ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- This spring Boundary Waters Fishing Opener trip Joe and I head to Lac La Croix in search of one thing: Giant Lake Trout. I only ended up catching one trout all week, but it was a monster on the first day of the season that totally made the whole trip, perhaps the entire season, worth it.
I continue my success sharp-shooting big trout with Rapala jigging and snap raps, of course in chrome blue. In this video you will see exactly how I fish these baits and I even caught the hookset on camera!
Unfortunately, I did not capture the release on camera, but I assure you this fish is back in the water, swimming deep and continuing to grow to even more epic proportions. She was out of the water for maybe a total of two minutes, and was immediately sent back down to the deep as soon as we got a quick measurement and weight.
Estimated length of 38" and estimated weight of 20lbs.
Enjoy!
#giantlaketrout #laketroutfishing #bwcalaketrout
You've created a fire in my belly to get back to the BWCA. It's been too long. Excellent video. I subscribed. Keep em coming
Brian
I'm happy to hear it and happy to share my adventures with others! thanks for the support!
@@therealfarwater Maybe see you on the water some day. Or the ice for that matter.
Sorry to bug you but, What size Blu Bear barrel would you recommend for 4 guys on a 5-6 trip. Keep in mind we love eating fresh food
Thank You
Brian
@@miksretirementadventures9795 definitely 60L, anything smaller won’t be enough if you go heavy on food
Sick video! Ran into you at work a couple weeks ago and you mentioned this upcoming video and I’ve been looking forward to it since. What a fish!
Thanks for following!! I wish I had the ability to kick them out instantly but they take a lot of time to get TH-cam ready.
@@therealfarwater I hear that. It's a lot of work. Looking forward to future vids!
Outstanding! What a monster. Those lakers are a handful. Congrats!
Thank you! This was definitely the best fighting fish I have ever caught - when they get above that 30" mark they are really strong and an exciting fight...now I've just got to figure out how to catch them through the ice...
@@therealfarwater Got my first through the ice a couple of weeks ago. Used three different techniques and caught one on each. The big one was with a white tube.
@@fishingrelaunched4864 I used tubes A LOT this winter and I am getting more confident with them. They’re definitely a big fish bait!
That was an incredible fish! I went on my first BW trip last week, I am excited to go back and hopefully find my first laker. Great fish, good luck on your adventures out there.
Thank you! Great to hear (and obviously not surprised) you are already itching to go back. You won’t be able to catch just one, you’ll be back for more
Awesome video and great handling of the fish as well. Maybe someone else will get to catch this monster one day.
Thank you! It was an incredible fight, I’m thrilled it was a healthy release.
What a tank! Congrats dude! Keep up the great work!
Thank you!!
What a ride!!
I’ve never experienced a fight like that with any fish. I hope someday I will get another experience like it.
@@therealfarwater We'll find one
Amazing fish, didn’t know they came in that size! Must have been exhilarating to have that on the line.
Thanks! They do, but they’re really hard to find. It was unlike any other fight I’ve ever experienced-a very powerful fish
Very nice. I didn't catch many large trout this spring. It seemed like a slow spring. Good job on landing and releasing 👍
Thank you!!! This was a really tough opener for lake trout. I fished for 5 days and this was the only laker I caught-luckily I made the one fish I caught count
@@therealfarwater Boy I hear you. I fished for 2 weeks and have never had such slow fishing. Glad you caught a good one!!!
Great fish!
Thank you!!
How do you hold your electronics to your canoe? I use Yakattak track mounts on my kayak. I'm thinking of lashing that to the thwart.
Thanks!
I’ve got a video (and blog post) for that! I use a series of RAM mounts to clamp to the gunwhale
th-cam.com/video/_e5RpiVbqQo/w-d-xo.html
Such an awesome fish, Eric! Congrats! What weight jig n rap was that?
Thank you! I think it was a #7, so 7/8oz
That thing is huge!!!!
Still can’t believe it!
I’ve been to this area quite a few times, but always from the seagull side via American point or Jasper. Wanted to go back this year. Would you recommend entry at Moose through knife and up or snowbank up through Vera? Been watching your vids forever always gets me in the mood when permits go on sale!!
This video was lac la croix, you’re probably thinking of my ice out trip from 2022 on Knife. It’s easy to get from Moose Lake to Knife, especially with a tow. Thanks for supporting the channel, I’ll start getting more videos out asap
@@therealfarwater oh shoot you’re right. I was talking about getting to Amoeber/Topaz
@@tee2green79 if Amoeber/Topaz/Cherry is your goal a tow up moose lake is definitely faster and easier than via snowbank/ensign/vera. Otherwise, it’s about the same distance from the Gunflint, specifically from Seagull Lake or a tow across Saganaga. I haven’t done that route from the east side of the BW, so I can’t speak to its difficulty
@@therealfarwater Thanks for the help! Knew you would be the man to ask
Hi guys - that is a great video, fun to watch! Nice work on the camera work and commentary. I love fishing in the Boundary Waters, but I don't catch anywhere near the fish that you guys do:(. I've never used sonar, and noticed that you do use it all the time. Could you share what type of electronic equipment you use in the canoe? I'm ready to try something new to catch more fish, and I'm ready to buy a sonar. Thanks
Thanks for watching, Bill! It was a bummer my second GoPro died for this fish, the footage would have been much better with my pov helmet cam. I actually created a video for my sonar system as I get asked this question all the time. Here you go: th-cam.com/video/_e5RpiVbqQo/w-d-xo.html
@@therealfarwater Thank you! Your video on the sonar is great; excellent for an older guy with some technology intimidations! Time to start shopping for parts. I'm heading up the Gunflint Trail with some family five days after opener this spring to look for Lakers - this is going to help!
@@billregan5559 that’s great to hear!! I hope you catch a few, they are a blast
Sweeeeeet effin fish!
Thanks, dude!
Nice I didn't have Lakers to target but hit into walleye's on Crooked Lake on opener. Saw your channel and subbed I shoot videos too...
Crooked is a great walleye fishery-I shot a video of my last trip and can’t wait to go back. Thanks for letting me know, I’ll check you out!
Fun stuff. My wife got a monster last yr on Trout and they are so crazy to deal with in a canoe. Nice handling it all. I got an all season Helix 5, but haven't used it in my canoe yet. How are you setting up your transducer? Suction cup or just letting your winter ducer hang off the edge or??? Thanks. Keep up the fun adventures.
They are certainly exciting and nerve wracking in a canoe-wouldn’t have it any other way. I use a series of RAM mounts, most important being the transducer arm attachment to hang a summer transducer over the side of the boat and one of their tough claws to grab the gun whale.
Dang man. Nice one lol
Thank you!
Always a great feeling catching a PB! Lac La Croix huh, have you ever fished Namakan Lake? I am thinking I wanna hit that next month in the kayak. Great catch, tank laker!
Thanks! Never fished it. I’ve really only chased lake trout out of a canoe in the BWCA and Quetico. I’m sure they get massive up there though
@@therealfarwater they can yes. I have never caught a big laker. I am the self proclaimed king of cookie cutters when it comes to lake trout 😂. There has been a couple 50 pounders caught around here in last decade. A guy caught a fat 46" trout on White Otter Lake just north or Atikokan ice fishing. Another caught in Quetico area that was about 50 pounds. That one was actually illegally caught. Conservation officers checked him earlier that day and he already had a limit of trout. Later that same day he catches that record fish and posts it online with date and location. Authorities found out and actually confiscated the fish from the taxidermist down in Minnesota and brought it here. It's actually mounted in our local natural resources building. Kinda dumb if you ask me, all he had to do was lie and say he caught it the next day.... he knew he was checked that day and they would have a record of it. Oh well.
@@therealfarwater Namakan is another border water lake, just downstream from Lac La Croix. From up north the landing is on a large river about 15 miles before you get to Lac and that's where I'll put in. There must be a landing on the Minnesota side.
@@differentfins that sounds great! I’ve found that I generally catch smaller trout trolling and larger trout vertical jigging. Not sure how you target them, but try a jigging rap, tube jig or big buck tail jig to find the larger fish on bottom. Best of luck!
@@therealfarwater oh I've tried them all lol. Even fished waters that commonly put out 20 pounders. Just never connected. I swear all the trout I catch are 22-24" lol. Itll happen someday. I've caught trophies in pretty much every other species. Time and patience. Cheers 🛶🎣
Nice fish, we catch them in Tahoe, but not that big!
Thanks! Until a month ago I’d never caught one that big either. Keep gettin after em, you never know.
@@therealfarwater that’s why we keep going. That next fish.
That lure is my “go to” up in the Q for Lakers. What’s your set up? 7-8’ rod? Braid and fluoro leader? Congratulations on your Personal best laker. Doesn’t get any better catching them on a jig out of
A canoe.
Very quickly becoming my go-to as well. 7’6” medium fast Gloomis escape 3pc travel rod with 25lb powerpro braid to a 14lb Berkeley vanish leader. Next time I’m targeting big fish like this I will probably go to a heavier leader as this one took a beating and needed to be replaced after this fight. I agree on the canoe and jig. I see videos of people catching fish larger than this trolling downriggers on Lake Superior with super heavy gear, just dragging them back to the boat. That just doesn’t look like much fun to me. I’ll keep chasing them in canoe country where they are much harder to target and land.
I use a 7’ medium heavy triumph and it’s a good stick for trolling and jigging. I’ve always used 20lb power pro braid with a 15 lb fluoro leader, but I’m going to go heavier next time I respool. Thanks for posting that video. Gets me fired up for chasing lakers.
@@lukezika you are welcome! Happy to spread the knowledge and provide exciting content to anyone who is willing to watch
bravo. that was a hog
Thanks! It sure was…