Everyone that goes fishing wants to know what the best lure is to catch the species they are currently targeting. Lake trout are no exception. Without a doubt the best ice fishing lure for lake trout is the white tube jig.
For the sake of having a more complete picture I’ll also look at several other lures that are favored by lake trout. Fishing conditions can change and as far as the Fisher looking for so it always pays to have other options. Another consideration is most fishing jurisdictions let you have more than one line in the water when ice fishing. So it only makes sense to try a completely different type of lure to see if that’s more effective.
Top Five Ice Fishing Lures for Lake Trout
- White Tube Jigs
- Ice Fishing Spoons
- Rapala Jigging Rap
- Rippin’ Rap Lipless Crankbait
- Swimbait
White Tube Jigs
Probably one of the best and most well-known brands for tube jigs is Berkley powerbait. If you are unfamiliar with this lure they basically look like with a large tube with “tenticles” at the end. These tenticles flutter in the water as the lure rises and falls. Tube jigs come in a variety of sizes but the three and a half inch or larger work just fine. This is paired with a ⅜ oz jig head. There are also other colors of tube jigs you can try, blue and brown being two of the favorites.
When ice fishing it is probably better to go with a weighted jig head ⅜ oz as opposed to a plain hook. This extra weight will help you get down to depth a lot faster but, be slow enough so the bait flutters through the water. So Avoid going with two heavy of a jig head.
Ice Fishing Spoons
There are a multitude of ice fishing spoons out there. They come in all sorts of colors, sizes and weights. You can even Jig with your standard five of diamonds or red devil type spoon but specifically for ice fishing the Slender spoons are a much better choice. Consider going with a silver or brass colored slender jigging spoon. This can also be tipped with some minnow or smelt to add extra scent to attract large trout.
Rapala Jigging Rap
Rapala jigging rap series are an excellent ice fishing lure. Flared fins on the back of the lure give it Lots of movement when you were dropping and retrieving you’re line. They also feature two set single hooks, one each at the head and tail plus a treble hook on the bottom. There are lots of different colour options for the jigging rap. white or silver is probably a good choice to mimic Bait fish. Jigging raps come in several different sizes the W 7 size ( 7 centimeters or just under 3 in) is ideal for targeting lake trout. there are glow-in-the-dark versions Abyss series of lures I can help you get strikes and darker water or low light conditions. The famous Jiggin Rap is available on amazon
Rippin’ rap lipless crankbait
The Rippin rap lipless crankbait is a great little lure.. These lures have ball bearings inside them that rattle sending sound vibration over a distance to attract fish. Longer up Strokes When jigging will create more vibration.It is usually best to tone it down once you can see there are actually lake trout in the area. There are lots of variations and colors available, match your local forage at amazon
Swimbaits
Another popular choice for catching lake trout is swimbait. A long slender swimbait is paired with a jig head for some weight. Again if you stick to lighter colors such as white or silver this should produce. Look for a wider tail to provide more action in the water.
Other Considerations when Ice Fishing for Lake Trout
Tight Lines Hook More Fish
When you first drop your lure into the hole be sure to keep some tension on the line as you lower it to the desired depth. Many fish find the descending bait very hard to resist. I don’t know how many times i’ve been ice fishing, switched to a new bait and lowered it into the hole to get a solid bite before it even gets down there the bottom. If you keep this tension on your line it’ll make it much easier to determine when a fish is taking the bait and for you to set the hook.
Fishing line
Your fishing line is obviously an important consideration when fishing for lake trout. A 10 to 12 lb Mainline will work well for large lake trout. Obviously if you’re in a lake that only has smaller fish you can go lighter than this.
The exact material of fishing line you use could make for an extremely long article so i’ll only touch briefly on it here. If you’re fishing inside a heated shelter all three types monofilament fluorocarbon and braid will present little problem. Monofilament outside in the cold can become extremely unruly to deal with. This is due to its memory although, I still use it for my mainline on my tip ups. Probably the best bet is one of the specifically manufactured ice fishing lines that are available out there. these are specially formulated for cold weather.
Where are the Lake Trout in Winter?
Lake Trout are partial to hunting near underwater structure. Areas such as drop offs to deep water, rock formations, plateaus Etc. Basically areas were the bait fish they feed upon will be found. It’s worth noting that in the winter months the water is a lot cooler in the lakes so the trout are not confined to deep water. You may find them in much shallower water as winter progresses.