Vertical jigging is a great way to go for big lakers – Outdoor News

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In the mid 1800s, an angler in the Finger Lake region of Upstate New York would come up with a method to catch lake trout in deep water. Avid angler Seth Green would devise a system to catch the often-deep lake trout, which would turn out to be the predecessor to today’s popular downrigger.

Green invented a method where he would row a boat with two rods trolling for lake trout. To get his lures deep, his main heavy trunk line had a heavy lead weight that would bounce the bottom or penetrate the depths. He would then run one-to-five spoons up his main line with a leader coming out every 20 feet. It was a very time-consuming and complicated method but it did catch loads of fish.

For years, the popular method of trolling with a downrigger ball attached with releases and leaders was popular, and still is today. Some anglers often feel it is the only way to fish deep for lake trout. The past couple of decades, however, anglers have perfected a way to fish deep without having to troll horizontally for lake trout.

Lakers could be caught with uncomplicated ways such as casting during when they moved in shallow. However, during the early years of sport fishing they were hard to catch when they moved out into very deep water.

In North America, prime lake trout waters are those found in the Northeast and Midwest. These deep lakes including the Great Lakes are known as “glacial” lakes that need to harbor depths of 200 feet or more to sustain lake trout.

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Simplicity

Vertical fishing for lake trout has become very popular in recent years. The nice thing about it is that you can do it with a smaller boat, kayak, or even a canoe. You can also do it with less equipment or with just a single rod and reel.

The uncomplicated system is made up of just a rod, reel, line, and a heavy jig type lure that you can feel, and will reach depths of up to 200 feet or more. The system can be used with either a medium, medium/heavy action spinning, or casting rig. Avid vertical jiggers will prefer a casting combo.

The deepest lake trout this angler has ever caught vertically jigging was a 14-pounder on New York’s Cayuga Lake in 171 feet of water. Avid lake trout jigging expert and guide Kurt Hoefig, of Ithaca, reports that the deepest laker ever to be caught on his boat came at a depth of 215 feet.

“I don’t like super deep jigging for a few different reasons. I prefer to find fish as shallow as possible,” Hoefig said.

One of his favorite summer patterns for lakers is to jig in 80 to 110 feet of water, but sometimes, like in early morning, they may be found in only 40 feet of water.

Hoefig’s clients have caught lakers as large as approximately 18-pounds on the Finger Lakes. He has caught bigger lakers doing vertical fishing on the Great Lakes such as Ontario. He reports that he often catches other fish as well doing this technique including rainbow trout, brown trout, and landlock salmon.

Baits

Lures such as swimbaits, hair jigs, jigging spoons, and other blade baits work well with this pattern.

Hoefig reports that any ounce-plus jig will work and one of his favorites is the 1.3-ounce Mackinaw Shad by Elias V Fishing. Hoefig and his clients use a variety of soft plastic bodies on their jig heads. Ones such as Lunker City Shakers, Keitechs, Reaction Innovations, and Skinny Dippers.

Zman’s DieZel MinnowZ and Scented Jerk ShadZ in elaztech work well.

You want to use lures that weigh anywhere from ½-ounce to over an ounce. If you can’t feel, especially the bottom, you will miss fish bites. Find a good area, drop the lure straight down to the bottom. Reel up your slack and rip your lure up a foot or two. Follow your lure back down and you will feel the fish when you go to rip up again.

Hoefig and other avid jiggers will also use various blade baits. He likes ¾-ounce Binsky Blade baits and 1-2 ounce saltwater butterfly jigs. Others, like straight jigging spoons such as those made by Hopkins and Bass Pro Shops Strata spoons. You can feel a blade bait weighing ¾-oz down to 75 to 90 feet. Deeper than that, you need to go a bait weighing 1-ounce or more.

Lure colors that excel for lakers are usually something in white or chrome to match their main feed of alewives. Hoefig says that he keeps his color selections simple and adds black and chartreuse sometimes.

When vertically fishing in extremely deep water, lines such as monofilament will stretch quite a bit and impede hook penetration. To help clients drive the hook home and land a larger percentage of fish, Hoefig will rig his rods with no stretch Cortland Master Braid line in 12 to 15 pound test with a 12 to 15 pound fluorocarbon leader. Medium sized fresh water single and treble hooks with needlepoints will hook and land fish better as well.

Hoefig claims that vertical jigging for lake trout can be done year-round. Many anglers obviously do it through the ice. Lake trout are members of the char family that spawn in the fall. During October and November, they will seek out deep water points and other areas to lay their eggs. They may be in 50 feet of water in the early morning and can work their way out in much deeper water during the day.

First time vertical jiggers may want to hire a guide one or more times to learn the proper method.

If you have never tried it, go vertical not horizontal for lake trout. It won’t take long and you will be soon shouting “fish on.”

Source: https://www.outdoornews.com/2025/03/22/vertical-jigging-is-a-great-way-to-go-for-big-lakers/