If you want to catch a trophy lake trout this summer, Lake Auburn is your best bet in this part of the state, or for that matter, the whole state.
This may sound like the bragging of someone fortunate enough to have a gem like Lake Auburn in their neck of the woods, but fortunately, facts back up this writer’s claims.
If you don’t think there are big togue in Lake Auburn, and I mean fish in the 15- to 20-pound class, you have some research to do. Each year a whopper of a togue comes up from the depths of the lake, and many are taken during the hot months of July and August.
While the occasional lucky angler will dredge one up while fishing at ice-out, many of the big fish come during the summer doldrums.
Tactics and techniques for summer Lake Auburn lakers are as varied as the anglers themselves, but undoubtedly revolve around two fishing methods; bottom fishing or trolling. Bottom fishing is one of the simplest methods of fishing for togue. Anglers utilize a slip sinker rig, also known as a “fish-finder” rig. Most anglers incorporate a bit of high-technology into their fishing, and use an electronic fish finder to locate a fish or group of fish on the bottom, and then anchor within casting distance.
The angler then baits his or her fish-finder rig with a large shiner or sucker. As soon as the bait settles to the bottom, our sport leaves the bail on the reel open and secures the rod in a holder. By leaving the bail of the reel open, the baited line can flow freely through the open tube of the fish-finder rig as the bait swims seductively around the lake bottom.
Veteran Lake Auburn togue hunters use footlong suckers that they stun or that they remove fins from to slow the bait down.
The old adage that you should “use big bait for big fish” seems to hold true, as the really big lakers typically come by way of a large sucker as bait.
It would be hard to pick the best spots, as togue seem to inhabit the entire lake, from shallow water to the deepest holes, but I would concentrate on the deeper spots that provide cool currents for the fish. I typically scout for fish on the fish finder and then set anchor. If the fish are cooperating, it usually only takes 10 minutes or so to get a bite. I use both large shiners and small to medium suckers and seem to have the best luck with the lively shiners.
The fish-finder rig is an essential piece of tackle for bottom-fishing anglers, and they should bring along an ample supply.
Togue are known to wrap tackle around submerged logs and rocks to avoid being caught. Local tackle shops, such as Dag’s Bait Shop on Minot Avenue, are usually well-stocked with these devices and the carry live bait, too.
Trolling anglers can also score big on Lake Auburn. By trolling leadcore line just off bottom, anglers can get their lures or bait to where the fish live. Some anglers prefer slow-trolling with sewn on bait, while others prefer an assortment of lures.
When using bait, I like to run a silver spoon or flasher about two feet above the bait as an attractant. When using hardware, I typically fish with Mooselook wobblers or Flat-Fish when trolling for lakers. I have had great luck with the fluorescent orange wobblers and prefer the frog-pattern Flat-Fish when after Lake Auburn lakers. These lures have been successful for years on Lake Auburn, so I tend to use what has worked for my predecessors.
Trolling along the buoys just out of the launch from East Auburn will put you in water ranging from 30 to 70 feet. Trolling the channel out of North Auburn will also put you in “good” water, in the 40-foot range.
Whether you are content to lounge in the boat while the bait does the work or prefer to pilot your boat with line in tow, these two methods should work well on togue this month on one of Southern Maine’s best lake trout waters.
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