In North America, we’re blessed with many diverse fish species, which includes jigging lake trout up from the depths. 

In the south, largemouth bass, catfish, and crappie are king. As you move into the Midwest, walleye, smallmouth bass, panfish, and musky take center stage. Throughout the Northwest, Great Lakes into Canada, lake trout are one of the favorites. 

Lake trout are a cold water species that inhabit deep water throughout the warm summer months. Lakers are also the largest of all North American trout. In 1995, the 72-pound IGFA all-tackle world record was caught by Lloyde Bull out of Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories. 

Throughout the mid-1900s, lake trout populations in the great lakes plummeted because of commercial fishing and the lamprey. Since that time, the department of natural resources started programs to bring the lake trout back, and we’re now seeing the fruits of their labor.

In recent years numerous giants have been showing up throughout the great lakes region. 

Let’s join Jeremy Smith and Capt. Ben Wolfe from Sportfish Michigan jiggin’ up lakers one fish after the other.