Laker fishing!!!

[johnnie555]

I am looking to do a little laker fishing this comming weekend. I havent had much luck during my last few trips to Higgins. I normally fish out from the legion grounds in about 100 foot of water. Have done well in the past there. But the last three times have completely gotten skunked. Any advice or info on where else to try on the lake. Anyone ever fish Blue lake in Kalkaska county?? DNR has stocked that lake in the past with LARGE amounts of lakers. Have read some news articles about the lake in the past but have never fished it. Anyone know anything about the lake? Its fairly small in size at just over 100 acres and does have depts in the 80ft. range.
Thanks a lot and tight lines!
JON

[sea nympho]

When I catch them in early spring/ice out, they are shallow (4-12'). Is the deep water you fish near spawning habitat (shallow, rocky points/humps, islands)? I don't know when they would begin to stage, but late ice (which is almost now) may bring them a little more shallow.

In the past when you did good, was it early ice? Because I always notice a mid-ice lag in the fishing, be it for any predator species.

Good luck, lakers are great sport and delicious, too.

[swampbuck]

I dont target the lakers, but a couple friends who do fish the area that is about between evergreen park(b&b marina) and the island. closer to the island. If you look out from the legion you should see a few shantys that are slightly n.w of the north end of the island.they get quite a few 20+ lbs.

I also know some people who do well between pt.detroit and flag pt. which is the chanel between the 2 basins. good luck.

[SwingShift]

We have been getting lakers this year on the north and east shores
in 70 to 90 feet of water , but they are running smaller. 20-22 inches.
We are using smelt for bait. Good luck. SwingShift

[mikey]

can someone tell me why the lakers would come shallower during the latter part of the ice season?

[unclecbass]

In my experience lakers go deeper and deeper as long as there is still ice on the lake. You can catch them in less than 10 feet at first ice and as much as 200 feet this time of year. I catch them shallow again in the boat when the ice first goes out in the spring. They are allways full of wigglers, I mean full of them, maybe it has something to do with food and oxygen.

[sea nympho]

can someone tell me why the lakers would come shallower during the latter part of the ice season?

Because I find them shallow as soon as the ice leaves, or is not even entirely gone. Then they are shallow to spawn. So I wondered if they may begingto stage late in the ice season.

[bucko12pt]

can someone tell me why the lakers would come shallower during the latter part of the ice season?

They are chasing the smelt. Smelt are in shallow and they are feeding on them. We've caught them for years right on the beach with waders on. I've actually had them brush my legs. Spoons, especially Little Cleos work good.

[LungBuster 21]

From my experience of fishing lakers on Higgins is that they usually stay in the deep water. I can only remember one year a while back that I caught some lakers in about 30 ft of water in the spring running planer boards. The ones that we did catch in that shallow water were all very small. If you want the big ones stay deep. The best spot I have found for lakers is out in front of the North State Park. But instead I like to fish in about 86 to 90 FOW. I catch them jigging and on tip-ups. Its awsome to have a 10lb laker on a small ice fishing rod!!

[HeavyF150]

Lungbuster,
When you fish deeper water on Higgins for Lakers with tip-ups, do you weigh down live bait to get it deeper, or do you still fish them shallow, like maybe a pike?
I'm headed up smelt fishing next weekend and only plan to run one rod, so I suppose I could put out a tip-up as well.

[twohand]

Lakers spawn in the fall. But, smelt spawn in the spring if you know what I'm getting at:evil:

[LungBuster 21]

Lungbuster,
When you fish deeper water on Higgins for Lakers with tip-ups, do you weigh down live bait to get it deeper, or do you still fish them shallow, like maybe a pike?
I'm headed up smelt fishing next weekend and only plan to run one rod, so I suppose I could put out a tip-up as well.

In most cases for lakers you need to be right at bottom. I like to have my bait no more than 5 feet above bottom. I use a split shot with egg sinker about three foot above a small trouble hook. Let it go all the way down until you hit bottome then bring it up a couple cranks. I will be up there this weekend to do some laker and smelt fishin. Lakers by day and smelt by night:D

[unclecbass]

I use a similar setup, right off bottom, six inches to a foot usually. some guys put the minnow right on the bottom. Mud puppies and burots should be expected as incidental catch.

[mikey]

I use a similar setup, right off bottom, six inches to a foot usually. some guys put the minnow right on the bottom. Mud puppies and burots should be expected as incidental catch.

There's really burbot in Higgins Lake? I heard about them but never caught them. Has anyone else caught burbot in Higgins?

[swampbuck]

In my 41 years here I have never caught,seen or heard of a burbot in higgins lake.And I know a whole lot of locals including myself who fish the lake hard. mud puppies yes burbot no. and yes I would be willing to make a bet on that. I would like to see them planted there though

[unclecbass]

I have never caught a burbott in higgins lake with that setup, only in elk lake. I did catch a mud puppie there last weekend though.

[mikey]

In my 41 years here I have never caught,seen or heard of a burbot in higgins lake.And I know a whole lot of locals including myself who fish the lake hard. mud puppies yes burbot no. and yes I would be willing to make a bet on that. I would like to see them planted there though
Sorry Swampbuck......I should clarify what I wrote...
I meant to say I heard of them in many Minnesota lakes, but have never caught one here. I got the impression that there were burbot in Higgins based on what I read on this thread. Oh well, gotta get my eyes checked!