Jigging up lakers

[Rugger]

Had a good soft water laker jigging season. Got into extending my ice season this way a few years ago and since making a few adjustments it has become my favorite way to target soft water lakers.

Best day so far was when I was able to get out with my best man who has his hands full with a couple little ones and is hard to get out for a day of fishing.

He got it started with a nice eater sized fish, one of those where as soon as it hit the net the tube popped out. Now we were fishing a hump that comes up to 60FOW so he put his rod down with the tube safely over the side so it wouldn't get stuck on anything and started to deal with his fish while I turned back to the fish finder and trolling motor ready to start working on our second.

All I heard from behind me was an expletive and a man sized splash from the back of the boat!

Turned around to see him submerged in the water, he comes up with his rod in hand and a 3lb smallie buttoned on the other end! He passed me the rod but the smallie got off and probably followed his sunglasses as they wiggled their way to bottom.

He ended up putting another good eater size fish in the boat and then got into a good sized fish



The tube seemed to be king of the morning but then things started to heat up for me as well. We ended up landing a 33" 2 34's and a 36"er, along with those 2 or 3 in the high 20's but only the two eater size.







We only got a pic of one of the 34"ers because the other had a doubled strand of blue ice mono hanging out of it's gill and trailing down 3/4 of its body length.

After I worked the hook out of it's jaw I was able to cut and unravel the line that was tangled around two of the gill rakers. When that was done I notice that the line heading into the stomach was slipping out, with minimal steady pressure I was able to get the rest of the mess out. This was the only fish that took some time to recover but after a couple minutes it also headed back to bottom.
Here's what came out:


Made it out a few more times but nothing like that outing, took my dad out once but got blown/rained off and then a couple more times solo:


A couple for the smoker:


One of them got lucky once.... Damn tail nibblers!


Will be smoking my last batch this weekend

[seabast]

Great report!
The first time I jigged for lakers, on soft water, was two years ago and had great result on Simcoe. Really like it since.

One question though, on windy day do use your trolling motor or anchor to stay vertical? Or just slow drift?
Thanks

[intothedeep]

Wow, nice outing M! Sometimes the weather, company, fishing just all lines up... With those size fish, I'd be guessing Simcoe, but to me those aren't simcoe looking trout. I guess hooks really do dissolve in fish stomachs too and good on you getting that out. Looks like fun

[Rugger]

Thanks Seabast. Glad you enjoyed it. Frankly on windy days I don't jig for lakers... too frustrating. I don't anchor at all and in winds up to around 15km/h I use my trolling motor; more and I'll go looking for pike or smallies. Had to ground it properly because before I did I always got interference when I hit the switch.

J you'd be guessing wrong but sounds like you already know that lol.

[Moosebunk]

Shorts and T's... man, as much as I hate summer heat, I'd take a dose of it about now to extend this season.

Some great lakers... It's nice when they're hot on a tube or plastic bite cause watching that lure fall slow to a rocket rising greaser is some tough stuff to beat.