
This article will detail a few of the strategies we've found that work best. If you have something to add please send us a note, we'd love to add your suggestions to the list!

First and foremost, you need to make sure you are VERTICAL. The V in VTJ is for vertical, and it's important to understand that wind, currents and boat / kayak drifting will affect your ability to see the lure on the fishfinder.

Second you need a fishfinder! Being able to see your lure is important, watching the activity and mood of the fish is the key to knowing when to reel up, how fast to reel and when to get ready to give em' the beans.

Here is, in no particular order 5 different strategies we reccomend for fishing the VTJ:

## 1. First Drop Magic

We find that the first drop after drilling a hole has a special bonus to it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but we treat every first drop like a fish is going to get it. If you fish for a few minutes and you're not seeing any action, don't be afraid to move. Sometimes that next first drop will be the one!

## 2. The Elevator Game

Depending on the season, lake trout can be in various parts of the water column. Maximize your odds by spending time moving up and down at various speeds. Spend a little time at the bottom and then reel all the way up to the surface and take the lure out of the water. Wait a moment before you drop your lure, one of the things you should try to do is vary your action so you are not doing any prolonged repetitive actions. The fish will get bored and so will you!

## 3. Dead sticking

Lake trout are often chasing bait fish, and sometimes they are either almost dead or just quite there and sitting lifelessly. We often see fish streak up while we are messing with our phone or other distractons! One of the hardest parts of lake trout fishing is staying engaged for hours on end waiting for that one brief moment of heart pounding action. If jigging isn't working or fish aren't comitting try leaving your bait 5-20ft off the bottom of the lake and wait for one to shoot up like a rocket. It's important that you start reeling your bait when the lake trout gets close or they will lose interest and peel off. Some folks swear by dead sticking and it should not be ignored as one of the more effective methods.

## 4. Stirring up the bottom

Heavy VTJs are great for dropping down to the bottom quickly and giving you very good feel for what the bottom is like. Sometimes you will have a harder, rockier bottom and with an appropriate braid you will clearly feel the solid bottom. On the other hand if it's a sandy or silty bottom, the VTJ will allow you to stir up a cloud of dirt and mud that can bring in curious fish to investigate.


## 5. Surprise chase

Once in a while, especially when fishing gets slow I will pretend that I am getting chased by a fish and reel up furiously. I usually do this after dead sticking or slowly jigging for a bit, I find that the surprise motion and noise in the water column can trigger fish nearby who are responding in a reactionary way to the agressive reeling action. Sometimes after reeling up you will see a mark rise up just off the bottom to investigate, this is a great indicator you are in the right place!

Keep varying your presentations and most importantly PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THE FISH LIKE! If they want a slow flutter, switch to a smaller size lure or even a spoon. If they are agressively chasing you can size up to 2, 3 or even 4oz for kayak applications where the drift is a factor.

We hope this information is helpful, if you have any insights or suggestions on how to fish the lure we would love to hear from you! Head on over to our contact page and send us a message!

Keith Brandie

Strategies and techniques to engage and catch more fish using the VTJ

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