, which is why most of most popular lures for lake trout are 3-6 inches long and predominantly white. You can definitely catch them using different colors, but if you are just starting out it's hard to go wrong with something white. Also, the louder and smellier the better. Adding rattles or tipping your hook with a chunk of smelt can make a major difference in your catch-rate. Some popular lures include jigging raps, rattling traps, spoons, tube jigs, swim baits, bucktails, and other similar jigs. Half to 1 ounce jigs are ideal for fishing in water that is 100ft or less. If you are fishing in over 120ft of water or there is a heavy current you'll want to use lures between 1 and 2 ounces.

### Flasher
Having a good flasher is pretty much a necessity when ice fishing for lake trout. Half of the fun comes from the excitement of marking a fish and watching it scream up to your lure. You can use any basic Marcum, Vexilar, or Hummingbird, but having a graph with a screen that shows history will be the most productive. Allowing you to track these fish as they chase you up and down the water column.

## How to Fish For Them
I've caught lake trout in water ranging from 60 to 200 feet, there isn't really a magic depth. When fishing for them you will want to focus on depths of 80 to 160 feet. If there are pile of anglers out fishing, don't get caught up thinking that they are all in the right spot. The best tactic is often to get away from the crowd.

Two of the most common techniques used include "pounding the bottom", and "playing keep away". Sometimes just lifting your jig and dropping it against the lake bottom will kick up enough sediment to call in a laker. This can also be a great tactic if you don't have a flasher or fish finder.

If you are watching your flasher and see a mark show up anywhere in the middle reel up or drop down to it as fast as you can and keep on going. If they don't move try in again until you get their attention.

The most important thing to remember is that lake trout do not act like walleye or panfish. So throw out all of your previous finesse fishing knowledge out the window. Lake trout like to chase and will lose interest if their prey doesn't put up a fight. Matching the hatch based more off the action than the color or profile. Keep your lure moving, and if they are hungry enough, they will close the distance. If a lake trout is chasing your lure it can be difficult to reel fast enough to keep it away.

Playing keep away is the most commonly used way to catch lake trout through the ice. It is not unheard of to have a fish shoot off the bottom and chase your lure 50, 60, 70 feet or more. One of the hardest habits to break is not finessing them. They will become uninterested if you try and entice them to bite like you would a walleye or panfish. If you mark a fish, start reeling! Typically the marks that show up mid column are more active fish and will chase more readily. If you see a mark above you, real past them around 2-3 reel revolutions per second. They will often immediately start chasing. If they loose interest, drop your lure past them, sometimes your mark of your lure on your graph will stop at the fish. Set the hook hard and hold on!

## Safety First
Be careful out there, Even if there is 12" of ice in one area there can be cracks and ice heaves a few feet wide with skim ice. Bring a spud bar, rope, ice picks, and a buddy. Keep an eye on the wind as well. A strong wind from the west can push the ice out into the middle of the lake.

## Tips
Sound, Sight, Smell
Set the Hook as hard as you can
Fish structure if you can find it
If you can't find structure, get away from the crowd.
If you aren't marking fish, move.
Lake Trout can be found in 5 to over 150ft of water
If a solid mark appears anywhere in the water column, immediately drop or raise the lure to that level before it swims off.
The best lures for lake trout make noise, create vibration, are easy to see at a distance, and imitate dying or wounded baitfish.<commit_msg>getting closer<commit_after>title: Ice Fishing for Lake Trout

# Introduction

It can be intimidating venturing out onto the largest freshwater lake in the world, targeting a fish that can be in as shallow as 2 feet of water or deeper than 200. But, if you gear up with the right equipment, use the right techniques, and focus on a few simple tips, you can catch one of the most exciting fish to catch through the ice; the lake trout.

It's not every year that Lake Superior Freezes over. So when it does, you should make sure you take advantage of it. If the ice doesn't form near Duluth, there are still often opportunities to fish near the Apostle Islands, or many of the lake trout inhabited lakes in northern Minnesota.

Fishing for lake trout or "lakers" can be similar to targeting a species like muskies or steelhead. You usually won't pull them in one after another, but all it takes is one on the end of your line, and all of that time spent on the water (or ice) is suddenly worth it.

The first lake trout I had ever caught also happens to be my most memorable. Not just because it was my first, or the biggest one I've caught to this day, but I mostly due to how surprised I was at hot powerful these fish truly are. I had spent two whole days on the water. Trying to catch one of these crazy fish that I was for some reason obsessed with (even though I had never even seen one in person before). Halfway through my third day I was starting to day-dream, slowly lifting my rod and letting my little white tube jig fall back down into the lake floor 80 feet below I was thinking to myself if I was using too thick of leader, or using the right color, or if I remembered to turn the lights off. I lifted my rod again, just like every other time and it felt like I was snagged on a log. All of a sudden my reel starts screaming! After nearly a 10 minute fight I had finally gained enough ground to get the fish up to where I could see through the extremely clear Lake Superior water. I was only able to get a short glimpse before it must have seen the light and shot down all the way back to the bottom of the lake and I had to start the battle again. After another 5 intense minutes I was able to get the fish up through the hole and finally got a good look at the fish I had been searching for.

Enough with my lake trout stories. Let's go over the equipment and techniques so that you can have your own story about catching a lake trout through the ice!

Catching lakers is a whole different world that catching walleye and panfish. Not only will you need to upsize your equipment, you'll often need to use different tactics to get them to bite. But before we get into techniques, lets cover the basic equipment you'll need to get started.

Although you could land a smaller lake trout on a walleye rod, it would be worth investing in a heavy action rod at least 32" long. Generally these rods aren't that expensive and you can pick one up for fairly cheap. If you are targeting lake trout (especially in Lake Superior) you have the potential of catching a giant that could weigh 30 pounds or more, and you don't want to lose a trophy just because you didn't have the right equipment.

You can use either a spinning rod or a baitcaster. Each has their pros and cons. Spinning setups are more popular, cheaper and generally will have a better drag. The number one benefit of using a baitcasting rod/reel is that they reduce line-twist which can be compounded when you are fishing in over 100 feet of water.

Your standard 200 or 300 size spinning reels that you use for walleye and bass will work great. Having a spool with a large capacity and smooth drag is a must. Spool up your reel with at least 100 yards of line of 20lb braid. Lake trout can easily pull 100 feet of line out on their long powerful runs. Braid is extremely important and the only line that will allow you to set the hook when you are fishing in deep water. It is also beneficial to use braid because you can fit more of it on your spool and it will keep your line from bowing in the current.

When using a spinning rod especially, make sure you use a high quality swivel at the end of your braid, then tie on a few feet of 10-20lb fluorocarbon. Lake Superior has extremely clear water so using a strong, nearly invisible leader is important. If you are using a baitcaster it's optional to skip the swivel and tie straight to your leader. Then you can use a much longer leader. I prefer to use an FG Knot that can easily be reeled through the guides, but an Albright knot is also a good choice for making a braid to fluoro connection.

Lake trout are predators and will swim around the lake chasing down smelt and herring, which is why most of most popular lures for lake trout are 3-6 inches long and mostly white and flashy. You can catch them using different colors, but if you are just starting out it's hard to go wrong with something white. They rely on sight, sound, and smell, so adding some rattles and/or tipping your hook with a chunk of smelt can also make a major difference and turn a looker into a taker. Some popular lures include jigging raps, rattling traps, spoons, tube jigs, swim baits, bucktails, and other similar jigs. Half to 1 ounce jigs are ideal for fishing in water that is 100ft or less. If you are fishing in over 120ft of water or there is a heavy current you'll want to use lures between 1 and 2 ounces.

Having a good flasher is pretty much a necessity when ice fishing for lake trout. Half of the fun comes from the excitement of marking a fish and watching it scream up to your lure. You can use any basic Marcum, Vexilar, or Hummingbird, but having a graph with a screen that shows history will be the most productive allowing you to track these fish as they chase you up and down the water column.

I've caught lake trout in water ranging from 60 to 200 feet, there isn't a single magic depth. I've even been in 160 feet of water and seen one swimming a couple inches under the ice. When starting out you'll want to focus on depths of around 80 to 160 feet. If there are pile of anglers out fishing, don't get caught up thinking that they are all in the right spot. The best tactic is often to get away from the crowd. Try to not get too comfortable either. If you don't mark any large schools of bait or lake trout within an hour or two, move to a new spot.

Two of the most common techniques used include "pounding the bottom", and "playing keep away". Sometimes just lifting your jig and letting it freefall to the lake bottom will kick up enough sediment to call in a laker. This can also be a great tactic if you don't have a flasher or fish finder. However, the most exciting way to catch them is to play keep away. It's important to remember that lake trout do not act like walleye or panfish. So throw out all of your previous finesse ice fishing knowledge out the window and resist the temptation to slowly jig above them hoping that they will slowly swim up and eat. They won't.

Lake trout like to chase and will lose interest if their prey doesn't put up a fight. Keep your lure moving as if it's a fleeing smelt. Fish that show up mid-water-column are more active fish and will chase more readily. If you mark a fish, real past it (around 2-3 reel revolutions per second). They will often immediately start chasing. Don't slow down! If they loose interest, stop and drop your lure past them, sometimes your mark of your lure on your graph will stop at the fish and your fishing line will go limp meaning they grabbed it on the way down. Set the hook hard and hold on!
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