Quinte Fishing

When using multiple hooks on one line - is it better to group your hooks/baits within two feet of each other or is it better to spread them out? Is there an optimal distance? Is it species related? I'm specifically thinking of Lake Trout, Whitefish, and Perch.

Much Appreciated

I did alot of lakers and perch last year. Ran into problems with multiple hooks when the perch are biting. 2 or 3 fish at the same time. We had to reduce to one hook and one line to keep up with them. Lakers, I usually set the hooks 10 - 15' apart and run my lines at different depths. If you can use 2 lines on the lake (like simcoe) I'd have one set in the botom 40' and the other set in the top 40'. Usually worked out good. Once they started hitting at a given depth, we would pull all lines to that depth. It worked last year.

Thanks Musky Mike that was very helpful. Good luck this year. We'll see you on Simcoe. Weather permitting, I'm going to try the West side a couple time in the next month. I'm looking at good drops/structure from Kempenfelt Bay to Eight Mile Pt. Any experience in this area?

I’ve fished Kempenfelt bay every winter for over 20 years. I put a permanent hut out at Johnson’s beach every winter, usually in 78-88ft of water. I use a tip up set with a 3 way spreader 1/4 inch off bottom baited with the smallest shiners I can get for the whitefish. I also have a "high hook" 10 ft. above spreader baited with the biggest emerald shiner I have for lake trout. Just remember the high hook when you’re retrieving the line, if the minnow is off its hard to see the hook. I've been hooked a few times myself. Cheers

Better check the regs. for a definition of multiple hooks on one line. A lure is able to have a maximum of 4 hooks, one lure per line as I understand. I would guess ice fishing you can only use one line with a maximum of two hooks if they are not on one lure? Does anyone know for sure.