By
Ben Beattie
One of my favourite Sunset Country lake trout lakes is loaded with smelt, and as a result it consistently produces big, fat lakers. Last winter I was fishing off a reef in the main lake basin trying to connect with one of the lakes oversized inhabitants. When a school of smelt passed through I positioned my bait just under the school to emulate an injured smelt that was separated from the rest. I twitched my bait and watched on the flasher as the school of smelt quickly vanished and a thick red band appeared under my bait. As soon as I started to lift my bait up the trout instantly reacted and inhaled my offering – game on!
We are very fortunate in northwestern Ontario to be home to countless lake trout lakes. While some lakes offer fast action for small-to-medium sized fish, others present a realistic chance for a trophy sized lake trout. Catching big lake trout requires the right combination of several factors including location and timing. Ice fishing during the winter months is one of the best times of the year to hook up with a big lake trout.
THE GROUNDWORK
Catching big lake trout rarely happens by accident. Anglers that routinely put big trout on the ice do so by combining knowledge, skills and preparation.
The first step towards catching a big lake trout may sound obvious – fish where big lakers live. Certain lakes routinely produce large fish and spending time on these lakes is the biggest key to success. Such lakes share a few common characteristics; they are usually large in size with ample deep water and they support an abundant forage base.
Sometimes these lakes are well known, while others aren’t so obvious. Finding trophy lake trout lakes requires a combination of research and time spent fishing.
When you are out on the a lake, make the most of your fishing time by fishing high percentage areas. The most successful anglers can look at a map of a lake and identify areas where trout are likely to hold. Having a map that shows depth contours is a huge advantage. This allows you to identify areas where structure such as humps, reefs and prominent points are adjacent to deep-water basin areas. Bottleneck areas where two large sections of the lake are joined by a narrows are also top choices for finding winter lake trout.
THE DETAILS
Once you’ve found a place to fish, the other key ingredients for catching big trout involve equipment and techniques. Everything from rods to reels, augers, lures and electronics play a factor in landing big trout. If you decide to invest the time and effort towards catching big lakers, don’t skimp out on these details.
My advice is to leave your walleye gear at home and use heavier rods, reels with a larger spool capacity and line of at least 10-to12 pound test for monofilament. Braided line will work as long as your fishing inside a hut, otherwise it freezes up and causes headaches on the ice. Longer rods in the 30-to-40 inch range with medium-heavy to heavy power work well for tangling with a big trout. Reels with instant anti-reverse and a smooth drag system are essential. I gave up on the cheap reels that come with many ice-combos long ago, and now rely on the same reels that I use during the summer months.
Terminal tackle should be of high quality, including snaps, swivels, split-rings and hooks. Big lake trout are powerful opponents and can easily break or bend inferior tackle components.
I also recommend using an auger that drills a 10-inch hole. Anything smaller makes it more difficult to land big lakers. Steering their heads up and into the hole is one of the defining moments of the fight – and is often when trout are lost – and having a larger hole makes landing them much easier.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
When it comes to actually fishing for lake trout, no other piece of equipment is more important then a flasher or other type of sonar device. Being able to mark fish and see how they react to your bait is a huge advantage.
During the wintertime lake trout will spend time in all parts of the water column, from on the bottom to just under the ice, and anywhere in between. With on-ice electronics you can see where fish are holding and bring your bait to them.
You can also see how fish react to different baits and jigging techniques. Oftentimes getting a trout to bite involves a game of cat-and-mouse, where you get the trout to chase your bait towards the surface. I’ve watched trout on the flasher streak upwards and cover 30-plus feet-of-water to inhale a bait that is being reeled towards the surface.
When it comes to specific baits for catching trout through the ice there are two main types: metals and plastics.
Metals such as spoons and vibrating blade baits have caught their share of trout over the years. The flutter of a spoon falling towards bottom sends out flash and vibration that calls in aggressive trout. Tipping spoons with minnows is often a good idea.
In recent years soft plastic baits have exploded in popularity with trout fishermen. Leading the charge are tube-jigs. Their profile and spiralling action mimics a wounded baitfish that trout can’t resist. Other bass and walleye style soft plastic baits such as jerk shads and paddle tail swimbaits also work well. When targeting large trout, baits in the 4-to-6 inch range are recommended.
Also worth mention are horizontal jigging baits like the Lindy Darter and Rapala Clackin’ Rap. Their large profile, darting action and internal rattles call trout in and their realistic baitfish appearance gets trout to hit. One of the largest lake trout I’ve ever caught intercepted a Lindy Darter as it fell towards bottom.
This winter put all the pieces of the lake trout puzzle together and go out and catch the fish of a lifetime. Also, remember that big lake trout are old creatures and catch-and-release is recommended.
