MyFishFinder Forum
MyFishFinder Tips and Techniques => Jigging => Topic started by: Frank-Ma on Mar 19, 2007, 08:16 AM
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I was wondering if anyone out there has jig for lake trout?, I troll for them all the time, but never seen anyone drifting and jigging for them..
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Used to do it all the time in Northern Vermont/New Hampshire/Maine
Sutton Spoon,8-16in of 20-25lb leader,25lb leadcore - just drift along deep drop offs next to shoal areas bouncing the spoon off the bottom
tried this at Quabbin a couple of times and got hung up,yet had one terrific day at gate 8 as long as I kept to the old river channel east of the Island 12 lakers the largest 9lbs
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I jig for Mackinaw. I also troll. I primarily fish Flathead lake in western Montana. It is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi. and it is almost 400 feet deep at its deepest point. My point is that I fish for Mack's depending on how I see them show up on the Fish Finder. If they are schooled up on the bottom then the anchor goes over (sometimes this is in 200 feet of water, if you want to know an anchor trick or two at this depth let me know) and the jigging begins. If the fish are spread all over the water column then I will troll and target certain depths.
When jigging I primarily use two jigs in varying sizes from a local company. They are called Leadagators and Trilobites by a company called Zimmer Tackle in Pablo, MT. They also make larger lead bodied bucktails(I have a couple but have never caught a fish on one). These same jigs will catch Whiteys at the same time, so its fun either way! Many people tip their jigs with some sort of meat(usually perch, smelt, pike minnow, and even link sausage!). I personally haven't caught one using meat on the jig, but I'm still learning the art.
Good Fishing!
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Neptune, I have a friend in Kalispell who's family has a place in Lakeside and he said he caught a laker on a jig tipped with a hot dog...not sure whether to believe him or not.
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Neptune, I have a friend in Kalispell who's family has a place in Lakeside and he said he caught a laker on a jig tipped with a hot dog...not sure whether to believe him or not.
Wouldn't suprise me man. Lots of people have been using the hotdog/sausage thing. I actually wonder if it attracts them or is just a coincidance.... Trying to figure that out...
Good Fishing!
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Jig for them with power tube jigs and a small piece of tulibee .Dead line with same outfit 60-100 ft.
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I've jig/drifted lakers with a canoe for years. Just over the edge from shallows to deep, leadhead w/sucker strip in spring. Yo-Yo deep pockets late summer. Even caught them on a #9 rapala ice jig in August. Give it a try, its fun.
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you're much more effective finding fish on the fishfinder, and then (as neptune pointed out earlier) going straight upwind a certain distance, dropping anchor, and then drifting back until you are right over them again. you want to drift away from the anchor to give the line enough angle so that it will not interfere with the fight if you hook a fish. jigging is my go-to fishing method. i believe that in conjuntion with the fishfinder, you are able to target the fish much more aggressively and accurately vertically jigging, as opposed to trolling, and you can go as deep as your reel will reach, where the big fish are at. it's also the most involved, active way of catching fish, in my opinion.
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Frank:
I use my vexilar from Ice Fishing with a suction cup transducer on the transom, drop anchor when you see them and drift some to keep from getting the fish caught up on the anchor rope. I prefer 1 oz. crippled herrings in firetiger color. I let the jig down to the bottom and reel up, pause and jig, etc. every 5 feet. With the Vex or similar flasher you know where they are and you can work them just like on the ice. I catch just as many with or without chunks of bait fish. Lot's of fun!!
Mike
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I started jigging for lakers three years ago and I never even TAKE my trolling gear out anymore...My buddies and I have caught literally HUNDREDS of lakers since we got turned on to jigging...
Tackle is very simple... My buddies favor baitcasting gear, but I prefer a light open faced spinning rig with low stretch 6 to 10 pounds test line..
There are many lures that work, but my favorite is a 1 oz. silver diamond jig ( same as is used in salt water)... Another local favorite on NYs Finger Lakes is the Northland Buckshot Rattle spoon in 3/4 oz... many guys use 3/4 to 1 oz. leadhead jig heads with plastic bodies such as flukes, usually in white.. Most any jigging spoon from 3/4 oz. to 1 oz. like Hopkins or a Kastmaster, will work...
An electric motor is helpful to maintain as close to a vertical presentation as possible...We usually fish close to the bottom in anywhere from 80 FOW to 120 FOW...
Simply drop the lure to the bottom and snap your wrist to make it " hop" and then flutter back down... Many times the trout hit it on the drop, so strikes can be subtle...If anything feels " different", set the hook, because it's probably a fish...
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Thanks for that great reply...
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Well clark you almost nailed it on the head but i would have said the same thing a year or two ago. We caught over 900 lake trout last year from Keuka and Cayuga. We like you use as you said 3/4 oz to 1 oz white jig heads with white tube jigs this acts as a wounded sawbelly or alewife. We use a trolling motor to keep vertical as you said. But I most like to fish when the sawbellys are spawning in 30 to 60 FOW. We do fish up to 120 FOW but the sallower the better. I used to like to jig right on the bottom but we got a new Lawrence fish finder and we can see the fish come right off the bottom we have had more luck dropping to the bottom or 5 ft from the bottom and winding up we watch the fish hit on the screen its a ton of fun. We still do jig when the fish are not very active. we used to troll too but when you can catch 100 fish in a day you know you have the right system.
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I always find that you can catch more by jiggind than trolling. Plus you aren't wasting as much gas.
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I am a firm believer in jigging lakers, plus I just love jigging. I use tube jigs tipped with sucker meat most of the time. I haven't tried many other lures or jigs, but I love to jig lakers, wouldnt have it any other way
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Check out the Shimano's Butterfly Jigs and their knock offs, tough to beat the action...
Neptune, if part of the hassle anchoring deep is bring up the anchor from the depths, try a "Anchor Retrieval Ball". It is a system that (if you make it up your self) is cheap and easy. If you have not heard of the system, there are lots of videos on YouTube...
Great posts everyone!!!!
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ya I've fished with a guy who uses one. If Lakers were as much fun to catch as Rainbows or Bulls I'd probably do it. They just aren't my favorite target.
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Hey Neptune what color zimmer jigs do you use? It looks like they are pretty reasonably priced so I'm looking at buying some.
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Hey Neptune what color zimmer jigs do you use? It looks like they are pretty reasonably priced so I'm looking at buying some.
I use all of them...yellow/white, yellow/green, blue/white, green/white, pink/white...and all the other combos...I've caught them on them all...but my favorites are yellow/green and yellow/white
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spot lock on a minnkota best deep water anchor.
-htc
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Used to do it all the time in Northern Vermont/New Hampshire/Maine
Sutton Spoon,8-16in of 20-25lb leader,25lb leadcore - just drift along deep drop offs next to shoal areas bouncing the spoon off the bottom
tried this at Quabbin a couple of times and got hung up,yet had one terrific day at gate 8 as long as I kept to the old river channel east of the Island 12 lakers the largest 9lbs
WOW, I have a canoe and fish the "dead sea" mostly, which I know holds no lakers, but I'd love to hear how to get a canoe out on the main lake over deep water where those lakers are. I've never been able to paddle out that far wit the prevailing winds we usually get I get blow out too quick. You use an electric troll motor?
I've never fished for lakers, but I want to, just can't seem to get on them with my canoe being the only means of softwater transport. If you have tip on how to get on them, I'd certainly appreciate anything you have to tell.
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a great video about jigging lake trout