BIG TROUT JIGGING - Brandon Owczarzak

January 11, 2025

From years of aggressive stocking and rehabilitation efforts, the Great Lakes boast phenomenal lake trout fishing. Charter captains rely on this fishery in the summer, but it is often overlooked from the fall through winter and to the spring when there are more opportunities for shore anglers and small boats.

Seth Cunningham with a lake trout caught on a Salmo Rail Shad in Holographic Purpledescent.

When anglers in the Great Lakes region think of fall and spring fishing, they often think of trophy sized walleye and smallmouth, or world class salmon and steelhead fishing. We are so lucky to have such incredible freshwater fishing opportunities and so many choices, that some fisheries become an after-thought. From years of aggressive stocking and rehabilitation efforts, the Great Lakes boast phenomenal lake trout fishing. Charter captains rely on this fishery in the summer, but it is often overlooked from the fall through winter and to the spring when there are more opportunities for shore anglers and small boats.

Throughout much of the Midwest lake trout are considered a premiere sport fish, but here in the Great Lakes region they often don’t get the respect they deserve. Anglers are often catching them on heavy line and tackle as a by catch when trolling for Salmon and complain about the fight. While trolling is the most utilized method, there is a much more fun way to catch these native monsters and that’s by jigging with light tackle. My two favorite baits to use are the new Salmo Rail Shad, and the soon to be released Salmo Walleye Shad soft plastics mounted on a jig head.

In the fall, as water temps start to drop below the mid 40’s lake trout start to migrate near shore and are getting ready to spawn. Portions of the Great Lakes are closed to lake trout fishing during the fall to protect the rehabilitation of the species, but the more populated zones remain open. The lake trout are looking for rocky structure to lay their eggs and will return in huge schools to the areas that they were originally born or stocked. These locations could be shallow offshore rocky reefs, harbor break walls and pier heads, or even rocky river system mouths. If you can find these prime spawning locations and locate the schools, you’re likely going to experience some of the best fishing of your life. These can be banner days, with double digit numbers of fish caught not being uncommon. Because these fish are so close to spawning, or already spawning, I like to practice catch and release on every single fish to let them do their thing and preserve the fishery for the future. Lake trout are slow growing, so they’re susceptible to over harvest. On average an 8- to 10-pound fish is 10 years old.

Brandon Owczarzak with a big lake trout caught on the Salmo Rail Shad in Blue Dace.

Lake trout hang around these locations all throughout the winter and into the spring too. They’re feeding on the gobies that live in the rocks, so there are plenty of opportunities to get after them. The schools are most congregated in the fall, but fish are often more aggressive as the water starts to warm in the spring. There’s really no wrong time to try targeting them, the conditions can sometimes be brutal, but it’s often worthwhile.

For the technique, you can cast and jig your lure back to you when fishing from shore, or vertical jig from a boat. Getting the right cadence is key, so make sure to play around with different motions and speeds. You want to make sure you are letting the lure sink and hit the bottom after every jig, and you’ll want to keep your line tight to the lure when it’s falling. Almost every single bite you get will be when that lure is dropping, or you’ll feel a slight tick or thump as a lake trout sucks the bait off of the bottom. Having a proper sensitive rod for jigging is a must. Once you feel that bite, set the hook and hold on. Fighting a lake trout on light tackle is like battling a walleye on steroids. It’s nonstop vicious head shakes, and they will go on deep diving runs, so be sure to have your drag set accordingly.

We have fished with the Salmo Rail Shad and Walleye Shad alongside numerous other baits and anglers and haven’t found anything else that is more effective for jigging up shallow lake trout. When deciding what lure to use, color plays a big factor. It’s amazing how picky these fish can be, where one color will be getting bites left and right and another won’t get touched. Blue’s, oranges, pinks and purples are often the hottest choices, but more natural colors that resemble perch and gobies have their days too. The UV color selections in the Walleye Shads really get these fish fired up compared to other soft baits. You’ll want to experiment with color selection until you find a program that’s consistently working for that day. Once you’re dialed in, get ready for a fishing trip you’ll never forget.

The author Brandon Owczarzak is the Media Marketing Manager for Salmo Performance Fishing Lures in the United States. To learn more about Salmo Lures visit www.salmousa.com.