When learning how to catch lake trout, it’s important to know that they prefer light lures so consider stocking up on small spinners and spoons. If you want to try live bait, try night crawlers, salmon eggs, or minnows that mimic their native prey.
How deep do you fish for lake trout?
Lake trout prefer cold deep water lakes, and it’s crucial to get your bait or lure to the depth the trout is feeding. During mid-spring, fish at a depth of 20-30 inches. In late spring, fish at a depth of 30-45 inches deep.
How do you rig a lake trout jig?
How do you catch large lake trout?
- Use Spoons.
- Work With Bright Jerkbaits.
- Bounce the Bottom.
- Fish The Cooler Waters.
- Know Your Equipment.
- Learn Proper Casting.
- Watch Your Rod.
- Use Depth Finders.
What is the best hook for lake trout?
In general, trout hooks that are size 8 to 14 are going to be best. Always use barbless hooks for trout unless you plan to eat what you catch. Smaller hooks are always best for trout because they will see larger hooks if the water is clear enough.
How old is a 36 inch lake trout?
Cory Goldsworthy, Lake Superior area fisheries supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said it’s hard to estimate the age of Gotchie’s big lake trout without taking a fin out of it. Trout over 36-inches long caught and aged by researchers in the past have varied from 15 to 30 years old, he said.
What color lures do lake trout like?
The best lure color for lake trout is silver and blue. Certain lake trout guides like using silver because it resembles an actual fish while blue is visible at deeper depths. Silver and blue is the only lure you need.
What kind of lures do lake trout like?
Lake Trout Fishing Lures; Common lure selection for medium to small lake are: small swimbaits, jerk or twitch baits, jigs, flies crankbaits, spoons, spinner and inline spinner baits. Habitat: Lake trout require, cold, clear, well oxygenated water, so they are found almost exclusively in oligotropic lakes.
Are lake trout hard to catch?
Lake trout fishing is one of the most rewarding styles of fishing there is. While anyone can drop the bait into the water, it does take a unique skill set to truly have success targeting lake trout.
How long should a lake trout leader be?
But how long should your leader be when trout fishing? If you’re using a spinning reel for trout, you don’t need a leader but can benefit from using one anywhere from 1 to 4 feet long. If you’re fly fishing, leaders ranging from 7.5 to 12 feet are recommended. In general, the clearer the water, the longer the leader.
What is a lake trout sandwich?
Lake trout — rolled in cracker meal or cornmeal, fried hard in roiling oil and served with a pile of cottony white bread and a sluice of vinegary hot sauce — is the dish that working-class Baltimore craves, tucked into a brown paper bag and eaten on the go.
What do lake trout eat?
Lake trout feed primarily on other fish like whitefish, burbot and sculpin, but will also feast on crustaceans, insects, plankton and even small mammals – the size of prey typically increases as the lake trout grows up.
What is the best time of day to fish for lake trout?
The best time of day for lake trout fishing is early morning from dawn until 2 hours following sunrise. The second best time of day is late afternoon 3 hours before sunset all the way until dusk. Lake trout can be caught in very deep, colder water during the middle of the day but the midday day can be very unreliable.
Where do trout hide in lakes?
In large bodies of water, Trout hold to the thermocline, which is a gradient layer in the water column where cold water meets warm water and mixes nutrients and oxygen. This layer is generally located in the bottom two-thirds of the water column. For example, 5-10 ft. off the bottom in 30 ft.
What is considered a trophy lake trout?
For Brown Trout, the stock length is 8″, quality is 12″, preferred is 16″, memorable is 20″, and trophy is 24″. A trophy Brook Trout is 23 inches. Based on these categories, there are very few Brown Trout and almost no Brook Trout that are “trophies” in Wisconsin’s streams.
Should I use a bobber for trout?
Is it better to fish with or without a bobber? If fishing live bait for trout, panfish, and bullheads, or you want to suspend your bait off the bottom, a bobber is beneficial to most fishermen. If you are fishing large bait for bigger fish or fishing on the bottom, a bobber can be detrimental to your fishing success.
Do lake trout eat worms?
Apart from fish and insects, lake trout can also have several other types of animals on their menu. These can include the following: worms.
What lb test line should I use for trout?
Line Strength A typical line to cast for trout would be 4-pound test. Consider braided line of 30-pound test or more if you go after large game fish. A rule of thumb is to fish with the lightest gear possible so you don’t tire and have more fun.
What’s the largest lake trout ever caught?
Lake trout are the largest of the chars; the record weighed almost 102 pounds (46 kg) (netted) with a length of 50 inches (130 cm), and 15–40-pound (6.8–18.1-kilogram) fish are not uncommon. The average length is 24–36 inches (61–91 centimetres).
Where are the biggest lake trout in the world?
The biggest lake trout ever caught is a gigantic fish of no less than 102lb. Two anglers caught it on Lake Athabasca (Saskatchewan, Canada) back in 1961. This behemoth reportedly measured an incredible 60 inches.
What is the life expectancy of a lake trout?
In their natural wild habitat they live 10-20 years, drastically longer than Brook Trout. While 20 years in itself is long, there are reports of Lake Trout living to a whopping 60 years of age!
What month is best for trout fishing?
It’s also year-round in most areas. Normally, the best months to target trout are July to Early September when the waters are at their warmest and many insects are hatching. Because of this, dry fly fishing becomes incredibly effective.
What are the best spoons for lake trout?
The very best lure is a small Sutton Silver Spoon. You can also use #1 or #0 Mepps, Panther Martins, Moose Spoons, tiny DareDevils, Nasty Boyz, or Blue Foxes. Small Cleos or a small Mepps Cyclopes are also good but you have to shorten the lead line because these lures are heavy.
What do lake trout bite on?
Lake trout can be caught on all the same basic types of bait that other trout species are caught on, including nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, and small minnows.
What kind of rod do you use for lake trout?
When trolling for lake trout, the preferred rods are anywhere from 7’6″ to 9’6″, medium heavy, with a fast action. Shimano Tekota 500 series or equivalent are excellent choices for reels. Most anglers have 60-80 braid on, tipped with an 80 lb mono leader.