# Lakers anyone?



## monkfish (Apr 3, 2010)

Gonna book this charter on the Niagra river for lakers in the next few weeks. A weekday. Anyone want to go?

http://www.getthenetwet.com/photos.html


----------



## Tusc.RiverRafter05 (Mar 22, 2005)

I was just fishing there last week with Frank Campbell, and Wet Net Charters was fishing right next to us the whole time!

The two of us in Frank's boat were hooked up with doubles on lakers and brown trout for two days straight, with no break at all in the action. The Wet Net guide had 3 people in the boat who were nearly always tripled up with lakers and browns the entire time.

I didn't know a fishing paradise like that even existed, haha. It was intense.


----------



## dtigers1984 (Jul 24, 2007)

PM sent your way.


----------



## monkfish (Apr 3, 2010)

Tusc.RiverRafter05 said:


> I was just fishing there last week with Frank Campbell, and Wet Net Charters was fishing right next to us the whole time!
> 
> The two of us in Frank's boat were hooked up with doubles on lakers and brown trout for two days straight, with no break at all in the action. The Wet Net guide had 3 people in the boat who were nearly always tripled up with lakers and browns the entire time.
> 
> I didn't know a fishing paradise like that even existed, haha. It was intense.


Did those big lakers put up a good fight? I fish lake trout in Quebec. They aren't great fighters. Kinda like logs.


----------



## FSZ (Mar 12, 2009)

I can't speak for the other poster, but I have fished western Quebec lake trout and the niagara river. The lake trout I've caught in Quebec averaged around 2-3lbs. Fun on light tackle, but they don't fight like steelhead.

The large lake trout of the niagara river are no slouches. They are much bigger than anything I have ever seen in Quebec, and also have the naiagara river current to work with. I have caught several 20 # plus lakers out of the niagara with spawn and size 8 hooks. What a fight! I would describe their fight like a walleye on steroids. Even a 8-10lber will give you a good tussle.


----------



## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

Do you keep the fish that you catch? I thought I read that you shouldn't eat any trout or salmon out of Ontario.


----------



## Tusc.RiverRafter05 (Mar 22, 2005)

I second what FSZ says. These niagara lakers are no logs! They are big, and they have all of that current to use against you. Plus, we were hooking a lot of them down 50+ ft, so it was a real riot trying to crank them in. They do fight a lot like really big walleye or channel cats. They just try to stay down and bulldog you, but they usually stick close to the boat. No screamin' 30 yard runs like a king salmon, but you will have your hands full. You might spend an entire drift on the bar just fighting one laker. Then you buzz upriver and do it again!

The guide told us that the optimum water temperature for lake trout is 39F. Last week it was 40F, so it should still be prime.

Also, even though the season for keeping lakers just opened up, no one keeps them, I was told. They are so oily and full of fat that all of the PCB's and mercury really concentrate in their meat.


----------



## Carpman (May 18, 2005)

I was just there last monday.....non stop action. Ended up with 13 browns, a 13 lb walleye, and around 40 lakers in one day of fishing. That was all myself, not including the other people on the boat. You will have a blast. The mouth of the river is where it's at right now. Ran up river to devils hole and only got one laker. Tried for steelhead and they were non-existent.

Just remember the lakers are catch and release only right now, they taste like crap anyway. 

They are like the sheephead of the lower niagra.


----------

