Just the idea of battling a huge lake trout lures anglers to all the remote lakes as far north as the Arctic Circle in Canada. These areas yield many 30 to 40 pound lunker lake trout each year.

In some areas in Canada, the lake trout are also called Mackinaw or grey trout, but the most common nickname given lake trout is simply lakers. Lake trout resemble brook trout, except the tails of lake trout are deeply forked, while those of the brook trout are nearly square. Lake trout in the Great Lakes are silvery-grey with white spots. Elsewhere, they have light spots on a background that may vary from dark green to brown or black.

Lake trout prefer water from 48 to 54F, colder than any other game fish. They will die if unable to find water under 65 degrees F. During summer month’s lake trout will descend to 200 feet in search of cooler water.

There are many lakes with water cold enough for lake trout, but lack oxygen in their depths. And as a result lake trout are restricted to mainly the cold, sterile lakes of the Canadian Shield, the Great Lakes and deep mountain lakes of the west.

Lake trout grow slowly in these frigid waters. In some lakes in Canada, a 10-pound lake trout might be 20 years or older. The age of a trophy lake trout may be 40 years or more. Because they grow so slowly there is always the danger that they could be over harvested.

Unlike most other species lake trout spawn in lakes rather than in rivers. Lake trout spawning occurs in the fall over a bottom of baseball to football sized; rocks. Water depth varies, but is usually 5 to 25 feet.

Lake trout have excellent vision, but because of the poor light at the depths they live, they rely on their sense of smell and on their lateral line to find food. In some water, they feed mainly on aquatic insects, worms and crustaceans. In other lakes they eat only fish, mainly ciscoes, smelt, and sculpin.

A lake trout, brook trout hy-brid, called splake, has been stocked in some northern lakes including Lake Huron. Splake mature earlier than lake trout and grow faster so they are less affected by fishing pressure.

Early spring just after ice out, is a great time for lake trout, they crowd into warmer water to feed closer to shore and remain in water 20 to 30 feet deep.

When lake trout move into shallow water in the spring and in the fall just before spawning, the best methods are casting with flashy spoons or still fishing with natural baits like smelts and strips of sucker meat.

Lake trout shy away from dark heavy lines, so use clear, low diameter line from 8 to 12 pond test is best. Most fishermen prefer medium action spinning tackle.

In years past heavy reels and wire line was the standard for catching lake trout in deep water. But now with the new equipment and techniques it is possible to fish deep with much lighter tackle. Downriggers, sonar and technology has made fishing for deep lake trout a lot easier.

Deep lake trout are frequently scattered and sluggish, so adding an attractor, such as a dodger can improve your success while trolling.

Vertical jigging for lake trout is also a popular method in fishing Canada’s north, works best with a lead head jig or vibrating blade. Simply lower the lure to the bottom; then reel it back up rapidly to get that strike.

Casting with heavy gold or silver spoons for lake trout is a proven technique when lake trout are concentrated off points, in narrows, along islands or over spawning reefs. Cast from a long distance away to prevent spooking the lake trout.

In the Great Lakes the lake trout have made a remarkable come-back after they were nearly wiped out by the sea lamprey and commercial fishing. Lake trout populations have been rebuilt by lamprey controls and restocking programs. These programs have been put in use both in Canada and the United States, both countries have been doing this for some time now and the lakes and anglers are enjoying the fruits of their efforts.

There is nothing like the feeling when you hook up with a nice sized lake trout on medium action fishing rig. So get out there and just enjoy nature and catch the trophy lake trout.

Jack Phillips has been an avid Canadian angler for over 50 years. Fishing Canada provides solid advice for walleye, bass, pike, muskie, a variety of ,trout, arctic char bass and more. Idea’s on when and where to go on your next trip to Canada. Ice fishing tips. Delicious fish recipes also!

www.fishlakemanitobanarrows.com

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Gambler Lures is currently offering several new lure supplements and product lines to meet the demands of both bass fishing fanatics and tournament anglers. Here’s what is new for 2008:

The Giggy Lizard and Big Stick
Gambler Lures launched the Giggy finesse product line late in 2006, and continues to add to this popular group of lures in 2008.

The Giggy Lizard features the same hollow-tube technology as the mainstay Giggy Stick. A solid head allows for a wide array of rigging options while a hollow tail causes the lure to float to rest with a nose-down appearance. Meanwhile, four small feet and a slightly enlarged head give the lure a more subtle look when compared to other lizards on the market.

Gambler’s Big Stick is the big, bad cousin of the Giggy Stick. At a length of 7 inches, the Big Stick offers trophy bass hunters an alternative to conventional big-fish lures. The long, hollow tail section will float heavy hooks with relative ease. But is it a stickbait or a worm? The beauty of this lure is that it can be used in both applications, and not many big bass lures can boast this versatility.

The Cane Toad
Gambler’s Cane Toad continues to propel tournament anglers to the top of podiums. And for 2008, two new floating models offer even greater versatility for slop fishing enthusiasts. The floating black and white models allow anglers the option to stop the toad in mid-retrieve without sinking. The toad still employs the clubbed-foot design, so the trademark tantalizing buzzing sound is still created even at the slowest retrieves.

Also new to the 2008 Cane Toad lineup is Chris Lane’s custom color, “Lane Toad”. Chris Lane has established himself among the top touring B.A.S.S. Elite Series pros, and his custom color in one of his favorite Gambler lures is now available to anglers at all levels.

Brutus Swim Bait and Swim Head
To meet the needs of the most demanding big bass anglers, Gambler started development on a swim bait and jig head system. They carefully researched and tested prototypes on some of the best big bass waters in the country. The product of this effort is the Brutus Swim Bait and Gambler Swim Head.

The Brutus Swim Bait is unique in that not only does the tail swing side to side upon retrieve, rather the whole body swims from head to tail. The key to this fluid, natural motion is a flat-sided body and clubbed tail. Rounded swim baits do not move in the same manner. This Brutus also incorporates a hook slot to allow for a wide variety of rigging options. Both 4-inch and 6-inch lengths in eight color schemes will be available in 2008.

The Gambler Swim Head was designed to compliment the Brutus Swim Bait, but has already proven versatile as a shakey head. At the B.A.S.S. Wildcard finale for Elite Series pros seeking a last-chance qualification for the 2008 tour, the top two finishers, Byron Velvick and Keith Phillips, utilized the Gambler Swim Head throughout the tournament. They coupled the Swim Head with 10-inch ribbontail worms, a favorite Gambler mainstay. The Swim Head features a corkscrew lure keeper for snag-free rigging, molded gills, multi-tone paint schemes and 3D eyes. The Swim Head can not only be used with the Brutus or ribbontail worms, but it can also be used when pitching a wide variety of other soft plastics, including paddletails and grubs. The Gambler Swim Head is available in both 5/0 light-wire and heavy-wire hook models.

Flappy Daddy Jr.
Launched in 2007 was the 4-1/2 inch Gambler Flappy Daddy. New for 2008 is a smaller version of this already popular soft plastic craw, the Flappy Daddy Junior. As its namesake implies, the Flappy Daddy is best known for its flapping claws when dropped into the water. The Flappy Daddy Junior is a downsized model perfect for fickle fish and those heavy-cover scenarios where bulky lures are detrimental. This junior member to the Flappy family comes in 15 colors and measures 3-inches long.

For more information and on-line ordering of the products featured above, please visit Gambler Lures.

[Click to enlarge image] The Gambler Swim Head (Black Shad Heavy Wire) Photo by courtesy of Gambler Lures

[Click to enlarge image] Gambler’s 4-inch Brutus Swimbait (Ghost Shad) Photo by courtesy of Gambler Lures

[Click to enlarge image] The Gambler Giggy Lizard (Green Marble) Photo by courtesy of Gambler Lures

[Click to enlarge image] The Flappy Daddy Jr. by Gambler Lures (Green Pumpkin ? June Bug) Photo by courtesy of Gambler Lures