How to find fish

[60thjeep]

I am going fishing for the first time using my boat on Saturday.
What speed do I look for fish?
Do I cruise the lake looking on my fish finder for fish or do I troll around looking?

Salmon and Trout

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: How to find fish

What body of water are we talking about?

Do you have downriggers, planer boards or deep diving rigs you will be running?

Most fish finders get quite a bit of interference from air bubbles when running the big motor. You may have to tool around a little faster than trolling speed to get a good image.

If the Chinook/Lake Trout are in shallow water you can watch where the birds are feeding to determine where the baitfish are hanging out. Remember to find the big fish you only need to find the small fish. Unless almost all the baitfish are dead like northern Lake Huron.

 

[60thjeep]

Re: How to find fish

Lakes in Northern Maine. I have a one downrigger and leadline poles.

I guess I'm asking if its worth fishing while looking for fish or if I should just look for fish and then fish when I find them.

 

[Expidia]

Re: How to find fish

Your first step is to figure out where the thermocline is for the particular species you are after. Where they hang out for a particular time of the year.

This time of year the Lake Trout are pretty much near the surface as they are chasing the smelt around the tributaries like in our lakes in the Northeast.

I use a Fish Hawk Model 520 that I bought off Ebay. Paid about $75 used. This is what it looks like:
http://www.reedssports.com/Product/product.taf?_function=detail&_ID=5189

You could hang a thermometer off a string too!

During the Summer Lake Trout can be down around 150 feet deep in the lake I fish.

It looks like a big fishing reel with line and a thermometer hanging off the end of the line. You lower it down and the temperature gauge reads the temperature at that depth.

No point in going for Lakers if they hang out at a temperature between 45-55 degrees and your lure or bait isn't at that depth. Salmon hang at 50-75 degrees.

The thermocline will be much the same around the whole lake so you only have to check the temp every now and then during the day.

So now you know where they hang. Next cruise very slowly around the lake until you locate them on your fish finder at that depth and you can be sure it's probably a lake trout or Salmon.

Or cruise near other boats, or if it's a big lake cruise near some of the charter boats. The locals and the charters know where the fish are. My Navionics hot maps in my GPS shows where the fish and species are in any new lake I go on. Big time saver rather than cruising around looking for them.

Next set your downrigger weight or lead line weight to troll your bait at that depth.

Now for Lake trout troll around 1 mph, a little faster maybe 2 mph for salmon.

Lastly, you need to try worms or different color spoons, lures etc depending on the color of the water and how bright it is on that day. or as they say match the hatch. Use lures that look like what the fish are chasing.

The local bait shop will tell you what the fish are biting on.

Just a brief primer on how I do it. And you might buy this book it's only $9.99
http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0019648016143a.shtml

Also Google a search for "downrigger techniques" there is a lot of free advice for you on the web.

Most of all, just have fun out there and don't get frustrated when you don't catch anything but you see a lot of fish on your fish finder.

When all else fails, near the end of the day go toss a few lures or purple plastic worms at the bass near the weeds and shoreline, so at least you can say you hooked a few fish. Down rigging is a learned art and it takes practice to consistently catch fish

I caught this nice sized lake trout the first time I tried it within 15 minutes on Lake George in NY 2 years ago following all of the above tips I posted above.

The bait shop sold me 4 or 5 different lures and colors. I caught it on an orange Mooselook lure.

30 years ago I fished with a friend for hours and days on end from his boat with two down riggers and never as much smelled a fish.

When I asked the guy in the bait store what they are biting on he said same thing they bit on 30 years ago I guess some things never change

My Daughter fishes for regular Trout by trolling a small piece of worm a few feet below the surface with an Xmas tree (a long set of metal flashers) a few feet in front of the worm to attract the trout while in her canoe powered by a Minn Kota with 30 lbs thrust.

This other method can be used at all times of the season and she catches lots of fish!

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: How to find fish

Lakes in Northern Maine. I have a one downrigger and leadline poles.

I guess I'm asking if its worth fishing while looking for fish or if I should just look for fish and then fish when I find them.

First of all since Expidia is talking about thermocline in the first sentence then I say he definitely knows what he's talking about so do what he says.

I have fished Lake Huron and Lake Michigan for Salmon/Lake Trout/Steelhead(big rainbows) and we check the temp first thing every time. We think the salmon feed at 54 degrees ideally. We also don't always catch fish so it varies.

I'd say check out a contour map and try to fish the underwater ridges while checking the fish finder(set the audible alert) often while trolling. Planer boards can get your lines out away from the boat so that may be something to look into.

Dodgers w/ trailing squid baits works well and dipsy divers can help you get your lines deeper without having to buy 3 more downriggers.

Good luck!

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: How to find fish

My avatar shows the nice trout I caught last summer . Darned thing tried to eat my shoe after I got him on board, I had to beat him to death with the end of my fishing pole.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: How to find fish

My avatar shows the nice trout I caught last summer . Darned thing tried to eat my shoe after I got him on board, I had to beat him to death with the end of my fishing pole. .

Ummmm...that's not a trout. What you are holding in your picture is known as a Bowfin. They are also called dogfish here in Michigan because when you catch one they try to eat everything and snap their jaws like a rabid pit bull.

There is a good website to learn more http://www.bowfinanglers.com/

They are over 100 million years old and offer a pretty darn good fight so I think they are fun to catch. Your Bowfin is a big one by the way good job.

 

[Expidia]

Re: How to find fish

Thx for that link to Bowfins. Just my opinion but those Bowfins are one butt ugly fish

To me they look like a dark, slimy big fat ugly eel with a fin on top

I think I'd be cutting my line rather than bring those monsters into my boat.

I'm not trying to insult the guy with the Bowfin in his Avatar, just my opinion since I've never seen that species.

Reminds me of the types of fish that guy with the rotten teeth goes after on the TV show "River Monsters"

His bottom teeth are really enjoyable to look at for 30 minutes on a 65 inch screen!

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: How to find fish

I dont want this joke to go too far BUT the fish in the avatar is really a GIANT NORTHERN ASIA SNAKEHEAD.........good eatin if they dont eat you first.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: How to find fish

I dont want this joke to go too far BUT the fish in the avatar is really a GIANT NORTHERN ASIA SNAKEHEAD.........good eatin if they dont eat you first.

Nice...I was under the impression that you caught that in North Carolina...lots of bowfin down there.

Where did you haul in that nasty beast?

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: How to find fish

The picture is just one I found on the net. Its not me. We have had several snakeheads caught here. Most recent was the lake I use most. Like Wylie SC. If they spead I may take my 410 with me to protect myself from these monsters. I heard where one jumped in this guys boat and held him and his crew hostage till his wife at home could deliver 100k and several small kittins. gez

 

[LongLine]

Re: How to find fish

Hey fairlaneman - please do us northerners a favor. Keep that foul thing down there. The NYDEC removed a few natural fish then chemically treated a small lake in NY to kill everything because they found an infestation of those beasties.

Tom B.
(LongLine)

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: How to find fish

Finding fish: I would recomend getting a few books on salmon and trout. Learn about their habits first- not hard or time consuming, but then when you are out on the lake you use that information to identify their preferred habitat and location with your fish finder and eyes.

Then, it's a matter of depth, presentation, and speed, which all change with the seasons and temps, but your book(s) will give you a heads up to that.

Basically your sonar (fish finder is a sonar, really) is a tool that you use to define your target "prime area." Trolling is not only a fishing technique (which can tell you a lot about your fishing strategy) but it is also a tool that refines what the sonar is telling you.

Your sonar manual will tell you how to optimize its use, and do useful things like identify weed areas, hard, soft, and rocky bottoms, and later in the season can even identify the thermocline which develops in many northern lakes as waters warm and stratify.

To find fish you must first realize that certain species are in specific areas according to their preferences- they are not randomly scattered throughout the lake. They may be somewhat more widely dispersed early and late in the season, except if spawning comes into play which does concentrate fish.

Secondly, to find fish you need to have somewhat the right attractant lure to initiate a strike. Reading and research can give you a heads-up to what works in general and what colors/size/speed to use in a particular body of water.

This with expedia's info should get you started. But even having some proficiency can still get you skunked. So don't get discouraged, just learn what you need to do and it will start to become second nature.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: How to find fish

For what its worth the famous fisherman BILL DANCE said "Preparation and presentation of the bait is very inportant.Even a fish that isnt hungry will still take the bait if you give the bait the correct presentation."

 

[60thjeep]

Re: How to find fish

You guys must give some good advice. I caught a 6lb 12 oz lake trout yesterday. But it was the only strike we had.

It was an interesting day. Can't wait to get out again.

The only problem is that my fish finder stopped working in the afternoon so I have to figure that out.

 

[Expidia]

Re: How to find fish

Wow, congrats At least your post is . . . we should have seen the one that got away

Most people spend days trolling for Lake Trout and never catch one!

It's especially hard to catch them this time of year. And Maine is probably just as cold water temp wise right now as the lake I was on yesterday. The water temp was 50 degrees and last week it was 45 degrees.

It was windy so we didn't fish though, just cruised around.

It's tough to catch most fish when the waters are that cold since they are not as active, but when I quoted you above at what temps Lake Trout like it was 45-55 degrees! That also makes it harder this time of year because the Lake Trout can spread out all over the entire lake as most of the lake is just the temp they like right now.

Nothings easy, that's why the hunt for Lakers is so much fun. In the Summer months as the waters warm up, you are going to have to get your offering down to about 150 feet depending on the thermocline because that's where 45-55 degrees is going to be.

You might try to snag a bid on Ebay for another fish finder. Many people trade up to maybe a combo GPS/Fishfinder at the start of the season and dump their old unit on Ebay or (Craigslist). It might be cheaper to buy another one then fix the one you have if it's not something minor.

What lure/bait did you catch your Laker on?

 

[60thjeep]

Re: How to find fish

gold and red mooselook

 

[Expidia]

Re: How to find fish

Thx for the lure and color info. . . . Hahahahaha now you're hooked, how's that for roll reversal? and you thought you hooked a fish

Here are the 4 lures the shop owner picked out for me to catch Lake Trout on one of the lakes I fish (Lake George, NY)

Pictured are: 3 Mooselooks and a Flutter Chuck Magnum (Spoon)

I caught the first Laker on the Salmon (orange colored) Mooselook

Also shown in the pic with the lures is a flasher (or also called a dodger). I attach this to a piece of mono line and run it about 8 feet off the back of the downrigger weight as an additional attractant. I buy the flashers off ebay in various sizes and colors for cheap!

Here are some of the xmas trees I use. I buy them from Pauls Firewood and Tackle shop. He hand makes them himself. Real quality stuff. Never had one break yet. They come in all colors and shapes. The one on the left is 1/2 glow in the dark for deep trolling conditions. These are actually shiny silver but the flash makes them look black. His shop is on rt 8 on Lake Pleasant in Speculator, NY ph 518-548-3321. Real nice guy.

I run the Xmas trees off my fishing rod (I clip the fishing pole line a couple of feet up from the weight and into the line release on the downrigger line). I then run the mooselook maybe 6 to 10 feet on a piece of mono off the Xmas tree.

I'll even throw in a pic of the turtle that spent lunchtime with us on Sunday while we hung out in a quiet cove on Lake George.

 

[60thjeep]

Re: How to find fish

oh great now I got to go buy more stuff!

Do you run the dodger on the fishing line or separate? Do the attractants work well?

Another newbie question. I have a swivel between my line and leader with a snap swivel on the leader. Is this correct?

 

[Expidia]

Re: How to find fish

Yes, I run it off the hole on the back of the down rigger weight separately.

Attractants like flashers, dodgers work well because they put a few more chips on your side of the table when it comes to the Lake Trout noticing your offering. It tends to excite them.

Those Xmas trees with their many small bright flashers would look like a school of Herring swimming by to a laker.

Some people are purists and don't use swivels. They tie the mono directly to the mono. especially to the lure because they change the action of the lure.

I tend to do either since I sometimes keep swapping lures and colors out so a swivel makes it faster and I can get the offering back down deep quickly.

Another attractant is using a spray on the lures. Like one that smells like Smelt (which is what the Lakers are chasing). I asked this a few weeks ago in this forum as to scaring off the fish because they can smell my 50 sunblock. The consensus was to keep some unscented soap on board and wash your lures. Also a few posters spray WD40 on their lures and amazing to me that works too.

That Smelt spray is available from the guy who choose those colors for me but I noticed his store is closed as we drove up to the lake. He still sells on the web at Fish307.com, he is also a stand up guy who was always willing to give out his extensive knowledge. I like to give these type of guys my business. Maybe he will open a store again in another building and just lost his lease.

I like to use swivels because when you troll slow for long periods it tends to twist the line. But if I was not catching fish and I see other people catching fish I'd glide on over and ask them what color lure are they using and which one or live bait (which might me illegal on certain lakes) I know on lake George it's illegal to use live smelt. Most fisherman will tell you what they are catching fish on.

Listen in on a VHS channel too. just set your vhs to scan mode and if the lake is big and has charters those guys will chatter to each other because they want to see everyone catch fish on the lake. It only increases business for them. Most people don't know about a site like this for a free exchange of tips and ideas. So they use a charter. That's not a bad idea either for anyone that even has their own boat is to go out on a charter once and they will give you a wealth of tips.

One other tip is if you are going about 1 mph the downrigger line will give off this load humming sound. My Wife hates that sound all day, so I have her bring her ipod

Thanks for that pic. I 1/2 heatedly believed you about catching a Laker the first time out. I'd make that one into an 8x10. I personally never remove fish. I always take their picture and toss them back and let them grow bigger and live on to have a great fish life! I'd rather have a "server" bring me a fish in a restaurant along with a nice Chardonnay


BTW . . how deep were you when you caught that laker? I'm betting it was only in 20 -40 feet of water because that's where 45-55 degrees is at this time of the year. If you use lead core line instead of a downrigger you will find it tough to get your offering down deep as the water heats up and the fish go deeper. Only a down rigger will work to reach those depths easily. Lead core will tend to rise up as your boat pulls forward. A down rigger and it's release clip will drop the weight from the line and leave you fighting the fish, not a weight.