targeting lakers

[fishhard23]

For targeting lakers this time of year, how do you guys do it? Do you fish them suspended or are they on the bottom? Mostly F/F? Cowbells? Thanks..

[Sk8man]

Lakers are largely bottom oriented and often found in deep water (100ft plus depths) and they are often found near or within bait pods. During the Spring however large lakers come into the shallows looking for baitfish in there spawning and therefore can be found at a variety of depths and on bottom in shallow water as well as within a variety of points within the water column. They are "opportunists" and they have been known to eat sunfish, small bass, perch, and even small pike and other smaller trout in addition to the usual alewives and rainbow smelt. They also can compete for food with larger species such as large pike without concern in the shallows. Their habits are similar in each body of water (Great Lakes and Finger Lakes for example) but there are also variations in each lake too (habitat, bottom characteristics,  food amounts/availability etc. In the Finger Lakes lakers can be caught in the Spring by nearly all of the usual methods of trolling (top lining, lead core, downriggers, dipseys on mono as well as wire, flashers and fly/squid, cowbells/peanuts/spin-n-glows etc.) and also quite easily by still fishing with English hooks and sawbellies (alewives) or smelt either drifting or anchored, and very successfuly by "pulling" or "jerking" copper wire either by hand, on an automatic reel such as the A &S automatic, or an old fashioned victrola rig using spoons such as the Pfleuger 4 or 5, Ace spoon tied directly to the copper wire, or flutter spoons or twin minnows/flatfish on mono leaders all banging bottom or close to it with or without weight attached where the copper meets the leader. Jigging for lakers can occur all year and is done by using regular rods and reels as well as "adapted" ones either anchored or drifting with a fairly heavy jig and a 3-5 inch rubber shad or other "soft bait" immitation.  All this can be done in relatively shallow depths in the Spring but in recent years the water clarity has dictated deeper troilling with everything when exceptionally clear conditions exist (as noticed recently all over) as the larger fish are usually there while more juvenile lakers are often found out deeper. As the season progresses (late Spring/early Summer) the use of Seth Green rigs is very effective using multiple leaders/lures ( 5 are allowed per rod) and flutter spoons, and wire rigs with dipseys and flasher/fly combos, copper wire rigs and braid wth Spin Docs, Cowbells etc. as the fish move out to deeper water. Thermocline (Seth Green) rigs and copper jerking are seldom used on lake Ontario but all of the other methods mentioned apply there as well as numerous others. I may have missed something but this is basically it. Others may have things to add or other different methods I failed to note (I'm "old school")

Edited May 7, 2013 by Sk8man

[vogel451]

You just about covered it!    

 

If your a beginner, I have a few simple tips for lakers.  Im not a pro but I spend alot of time targeting lakers on the fingerlakes.  I dont have quite as many tactics as the previous post under my belt but I do ok.   In the summer there is no need to fish any deeper than 90fow here on Cayuga.  Im sure its very similar on the rest of the fingerlakes.  I began by draggin single spoons about 20-80' back off my rigger as close to the bottom as I can get.  Hopefully im dragging bottom with my downrigger ball more often then not.  1.8-2.2 is a great speed for lakers.  I If you have a temp probe 50degrees is a good temp to target.  More recently Ive started using flashers/fly rigs with great success.

 

As I reread your question  I realized your talking about spring time.  Since this time of year the lake temps are fairly consistant through the water column lakers can be very spread out until a thermocline sets up.  Ive caught lakers in 20fow this spring and marked them out in 220fow.  Jigging is a VERY good method for lakers.  Good luck!

Edited May 7, 2013 by vogel451

[fishhard23]

Thanks guys, I'll probably be heading out on Cayuga this weekend since the big lake looks like its gonna be a bit rough.