Group: Members
Posts: 438
Member No.: 10427
Joined: January 08, 2016
Fishing around milford bay to thr sister to the Gravenhurst narrows. I'm throwing all in my box at them.but coming up short. I have down rigers dipsey divers and a lead core rod. People tell me to go to rosseau or Joseph but make muskoka is very. Lose for me. Any advice would be awesome!
Group: Newbies
Posts: 20
Member No.: 19300
Joined: July 14, 2021
Agreed. I have fished lake trout all my life and 10lb wire out produces all other methods for me. Plus you can't get a better feel for your lure action and fish hits then being direct connection with wire line...no stretching!, no flex and no moment of no tension when the line releases from a rigger ball.
Group: Members
Posts: 438
Member No.: 10427
Joined: January 08, 2016
I would'nt have guessed wire line. I have a few old banjo rods with steel line and a banjo with copper but I dont know if I dare to use them they are pretty old. Perhaps I need to go over to cabelas. My dad used to use a rod rigged with copper line and a posey diver on lake Ontario and it always did well. I love my lead core rod, the action on it is great and it jas produced on a couple other local lakes... but not lake muskoka yet.
I have been using mostly NK spoons and Nasty Boys.
Group: Members
Posts: 93
Member No.: 14639
Joined: October 21, 2017
i have never tolled for lakers only caught them jigging with onar but all i can say is switch it up and keep trying... try different speeds and lures . good luck on your mission
Group: Members
Posts: 2754
Member No.: 10908
Joined: January 25, 2016
It has been 30 year since I trolled Muskoka.
When I did you had to find where they were hanging out but when you did every rod would fire non stop with 2/3lb fish. Slow was the key with riggers when I did it. Also try flashers with peanut flies.
Group: Newbies
Posts: 20
Member No.: 19300
Joined: July 14, 2021
yes, I started with banjo rods too. last fish on a banjo was 15lb laker. nothing like that action. I switched to PENN style level wind reels with spring tip rods years ago and still use it every time fishing for lakers. We also have downriggers, dipsies etc. I fish different lakes. some of the lakes the lakers stay suspended in 50-60' year round, in other lakes they lay on bottom most of the time. If you have a decent graph you should be marking them if they are in the lake. may need to zoom bottom if you dont find them suspended.good luck
Group: Members
Posts: 438
Member No.: 10427
Joined: January 08, 2016
Thank you everyone. I tried and tried but didn't get them on muskoka....yet. Rosseau was different it gave me a confidence bood to take mack to muskoka so im sure it will happen. I tried mending some of my banjo rods but they all had issues. They are really cool wall hangers!
Group: Members
Posts: 53
Member No.: 3429
Joined: February 03, 2013
Fished the big 3 for 40 years now, Joe being my home lake. The biggest lakers and my PB have come from Muskoka all within last 10 years .. PB last year 18 lbs .. Joe the big ones are there and hit 10 plus pounders for sure .. seen a 20 and 25. From a neighbour. But lately lots of 1-2 lb lakers …. For me at least
Trolling Muskoka don’t over think the depth of looking for eater size lakers … troll spoons with down rigger 40-60 ft in 46 to 70 fow .. blue and silver Williams dartee is lethal.
Bigger lakers for me have come in the 50-85 fow water columns jigging white tubes tipped with a gulp minnow or real minnow … watch the sonar jigging… see a fish in sonar reel up fast 20-30 fow and stop you usually get a strike if it chases . Stinger hooks are great in the tube jigs .
Group: Members
Posts: 999
Member No.: 2426
Joined: January 02, 2013
Before we sold our cottage, I trolled Joe for 47 years. Started off with wire line then graduated to downriggers.
I was catching suspended lake trout throughout the whole lake. I would set my downriggers at 60 to 75 feet with a spoon about 25 feet back. I never trolled without a cheater. I would say that most days my cheaters produced more than the deeper lines.
End of July , try to match the hatch. A lot of 3" bait is swimming around. Use a 3" spoon. My favorite were nasty boys and nasty girls.
Chartreuse Blue to match the herrings silver
Thin skinny lures.
My biggest fish out of Lake Joe came ice fishing on a white Bucktail.... 35 pounds Had bigger on over the years. They are there. Just being in the right place at the right time.
I still get out there at least once a year but now I just jig. A lot more fun
Group: Members
Posts: 999
Member No.: 2426
Joined: January 02, 2013
For you guys that still troll with wire line
I have a few spools of 60 pound multistrand trolling wire at home that I would part with. For this wire you need a level wind reel A trolling rod with either carbide tip or spring tip.
Fishing Northern Lakes
Fishing forum for Northern Ontario, including Muskoka, Algonquin & Bancroft Area Lakes. Fishing for brook trout, lake trout, bass, walleye, pickerel, muskie, pike, crappie, perch, splake and more. Northern Ontario fishing at it's Best!
Fishing Northern Ontario & Bancroft Area Lakes - Forum : Fishing Tips, Current Conditions, Fishing Reports & more! Fishing Forum
Lake muskoka downrigging advice, Having a hard time catching lakers
