During summer, lake trout are forced into the deep cold water below the thermocline. They may inhabit deep water during winter, too, but they also roam shallow flats where few anglers look for them. Fishing shallower water is more efficient, too -- you can fish more efficiently in 40 feet of water than in 80 feet, and you can use lighter baits and still get to the bottom faster. And while most lake trout fishermen are content to sit over a single hole for days, a mobile approach produces more and bigger fish in less time. Fishing fast in areas other anglers overlook is the key to consistent lake trout action on ice.

Tackle

Rod: 3- to 4-foot medium-power ice rod.

Reel: medium-capacity casting or spinning reel.

Line: 8- to 12-pound-test mono.

 

Rigging

Since you'll be fishing in water about 20 to 80 feet deep, lures that sink fast are most efficient. Begin with a large swimming lure--something like a 3/8-ounce Northland Air-Plane Jig or a 3/8-ounce System Tackle Walleye Flyer tipped with a 4-inch shiner. If you see fish move in on your sonar but they don't take, try a 1/4-ounce swimming jig dressed with a 3-inch tube body and tipped with a piece of minnow. For finicky lakers, try a 4-inch livebait anchored by a 1/4- or 3/8-ounce plain leadhead jig.

Location

Shallow bays on lake arms aren't lake trout water. Instead, look for trout in deep main-lake sections. But relatively shallow water is still important for locating concentrations of fish. Not just any shallow water, but shallower structural elements in the deep portion of the lake. Points like Area A, saddle areas between islands like Area B, humps like Area C, and saddle areas between points like Area D all are potential trout attractors. When trout are over a flat surface or gradual slope, they often feed right on the bottom. If the fish are holding along the quick-dropping edge, however, they tend to suspend over deep water.

Presentation

Let your jig fall to the bottom under light tension. Bites often occur on the drop, so keep the line fairly tight on the way down. Once the jig hits bottom, lift it off the bottom and slowly pump it up and down a few times. Reel up 5 feet or so and repeat the process. Until a depth pattern develops, fish this method all the way to the surface.

Where two rods are legal, fish two holes about 20 feet apart. Drop one jig to the bottom and the other about halfway down. Walk back and forth between holes with a rod in each hand. As you move toward one hole, that jig drops while the other rises.