Don't let the title fool you...I love the taste of fresh lake trout and can't wait for it in August. That being said, the biggest laker I've ever caught in BW was about 3 pounds.

I would love to hook a big one, but I know they can't handle being out of their thermal zone for too long.

I've got two questions...how long is too long above water? What is the best presentation for BIG lakers in early August?

You are going to get some differing opinions on lake trout fishing in August, I'll give you mine. Lake trout obviously don't appreciate the warm surface temps but I don't think any fish really appreciate being caught in the first place. Make sure you have proper equipment to get them in the landing net quickly once they are at the surface. I'd strongly suggest a net for summer lake trout. The extra time it takes to hand land them in the summer will probably kill them. As for big trout bait, the bigger the better. I've heard of guys using 2 or 3 pd suckers for bait.

If you are worried about mortality I would hand land or use a fish grip.
LT roll around in nets like catfish. They will deslim themselves and it will take u a while to untangle them.

Thanks guys. I usually bring a plastic landing net...perfect for smallies and walleye but tough with the bigger pike and lakers. If I get lucky enough to get a big laker, hand-landing it will be my approach.

quote AmarilloJim: "If you are worried about mortality I would hand land or use a fish grip.
LT roll around in nets like catfish. They will deslim themselves and it will take u a while to untangle them."

That is definitely what happened to me........I had a nice laker going about 8lbs right at dark hit while trolling Poobah and spun up in the net and promptly tangled both of the tail dancers hooks in the mesh. It took me a good 10 minutes to get the mess untangled and of course the fish was dead and I was ticked.

Now I land all my lakers with a boga and they tend to cooperate fairly well by having their mouths opened.......usually much better than walleye who sometimes keep their mouths shut very tightly.

quote walleye_hunter: "You are going to get some differing opinions on lake trout fishing in August, I'll give you mine. Lake trout obviously don't appreciate the warm surface temps but I don't think any fish really appreciate being caught in the first place. Make sure you have proper equipment to get them in the landing net quickly once they are at the surface. I'd strongly suggest a net for summer lake trout. The extra time it takes to hand land them in the summer will probably kill them. As for big trout bait, the bigger the better. I've heard of guys using 2 or 3 pd suckers for bait."

+1. A good landing net is key.

Barbless hooks help as well.

In August, you need to release the fish over "deeper" water. If you catch one and try to land it on shore, there is a good chance it won't make it back to water that is cool enough. That is why I don't use ciscos from shore in the summer anymore. The faster you can land, photo, and release the better the chance the trout will survive.

I prefer a big net, never tried a boga.

Troll a big spoon with some weight, put in some time on a lake that you know has big trout and you've got a good chance.

I thought decompression was also part of the problem.

Not for lake trout. Unless you reel one in from 80 feet super fast.

Lakers have a gas puck-reflex. They can burp up air out of their swimbladder.

Venting the swim bladder doesn't take care of the nitrogen bubbles that form in the blood. There are 2 issues that need to be considered.

Fish do not breathe nitrogen.

Lake trout rarely suffer from baurotrauma. The real killer is warm, poorly oxygenated surface water.

Well it is February and I am curious so lets have an academic if not theoretical discussion. Even though LT can vent their swim bladder, shouldn't there be some expansion of inert gases within their blood upon ascension? (I assume they have nitrogen in their blood)
Another question. Why do the eyes bulge(exophthalmos)? I am unaware of any gas within or behind a fishes eye. I assume the CNS would be protected enough anatomically from the air bladder to eliminate an influence from the later.

MT please keep all comments to a paragraph or shorter in length.

One of these may be useful.

quote HighnDry: "One of these may be useful."

HighnDry,

I use one of those specifically when I'm fishing for grouper in water as shallow as 30 ft. I can't imagine that grouper are the only game species that is affected by rapid depth change, I'm just not familiar with any others.

All,

If there is one place where I feel in good company sharing how much I care about preserving the fisheries in BW, it's here. I always switch to barbless hooks after "dinner has been caught" and the last thing I want to do is kill a fish "for sport". I'm going to do my own homework as well, but I would appreciate further input, links, resources on how to "sport fish" for big lakers in a manner that ensures their survival (in early August).

Thanks again all for the solid input. Pretty clear that we're all like-minded on preserving the sanctuary as best we can.

I saw that. Makes one feel better about DCS(emboli). I normally stop fishing for walleyes when I catch my limit or what I need to eat. In tournaments we fizz and puncture the stomach out of the mouth but I'm sure there is some degree of delayed mortality. On LT it is so easy to sit on them and catch dozens and feel good because they go back down but I still wonder.

The swimbladder expands due to the changes in pressure. The eyes and mouth are openings to the external environment. That expanded gas pushes on the organs and pushes the openings out.

There isn't much nitrogen in fish blood, and actually fish have hardly any blood at all.

Also, rockfish do not have a puck-reflex. They have to diffuse gas across the membrane of their swimbladder. However, a descending device would help get trout back to the depths that have the cool oxygenated water they need!

quote AmarilloJim: "Venting the swim bladder doesn't take care of the nitrogen bubbles that form in the blood. There are 2 issues that need to be considered."

good point and agree

quote Pinetree: "

quote AmarilloJim: "Venting the swim bladder doesn't take care of the nitrogen bubbles that form in the blood. There are 2 issues that need to be considered."

good point and agree"

Pinetree- ive read some of your posts and it seems like you have a background in icthyology. What are your thoughts?

The time spent in overheated poorly oxengenated water is the main factor, along with buildup in lactic acid. Lake trout are capable of massive vertical movements with out the effects felt by other fish, they can however build up leathal lactic acid if fought too long. If you watch Lakers on a depthfinder you can see them charge prey from 60 to 100 feet down and come up into shallow water in seconds. The point Plittle made is very valid about the warm suface water.Once the fish is out of the water hold your breath, that's how long it should take to photograph and release a big laker.

quote Basspro69: " The time spent in overheated poorly oxengenated water is the main factor, along with buildup in lactic acid. Lake trout are capable of massive vertical movements with out the effects felt by other fish, they can however build up leathal lactic acid if fought too long. If you watch Lakers on a depthfinder you can see them charge prey from 60 to 100 feet down and come up into shallow water in seconds. The point Plittle made is very valid about the warm suface water.Once the fish is out of the water hold your breath, that's how long it should take to photograph and release a big laker."

Yes!

I still don't understand why the eyes would bulge on some walleyes, do they ever bulge on LT? If the swim bladder expands the path of least resistance is for the stomach to exit the mouth. The eyes and CNS are surrounded by bone so I wouldn't think the pressure could transmit to this organ system. Is there a communication? Is it just the eyes themselves that expand and is there a fluid in the eyes that expands?

in summer if you care about the mortality of the LT, you shouldn't even be catching them unless you intend to eat them.
but if you insist, don't use a net, and don't take a picture

quote Basspro69: " The time spent in overheated poorly oxengenated water is the main factor, along with buildup in lactic acid. Lake trout are capable of massive vertical movements with out the effects felt by other fish, they can however build up leathal lactic acid if fought too long. If you watch Lakers on a depthfinder you can see them charge prey from 60 to 100 feet down and come up into shallow water in seconds. The point Plittle made is very valid about the warm suface water.Once the fish is out of the water hold your breath, that's how long it should take to photograph and release a big laker."

I agree,you often also get delayed stress which you will never notice.

quote ZaraSp00k: "in summer if you care about the mortality of the LT, you shouldn't even be catching them unless you intend to eat them.
but if you insist, don't use a net, and don't take a picture"

I think I'm just going to default to this strategy. I can fish smallies with an ultra light all day long and never get bored! Same with pike! Cheers to a great season all!

You can always fish for the one(lake trout) to eat in a mid summer trip.

I do like your concern for what is best for the resource. Good luck fishing and enjoy

You can catch them in August and they are fine, you don't need to dredge them up from the depths I have even caught Lakers right on the surface in August. Fish/troll 30-40 deep or less you can catch a lot of lakers. Lakers can handle the depth change unlike other fish, but they can't handle the extreme temp change between 80 feet deep and the surface. The shallower active feeding lakers aren't going to be affected like a deep fish as the temp change isn't that dramatic.

I like a net, has to be rubberized no nylon--that avoids any of the issue listed above--then you aren't playing the fish out. Also don't use light line, playing the fish until they are exhausted so you can hand land them is a death sentence in August IMHO.

I don't take them out of the water anymore, release quickly as others said. Don't bring them to shore to land or take a pic. Land them and release over the deep water. Another reason for a net.

Everything I said is predicated on normal August, if has been 95 degrees and no wind for days that surface temp is too high...then again the lakers will all be super deep 60' or more so I wouldn't fish them.

T

Lake trout study

There is a Great Lake trout study going on right now. No answers yet. Some anecdotal info from some of the participating fishing charters is the highest catch rates are in August, the average depth of re-caught fish was 165 feet. This is in the Great Lakes so different than the BWCAW but some of the data should be usable for inland lakes.

T

quote timatkn: " Lake trout study


There is a Great Lake trout study going on right now. No answers yet. Some anecdotal info from some of the participating fishing charters is the highest catch rates are in August, the average depth of re-caught fish was 165 feet. This is in the Great Lakes so different than the BWCAW but some of the data should be usable for inland lakes.


T"

Very interesting thanks for sharing .