Re: Trying to figure out if I suck or just have no luck...
Hey Jason,<br /><br />I'm in Maine and I troll a lot for landlocked salmon and lake trout (which we call "togue"). I like to go a little slower than that for lake trout, but that is not to say i haven't caught fish at those speeds. Anyway, I found this on the info on the net for fishing in your area. The article said these techniques are good on priest lake and pend oreille, which I believe are close to you.<br /><br />"Once the Labor Day weekend is over, typically fishing pressure is very light. Anglers should be aware that the lake will start to be drafted starting in October and will be 3 feet below the summer pool level by early November. The boat launch at Indian State Park is a good year round deep water launch site. The Priest Lake fishery is dominated by lake trout or mackinaw in the 15-22 inch size range, although there are still a few big fish in the teens and twenty pound range. Fall fishing opportunity for lake trout involves either trolling or jigging. The most consistent method is bottom trolling with downriggers or leaded line. Try trolling slowly just off the bottom using big spoons, Flatfish, Kwikfish, Litefish, Apex, Rapala, Rebel, or Lyman type plugs or dodgers with hootchies or flies on a short leader. A small strip of fresh cut bait or night crawler will greatly improve your chances of a hook-up. Natural color combinations of black or blue over silver or white are good choices for lures, as are lighter colored, fluorescent and glow-in-the-dark colors. Jigging with baited lead headed jigs, spoons and buzz baits over rocky out croppings and drop-offs is also a proven technique for catching mackinaw if you find concentrated fish. Use low or non-stretch line because many of the fish are holding in 140+ feet of water and it is difficult to detect a bite and set a hook with monofilament line. Reel fish up slowly from those depths to prevent bloating. "<br /><br />Good luck
