| For those of us who live in the southern extent | | | | and work the bait in a forward and back motion |
| of the Lake Trout range, we know that lakers | | | | to allow the bait to flutter on the back motion. |
| head deep in the summer when the water | | | | Strikes typically happen in that flutter. You want |
| temperature warms up. In the spring, lakers can | | | | to keep the bait quite close to bottom, over time |
| be found on the surface and trolling a spoon at | | | | you'll feel the difference between your bait |
| shallow depth can be an effective technique. Once | | | | rubbing bottom, and just the usual tension as you |
| the water temperature gets into the high 50's | | | | bring the rod forward |
| however, lakers head deep until the cooling water | | | | In general, an outfit set up in this fashion with 30 |
| brings them back up in the fall for spawning. | | | | pound wire, and a 1 ounce weight, will run 1 foot |
| A number of different techniques can be used for | | | | deep for every 3 feet of line out. A line counter |
| deep water Lake Trout. If you have a good idea | | | | reel will get you to an accurate depth, otherwise |
| where they may be, using a heavy jig is a deadly | | | | marking the line at 50 or 75 foot increments will |
| technique. Other deep water techniques such as | | | | help you establish if you have the right amount of |
| using a downrigger can be effective. But perhaps | | | | line out to be on bottom quickly |
| the most efficient, is using a traditional but | | | | Make sure you have your drag set to permit |
| out-of-vogue technique, namely using wire line. | | | | larger fish to take line, can you lay money on |
| The wire line technique utilizes stainless wire line | | | | wire line not giving you any stretch |
| on a heavy trolling outfit. A long mono or | | | | I hope this provides you with another tool in your |
| flourocarbon leader of about 6 feet is attached to | | | | arsenal for catching mid-summer fish. Lakers can |
| a swiveled sinker, which is attached to the wire. A | | | | be caught quite efficiently on this method. It has |
| sinker of about 1 ounce gets the line down nicely. | | | | the significant advantage over downriggers, that |
| A flutter spoon is utilized, these spoons being of | | | | you can work the bottom without worrying about |
| very light design, perhaps 4 inches in length. You | | | | picking up material from the bottom and not |
| generally will feed the line from the reel by running | | | | knowing about it, or popping the line off the |
| the boat quickly and free spooling the reel with | | | | tension release. Using the heavy tackle can be |
| light thumb pressure since the wire does not spool | | | | somewhat tiring, but if you want to be able to |
| out very easily under slow speed until sufficient | | | | count on bringing home a fish for the table, deep |
| line is out. When you feel you have sufficient | | | | water wire lining may be just the edge you're |
| length out, slow the trolling speed to minimum, | | | | looking for. |