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Canoeit
member (31)member
  
07/08/2018 08:26PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
We're headed to South Lake September 17-21. Can't wait it's our first time with a gunflint trail entry point. My question is, how likely is it that the water will have cooled off enough by then that the lake trout will be moving slightly shallower? Any info on fishing for the lake trout in that area would be appreciated.
 
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07/08/2018 08:53PM  
i've had success early sept catching lakers with lures running only 10' other years in later sept very slow fishing.
a good option if fishing is slow troll a spoon across open water , it will get down and lakers will come up .
 
amhacker22
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07/08/2018 09:35PM  
We’ll be in the LLC & Crooked areas about that same time and I was wondering that exact thing. I’ll sit back and listen!
 
mastertangler
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07/09/2018 06:57AM  
Late Sept certainly a better chance for shallow fish than early it would seem.

Bear in mind that Lakers gather to spawn in the fall. A mid lake reef which tops out around 10 to 20 ft with plenty of rubble would be good. They will likely be gathering so much of the lake might have that "empty feel".

Keep trying and trolling until you find them. Do you have a depth finder? Might be helpful. If you can find them a white tube jig would be the ticket I think.
 
Canoeit
member (31)member
  
07/09/2018 05:36PM  
I don't have a fishfinder but I have a contour map of the lake. Thanks for the info much appreciated.
 
rpike
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07/10/2018 02:55PM  
If the water has cooled enough that the lakers are staging to spawn, nothing is more fun than casting a jig (usually with a white twister tail) over the reef or point and catching fish after fish. Troll until you find them. If you are getting them flat line trolling spoons along points and reefs (Little Cleo is hard to beat), you can cast to them.
 
Canoeit
member (31)member
  
07/10/2018 05:30PM  
Thanks I really hope we can get into some lakers although Smallmouth will do fine also.
 
mastertangler
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07/11/2018 09:49AM  
Canoeit: " Thanks I really hope we can get into some lakers although Smallmouth will do fine also."


Who runs the show? Are they dedicated anglers or are they the "throw up their hands after two hours" types who suggest it's hopeless and we should fish for something else. I have little tolerance for mutiny on my ship although suggestions are always welcome.

I might sit my crew down and splain some things. I would set aside a reasonable time frame each day, say 3 or 4 hours, during which time we will paddle around trying for Lake Trout. Then I would hand the reins off and do whatever my counterpart wanted. If folk know that it is a set time frame they are more likely not to get discouraged. Explain to them if we can find them they might just hit the mother lode and they will be telling their grandchildren about the time they dropped their jig down 30 times and caught 30 fish (I watched a buddy's video of just that with fall lake trout).

I once guided a fellow salt water fishing who was a complete Nubie. Wonderful man, a pastor, but although he liked to fish he was not good at it. I knew we had to have live bait. I spent 3 hours chumming and throwing a cast net with no results. He was like "are we ever going to actually fish"? Finally, after much intercessory prayer (lol) I threw the net and loaded up with sardines. I looked really good after that. It was so funny, we pulled up into a shallow clear bay without a fish in sight and I instructed him to toss his sardine next to the mangroves. I could tell he was dubious.........we proceeded to pound them and he still talks about that day.

The moral of the story.......stay with it.
 
Canoeit
member (31)member
  
07/11/2018 08:11PM  
You can bet we'll stay with it. We've never fished for or caught lake trout so there is no doubt we will definitely give our best effort. That being said I have a love for smallie fishing so there will be some of that also. Your comment was inspiring thanks!
 
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