The hottest summer tactics for walleye, bass, trout, pike & muskies

LAKE TROUT

Even though lake trout spawn in the fall, they also react to the summer peak period. It’s as though they know that the good times—when they can roam the shallow shorelines and structure tops to cherry-pick food—are quickly coming to an end. So, until the warm water of summer drives them down deep, they’ll be devouring as many emerging mayflies as they can. My favourite daytime pattern for these peak-period lakers is to cast small, heavy bladebaits over soft silt and clay flats, letting the baits plummet to the bottom before reeling them steadily back to the boat as they madly vibrate.

 

Meanwhile, if you stick around until sunset—especially on gorgeous, calm evenings—you’ll see the flat surface dimpling as tens of thousands of ciscoes, whitefish and lake trout intercept the helpless mayflies. That’s when I cast the same bladebaits I used during the day, but instead of letting them fall to the bottom, I immediately engage the reel and retrieve them barely under the surface.

For this evening bite, I beef up my arsenal with copper- and bronze-coloured #2, #4 and #6 in-line spinners, such the Mepps Aglia and Blue Fox Vibrax—and don’t be surprised if you hook several bonus whitefish and herring. You can fish these spinners unadorned, but I like to replace the factory hooks with Gamakatsu treblehooks that are one size larger. I also tie deer, squirrel or coyote hair around the hooks, making the spinners remarkably effective as dead ringers for mayflies.