Rigging tipups for lake trout

[Tony Y]

I'm going fishing for lake trout on Higgins Saturday morning. Any suggestios on how to rig a tipup? I know I'll need some heavy pound test and a lot of it, but any partucular brand or material? Also, should I be using a leader of lower pound test? What type of sinker, hook, etc. We will probably be using smelt for bait, which we'll be fishing for Friday night. Any input will be appreciated. Thanks.

[Jumpshootin']

We do our fishing for lakers on either Crystal Lake or Torch Lake at depths of 100'-140', so I use a Dacron or other type of no-stretch line. I use 10# line with a barrel swivel on the end, and then 3' of a good 6# leader material. Also using smelt we'll set one 3' off the bottom and the other 8' off bottom. Then we'll each jig with spoons tipped with a smelt head or big minnows. We'll start bumping bottom with the jigs, and work our way up a foot at a time until something happens. Once we get a hit, we'll adjust everything to that depth. This year we've been getting our strikes at 5'-8' off bottom.
I don't know if that 6# leader is too light or not since I haven't caught anything over 5lbs. yet. If I do manage to hook something big enough to break it, I may then go bigger.

[Tony Y]

Thanks Jumpshootin'. That's a lot of good info.

[Mitch]

Tony,

The best setup I've found is a tipup with a large, free spinning spool. My spools for lakers equal about 1.5 feet for every turn. I run straight Mono 8# test (Trilene XT) down to a barrel swivel and a 3-6 foot leader with a very small (can't recall the size I use) treble with smelt being the primo bait. Above the swivel put a 1/2oz egg sinker with a bead below it. I typically don't downsize on the leader and have never been out fished with lighter line. When fishing lakers I'll never hand line a fish up , always reel him up on the spool because lakers often make a run when you take them off bottom and when they get a look at you at the hole. Just hold your tipup in a way that you can put a finger on the spool to act a a drag. As for depth I've caught them any where from 6inches from bottom to 20 feet up, If one depth isn't getting flags move it around.

Good Luck, Mitch

[garyrodbender]

Same set-up here! Large capacity spool,my tip ups are the green ones with big orange spools. 1st ,run some backing say 100yds of 15#,then I use the blue tip-up line, looks n feels like fly line.Cant remmeber if that stuff comes in 50 or 100 yd sools?If its 100yds put half on one tip up and use the other half on another tip up.Swivel,10 feet of 4#-8# clear XL,if your not getting any flags :eek: re-tie using lighter lead.#18-#20 treble hook,live smelt ,dead smelt,grey shiner,blue shiner.In that order.As for sinkers,when i`m fishing right on bottom I prefer egg,suspended I use a couple good sized split placed one foot above each other.TonyY if your going to Higgy good luck to ya, maybe see you out there.EXPERIMENT! FLAG UP.

[Mitch]

Gary, (I'm assuming from the name)

I was just wondering if you could tell me more about using dead smelt for lakers. I've always used live smelt or the biggest shiners I can find. I have hundereds of whole smelt frozen for fishing the surf in the spring.

Any suggestions or tips on setups and rigging are greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Mitch

[garyrodbender]

Mitch,when using dead-smelt I would place it on bottom below a tip-up.Lakers and Bourbot both have fall`n victim to this presentation.Live smelt always my 1st choice! Auger a 2nd hole,say 15' away from tip-up n dead smelt.And use a large Swedish Pimple along with just the head of a smelt, and jig! man, jig! The aggresive fish will CRUSH the pimple.And the others will take your tip-up offering.Hope it works for you when the shiners are not producing.Post any luck you may have trying this out! If I manage to make it through the night -35below ZERO :eek: I`m going o Higgins Lk and jig! man jig!

[Mitch]

Gary,

Thanks for the tips! I've done very well on Higgins with the pimple and smelt head. Been getting some pretty big ones outta there this year. I've never tried setting a dead one right on bottom but I'll have to try it. Thanks for the help.

P.S. I spend pretty much every weekend on Higgins or Crystal Maybe we can meet up sometime.

Mitch

[garyrodbender]

Awesome! Lets send a pm next time either of us venture ...