Lake trout, whose name is often used as a generalization for some freshwater fish - representatives of the salmon family, leads a pelagic lifestyle. Researchers believe that it is a subspecies of trout.
Description
Under the common name "trout" many freshwater forms of salmon of the genus Salmo are combined. This is often referred to as the spotted croaker, which, however, has nothing to do with this subspecies. Lake trout, the photo of which indicates the incredible rainbow of its color, is a predator. She has a lumpy slim body, dark in color with a silver tint on the upper back, silver-gray on the sides and with a slight pink bloom on the abdomen. She is especially beautiful during the spawning period, as, indeed, is any other fish. Lake trout has many dark spots. And in anticipation of spawning, bright orange stripes and specks appear on it, the lower fins redden. From rainbow lake trout is distinguished by the absence of spots on the tail. In turn, bright silver sides are proof of her kinship with trout.
Lifestyle
Lake trout never migrates. It remains in its pond, where it matures and multiplies. Sometimes in the lake you can meet individuals reaching a weight of up to nine kilograms or more, but on average this fish weighs about seven hundred grams. The color of this trout depends on its specific habitat. If there is dark water in the pond or it has a peat admixture, then the fish that live in it also has a darkish hue, with black large spots all over the body. And vice versa, when trout lives in a lake with a bright sandy bottom, then its color is, respectively, lighter.
Habitat
This subspecies of salmon is cold-water. He prefers to live in clean, clear water. The optimal parameters for the environment in which the growth and development of this fish are most successful are: the temperature of the reservoir is from 14 to 20 degrees, and the oxygen content is 7-8 mg / l. Lake trout, avoiding brightly lit areas, almost always hides in the shade, going to the depths. A long stay in bright light leads her into a depressed state, and her eggs and fry even die. Therefore, lake trout is most active on rainy and cloudy days, as well as in the evening and in the morning.
An important feature for the normal life of this fish is the constant need for easy access to the surface of the water. She must constantly fill her swim bladder with air . That is why in closed cages deeply immersed in water, as well as in such reservoirs that are held in ice shell for a long time, lake trout cannot live.
During spawning, this fish, entering the tributaries - rivers and streams, rises upstream. But it also happens that she lays eggs on the spot. After spawning, a significant part of the already slightly grown juveniles returns to their native lake again, while a small number of them remain in the river and replenish the ranks of river trout.
Area
This representative of the salmon family can be found in Lake Ladoga or Onega. The size of lake trout directly depends on the feed used by it. For example, trout living in pebble rivers or in lakes with a rich selection of various aquatic insects, as well as crustaceans, are usually larger than that which lives in flood waters, where these feeds are much smaller.
Often it is caught both in Karelia and on the Kola Peninsula. There are many cold-water lakes where this fish feels especially well. Some forms of this fish are also found in high-altitude water bodies in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, where it feeds mainly on small fish, without disdaining insects and their larvae.
Fishing features
Fishing for lake trout is a very exciting and not at all simple task. Sometimes it is beyond the reach of a novice fisherman. In order not to decrease the amount of trout that lives in this reservoir, it is very important to adhere to all the rules established for catching - seasonality, limit, age of individuals.
This fishing does not recognize rush or unnecessary fuss. Sometimes an inexperienced person behaves extremely carelessly: comes up with noise to the water, adjusts his gear directly at the place of fishing, while making many sudden movements.
All these actions can lead to the fact that the trout, becoming very careful, will go to a secluded place and will not react to the bait for a long time. Therefore, anglers with extensive experience know that you need to prepare and set up gear no closer than ten meters from the casting site. In unfamiliar water bodies, you should first examine the coast and certain areas of the water surface to determine the location of the trout. Only when all prospects are really appreciated, you need to carefully and discreetly, trying not to make noise, to approach the place of fishing. In some cases, fishermen even move crawling to go unnoticed by this shy fish. But the first casting not expected by the prey, as a rule, ends with a bite of a rather large specimen.
Where to catch
The place for fishing on the lake should be chosen taking into account many factors - the presence of a stream or a small river that flows into it, glades among aquatic vegetation, piling up of stones, etc. It is necessary to choose areas between calm and fast currents, deep holes at waterfalls, erratic reaches, quiet bottom with large stones. The need for camouflage should also be considered.
In general, when choosing a fishing place you need to be based on knowledge about the habits of prey. A thorough study of the reservoir in which lake trout is found will not ensure successful fishing. When spring fishing, you need to choose those places where, according to local anglers, prey usually spends wintering. Most often these are pits, swirls of rifts or places in a weak stream, where there is enough food. With an increase in the level of the reservoir, it becomes muddy, so it can be difficult to find where the trout is standing at this time.
Fishing time
The season when fishing for lake trout begins depends on the region. In many Russian reservoirs, it occurs in March, when ice melts. Fishing is also possible in winter in non-freezing reservoirs, but you need to remember that this fish is not very active in the cold, so the results may not be predicted at all.
The activity of lake trout will increase when enough meltwater accumulates in the pond. Due to the fact that at this time the earth still remains frozen, the water is quite transparent and does not become cloudy. However, in this case, one should not expect enviable catches.
Tackle
Trout is caught on a float, spinning or fly fishing rod. There are no special requirements for tackle: you just need to choose a sufficiently long rod so that there is an opportunity for long casting of the bait. Based on the characteristics of fishing for lake trout, the fisherman, while trying to remain unnoticed, should be at a certain distance from the edge of the water. The weight of the fishing rod must be chosen so as not to get tired of constantly holding it in your hands. It’s good if the equipment is running with any type of reel and an arbitrary volume of the drum.
The fishing rod is equipped with fishing line with a diameter of 0.2-0.25 mm and a leash about a meter long. You need to use a subtle option, for example, transparent blue. As a rule, in the equipment for trout, only one hook is put - No. 6-8, but when narrowing in a pond with a peat or muddy bottom, it makes sense to use two pieces. The distance between the leashes should be fifteen to twenty centimeters.
In cases where the lower hook with the bait is immersed in the sludge, the upper one still remains in the working position. Standard sinkers can be used as sinkers; small pieces of lead tape also work well. They are fixed seven to ten cm above the hook, and in the presence of two stings - between them.
Experienced anglers recommend using small-sized floats with a soft color and, preferably, a spindle-shaped type on lake trout.
What pecks
Lake trout is best caught on a leaf or dung worm, with the red variety being the most effective. For small individuals, the quality and size of the bait is not relevant, so many anglers attach half to the hook. Big trout prefers moving whole worms. If there are none at hand, then you can use insect larvae, the insides of the prey itself, as well as finely chopped fresh fish.