lakers in the summer

[raleigh]

If you do not own a boat to get into deep water, how do you catch the deep lakers ? Do you still use anchovies and sucker meat to catch them ? I would imagine lake trout would go as deep as they can in the hot weather of summer.

[Cider]

If you do not own a boat to get into deep water, how do you catch the deep lakers ? Do you still use anchovies and sucker meat to catch them ? I would imagine lake trout would go as deep as they can in the hot weather of summer.

They do go very deep when it gets hot.  I don't see how it is possible to get to them without a boat and a good set of downriggers.  In lake Champlain they fish as deep as 150-200' for them.

You might hook-up occasionally, but a boat is going to make all the difference.

Early spring just after ice-out you can get them in the surface water running with salmon though.

[bussman]

Any reason you can jig them up just like we do icefishing??

[Cider]

Any reason you can jig them up just like we do icefishing??

Sure, but you need to be over top of them when they are in deep water during the summer.  Kind of hard to do if you don't have a boat.  Unless you are John Elway and you can cast as far as he can throw!

[fishboy899]

We gave a boat but doesnt have any downriggers.  I would like to go and try to catch a few.  Should  I try jigging?  What should i use?

[raleigh]

This was my first year fishing for lakers. This winter i have been fishing with the big white swedish pimple with a single hook, with a big chunk of sucher or anchovie meat. I also used a large white or brown and gold tube jig with sucker or anchovie meat.

[Cider]

Fishboy - get some lead core line and that will help until the lakers run real deep.  You should be able to let out enough colors to find lakers all season though.  You could also try using dipsy diver trolling/planer weights with a long leader.  That will help get your bait down to them.

[Cider]

Raleigh, those are excellent hardwater techniques for togue.  I think trolling deep is the best bet for the summer.  Maybe you could use a canoe or a float tube?

How big and deep is the lake you fish on?

[raleigh]

well the Blue Mesa can exced 300 feet deep in certin areas. Thats where the Colorado State records have been caught the last two years in a row. So I defenatly could not fish for them off the shore. I am gonna try to invest in a little 10 or 12 foot lund boat this summer. An I dont think I would trust a little float tube in the middle of the lake with all the big boats zooming past me. I will stick with the float tube in some of the smaller lakes on the mesa.

[loveice]

I have leadcore with a lead ruder 120 feet is easy use 45 lb test lead it has more lead in it.I got one for you we do this run around with your fish finder find the fish anker up then cast out live bait with slipe sinkers let them lay on the bottom loosen the drag big timso the fish can run when they hit then jig to kills them ssshhhh dont tell your friends 

[TroutFishingBear]

Raleigh, as you know, I'm from colorado also.

The lakers at ice off in blue mesa come fairly shallow and you can get them casting from the bank. fish the coves. I've done okay doing this.

[raleigh]

Well today I went out and bought a Outcast Fishercat 8 foot personal pontoon boat. So now I am looking forward to ice off so I can take it out on some of theas bigger lakes like Blue Mesa. An of course it will be perfect for almost any lake on the Mesa. Big fish here I come. Thanks for all the advise people. An please keep it coming. Let me know if you guys and gals can see the pic. I got rid of sharemation and trying phopobucket.

[Cider]

Raleigh - that's quite a vessel you picked out.  I just saw a picture of it on the web.  Pretty similar to the water skeeter that I have seen before.  Those are pretty awesome fishing boats!  Sure puts my Caddis Navigator pontoon/float tube to shame!     Now I am jealous!   

[TroutFishingBear]

Raleigh- I have a boat almost exactly like that except it is 10 ft.

Once, I saw a guy that bought this cheap one at sportsmans, and it fell apart after 1 float

Hopefully you didn't buy the same brand, I'm not sure 

Of course, I float the colorado, which is a rocky river, so maybe it was the rocks that broke that guys' boat.

My brothers catfishing with his today floating the colorado.
I couldn't go, but it would have been fun.

It would sure be fun to use one of those boats on carson

[raleigh]

I would love to take it on carson. Thats to bad they will not let you take it out there. But I have never had a problim catching brookies at carson from the shore. An I did by it at sportsmans, it is a Outcast fishercat 8 foot . For the price I paid it better hold up. It doesent say fishercat on the side, they of course had to put theire sportsmans wharehouse patch on. I took it to fruita today but it started to get way to windy. I just can't wait till thoes lakes open up on the mesa.