Late summer into fall is a great time to hit the big water and target trout and salmon on the Great Lakes. In today’s video, St Croix Rods staffer, Caleb Wistad shares some of his favorite dipsy diver rigs that these fish love this time of year.
Tying the Rig
Dipsy divers are weighted plastic discs that are tied in front of the lure or rig, and displace water allowing the rig to run deeper when trolling. Caleb recommends braided main line to the dipsy diver followed by a swivel. Then a snubber is tied to the swivel, which acts as a shock absorber. Next, another swivel is tied to the other end of the snubber, followed by monofilament leader. Generally the rig is spinning behind the dipsy diver, so including two to three swivels can help reduce foul ups. Caleb typically uses a 10-12 foot leader because it’s long enough to keep the dipsy far enough away from the lure, yet short enough so it doesn’t need to be hand lined into the boat when landing a fish.
Flashers and Lures
Attached to the leader line commonly, is a flasher. These rectangular plastic flashers, slowly spin when trolled, giving off a ton of flash and also move the lure giving it a more erratic presentation. One of the most common lures paired with a flasher is a fly. One of Caleb’s favorites is the Spin-N-Glow which adds a spinner to the fly. This combination is deadly for lake trout. While this setup will catch king salmon, Caleb will go to a more traditional salmon fly, which is typically flashabou tinsel and a heavier gauge hook, when targeting kings.
Spoons are another common lure used while trolling for trout and salmon. These can also be tied behind the dipsy diver allowing the spoon to reach desirable depths. Some of Caleb’s favorite colors are watermelon gold, mixed veggie silver, and bloody nose. He again ties a 10-12 foot monofilament leader with a snap swivel and attaches the spoon to the end. Trout and salmon love spoons making this a presentation that is hard to beat.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with leader length, dispy diver color, and different types of spoons and flies. Different conditions and water clarities can impact the bite and sometimes the smallest adjustment can make a tough bite turn into a legendary one.
