Trolled all day with no fish

[j_hudson]

Yesteday I went out on Lake George started in about 50 fow with 2 riggers down with sliders and 2 lead core both out about 5-7 colors.  One rigger had cow bells.  I was going any where from 1.6-2 mph.  I switched lures about 100 times throwing just about everything in the box at them.I tried spoons of all colors, a frew repalas, flatfish with no luck. I marked fish at all depths. Water temp at the surface was 41-42. Weather as cool with a bit of rain and no wind. No my question is what am I doing wrong.  Also is the black box I have heard about actually do anything. Also how far back behind the ball should I be running my lures. I tried  20 ft to 150ft behind the ball.   It seems to me that I could have found at least one fish that was hungry.  I got skunked the last time I went out too, But the time before that I got a nice 10# laker on a flat fish in 50fow down 30.   Any advice I can get will be greatly aprieciated.

[ERABBIT]

I've fished up there in early May out of Rogers Rock area in the past been a long time since I've been back over there........ and 100' to 120' down dodger peanut. Some times it pays to fish across the seam also go east west , west to east  . The deep fishing with dodger peanut was about 10' to 15' off ball...... running a shallower program I had my best luck with slide divers over long leads on riggers............

[Chas0218]

With a front coming thru fish always get a bad case of lock jaw.

[steelydan]

COLD FRONT, COLD FRONT, COLD FRONT.

[Sk8man]

The guys hit it right...when the front moves in and the barometric pressure changes rapidly they usually shut off. On the other hand, this time of year you will find two main places in deep lakes where the water temperature is most productive for lakers up near the top (and often right near shore) where you have the warmest temps (although often the temp is "spotty") and on the bottom where the temp is usually about 39 degrees because it is the densest there. Lakers will be found in those two places primarily or if suspended it will most  likely almost always be right near bait pods. Because the surface warms in just a thin layer this time of year those 5-7 colors were probably running in 35 degree (i.e coldest) water most of the time. Try running top lines back further and just a few feet below the surface and with "floppy" spoons or jointed Rapalas in orange or chartreuse or silver/black J-7's orJ-9's.  If running the downriggers deep say near bottom don't be afraid to snug them up close to the ball (e.g.6-10ft. behind) and try running cowbells with a peanut behind it that way or perhaps even a little closer to the weight. This is so that they appear to be a "group" rather than separate or discrete objects. You may want to start out closer to shore next time rather than in the 50 ft range and if nothing there go deep (90-150ft.) and near bottom Good luck next time.

Edited May 1, 2014 by Sk8man

[Dipsey]

Not sure where you launched from but if you are in the Southern Basin I would recommend trolling the shoreline around Dunhams Bay, through Assembly Point around Harris Bay on up to Pilot Knob. Most any flutter spoon or stickbait should work fine. Spread it out with planer boards and stay shallow. I'm pretty sure you will leave with a big smile if you run that route and program. Laker fishing there in the spring is first class. I'm going to miss fishing Lake George, the invasive species boat inspection program is more than I want to deal with. I hope this helps and I'd like to see a follow up report from you.

 

Tight lines,

Eric

[Glenn -Brazee]

In the past always had a lot of sucess with a flatline/sub-surface program up to about Memorial Day or so. Like many have suggested,start shallower in bays,bouys and shorelines where streams enter. Small Sutton hammered silver flutters have always produced and my favorite is a tandem grey ghost streamer (with a few orange beads) run out as far as possible on the surface. (Get ready,landlocks go nuts way back there) Lastly always run a flashy bait down in the prop wash. ( rigged live bait with a small trebel hook is a good bet) Hope this helps.

[j_hudson]

Today was a totaly differnt day out there. I launched out of Million Dollar beach and started right out with a laker in about 5 minutes on the same orange and black dotted flat fish that had worked before about 70 down.  Trolled that and another orange spoon on the other rigger with the cowbells with no luck.  Changed that to a yellow, red stick bait and it wasn't 5 minutes and another laker was on.  Trolled a little ways longer and marked a bunch of fish in 100 fow water and the 70' rigger with the flatfish popped and another laker.  Then made a pass through the ledges at Pualist fathers and decided it was time to pack it in, or so the wife told me it was, while reeling in the last rigger there was another laker on the stick bait that never released.  All in all 4 for 4 in 4 hours, much better than the last 2 trips. Nothing huge but made me think that I wasn't doing anything wrong.  Also, what is a peanut?  Thanks for the input every one.  From what I hear there isn't alot of land locks in the lake, the stocking program has had alot of trouble in the past few years and from what I hear nobody is catching them, but that doesn't mean they aren't there though.  I haven't gotten anything on the lead cores yet, but mybe I'm running them too deep.

[j_hudson]

Yes SHake and bake they sure are going to mess it all up with this new boat inspection thing so I am trying to get as much time as I can until then.

[Sk8man]

Here is an example of one called a "Wobble Troll" They can be rigged in various ways but this gives you a basic idea.

[j_hudson]

Thanks Sk8man, that is what you guys call a peanut?

[Sk8man]

The yellow thing is the peanut (they come in many colors/patterns) and it can be rigged in a variety of ways (beads, spacers, glitter stuff etc.)

[jigstick]

cowbells and peanut setups absolutely slaughter lakers on lake erie.  I can barely keep them in the water.  Really is quite amazing.  For every 1 laker i catch on a spoon, i catch 5 on a peanut fly.

[j_hudson]

Well of to the tackle store to get some peanuts for tomorrow.

[Nautitroller]

I like planters honey roasted

Sent from my C771 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Edited May 3, 2014 by Nautitroller

[j_hudson]

So SK8man I got me some peanuts and a buch of beads, spinners and things what would you recomend as a good set up.  What size treble at the end.

[j_hudson]

I like planters honey roasted

Sent from my C771 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

So put some honey on them before I fish them then roast at 350 for 45 minutes and it will work better than plain dry roasted?  Maybey some smelt oil in the mix too.  Shell on or shell off? I pesonally always liked the beer nuts, with a six pack too.  Com'on man Iam just trying to learn.a new technique.  I got the goods know how do I set them up to catch them?  I wish I knew it all but I am the first o admit I have only seriously been after them for a couple of years now.  The tackle shop on Lake George didn't even have very many and looked at me like i was talking chineese when I asked for them so maybey I am way of line with them but I am gonna give it a go tomorrow.

[Fish Hunter]

Would'nt hurt to have a couple spin-n-glo's in your arsenal either.

[on the lam]

Don't use peanuts on Lake george...  skulpin/darters are not a frimary forage bait there   Trailer up to Bolton Landing...  Launch at Norowal marina.  head into Northwest Bay (straight north)  and fish in front of indian creek and south to Bell point.  Fish the top ten/fifteen feet with sticks and small spoons (suttons/stingers) off boards if you could. Lakers are preying on smelt that are spawning in that creek (or any other small creek on the lake). Stop at the Outdoorsman sport shop on the way north (diamont point) Gary will hook you up  (btw smelt are illegal to possess on LG) so forget live bait.  good luck

Edited May 4, 2014 by on the lam

[jigstick]

Here is a typical cowbell and peanut setup:

 

http://www.basspro.com/Luhr-Jensen-Cowbell-Troll/product/77823/

 

I usually take off one cowbell, and only run 3.  Tie a treble hook onto 24inches of 20lb flouro leader.  Thread on 3 beads.  Then thread on your peanut or wobble glow.  THEN tie that entire rig onto the end of the 3rd cowbell.  Run it 20ft back off the ball.  I typically bounce the ball right on the bottom of erie.  Speed around 2mph.  Get it down there and hang on!

 

You can get all different shapes and colors of blades and peanuts.  Usually the sherbert, pinks, chartreuse, greens, and purples work for me.

Edited May 4, 2014 by jigstick

[j_hudson]

I know that smelt and ciscos are the primary foods for the lakers in LG but they seem to hit Orange and black Dotted things the best like the flatfish I have had pretty good luck on as well as  the same collored wobbeler so, I had been hearing about the whole peanut thing on this here website so I thought It may be an option to build it in orange and I paited some black dots on them and got some orange spinners and what not  to try and get a better bite.  Might not work but at least I tried.  I know smelt are illeagal to have on the lake but the lakers will hit suckers, at least they did all winter for me.  They won't touch a shiner but if you got a sucker you'll geta laker.  I wish I could find a salmon in there but there doesn't seem to be to many left.

Edited May 4, 2014 by j_hudson