Quote:
Originally Posted by Maghunter
Anybody been to Cold Lake this past week? I was there and the fishing was slow to say the least. The fish were mostly at the bottom of the lake. I caught a few at 130 ft. deep. Is this normal for this time of the year? Shouldn't the lakers be at higher levels. Last year at the same time we were catching them in 40-60 ft of water. What gives?
|
The internet advice on how lakers "come up to shallow water in the spring" is not necessarily true of all lakes.
In Cold Lake and Pierce Lake (two lakes I regularly fish for Lake Trout in) the lakers stay relatively deep throughout the spring and summer. There is typically more fish found suspended deeper that most experts would tell us.
Lakers will go, logically, where the food is. The only time lakers seem to be shallow is when they are pushing the bait balls up and trapping them at the surface in the very early hours of the morning (before 5-6 AM) or after sunset it seems to me. And when that's happening - they are not easy to catch. It's unlikely they will leave a school of trapped fish to chase a spoon being trolled by them.
It has been my experience that 95% of the lakers caught in spring will require a downrigger or dipsy diver.
It's not to say you can't catch the odd laker at the surface, because you will, but the money's on the guy with the rigger.
I think much of these articles (and the general premise of this train of thought) was before everyone had a sonar and fish finder. Just have a look at your sonar and see what's going on below you and it might change your mind.
20 years ago - Fishermen (without sonars) had no way of knowing what was going on below the surface and made their best guesses based on what they saw and what they caught. And you will catch more Lakers on the surface in Spring or fall compared to the summer.
I would also say, the further north you go, generally the lakers are shallower throughout the year as well.