We all have a favorite offering for each of the species we are trying to catch. I asked a few experienced fishermen, veterans, to tell me which products they prefer when it comes time to target the four most popular predators in La Belle Province. Here are their picks and mine.
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Speckled: The Rapala Countdown Elite CDE75 simplifies brook trout fishing with its Countdown technology. It quickly reaches the right depth with precision. Throw, count and recover. Trolling, neutralize the engine, count and go again. Tie the fluorocarbon leader up to 10 lbs directly to the split ring.
Lake Trout: The Jelly Series of the Williams Dartee D3 offers a holographic finish that is kryptonite for super lake trout. These colors change color according to the angle of incidence of the light. To get the most out of it, you have to slightly bend the back part of the spoon and add an orange Exude egg from Mister Twister on the hook.
Gold: The metallic diving board of the very visible Storm Rattle Tot offers a clear advantage, namely to frequently come into contact with the bottom. Replace the rear tripod with a VMC Bladed Hybrid treble hook. The sparkle and added vibration of its spinner spinner, combined with the lure’s internal sound chamber, elicits lightning attacks from big walleyes.
Pike: The Williams Trophy II, Rose-Blue, and Chartreuse-Black are deadly for big pike. However, I replace the tripod with a 3/0 curved red single hook on which I add a chartreuse or white Z-Man TrailerZ Split-Tail. When you exploit this combination on the throw, opting for a slow recovery, you react to large specimens.
Speckled: Under all conditions, it was Lucky Strike’s Lake Special spoon, in fire tiger color, that helped me the most to outwit the vigilance of the brook trout. Equipped with a large and a small pivoting paddle, I precede the assembly with a rudder to limit twists. I lengthen the leader with a fluorocarbon and I install a large earthworm.
Lake trout: For several years, I used a West River from Sutton. Over time, I’ve had trouble getting hold of these 2 1⁄2″ silver American spoons with copper-colored backs. Many derivatives that mimic a led like the Nipigon or other versions perform well trolling in the spring or with a downrigger later in the season.
Walleye: Meeny’s 3″ orange-colored benttail lures are especially effective when rigged on a 1⁄4 or 3/8 ounce jighead, depending on currents or winds . I elevate these grubs by stuffing them with a live, plump worm, impaled right through a few times, from its ring.
Pike: The Aglia Long AL4 spinner from Mepps, in the gold and red version, is the all-round champion in terms of reflections and it excels in terms of vibrations. Its rotating paddle rotates on an axis of 30 degrees. It will therefore dive deeper, while causing less resistance in the water and limiting collisions in its path.
Speckled: When you insert a small 1/32 or 1/16 ounce jig head inside the body of a 1 1/2 inch Mister Twister tri-color mini-tube, you get a mouth-watering treat which seems totally harmless during its descent into the abyss. The color 9310 black and chartreuse with red tip works in all bodies of water.
Lake Trout: The Williams’ Whitefish mimics a whitefish in gait and movement. This white fish, as it is called, is one of the favorite dishes of lake trout. The C70 moves nonchalantly, without offering too much resistance. Weighing 3⁄4 ounce, it measures 4 1⁄4 in. I had the most success with the hyper-realistic yellow perch tint.
Gold: Able to dive between 9 and 11 feet when retrieved on cast, the Cotton Cordell Wally Diver CD6 will sink 14 to 18 feet when trolling. This tall, tapered 3 1/8″ classic swims on a short axle. I have had excellent results with the black and gold, however, for tinted waters, I opt for the color yellow perch with orange tail.
Pike: Of all the metal spoons, it is with the Syclops S3 from Mepps, chartreuse orange with a silver back, that I made the most predators react. With its curved, reflective surfaces, S-shaped profile, and alternating twists in a sinusoidal trajectory, this one-ounce, 3 1⁄2-inch lure catapults with ease.
Speckled: When you prefer to fish for speckled trout by casting rather than trolling, the spinner becomes almost a must. Among those of great efficiency, the Mepps Aglia
Lake trout: Long live jigging for lake trout! This still little used approach really brings out the sporting qualities of the species. But waddling a big lure thirty meters below the surface can pose difficulties. This can be achieved by using a one ounce jig head topped with a large white colored swimbait such as Jackall’s Rhythm Wave.
Walleye: There are many ways to catch walleye in Quebec, but using a crankbait is among the most popular. Tagged on the back of a 2 oz bottom walker, this type of lure is highly effective. Although little known, the Chubble, in shades of chartreuse, is my favorite when targeting yellow-robed percids.
Pike: In the last three or four years, a lure has become essential for pike fishing. Able to be retrieved both shallow in vegetation and deeper along a line of grass, for me the Chatterbait reigns supreme. A white lure with a soft chartreuse plastic trim does not leave these large predators indifferent.
