Drag Lake Halliburton... I tried and tried for a Laker

[MichaelVerdirame]

This weekend my gang headed up to Drag Lake in Haliburton. Another great chance for me to clock in some lake trout fishing! However, I was not successful.

Saturday and Sunday were my focus days. Fishing began at 6:00 am and went to 10:30 am Saturday morning. 7pm to 11pm Saturday night. 5:30am to 1:30pm Sunday.

So, about 16 hours in the canoe over 2 days . It was either be in the canoe and adventure or sit on the dock and drink beer. Obviously, I opted for the canoe.

I trolled 5 of diamonds, mepps no. 3 silver, and finally, the smallest size Blue Fox spoon. Apparently, lake trout like small lures?

Method: http://www.seineriverlodge.on.ca/lake.htm

I know they're supposed to be hard to catch in the summer... but are they supposed to be this hard to catch?

I used my gps to mark schools of baitfish. I noted the majority at 30-40 feet of depth. I alternated my troll from the bottom to 30-40 feet deep every half hour or so and made multiple passes on hot spot dropoffs.

When passing a shallow shoal of 20 ft deep, I hooked up with something that sent my rod FLYING OVERBOARD. Thank goodness I tied it to the boat. Thank goodness!

I was sad to see it was yet another smallie... doh! Biggest fish on the smallest lure!

Each and every fish in this lake was infected with these black spot things. I've heard about it before, what is this condition called?

In terms of Lake trout fishing, my hunt continues. I'm keen on catching one in a canoe, in the summer. I'm open for suggestions .

 

[NADO]

Nice report, great smallies. I cant help you on Lake Trout as I have never caught one. Targeted them once on Simcoe with GBD and the only thing I can possibly suggest is try vertical jigging if you are in an area that you are pretty sure is holding lake trout. Thats what we did on the ice, not sure if it would be the best option from a boat.

 

[MichaelVerdirame]

Nice report, great smallies. I cant help you on Lake Trout as I have never caught one. Targeted them once on Simcoe with GBD and the only thing I can possibly suggest is try vertical jigging if you are in an area that you are pretty sure is holding lake trout. Thats what we did on the ice, not sure if it would be the best option from a boat.

Thanks for the reply NADO. The thing with verticle jigging... is how on earth do you get a spoon down to 80 or 60 feet... they flutter down so so slowly. It would be hard to confidently know the depth since I don't think they fall at a steady rate... maybe they do. I was measuring the depth of my lure by counting the time my sinker dropped.

I guess if I find the spoon on the sonar, I can follow it's path down and know the exact depth.

Would vertical jigging hold advantages over a slow troll???

 

[Blair]

Nice Report Michael!



You will get the Laker of your dreams ... one day.
(Friggin Great attitute of yours, will pay off)


I havent fished for them North or Deep Lately, but have had "Some success" down in the Whirlpool (niagara) in the Winter.
Depending how it goes, you might want to consider that.



I love the NIGHT SHOT with the MOON! Something about being out at night justs sends shivers of delight down my spine)

 

[grubman]

I believe the black spots are the parasites that all bass get mid-late summer. I don't know much about them but I think they are harmless when fully cooked, it's just inappetizing to look and know they are there. That's a awesome SM, I like the super close up, looks like a river monster.....lol. Is that a Dollarama lure?.......lol. Different topic....lol.

I have not caught a laker either but the guys on Fish'n Canada did use heavy 3/4 oz jigs with swim baits and bucktails. And they did use the legendary 5'o diamonds. Trolling and drifting they were able to hit fish but I think they were far far north much more then where you were. The problem with that depth is mono has so much stretch you might not feel a strike, I'm guessing.

Better luck next time.

 

[NADO]

Thanks for the reply NADO. The thing with verticle jigging... is how on earth do you get a spoon down to 80 or 60 feet... they flutter down so so slowly. It would be hard to confidently know the depth since I don't think they fall at a steady rate... maybe they do. I was measuring the depth of my lure by counting the time my sinker dropped.

I guess if I find the spoon on the sonar, I can follow it's path down and know the exact depth.

Would vertical jigging hold advantages over a slow troll???

Im just guessing here but I would think a very heavy jig tipped with a minnow style plastic could get you results. Gbay was getting them through the ice by dropping it right to the bottom and slowly retrieving and jigging it back to the surface.

 

[salmotrutta]

Would vertical jigging hold advantages over a slow troll???

Yes, for lazy lake trout, vertical jigging is more likely to entice a bite than trolling.

Vertical jig 1/4 oz to 3/8 oz jigs tipped with a shiner.

Time to Stop Trolling

 

[grubman]

Time to Stop Trolling

I hear ya. I have yet to see the advantages of trolling. Most of the time the fish are inactive with a narrow strike zone, they want to look over the bait, smell it, ensure that another predator won't attack them, then hit it. Drifting or station keeping is far more effective, sometimes you have to slow your drift b/c the wind/current is too fast. I found trolling for walleyes to be ineffective, it's probably best for Lake O for chinnys and bows.

 

[MichaelVerdirame]

I love the NIGHT SHOT with the MOON! Something about being out at night justs sends shivers of delight down my spine)

Thanks Blair, you're right, it was a really awesome time. In the canoe, on the lake, full moon.

Did I mention I trolled around a pair of lunes catching baitfish?

Is that a Dollarama lure?.......lol. Different topic....lol.

LOL no but they're on sale at SAIL right now for $1.40 or something like that in a big bin .

Yes, for lazy lake trout, vertical jigging is more likely to entice a bite than trolling.

Vertical jig 1/4 oz to 3/8 oz jigs tipped with a shiner.

Time to Stop Trolling

That's a wicked article, I remember reading it a month ago before my trip to Algonquin and I was verticle jigging a worm and white grub on that trip. It didn't work for me but I will keep trying it with a minnow this time. Unfortunately it seems like they took down the contour map that describes their ideal "confined open water"... so I have absolutely no idea what they're talking about!!!

I'm confident that they're spot on about the depth. I'm sure active lakers would not be hugging the bottom, they'd be around bait fish schools. No more bottom fishing next time.