THREE WAY RIGGING FOR LAKE TROUT SUCCESS
Each year I make it a point to schedule as many self-guided fly-in fishing trips as I can into northern Saskatchewan, Manitoba, or the North West Territories, to do battle with northern lake trout. Lake trout are considered by many anglers to be one of the strongest fighting freshwater fish species. If you’ve had the good fortune of setting the hook into a large lake trout than you have a good understanding of what avid lake trout anglers are talking about.
A GREAT SPORT FISH
Lake trout will test an angler’s patience, stamina, gear, and fishing ability, often during the same hookup. The current lake trout International Game Fish Association’s world record is 72-pounds caught in August 1995, on Great Bear Lake, in NWT.
One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to fishing deep water lake trout is that need a downrigger system to fish them accurately. During the summer months, lake trout are commonly holding in deep water and the aid of a downrigger can make a lake trout angler’s life much easier, especially on big water. What about the anglers that don’t fish lake trout often enough throughout the year to justify the price of a downrigger system or anglers taking advantage of a self-guided fly-in fishing trip? Before we get into three-way rigging for lake trout, there are a couple of basics anglers have to understand to fish deep lake trout accurately.
UNDERSTANDING THE THERMOCLINE
It seems whenever the conversation of fishing lake trout during the summer months comes up, the word thermocline gets thrown around. There is a lot of science behind thermocline and how it works in various water bodies at a variety of depths. However, anglers don’t need to be a scientist to catch lake trout throughout northern Canada, they just need to have a basic understanding of the thermocline and how lake trout use the thermocline.
WHAT IT IS
The thermocline is a thin layer of water in large water bodies in which the water temperature changes more rapidly at that particular depth than it does in the depths above or below the thermocline. In short, the thermocline divides the upper mixed water from the calm deeper water. Below the thermocline, the oxygen within the water is greatly depleted making it hard for fish to thrive but lake trout seem to handle the thermoclines low oxygen levels much better than many other fish species.
Some anglers believe that large lake trout are on the bottom or near the bottom resting until they are ready to feed. While it might be the norm it’s not always the case. Lake trout will vary their depths due to the thermocline, food source, and structure. Lake trout, especially large lake trout living at these depths will often suspend just below or just above the thermocline and will slowly cruise behind suspended baitfish being careful not to burn up too much energy until they are ready to feed. Anglers, with or without a downrigger system will need a good fish finder to find these fish and the depth they are using within the water body.
Once you know the depth they’re holding at, anglers can use the three-way system to consistently keep their lures in front of suspended lake trout or lake trout holding on the bottom.
A GREAT PRESENTATION
Three-way rigging has been referred to as a poor man’s way of downrigging. However, it’s worth its weight in gold and I’ve caught 95% of my lake trout three-way rigging. However, to use this system accurately, you’re going to need five key items. The good news is, you probably already have most of them and what you don’t have won’t break the bank.
USING YOUR ELECTRONICS
You don’t have to have the latest and greatest fish finder on the market, however, your fish finder will have to have the ability to accurately read the bottom, water depth, and accurately mark fish at a variety of depths. A bonus with your fish finder is reading boat speed and marking way-points. Your fish finder is your eyes to the world below the surface. When trolling for any species, knowing your speed is critical as it will tell you how fast the fish want your lure moving. Once you hook into a lake trout take note of your speed, depth, and location as its not uncommon to have multiple hookups in the same area by repeating exactly what you were doing during the first hook up.
GETTING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT IN THE BOAT
Your walleye rods are not the best option for three-way rigging lake trout. I like a 6 ½’ to 7’ heavy action rod. Something with lots of backbone that can handle big fish but still be sensitive enough to load up when smaller fish take your offering.
The real key to the three-way system is a good quality line counter reel. Your fish finder and line counter reel are your eyes to accurately fishing deep depths. For example, if I’m in 100 feet of water and the fish are holding at 80-feet, I will let out enough line, taking in account for speed, line deflection, and lure drag, to run my presentation in the strike zone. However, my line counter may read that I have 120 feet of line out to reach the fish holding at 80-feet. Each time you get a hit take note of how much line you had out by referring to the counter on your reel and again, the depth, speed, and location on your fish finder when the fish took your presentation.
Mark a waypoint and after you land the fish, go over the same area again repeating how much line you had out and depth and speed. Lake trout are schooling fish and there will be more than one lake trout in the same location.
PROPER LINE CHOICE A MUST
When fishing deep water, you don’t want a line with any stretch such as a monofilament. Too much line stretch results in poor hooksets which translates to lost fish during the fight. A 100-feet of monofilament can have several feet of line stretch. Line choice is personal preference but I prefer 30lbs to 50lbs braided line.
HOW TO SET UP THE THREE-WAY RIG
A three-way rig is simply a three-way swivel acting as an intersection on your mainline. The mainline from your reel is the first connection at the top of the three-way swivel. On the second portion of the swivel (middle) is the line that is tied to your lure and runs horizontal to your mainline (when trolled). The third line which is no more than 18-inches long ties to the bottom portion of the three-way swivel and runs vertical to the mainline and secures a large ball-weight that will get your presentation down to the desired depth. I use a lighter line on this portion so If I snag on the bottom it breaks off and all I lose is my weight.
I’ve run as little as 6oz of weight and as heavy as 16oz of weight. Three-way rigging is very similar to bottom-bouncing for walleye, and there are many occasions when you want your weights hitting the bottom just like a walleye bottom-bouncer would. As long as you’re in the strike zone.
The three-way rigging is very accurate when fished correctly. Staying in the strike zone is critical. You want the fish to exert the least amount of effort to take your offering. I believe with all fish species if they don’t have to work for a meal, they’re more willing to feed.