The Cayuga Fisher

Jigging for Lake Trout:  Tackle:  The Line

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Laker Lines:

Any good low stretch line will work.  Spiderwire XXX is a good choice, in 8-12 lb strengths.  Depends on the water you fish somewhat.  Smaller water with smaller lake trout, use 8 lb line.  I stopped using 12 lb totally, though I did experiment for a while. Stretchiness decreases as line diameter increases- the 12 lb Spiderwire doesn't stretch as much and I did use it in deeper water before switching to braid.  I recommend a reel full of 10 lb Spiderwire, or any other low-stretch mono.  A leader of 6-10 feet of 6-10 lb flourocarbon is also a good idea.

The thicker the line, the greater the water resistance- this means you lose sensitivity with depth, and the jig falls at a slower rate of speed.  To jig lakers effectively, you need a fast-falling jig for several reasons.  One, you'll spend more time on the bottom where the fish are, and two, lake trout love it!  Further explanation of this phenomenon can be found under "Tidbits".  These two factors work against each other- increasing the line diameter reduces sensitivity and falling rate, but increases your power and hooksets.  It's a matter of finding a balance that works well for you.

Braided Line: Personally I feel this is the way to go, and I won't go back to mono.  It must be my newly discovered love of fly-fishing- I really like having a main line with a leader attatched.  This style of setup, from fly-fishing to deep jigging, allows you to fully customize your fishing line.  I'm using 15 lb Stren SuperBraid as my main line, it has the diameter of 6 lb mono and is dark green to blend in with the green water.  (Update and note: Stren has changed their SuperBraid- they now sell 14 lb test line, with a diameter of 4 lb monofilament.  Just as good, if not better.  To make sure I wasn't crazy, I checked, and the old spool was 15 lb test- not available anymore.)  Any high quality braid would work- but 30 lb test would defeat the advantages gained.  I think the 10-15 pound range is perfect.  The only time I've lost the end of it was in a trolling motor!

This is an excellent way to maintain contact with your jig, cut down on water drag, and ensure solid gold hookups.  The braid has zero stretch, so when you're bouncing your jig off the bottom 100 feet down and a hungry laker grabs it, not only is it easier to feel, but as soon as you lift the rod you are exerting maximum pressure on the hook point.  It's a little more expensive to set up your reel, but the braid lasts a long time and you'll bring more trout into the boat.

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