| Spring is here. You head out early in the morning, | | | | is jointed minnows and spinner rigs. |
| your fishing gear packed into the back of your | | | | Salmon |
| SUV. You're looking forward to a day on the | | | | Live bait includes worms, prawns, crustaceans, |
| lakeshore and are hoping to catch a pickerel or | | | | insects and insect larvae. Artificial bait includes |
| perch. | | | | lures, flies, plugs, streamers and spinners. Prepared |
| When you arrive, you pack your gear to the | | | | bait such as egg sacs and scents also work well. |
| rocky shore and decide, for the fun of it, to use | | | | Catfish |
| a nightcrawler for bait. You slide it onto your hook | | | | Catfish in a lake are usually channel cat. They are |
| and cast. The bait sinks below the surface. Bang! | | | | attracted to cut bait, worms, crayfish or peeled |
| A fish strikes. It is a good sized catch and a | | | | crayfish tails, mollusks, minnows, cheeseballs, |
| fighter. You can see it flipping and thrashing in the | | | | breadballs, shrimp, chicken entrails and liver. |
| cool water, trying to free itself of the hook. You | | | | Pickerel |
| play the fish until it tires, bring it into shore and | | | | Pickerel feed on aquatic insects and invertebrates. |
| scoop it into your net. Much to your surprise, | | | | Use nightcrawlers, minnows, crayfish, insects and |
| you've landed a northern pike. | | | | frogs. Artificial bait includes worms, spinners, |
| Lake fishing is any type of fishing that is done on | | | | spoons, streamers and Mepps. |
| a lake. It can be shore fishing from a pier or | | | | Perch |
| marina or from a rocky shoreline. It can also be | | | | Perch feed on minnows, insects, insect larvae, |
| boat fishing, trolling or fly fishing. There are a wide | | | | crayfish, snails, nightcrawlers, grubs and maggots. |
| variety of fish species found in lakes around the | | | | Artificial bait includes worms, lures, spinners, |
| world. Lake species include bass, trout, catfish, | | | | streamers and jigs. Use small lures when fishing |
| perch, pickerel, northern pike, muskellunge, | | | | for perch, as they have small mouths. |
| sturgeon, walleye and salmon. | | | | Northern Pike |
| If you plan to fish from a boat, you will need to | | | | Pike are predators. They will take nightcrawlers, |
| own one, rent one, or go lake fishing with | | | | minnows and smelt. Pike, especially females heavy |
| someone who has one. To fish from a boat, you | | | | with eggs, prefer dead bait because it provides an |
| will need a rod, reel, tackle, trolling equipment and | | | | easy meal. Artificial bait includes wobbling spoons, |
| a lake or fish map. If you are a beginner, use a | | | | spinners, split minnows and red and white spoons. |
| basic lake fishing kit. This includes a six to eight | | | | If you are removing a hook from a northern pike, |
| foot graphite or fiberglass rod with a basic closed | | | | use needle nose pliers to avoid injury. |
| or open faced reel. Fishing line should be 8 to 15 | | | | Muskellunge |
| pound-test, depending on the fish species you are | | | | Live bait for Musky includes live fish bait that is 10 |
| targeting and the depth. Fishing near the surface | | | | to 12 inches. Suckers work well, as do leeches, |
| requires 8 pound-test, while fishing the middle or | | | | frogs, insects and sunfish. Artificial bait includes |
| bottom requires 15 pound test. The larger the fish | | | | spoons, bucktails and large plugs. Muskies are |
| species, the higher pound-test line you will need. | | | | fighters and will strip reels, break rods, mutilate |
| You will also need a variety of different sized | | | | bait and bend hooks. |
| hooks, ranging from medium to large. Split shot | | | | Sturgeon |
| sinkers are best. If you are planning on fishing the | | | | Sturgeon like fresh bait and are bottom feeders. |
| bottom, larger weights will be necessary. | | | | They are attracted to clams, eel, crayfish, smelt, |
| Remember, when buying sinkers, be sure they | | | | salmon eggs, shad, nightcrawlers and fish heads. |
| are lead free in order to protect the environment. | | | | Lake Trolling |
| Floats can vary from cork to plastic to foam. | | | | Trolling is the use of either large or artificial bait |
| Torpedo floats work great as well. Floats of | | | | pulled through the water behind a moving boat. It |
| various sizes can be used, but remember, smaller | | | | is used on lakes, especially for trout and walleye. |
| is always better. You don't want the fish to see | | | | The boat can be powered by a motor or oars. |
| your float. | | | | The bait can be trolled at any depth and is |
| A variety of bait, both live and artificial is used for | | | | intended to resemble live fish. Trolled plugs, |
| different species of lake fish. | | | | spoons and flies can be fished deep by adding |
| Trout | | | | weights or using leadcore line. Live bait is fished |
| Live bait for trout includes worms, insects, insect | | | | below a sliding float when trolling. |
| larvae and crayfish. Artificial bait includes | | | | If you wish to take up lake fishing and have |
| streamers, spoons, spinners and dry and wet flies. | | | | concerns over equipment or bait that you should |
| Bass | | | | use, ask an experienced lake angler to give you |
| Live bait includes worms, shad, insects, insect | | | | some tips, or invite them to come along on a lake |
| larvae, frogs, crayfish and minnows. Artificial bait | | | | fishing trip. Any experienced lake angler will be |
| includes spinners, streamers, Mepps, spoons, jigs, | | | | able to help you with equipment, bait, casting and |
| crankbaits and clousers. | | | | trolling issues. This could be a family member, |
| Walleye | | | | friend, neighbor or a staff member at a bait and |
| Live bait includes nightcrawlers, crayfish, minnows, | | | | tackle shop that specializes in lake fishing. |
| chubs and leaches. Artificial trolling bait that is best | | | | |