Attack Of The Vikings!
Attack Of The Vikings!
You’ve seen it happen before.
You’re riding along in your boat and you see schools of fish thrashing bait into the air. The surface commotion gets your heart racing, and you begin to ask yourself what you can throw at the schoolers to get a piece of the action. If you are at one of Canada’s pristine northern lakes, having a trolling motor may not be part of the equation, so the lure has to be something that gets you close to the fish from a distance.
In the case of schooling lake trout at Great Bear Lake on the Arctic Circle, you may have one shot to make that long, accurate cast before the lakers retreat to depths of 30, 40 or 50 feet and beyond. Casting a spoon is usually the right choice. The look and the action of spoons resemble a cisco or other baitfish. But many trolling spoons, while extremely effective being dragged behind the boat, are not designed to be cast long distances to catch schooling fish.
For this reason, the Northern angler needs the Lindy Viking Spoons as part of his arsenal. These sleek lures were designed in Scandinavia decades ago to be cast very long distances and then to produce an action to attract game fish. With the introduction of the Viking Spoons into the Lindy Legendary Tackle lineup, anglers in North America are finding out how effective these lures can be for lake trout, striped bass, grayling and many other species.
All Viking Spoons are equipped with Mustad treble hooks and super-strong split rings. This, along with the unique process of manufacturing to make the spoon body, provides anglers with a long-casting, tight-wiggling, super-strong lure. For longest casts, use the 1 2/5 ounce version. These spoons should be cast with 12-17 pound test monofilament or 20 pound braid for best results. Using a 6-foot-6 or 7-foot rod will provide long casts.
Lindy Viking Spoons are also productive trolling lures, but they do not create the classic wobble action made by the more popular spoons. Vikings have a subtler action. These lures were created to be casting spoons, so they should not be relied on as the primary trolling lures.
When casting for schooling lakers, it is best to cast beyond the splash made by the fish and to retrieve back through it. Fish move quickly, and even a two- or three-second delay gives the fish time to move several feet. When fish are surfacing frequently, you should vary retrieves from steady reeling to pausing and jerking the spoon. Even try counting down the spoon to different depths as well as working on or just below the surface. The fish will always tell you how they want the lure retrieved. You just have to be able to present the lure accurately. The Viking Spoons give you the distance, flash and action you need to make all of this happen.
When smaller species of fish, such as grayling, are surfacing, switch to a smaller Viking spoon. The ¼-ounce version is the right size for multiple species and can still be cast for distance with downsized tackle. Quarter-ounce Lindy Viking Spoons should be worked with light line – 6- or 8-pound test – along with lightweight spinning tackle. A 6-6 or 7-0 medium-action rod will give you more casting distance. Again, retrieves should always be varied. Sometimes fish will react to a very fast retrieve, and other times the spoon should almost be "crawled."
On a recent trip to Great Bear Lake, while staying at Plummer’s Trophy Lodge, many schooling lakers and grayling were encountered over seven days of fishing. In many cases, the fish were surfacing to feed on bug hatches. In other cases, the fish were feeding on minnows. The common denominator for success was having the right lure on to take advantage of the opportunities. Seeing fish surface more than a mile from the banks meant they were chasing bait. A quick shut down of the motor and then a long, accurate cast could mean success. And the Lindy Viking Spoons provided this success.
During one feeding frenzy, all three people in our boat – including our guide – were slinging Viking Spoons for nearly 30 minutes and were steadily catching lake trout up to 13 pounds. The Wonderbread / Glow color was being cast for distance on 17-pound test line, and the Gold / Blue color was being cast on 6-pound test line for lengthy tussles with lakers.
These tactics will work on popular lake trout and grayling lakes such as Great Bear, Great Slave, Selwyn and many others (Note: When considering a trophy lake trout destination, it is best to consult with an outfitter such as Plummer’s Arctic Lodges. Outfitters such as Plummer’s specialize in creating trips of a lifetime at some of the most outstanding fishing destinations in the world.). The same tactics utilized for lakers also will work for other species – striped bass in particular. Stripers are known for running and crushing baitfish. Lindy Viking Spoons are effective both from the boat and while surf fishing.
Viking spoons are available in six different sizes (1/4 ounce, 2/5 ounce, 2/3 ounce, ¾ ounce. 1 ounce and 1 2/5 ounce). They are available in 27 different colors, ranging from standard silvers and golds to baitfish to glow colors. Each Lindy Viking Spoon is stamped with the Lindy logo and with lure’s weight, so there will be no doubt the angler is fishing a spoon with the correct weight made by the right company.
While most anglers travel to Canada to pursue world-class lake trout, fishermen should be prepared for the collateral enjoyment of schoolers. A willing guide and the right tackle can add a lot of icing on the cake after a day of trolling for the big ones. Especially if there are Lindy Viking Spoons in the tackle box.
For more information about fishing at Great Bear Lake and other destinations in the Northwest Territories, please contact:
Plummer's Arctic Lodges
Great Bear Lake Lodge Ltd.
Great Bear Lake Lodge Ltd.
950 Bradford St.
Winnipeg, MB
R3H 0N5
Phone: 204-774-5775
Toll free: 1-800-665-0240
Fax: 204-783-2320
fish@plummerslodges.com
www.canadianarcticfishing.com