Traditional summer time lakers – Ontario OUT of DOORS
Nestled just a few hours north of Toronto lie the Muskoka Lakes, famend because the playground of the wealthy and well-known, with prized cottages dotting the picturesque lakeshores. The true trophies, nonetheless, are beneath the floor of Lake Rosseau, Lake Muskoka, and Lake of Bays. Lakers inhabit the depths of those lakes — massive, hard-hitting, bulldogging, good-eating lake trout.
Lakers at 300-ish toes
In keeping with an Ontario Ministry of Pure Sources (MNR) State of the Useful resource Examine, these lakes comprise the most important concentrations of lake trout in southern Ontario exterior of Algonquin Park. I goal them from ice-out till fall, however actually get pleasure from being on the water on vibrant, summery days. From late June till September, lakers escape the nice and cozy higher layer of water to stay in 9 to 11˚C water between 40 and 80 toes. Since they are broadly dispersed and down deep, trolling is one of the simplest ways to succeed in them.
Downriggers, Dipsy Divers, and snap weights all work, however I want trolling with metal line or lead core line to get spoons down the place they stay. These previous methods are simple and efficient for deep summer time lakers — particularly when enhanced with some improvements.
I take advantage of a line-counter reel to know the way a lot line to place out. Trolling 300 toes of line at a pace of two mph (3.2 km/h), most trolling spoons get all the way down to 40 toes.
Heavier spoons like Little Cleos or diving bodybaits go deeper sooner so much less line out is required.
Gentle flutter spoons like Sutton River spoons or Michigan Stingers want extra line out to succeed in the strike zone.
Minor pace changes are wanted for every lure to present its greatest motion. Examine lure motion in conjunction with the boat at totally different speeds to search out the candy spot. Typically the sooner you go, the extra line it’s essential to set free to succeed in the strike zone.
Lead core or metal
Lead core and one-pound, metal strains sink at almost the identical price. It handles extra simply on the reel and is available in colored sections so you’ll be able to hold monitor of how a lot you might have out with out a line counter. Nonetheless, it deteriorates and weakens after two seasons. I’ve misplaced good fish and lures attributable to lead core breaking.
A spool of metal line will final you a lifetime in case you hold it from kinking, however you have to a line counter reel to know the way a lot of it you might have out.
Including lead
To get into the strike zone quick (40 to 50 toes down) with much less metal or lead core line out, I add a one-ounce in-line weight or keel sinker to the top of the metal or lead core line. Then I tie on a rod size of 14-pound fluorocarbon chief and a good high quality snap swivel.
A snap weight positioned 50 toes up from the lure has additionally labored for me.
Within the zone
In summer time, the strike zone is the layer of water slightly below the thermocline. The thermocline is the five-to-eight-foot-thick layer the place heat water meets chilly, deep water. Within the massive Muskoka lakes, that can be round 35 toes in June and down round 40 toes for the remainder of the summer time. If you happen to flip up the acquire in your sonar, you may even see the thermocline as a hazy, darkish band. That is induced by the focus of microscopic biomass or zooplankton that thrives within the oxygen wealthy, cool water at this depth. It’s generally known as the cisco layer as a result of these fish, also called lake herring, focus there to feed on zooplankton.
Lake trout, in the meantime, cruise beneath the thermocline in the hunt for herring or smelt simply above them.
I rely closely on my sonar to remain in 50 toes of water or extra in order that I can troll my lures at or slightly below the thermocline round 40 toes without snagging on backside. Actively feeding trout can be at this depth.
Deeper waters
Inactive trout present up on my graph resting near the underside at 70 toes or deeper. Trolling deeper has not produced in addition to trolling close to the thermocline as a result of deeper fish are both inactive or not lake trout. Additionally, with out a downrigger, it takes a ridiculous quantity of metal line to get that deep.
In fact, the extra fish I see on my graph the higher. I circle again via areas of upper concentration a number of instances. However seeing fish on the graph doesn’t at all times translate into a hitful outing. I’ve had outings the place I noticed few fish on the graph however caught my restrict and different instances the place the graph was peppered with fish however didn’t get a strike. Lake trout feeding exercise activates and off like a swap. Usually, I fish for hours with out a strike after which out of the blue get hit after hit.
I take advantage of navigational charts to search out humps or shoals near the thermocline surrounded by deeper water and troll round them. Different good areas to focus on are 50-foot flats the place lake trout can relaxation close to the underside and ambush prey simply above them. Fifty toes of water close to cliff faces are good spots as a result of lake trout herd faculties of herring and smelt up in opposition to an impediment then choose off the stragglers.
Stress verify
Lake Rosseau, Lake Muskoka, and Lake of Bays are all massive lakes and should be revered. I solely head out in truthful climate and delicate winds in my 15-foot runabout. Fortunately, fair-weather situations with excessive barometric stress translate to truthful fishing as a result of in an prolonged interval of excellent climate, lake trout can discover the mix of meals, oxygen ranges, and water temperature that enable them to keep up predictable feeding patterns.
A falling barometer after a sustained high-pressure system will set off a sizzling chew as a result of decrease air stress ends in decrease water stress, inflicting zooplankton to float larger within the water column. This triggers a feeding frenzy for baitfish which activates the lake trout as properly. A falling barometer additionally means dangerous climate on the best way, so I don’t push it too far on massive water.
Baits
Lake herring and smelt are the prevalent baitfish in Lake Muskoka and Rosseau so I troll with spoons or bodybaits that resemble herring like the Williams Whitefish, Williams HQ, or silver bodybaits. Lake of Bays has predominantly smelt, so I am going with lengthy, skinny bodybaits just like the Rapala Authentic Floater (Reside Smelt sample), or blue- and green-coloured spoons.
Laker love
When a laker hits, the rod bows and bucks within the rod holder and the fish begins ripping drag. After just a few runs, it offers in to the reel. However cranking in 300 toes of line nonetheless places a burn on the forearm and wrist. The actual struggle begins near the boat the place the fish dives once more or rolls again and again twisting the road round its mouth and gills.
Lake trout in Muskoka waters common between three and 5 kilos however can develop past 20. I’ve had fish on that overpowered my deal with. Once they broke off, after a see-saw battle, I had extra line out than after they initially hit. The primary time I noticed a lake trout’s enormous head and gaping white mouth rising from the depths, I used to be hooked.
Hassle with trebles
On my favorite spoons, I swap the treble hook for a single siwash. This tremendously reduces snags and fouling if the lure touches backside or goes via tall particles. Nothing is worse than discovering out you’ve been trolling with a fouled lure.
Gown your spoon with simply the head of a minnow to place a scent path within the water and incite following lakers to strike. An entire minnow will impede the motion of the lure and scale back its effectiveness. The lakers that observe it’s going to strike brief and get away with the minnow.
Muskoka lakers
Lake trout reproduce naturally in these lakes, however they’re a slow-growing fish and are simply topic to overfishing. The each day restrict is just two on a sport fishing licence and one on a conservation licence. Fish underneath 75 centimetres are fit for human consumption, according to the Information to Consuming Ontario Fish.
Massive lake trout, containing extra contaminants, are good candidates for catch and launch as a result of they will survive being pulled up from deep water. With a launch duct on their swim bladder you’ll hear them burp out air to equalize their inner prespositive to the decrease water stress on the floor with out hurt.
To discover a boat launch go to: www.discovermuskoka.ca/muskoka-boat-launches
Consuming your lakers
If you happen to plan to eat your lake trout, bleed it instantly by chopping its throat and eradicating the gills and guts. Then put it on ice in a cooler. Earlier than prepare dinnering, filet it like a walleye, pores and skin it and trim off any gray meat and fats. Any robust flavour can be eliminated with the fats and pores and skin.
Initially printed within the August 2024 difficulty of Ontario OUT of DOORS
