5 Best Ice Fishing Lures for Lake Trout
Lake Trout are one of the most exciting species to target through the ice because they are hard-hitting and powerful fighters. During the winter, these wild animals are active, and when you find them, the action may be tremendous, But they require a different approach to lure selection than other popular game fish.
The deep, clear waters of the northern United States and Canada are ideal for lake trout. Your lure selection should not only resemble the forage in these waters but also perform well at depths deeper than those of other popular game species. This article will show you how to utilize specific lures when ice fishing for lake trout.
For many anglers around the world, fishing is not only a recreational sport but also a way of life. Anglers are often curious about the finest ways to fit their fishing style, whether it’s solo line fishing or modern fishing rods. Even if modern fish hunting tactics have developed throughout time, the allure of solitary fishing has remained unrivaled. As a result, many new anglers will need to learn how to throw a fishing rod correctly in order to master the art of fishing in the twenty-first century.
Lake trout like shallow and clear water
Assume you’ve prepared everything on the boat to capture your first fish of the trip. On one of your best fish finders in the water, you detected a very large target fish. The lure or bait also attracts the target fish, but it breaks free before it reaches you? Furthermore, there’s a chance that your fishing hook will catch the lake’s biggest fish. It’s pointless, though, if you can’t get your hands on that fish and bring it home with you.
What Types of Ice Lures Catch Lake Trout?
The rocky natural lakes in the northern US and Canadian shield regions are ideal for lake trout. Cisco, Kokanee, Lake Herring, and Whitefish are the favorite foods of lakers in these bodies of water, although they will also eat other species such as perch, rainbow trout, and suckers if they are available. The types of lures that work best for Lake Trout are listed below.
1-White or Pearl Tube Jigs
Lake trout lures are dominated by a simple soft plastic tube. A tube is a bait with tentacles at the end of a long, hollow body. The form and tentacles are ideal for swimming and jigging to mimic Cisco and other lake trout bait.
2-Swimbaits
Tube jigs and soft plastic swimbaits also work well for similar reasons. They can swim and jig at any depth and closely resemble their food. Their paddle tails produce a little more movement than the tube.
3-Bucktail Jigs
The bucktail is a large jig with a feather skirt and white hair. Like a real baitfish, the hair pulsates and quivers. For a more natural appearance, bucktail jigs can be tipped with live bait.
4-Lipless Crankbait
Lipless rattling baits are well-known for open-water fishing, but they also work well on ice. These flat-sided hard baits feature a tight wobble and a loud rattling that make them ideal for vertical ice fishing.
5-Spoons
Spoons have been around for a long time. Their curved shape produces an irregular flapping activity that resembles that of a dying baitfish. They’re composed of metal with gleaming finishes to create light that flashes and flickers in the black water.
6-Airplane Jigs
The body of these jigs is designed like a minnow, and the tail has plastic “wings.” The wings move in an irregular manner, resembling a scared baitfish. They were made for jigging and trolling in open water, but they’re devastating on lake trout.
Top Five Ice Fishing Lures for Lake Trout
1-White Tube Jigs
2-Rapala Rippin Rap
3-Rippin’ rap lipless crankbait
4-Williams Whitefish Spoon
5-Rapala Snap Rap
1-White Tube Jigs
Berkley power bait is arguably one of the greatest and most well-known tube jig brands. If you’ve never seen one before, they resemble a huge tube with “tentacles” at the end. As the lure rises and falls, its tentacles flutter in the water. Tube jigs exist in a range of sizes, but three and a half-inch and bigger work well. A 38 oz. the jig head is used with this. Tube jigs come in a variety of shades, including blue and brown, which are two popular choices.
2-Rapala Rippin Rap
Another great ice fishing lure for lake trout, huge walleye, and northern pike is the Rippin Rap. The baitfish shape of this lure, as well as the tight wobble and rattle that produce vibration and noise, are why it works so effectively. They attract the attention of adjacent fish, which results in bites.
They also have two single hooks, one at the head and one at the tail, as well as a treble hook at the bottom. The jigging rap is available in a variety of color combinations. To imitate Baitfish, white or silver would be a suitable choice. Various sizes of jigging raps are available. The W 7 size (about 7 cm or 3 in) is great for lake trout. There are glow-in-the-dark versions of the Abyss line of lures that can help you get strikes in dark water or low light.
3-Rippin’ rap lipless crankbait
The Rippin Rap lipless crankbait is a fantastic small lure. Ball bearings are used in these lures, which rattle and emit sound vibrations over a long distance to attract fish. Up a bit more Strokes When jigging, greater vibration is produced. Once you’ve confirmed that there are lake trout in the vicinity, it’s usually advisable to back off.
4-Williams Whitefish Spoon
The Williams Whitefish is a legendary spoon that began in Canada and is still manufactured there. It has a fish-shaped body with a noticeable keel bend along the center that provides fluttering movement while preventing your line from spinning and twisting.
The Whitefish is available in four sizes, ranging from 3–14” to 6” in length and 12 ounces to 1–12 ounce in weight. Without losing action or clogging up your line, the Whitefish spoon may be fished at any speed. To get the backward and side-to-side motion, alternate between lifting strokes and gentle drops.
5-Rapala Snap Rap
Snap Rap is a modernized version of the popular Jigging Rap. It has a bigger space between the hooks, more current color options, and a tighter, erratic falling action that resembles a panicked baitfish. For lake trout, use the two largest sizes.
You don’t want to overwork the Snap Rap as you did with the Rippin Rap. To get the appropriate movement, slow down and employ shorter lifts, hops, lowers, and shakes. It takes some experience, but all you have to do is keep the bait moving and utilize your wrists more than your arms.
References:
2-https://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Fish-Finder
3-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishfinder
4-https://outdoorbass.wordpress.com/2021/07/16/5-best-fishing-tips-for-beginners/
5-https://fishingintake.mystrikingly.com/blog/how-to-read-deeper-pro-fish-finders
