Spring Laker Trip - Cedar Lake

[Supernova224]

So this spring I'll be heading up to Algonquin Park for my first experience fishing lake trout. We'll be staying in Brent and fishing Cedar Lake. I know a few FH'ers have fished this lake before. I'm wondering if you guys have any general tips for my virgin laker trip? I'll be there there right after ice-out, so the plan is to target them by trolling near the surface. I'm really just following my buddy's lead here, it's all new to me. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks!

[banjo]

Are you canoeing or bringing up a motor boat? (20hp restriction on that lake)

[Lenny]

If you're looking for lakers my advice would be to not go to Cedar lake. It has lakers, bass, muskie and walleye. I would look for a lake that only has lakers and/or specks. I know people that have fished there and told me the lake trout fishing sucked.

[lapointeric]

If you're looking for lakers my advice would be to not go to Cedar lake. It has lakers, bass, muskie and walleye. I would look for a lake that only has lakers and/or specks. I know people that have fished there and told me the lake trout fishing sucked.

I've done some camping in surrounding lakes—though never in spring—but I've only ever caught bass while trolling. She's a big lake too, and it gets awful choppy when there's wind.

When I've asked locals, they told me that if we wanted to catch lakers not to bother with Cedar.

You also have to watch out for that Brent road, apparently it's in rough shape in the spring, and it's a long haul too.

Hope this helps.

E

[Troutskiii]

Cedar is a big lake, it can turn ugly very quick if the winds pick up. Plenty of other lakes in the area where you would have a way better shot of catching lakers although if you do hook into one in cedar it will probably be a nice fish. If your willing to canoe and maybe portage a short distance there are some nice lakes that hold lakers in that area.

Some friends and I fish some of the more remote laker/speck lakes opening week each year, we stay at Brent the first night in a cabin leave at sunrise next day. Road to Brent is I believe 32-36km from the highway and can be very rough in spring, wash board and wash outs are common, 4wd vehicle recommended would be a rough go for a honda civic for example.

Good luck!

[LifeIsntWasted]

Everytime we've been there its been for Bass. Some of my cousins troll for Lakers around 'Bird crap Island' there but I would say the majority of our catch is bass when we're at Cedar Lake.

If you stop by the outfitter store in Brent you'll have to say hi to my Uncle Jake, he has been running it for years.

[Supernova224]

Hey, this guy above plagiarized me! Unless he's going there too...

Anyhow, I really appreciate the advice guys, although I'm pretty well stuck to Cedar Lake. The colleague I'm going with has been fishing this lake for years and knows it very well. It's as much about his personal connection to the place as it is about fishing. So we're aware of the challenges of rough weather there, as well as the conditions on the roadway in, and the 20hp restriction.

Am I on the right track in terms of tactics for early spring (May 1st)? The plan is to run some rapala tail dancers, countdown minnows and spoons in the top 10ft of the water column. Also, any recommendations for type of leaders to use?

As I said, this is my first experience with lake trout, and I couldn't be more excited! Just hope the weather stays friendly. And I will say hi to your uncle Jake LIW, I've heard about him from my colleague, and he has nothing but good things to say.

[smitty55]

Am I on the right track in terms of tactics for early spring (May 1st)? The plan is to run some rapala tail dancers, countdown minnows and spoons in the top 10ft of the water column. Also, any recommendations for type of leaders to use?

Don't discount the use of small shorter gang trolls with a leader behind it and a threaded salted minnow or a treble with 3 gulp minnows. They have worked well for me early season in the past. I particularly like silver/blue combo. Lucky strike has a good selection. Gibbs Lake Special is another one to try but make sure to use a keel in front of it or it will twist your line up real bad.

Along the same line try a Lake Clear Wabbler. It's been around forever and has always been a good lake trout lure. Fished with a leader behind it as well. http://www.lakeclearwabbler.com/#xl_xr_page_products

Good luck with your trip. Cheers

[jsdx]

Trolling shallow raps would would work in early spring, use a long line behind the boat. I like spoons - usually williams silver or gold in the 2 1/2 inch size.

If you're shore bound due to wind, fishing shallow water from dry land can work, especially with pops to keep you hydrated. You can soak some dead salted minnows in 5-25 ft water and take in the sun. I let mine sit on bottom but a guy we met at cedar claims that a worm rig 2-3 ft under a float, close to shore works "better". Don't leave the rod unattended, or remember to tie it down

Some of the portage lakes accessed from Brent road are also very good. Just need to lug a canoe through the bush a few km. Can't say it keeps out the riff raff, given we make it in there but I'd say it cuts it down some and you can have your own lake.

Good luck and have a great trip.

[zippyfx]

Everytime we've been there its been for Bass. Some of my cousins troll for Lakers around 'Bird crap Island' there but I would say the majority of our catch is bass when we're at Cedar Lake.

If you stop by the outfitter store in Brent you'll have to say hi to my Uncle Jake, he has been running it for years.

hmmm... splat fishing for bass and lakers... Never would have thought of that.

[banjo]

If you have use of a motor boat, you can get around the lake OK, and cover some ground. Slow troll any shoreline, rock pile, or creek inlet and you'll be bound to catch a few. There are NO musky in the lake as someone else posted... so don't worry about a wire leader. The lake is usually tea stained so I don't usually worry about florocarbon, standard mono is usually fine but up to personal preferance. Long line trolling in a s-pattern works but so does casting wind blown shorelines or points. I have used rapala type body baits, but I still prefer using spoons... sometimes tipped with a minnow tail or worm. In the early spring there is always a chance of getting specks in the main lake, especially up the northwest arm. As mentionned, the lake can blow up real quick.
Some of my favourite lures for that lake include jointed rapalas, williams spoons (the bully version for casting), mooselook, and these are a favourite of people who fish the lake. http://www.luckystrikebaitworks.com/sho ... e26ac5c8a2 (you didn't hear it from here ) I am not 100% sure in the spring, but I know for sure in the late summer that perch are a big food source for the lakers, so if you can find the bait you'll find the big ones, so yellow and orange lures seem to work pretty good. There are also whitefish and fallfish in the lake, so finding a school of them sometimes adds some fun. Enjoy... let us know how you did... am I might even see you up there, I have a white 14 foot legend and a 20 merc.



This is from cedar lake but later in the year... on a calm day

[Moonman]

Banjo said it very well.

Generally perch colured baits are dynamite. Blue silver is also good. My lure selection would include #11 & #13 original raps, perch, and natural, little cleos, blue silver and chartreuse silver, williams, lots of mooselooks, gold silver and especially almond wth red dots, countdown rapalas and husky jerks, both #12 and #14. Best colour husky jerk has been Tenessee shad (dark back, gold sides, orange belly). The fish are scattered and be everywhere in spring, so nit just shallow. You can get deep, or get a flutter spoon down ( mooselooks) by using snap weights. Three way rigs also work but snap weights allow you to change up quickly, down deep one sec, then coming up to a shoal, take it off and then flat line the edges and over the top.

In spring, we have found lures with a wider wobble (like tail dancers) do not work near as well as lures with a more subtle wobble like countdowns and original raps. Later in the summer, the largest tail dancer, down 25-30 feet, will work well.

Salted minnows are great from shore as stated above. You can be windbound and stuck on shore on Cedar as well as other lakes in that area (Kiosk, Manitou, North Tea), and having a salted minnow cast off shore has saved the day for my group lots of times. Honestly, I have tripped in the park every spring (except one year), going on 29 years now and that general area of the park is the windiest by far.

Hope this helps.

Moonman.

[Supernova224]

Thank you so much guys! As always, I'm amazed by the generosity and wealth of knowledge on this site. Picked up some stuff today on your recommendations. Got an assortment of Rapala classic minnows, countdowns and husky jerks, as well as a few different spoons. One more question, I'm using braided line, do you recommend a certain type of leader? Normally I use a dark coloured, nylon coated wire leader.

Again, can't thank you guys enough. I'll be sure to post a report after.

[banjo]

Don't bother with a wire leader. Just use a snap swivel. You can tie on a length of mono or fluoro as a leader from your braid. Depending on what braid you have... some tend to float and really won't work well flat line trolling spoons. But some sinkers can remedy that. You might want to think about 2 outfits... or spools, one braid, one mono or equivalent.