I Bay 4/21

[JFK]

Had a few hours this afternoon and we tried working a little deeper 30-50 for kings. Started right off with a steelhead on top off of a custom wonder bread stickbait. Water was cleaner out deeper but the 30- 40 ft was decent. We took fish eother on top or the bottom 1/3 of the water table using divers and drop weights. Gold Alewife & Blacksilver seemed to work better deeper. Really depended on if sun was out or clouds took over. Did put out a 4 color leadcore and it took a brown and our last king.  Browns are still inside but we spent time deeper searching for sharks. Fish look healthy this spring. Water temp 44 -46.5.  

[Laketroutlarry]

thanx for sharing. I went out there today for the first time. Was given three trolling rods and some gear yesterday and decided to give it a shot. I couldn’t believe we caught fish. Had no idea what I was doing. Running 2 dipseys and 1 leadcore setup. We landed a dozen browns and 1 nice king. Lost just as many fish. Fishing 15-25fow. How long does this shallow bite last? I think I’m addicted to trolling now.

[JFK]

Once the kings show up most boats will slide out and focus on sharks. I believe you have been bitten and there is no cure for what's to come. There is alternative ways to get down deeper without downriggers to target kings. There is nothing like having a king scream line out. Dipsy's will work nice and snap weights. The browns will be there until the water warms up and pushes them out deeper. We used to fish the browns in June/July and they are called football, browns. You can get some pigs. You can also go west down toward Braddocks to Hamlin beach for lake trout. Glad you found a new type of fishing. 

[Laketroutlarry]

I’d love to troll for lake trout. I’m familiar with Hamlin via fishing Sandy Creek with the fly rod. Can you tell me more about Lakers around there? Are they in shallow? Is this a bite that is just happening now? Or year round.

[seeyawader]

Lake trout in the summer when the water warms up and thermocline sets in is the easiest time to target them in my opinion. They sit on bottom in the icewater and you basically bounce your down rigger balls off the bottom using cowbells to get them to hit. Usually 110 to 150 FOW, At times they are so close to the bottom in the summer they blend with it. I'm only familiar with east end lakers so someone else will have to help you with hamlin area....at times in the summer it's like a lake trout factory with lots of marks, east end charters rely on them at times In the summer when king fishing is slow.

[GAMBLER]

On 4/22/2026 at 1:35 AM, Laketroutlarry said:

I’d love to troll for lake trout. I’m familiar with Hamlin via fishing Sandy Creek with the fly rod. Can you tell me more about Lakers around there? Are they in shallow? Is this a bite that is just happening now? Or year round.

Right now, lakers can be found anywhere.  Year round they hang on Wautoma shoals East of Sandy.  They will be found in the shallows on occasion but the majority of them are deeper along the bottom.  This is what Wautoma looks like on a normal day.  

Edited April 23 by GAMBLER

[Laketroutlarry]

Thank you so much for the information! Seeing that graph would make it hard not to grab the jigging rod!