We use a 40 to 5o lb test coated steel hand line, wrapped around a wooden or plastic spool with a swivel and about 6 feet of mono filament line tied to a lead weighted jig. Hooked onto the jig, we use smelt, sucker or belly fat from lake trout.
Usually in deep water, over 100 feet deep and jig right off of the bottom. Lakers like to hang around at the bottom most of the time.
You have to move your hand up and down constantly in order to attract fish to it, and when there is a slight tug on the line, a quick tug of the line to set the hook and steadily pull the line in, carefully letting it fall in the bottom of the boat.
With this method, I don't think it is possible to catch the real big lakers, as they usually will break the line, but we have caught up to 25 lbs occasionally.
The beauty of the kind of fishing is the peaceful, quiet nature of it. No motor noise, just the lapping of water on the sides of the boat. When the lake is flat and the sun is shining, the fish are biting, tit is one of the most enjoyable things I know. Especially when you are with a good fishing buddy or partner where conversation is light and free.
Usually we have 3 to 4 guys in a boat, with 2-3 in the stern area and one on the bow in order to avoid tangling lines, which happens sometimes. At times the fishing is so active that we have 3 to 4 fish on at once, which gets kind of interesting if they are all getting up to the boat at the same time. Remember that we are fishing more than 100 feet deep and it takes a while to get a fish up to the boat when having that much hand line out. Many of the fish we catch do not require the net, but some do.
With legal limits at 3 per fisherman per day, it sometimes does not take long to limit out, so we will release as many fish as we keep.
Can't wait to get to Isle Royal this summer! Had to pass up one trip on Memorial day weekend due to my son getting married on that Saturday. I guess some things are still more important than fishing.
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