I'm going vertical jigging for lake trout on Keuka Laketomorrow...Morning temps are going to be in the teens, but it's supposed to warm up to around 30 later in the day, and most importantly, little or no wind..

Here in southwestern NY we have a pretty unique winter fishery...While smaller, shallower waters are covered in a foot of ice, some of the largerFinger Lakes, notably Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga and Canadaigua, are deep enough so that they seldom freeze, and provide open water fishing all winter long... There is a great winter fishery for lake trout, landlocks, browns, rainbows, pike, panfish and even bass in some instances..

For years deep water trolling was the "go to" method for lake trout...However it requires specialized, sometimes heavy gear to down to the 100 foot + depths where the lakers live, and while it has it's own appeal, it's sometimes not the most athetically pleasing way to catch fish.. Winching fish up from the depths on heavy gear tends to dull the fight..

In recent years, some local anglers, myself included, have been catching LOTS of lakers all year long by vertically jigging for them with light spinning or baitcasting gear...LOTS more fun catching the fish, very simple and VERY effective...I'm catching more trout now than I EVER did trolling, and having a lot more fun doing it...

The technique is simple...The lure we use are generally spoons made for vertical jigging, like diamond jigs, Northland Buckshot spoons, and Swedish pimples, just to name a few... I use a 6 foot light action graphite spinning rod spooled with a nonstretch line such as Spiderwire or Fireline..The nonstretch line is importnant to detect strikes at depths of 100-130 feet or more, and also to provide better hooksets..Most lures we use are from 3/4 oz. to one oz.... Most guys use a small snap or snapswivel to make it easier to change lures.. I favor open faced spinning tackle, but most of my buddies prefer light baitcasting gear... We all catch fish...

Simply open the bail or freespool the lure STRAIGHT down until it hits bottom..Reel up a couple cranks and just jig the lure up and down..You have to pay attention because oftens strikes occur as the lure is fluttering back down after it was jigged..Often you'll just see a slight twitch or hesitaion, and it's important to set the hook quickly...A good electric motor is necessary to keep the lures under the boat..A nearly straight down vertical presentation works best.. Good electronics are helpful, too, both to spot fish and maintain depth, but once you know your spots, you can get along without them...

On a typical morning 2 or 3 guys can catch 8 or 10 lakers in 3 or 4 hours...

We have done MUCH better, though...One day last January 3 of us landed 52 lake trout in just a little over 3 hours...Most fish run 18-20 inches and weigh around 2 pounds, but we catch quite a few in the 4-6 pound range also and we've caught fish up to 10 pounds..

I'll post the results in a day or two...