The weeks following ice-out provide some of the best lake trout fishing of the season. Simple trolling tactics like long-lining and using planer boards are all that’s necessary to catch fish. Lake trout are a cold-water species, preferring water temperatures of less then 55-degrees. During the summer months they spend most of their time in cool, deep water, where it’s more challenging to target them. However, in the weeks following ice-out, water temperatures in the upper portion of the water column are within lake trout’s comfort zone. This creates a unique window of opportunity from an angling perspective. First, lake trout are predictably concentrated in a small portion of the water column – the upper portion. Second, this is the part of the water column that’s easiest to fish in. At its simplest, ice-out lake trout fishing can be accomplished by clipping on your favourite spoon or crankbait, letting out 100-plus feet of line and trolling around the lake. In fact, the biggest lake trout I’ve ever seen was caught doing this. The ice had been out for a couple of weeks and the spring sun had given life to all levels of the aquatic food chain in the warming shallow water. Lake trout were aggressively feeding on a virtual smorgasbord of forage ranging from mayfly nymphs to smelt and cisco.
LAKERS ON BOARDS
When trout are feeding up high in the water column, adding planer boards to your trolling arsenal really enhances your set-up. Planer boards add another dimension to your trolling program by effectively spreading out your lines, allowing you to cover a larger area of water as you troll. Running both port and starboard planer boards, with a long-line rod in the middle, is a classic ice-out laker spread. Another benefit of planer boards is the ability to run a line close to shore without spooking fish with the boat.
You can fine-tune your trolling spread by experimenting with different baits, lead lengths and trolling speeds. In general 100-to 200 feet of line from a long-line rod or behind a planer board is sufficient. Shorter leads make baits run shallower, which can be desirable for inside lines. Deeper diving baits can also be run on shorter leads and still be effective. I’ve had success with as little as 50-feet of line out on diving crankbaits. Conversely, clear water or spooky fish may call for longer leads with shallower diving baits.
Experiment with trolling speeds ranging from 1.5- to 3 mph. Varying your speed can help trigger hits and will tell you what the fish are looking for. Speed also influences how deep your baits run. Speeding up causes crankbaits to dive, but causes spoons and in-line spinners to ride higher in the water. Conversely, slowing down causes floating crankbaits to rise up, while spoons and spinners sink lower in the water at slower speeds.
FINDING FISH
Lake trout are aggressive predators and locating them usually means catching them. To narrow down your search focus on areas where basins meet mainland shorelines and islands. Fast access to water of at least 40 feet deep is a common trend between productive ice-out areas. Prominent points, rock walls and reefs close to shore are all good bets. Sand flats outside of bays, creek outlets or adjacent to beaches also hold fish at this time of year. Pay close attention to bottleneck areas where basins narrows down between islands and mainland. These funnel areas are ice-out lake trout hot spots.
Making use of onboard electronics is essential for locating and staying on fish. Watch your sonar for baitfish and fish to let you know when you’re in the right area. This will also help determine what depths should be targeted. Keep in mind that the right depth can change from one day to the next and from spot-to-spot as well. Marking waypoints with a GPS helps to isolate structure and locations where fish have been caught. Successful trolling passes can be also be repeated by following GPS trails and matching productive speeds.
Searching for and catching ice-out lake trout is an exercise in trial and error. Be prepared to cover a lot of water while experimenting with planer boards and long-line trolling techniques.