Smaller fish will usually have fewer contaminants than larger fish. Try and keep your boat between 2.5 mph and 3 mph when using spoons. You might as well snag an old boot. Lake trout have a very large mouth and will feed a lot on smaller fish in the area so matching your lures to the size of the baitfish they feed upon is a great tactic. The thinner bodied spoons will have a more erratic action so they tend to be best for trolling with. When the weather is cold during the spring and fall this is your best chance of catching lake trout in the shallow water. Using a light-action fishing rod has many advantages. It has many different page settings and you can customize what depth you want to focus on. ever caught) and it is impossible to forget the feeling of the first one on the Hooked up with a one-hundred and ninety-two pound halibut that needed a harpoon and a twenty-gauge shotgun to pacify at boat-side. Planer boards provide for an effective solution for fishing Lake Koocanusa. If I am trolling the spoon in the middle of the water column where all the fish are hanging out and feeding then I like to be around the 3.0 mph mark. This inline spinner is an effective lure which spins flawlessly and smoothly at all speeds. As soon as the ice clears off Francois Lake, the itchin’ for fishin’ begins. Fishing techniques can be trolling, jigging, or dead bait rigs to get the fish of your dreams. We use a trolling motor to keep vertical as you said. This translates to removing 84,000-143,000 lake trout … A fishing charter is a fun-filled time of discovery, so don’t pass on the opportunity. A short distance from the boat, something struck on the other end of the line. As soon as I switch directions I will start catching fish. Beautiful scenery, sunshine and the gentle rocking of your boat while you are trolling for that monster Lake Trout . too. During this time you will most likely be using a downrigger because they can be anywhere from 60-200 feet deep. FISHING FOR LAKE TROUT Lake trout (or mackinaw) are primarily fish eaters. With killer sizes of over 20lbs in some cases, the lake has varieties of huge fish such as a lake trout, rainbow trout, pike, yellow perch, and whitefish. I try and go to new places every year and I’m always trying to catch new species. Fishing for lake trout during most of the year requires a boat with trolling gear, since the fish inhabit deep waters. That’s precisely how lake trout use structure, confined open space and pinch points in Canadian Shield lakes to funnel, herd and corral schools of pelagic, open-water roaming ciscoes, smelt and shiners. It's all about getting out in the boat with a fish finder and finding just where exactly they are feeding. How to Catch Lake Trout: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow In fact, this is actually an effective trolling speed for lakers, when the fish are in deep water. A planer board is a properly-shaped pair of planks constructed of wood or foam-filled plastic that ride up on their edge. If you are marking a lot of fish on your fish finder but still can’t catch them, turn the boat around and go back through them the other direction. It is one of the trusted lures of different anglers, and most of them suggest that you use this for early season trout. Make sure you have a good fish finder so you know what depth to be running your lures at and so … Nice size Lake Trout, aka Freshwater Char, which are members of the Salmon family, so said Captain Todd. If I have a dodger on I can’t troll the same speed as I can with just a spoon or swimbait. Lake trout are often caught in the 15 to 40-pound range, so lacking high-quality tackle is not an option for the serious angler. The Kokanee feed on zoo plankton, on the surface, and that’s where the monsters hunt them. See the Meal Advice Chart on the back page for fish size and serving recommendations. Click here to learn more about flathead lake fishing charter report 6-2013 Flathead Lake Fishing Charter Report 6-2013 Flathead Lake Fishing Continues to Amaze Just yesterday we uploaded a great fishing video from a recent fishing charter where we filled the fish box with out catch. Whenever I fish with dodgers the most important thing to do is to slow down your trolling speed. A weight to maintain depth -- probably two or three ounces, depending on your speed and the season since lake trout typically swim deeper in warmer months A light lure or trolling spoon shaped like a small minnow, or a live minnow, hooked through the lips so that it can still move And still it takes time to find those predators because, unlike Flathead Lake charters, the monsters are not typically beneath the boat. The rod jerked violently in my hand, and before my dad could utter a word, that Winona monster, a huge Northern…huge relative to me anyway…exploded from beneath the surface. In the spring when the water is colder the fish will be higher up in the water column so this is when you won’t need to use downriggers if you don’t have any. My boat likes to stay around 2.9 mph most of the time so that is where I catch most of my fish. Make sure you have a good fish finder so you know what depth to be running your lures at and so you can mark where you spot schools of fish. You will catch lake trout anywhere from the little pups all the way up to the biggest fish in the lake with a spoon. Somers, MT Flathead Lake Boat Ramp Great Northern Historical Trail, Somers, MT 59932, Click here to Learn more about half-day flathead lake fishing charter, Click here to Learn more about wild horse island tour, Click here to Learn more about full day on lake koocanusa, Click here to Learn more about captain kirks’ drift boat trip, Click here to Learn more about fort peck reservoir fishing, Click here to Learn more about all charters, Click here to Learn more about captain mike's fleet, Click here to Learn more about fishing license, Click here to email fishfinder3327@gmail.com, Click here to view location Somers, MT Flathead Lake Boat Ramp Great Northern Historical Trail, Somers, MT 59932, Click here to visit our Google My Business Profile. For the uninitiated, that means dragging artificial or live bait slowly through the water while trying our best to make that enticement look like food to monster fish. You will be surprised at the size of lures these fish can be caught with. I spent this whole summer out on the water fishing for lake We caught over 900 lake trout last year from Keuka and Cayuga. Montana’s Flathead Lake is the largest freshwater lake boasting one of the cleanest lakes in the United States. More than 9,000 tagged lake trout with values from $10,000 to $100 are swimming in Flathead Lake. There is nothing December 2015 Probably the most common lure to use when trolling for lake trout, spoons are a great option for both large and small lake trout. My name is Trevor Harper, I love going fishing with my family and friends any chance I get. Voracious and competitive accurately describes Lake Trout. The common belief is that to successfully catch lake trout you need a slow lure speed—very slow. Hi! The big lake trout from 30” to 40” go out to these big flats to feed on the small white fish and fresh water shrimp. This way I feel like they are mostly reacting to the lure as a baitfish swimming past them and they will just eat it without getting too much of a chance to just look at it first. Middle of Summer Lake Trout: The middle of summer is the time when people spend the least amount of time hunting down Lake Trout. Also using a planer board so your crankbait will be swimming out to the side of the boat and not directly behind the boat in the wake will greatly increase the amount of fish you will catch when you are not fishing very deep. In Flathead Lake fishing, the apex predators feed almost anywhere and on just about any fish, but they concentrate on shrimp and fry…down deep. Below is a quick Fishing Report from Flathead Lake: Fish can be found in the big flats off shore usually in 180 to 200 ft. of water. Summer Lake Trout. These three rivers form in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains and flow towards their destination of Flathead Lake. Trolling for Lake Trout on Francois Lake ... Holding rainbow and lake trout, kokanee, Dolly Varden and burbot, it is by far the lake trout that have me counting down the days until we can launch the boat and get out on the water. Three or more lines are attached to the cords on each side in a similar manner. I think the larger lake trout are kind of lazy and like to just sit on the bottom so I slow it down a little for them to get a chance to bite it. For deep-dwellers such as Lake Trout, we use a spread of artificial lures that usually have scent enhancement. Last June, the tribes released a draft plan to reduce lake trout abundance in Flathead Lake by either 25, 50 or 75 percent over 50 years. I had never used a downrigger before and I had no idea what speed we would be trolling at. It's … Try trolling large flatfish from Worden’s. We can anchor and jig, or anchor and set lures in the current, but the primary means for fishing Flathead Lake and finding monsters is by trolling. In Lake Koocanusa fishing charters, to effectively prompt Bulls and Rainbows to strike, your lure must be trailed far from the boat, sometimes as much as three hundred feet away. Sometimes they feed, sometimes not, but at the very least the invite is delivered to the right address. Trout from Flathead Lake Keep smaller fish for eating & pay attention to the number of servings/month Fish accumulate contaminants over time. Troll 3/8 oz. Lake Trout Lures. It’s adjacent to the Saskat… Flies and trolling intro. It is common practice to troll for lake trout at a speed of 1.5 mph. I was two. You can waste a lot of time on the water trying to figure it out yourself. Trolling speed with crankbaits for lake trout are between 2.2 – 2.8 mph. first trip out fishing for lake trout I bought myself a boat and got It is connected to the boat via a large pulley with an extendable cord that lets the board travel through the water fifty yards or more away from the boat. More fishing line is let out and this release then slides down the cord toward the board while dragging the lure out and away from the boat. I don’t use this method as much as I do just trolling with a spoon, but it does work so its worth a try if you have the supplies. He caught them both simultaneously on the same lure. Once the boards are out and running, we let back our lure directly behind the boat for about two hundred feet. Every lake is a little different and even the same species of trout in different bodies of water. And still it takes time to find those predators because, unlike Flathead Lake charters, the monsters are not typically beneath the boat. How to Fish for Lake Trout: Catching lake trout is a fun and rewarding activity. Spoons; Rapala’s; Flatfish; Fishing for lake trout, you could pick from 100’s of different lures, pick from different action, worry about how deep to fish, are you trolling, what hook type to use and what speed should your retrieve be. My first experience with monster fish scared the hell out of me. The more you practice, test and experiment, the higher your success rate will be. Try T-50, 55, and T-60’s. The big predators are dispersed and you have to cover a LOT of water to find them. I cried out in fear and tossed the rod to my mom. you what I have learned and some tips to get you your first giant lake trout They prefer colder water and are usually found near the bottom although they can be found at all depths when the water is cold. You can readily catch lake trout by trolling lures near the surface in April – June and October-November. My dad had just handed me the rod, where the bait was in the water at a distance. Find someone at the local store or read the fishing reports to see where the fish are currently at and what lures are working best at the time. If the fish are being shy then sometimes the scent of cut bait will get them to bite. Summer is when lake trout like to head deep. The Flathead Biological Station is getting $128,000 from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to study what that removal of lake trout means for the buildup methylmercury in other fish. The shape of the planer board causes it to arc away and out to the side from the boat to the full extent of the cord. Well clark you almost nailed it on the head but i would have said the same thing a year or two ago. They have a very large mouth and can eat some very big lures so don’t be afraid to try some large spoons for those really big lake trout. With high-tech sonar, fish-finders for the uninitiated, we discover where the monsters are hanging out with their buddies, and then we drop the food in their laps…er…faces. The thicker heavier spoons are better for casting so I tend to not use those as much unless I am using a tiny spoon then I don’t think it matters as much. trout and I have learned a lot along the way. No matter what lures you’re using, try to use brightly-colored bait. It has helped me tremendously and I personally wouldn’t fish for lake trout without a fish finder. This is definitely the lure to use if you are wanting to catch a lot of fish and not particularly focused on just catching the larger lake trout. There are plenty of fish in Flathead Lake. Spoons just have a certain swimming action to them that make lake trout go crazy. We like to troll our lake trout spoons on the faster side of the lake trout trolling spectrum. Sometimes the fish will just only bite if the lure is going a certain direction. With his hand on mine, we began to reel it in. Nestled in the northern region of Manitoba is a body of water hailed for its multi-species trophy fishery: Lake Athapapuskow. This 126,000 acre lake has a reputation of trophy Lake trout, Northern pike, & Bull trout. Go to www.mackdays.com and click under the events tab for more information. It has a hook size that is just right for the lake trout that you are trying to catch. Sometimes I will spend an hour or so going one direction and spotting fish after fish but not catch anything. Best Spoon Trolling Speed for Lake Trout. Lake Trout are often stimulated to strike by the act of another fish feeding and since it seems as though their competitor missed they might be prompted to give it a try. “Betterfishingtoday.com is  a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”. I also vary my speed if I am fishing near the bottom or somewhere in the middle of the water column. I troll anywhere from 1.5 – 3.2 mph depending on what type of lure I am using. Both Flathead Lake charters or Lake Koocanusa fishing charters are hands-on educational experiences. Lake Trout prefer a slow moving bait. I try to stay between 1.5 – 2.0 mph when I am using a dodger. A boat trailing a pair of planer boards covers a swath of water almost a hundred yards wide. Trolling for Monster Lake Trout With the 3-way swivel method, the middle of the summer can be the best time because the Lakers are concentrated in the deep holes and not spread out all over the lake like they are in the spring. We troll at nearly twice the speed of Flathead Lake fishing when fishing Lake Koocanusa…covering a LOT of water with our three-hundred-foot wide spread. This is where I share my experiences and the things I learn along the way. During the warm summer months they will go very deep to stay in the colder water. Methylmercury is a poisonous mercury compound … Love or larger spoons such as Krocodiles in silver/red or gold/red or minnow-imitation plugs such as Rebels or Rapalas in black/silver, black/gold or fluorescent orange. After trapping their prey, the lake trout feed on … end of your line. If I am trolling my spoon right along the bottom for the bigger lake trout, then I try to slow it down to around the 2.5 mph mark. Boating on Flathead Lake is an activity that draws people from all over the United States, Canada and other countries around the world. And even though the conditions were far from perfect, we caught three of them. The lures trail behind a flasher or dodger, an attractor that simulates a fish feeding on the lure. Trolling for lake trout with spoons is my favorite way to fish for them and it is also one of the most effective ways to catch lake trout. 1 The first time I ever went fishing for lake trout my boss took me and another guy from work out on his boat. ‘Tis The Season. They follow the colder water down deeper into the water column. When I am trolling with spoons I will go anywhere from 2.5 – 3.2 mph depending on how deep I am fishing. Got a hundred pound Dorado…mahi-mahi…and that’s a monster. Monster Salmon, monster Rainbow, and monster Lake Trout, they’re in my blood. If you know how to find them, and where to find them, they’re not difficult to catch. Flathead Lake itself is full of Lake Trout (Mackinaw) and catching them is our specialty! The source water of Flathead Lake is the Flathead River which consists of three major tributaries: the North Fork, South Fork, and the Middle Fork. lakers and over 100' deep for larger lake trout but expect lots of mixing of sizes. I have this Humminbird fish finder you can find on Amazon. Lake trout is one of the most preferred game fish and people eagerly wait for the season to open. Final thoughts on trolling for trout. I have used dodgers when trolling for lake trout and the guy I was with was using cowbells. We troll at nearly twice the speed of Flathead Lake fishing when fishing Lake Koocanusa…covering a LOT of water with our three-hundred-foot wide spread. So what is a good trolling speed for lake trout? Trolling flies for trout is actually a very popular and even preferred technique for catching big fish.A local northern California lake that this technique is often used is Eagle Lake and some have perfected this technique specifically on this body of water. Sea Raider is set up for trolling in Flathead Lake charters. like catching a big lake trout (especially if it is the biggest fish you have Surface dwellers, like Bull Trout and Rainbow (or Kamloops) as you might find when fishing Lake Koocanusa, are a different story. Using deep diving crankbaits you can get down to the fish and avoid having a big downrigger weight running into the fish first. We were going to be trolling for kokanee and lake trout all day and all I could think about was catching a monster lake trout. Side-scan sonar helps, but not a lot. Generally fish 30'-100' deep for smaller (2-5 lb.) by Capt Mike, Sea Raider. It’s more of a hit and miss approach. Many lake trout anglers adhere to this slow lure speed as gospel. Needless to say, after my Blog: Trolling Lake Oroville CA Lake Davis CA, October Fly Trolling Val Aubrey's interview, Eagle Lake fishing. Light Action Rod: If you get a 5 pound Lake Trout on a heavy deep-sea trolling rod with 80-pound test steel wire, you will be lucky to feel the fish bite, let-alone have fun bringing the fish in. While fishing Lake Koocanusa, the primary forage is Kokanee Salmon. A delicate touch is essential to catch this delicacy and here is … Those big fish are boat shy and that makes presenting a lure…food…a different proposition. I like to troll with deep diving crankbaits more in the springtime than later in the season. Another thing I like to try if the fish are having a hard time biting I will put a piece of cut bait on the hook for some extra scent. The lake trout on Flathead Lake average around eight pounds, but many go well over 20. downriggers just so I could go back and fish for them myself. Whether you are an angler looking to learn, or a vacationer wanting to try something new, come along with us and we’ll share every trick in the book. Flathead Lake Whitefish are the largest of the whitefish species in Montana and can be up to 10lbs! Due to the deep waters and windy lake conditions on Flathead Lake, the best fishing should be done from a trolling powerboat. Before going through each part of this technique, it’s important to first understand the context that we were fishing in and how we came across this method. Since that time, I’ve been seeking monsters…relative to me anyway. Then the line at the tip of the rod is secured into a release which is then clipped onto the planer board cord. Lake trout are actually a char and they are a coldwater species. It says everything about boating on Flathead Lake. Trolling for trout is something that anyone with a boat can do, and is highly productive technique for catching fish. It’s more of a hit and miss approach. Fishing from shore for lake trout is not really an option. 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. This is my friend Mary who caught her first-ever lake trout. Trolling speed with crankbaits for lake trout are between 2.2 – 2.8 mph. If you troll too fast then the dodger will just spin in circles and it will be very difficult for you to catch anything that way. Sometimes that’s done with downriggers—controlled depth fishing as it’s called. "Bagging the Elusive Brown Trout" Spring Time Kings on Lake Oroville CA Spring Trolling Lake Almanor Spring 2017 Collins Lake CA Pyramid Lake NV. I place my lure at least 4 feet behind the dodger so it is close enough to the dodger that the lake trout will be able to see it when they look at the dodger, but not too close that the action from the dodger won’t affect the natural action of the lure in the water. Increasing the length to 2.5 or 3 times dodger length is recommended. Lake trout are very aggressive feeders so you can get away with using a little bit larger of a spoon and still catch the little pups on it. If you’re going to be trolling or casting for lake trout, spoons and jerkbait will both work equally well. They are a highly entertaining and playful fish to chase and a delicious addition to the dinner table! This way of fishing is just to have an extra attractant to help the fish locate where your lure is if you are having a hard time getting any bites. In this article I will share with One of my captains actually had a big Lake Trout try to take a Worden Flatfish out of another big Lake Trout’s mouth. 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