I feel timing and fishing trout water that has the landlocked alewives in CT is your best way to get a trophy LM. I fish waters like that solo in CT from my canoe or crawdad with big jigs, big worms and wood wake-baits all summer long. For me quiet is key and working big fish areas very slow with little trolling motor noise and no electronics always helps I feel. Confidence is the most important part of HOG LM hunting so believing in the area your working and the baits on your line will always help your results.
I 100% agree with Joe about Bill Q Bait Tackle store in Seekonk, Mass and if you’re ever in that area of Mass you owe it to yourself to stop in to Bill shop. The # of HOG LM pictures along with the mounts on the walls is very impressive to say the least. Bill’s one of the better all around LM guys in the area and is one of the few guys that has landed a certified 10lb Mass LM. Back in 2002 Bill won the Mass gold pin for the biggest LM that year that went 10lbs even. That fish was caught from one of the Cape trout ponds on 8lb test floro and spider jig. The mount is on the wall at his store and is very impressive. Bill’s always willing to talk swim baits and all around LM fishing so spending a few hrs there can always improve your game.
I bought my 1st swim bait (12” MS Slammer Perch) from Bill many year and $$$ ago and my plan was to fish the great CT waters for pike. On my 1st trip I landed a 7lb2oz LM and a 14lb4oz pike and was hook ever since. My all-time top 3 PB are 9lbs2oz jig fish 1992, 9lb1oz sweet beaver fish 2006, 8lb15oz 10” worm fish 1992. My top 3 swim bait fish are 7lbs13 on a 3:16 I-UP trout pattern(CT LM),#2 was last years 7lb6oz MS Slammer LM and #3 was a 7lb2oz 2007 Woodtail LM. I did have a CT hog to the net last spring on a 8” Hudd that was as big if not bigger than any bass but one last head shake and she was gone.WTF. I relive that day and fish that same area and lake looking for that 2nd chance but bites like that around here is few and far between.
Here’s a look at my 2 HOG hunting boats and a few of my new toys that I bought as of late.








I hope the next CT 10LB LM is mine guys.