Recommendations and tips on how to catch lenok

Siberian lenok caught during the reserve's trophy hunts is considered a great success. This salmon species produces delicious, healthy meat. It's used to prepare a wide range of Siberian delicacies, including sugudai and malosol. Therefore, every Siberian, not to mention visiting guests, dreams of catching this beauty.
But to catch lenok, you need to know how. This predator's diet is varied, making the task much easier. Large lenok readily prey on rodents, frogs, and insects, so you can try catching them using various lures, such as wobblers, artificial mice, flies, and so on. Professional anglers know a few tricks for catching lenok and often share them with visitors to the Turukhansk region.

Secrets to catching lenok

• This predator inhabits hard-to-reach places, loving to hide in cover made of snags, trees, and rocks. Echo sounders are helpful for finding this Siberian predator. You can catch a decent specimen in various blockages, which form at bends or spits in water bodies. Lenok are also often caught in pits, depressions in the bottom, riffles, or edges formed by currents. Furthermore, the fish even enjoy shallow waters, where they come out to feed. Large predators enjoy places with holes or depressions above the shore.
• Fishing tackle that can be used to catch lenok includes fly fishing, spinning, and bottom fishing.
• Since the predator is cunning and cautious, when fishing with a spinning rod, it's best to place a fluorocarbon leader ahead of the bait to avoid spooking it with braided line. Another advantage of fluorocarbon is that the line is less susceptible to abrasion and wear on rocks.
• Spinnerbaits or oscillating lures are used for lenok. In rivers, lenok respond well to kastmasters. and spoons weighing 20 or 30 grams. In pools and shallow water, size 5 and 6 spinners are suitable. Lure colors should be chosen based on the water's environment and the weather. On rainy days, when the sky is overcast, golden-hued spoons are suitable. In sunny weather, you can try matte spoons with silver hues, such as those from Mepps.
• When fishing with wobblers, 70-90 mm lures are considered the most suitable. They are easy to cast to areas where predators typically reside. In fast currents, such lures are more stable and often attract predatory fish.
• Another secret to lenok fishing is the retrieve. It should be uneven, with variable speeds. This applies to absolutely all lures.
• Lenok are usually more active at night; they remain awake and hunting even at night. In short, they feed around the clock. At night, the predator waits for numerous rodents, squirrels, and mice to begin moving around the pond. They even happily attack artificial lures. In late summer, lenok not only attack artificial mice but also respond well to topwater crawlers. When retrieving these lures, mimic the movements of real rodents. Another recommendation for mouse fishing is to fish slowly, so that the rodent's head stays above the surface while moving, so as not to get its whiskers wet.
• It's important to keep in mind that lenok may be found near river tigers (taimen), so your tackle must be strong and reliable. Also, the area around their habitat is surrounded by snags and rocks, making it difficult to avoid snags.
• When a lenok bites, don't let the line slacken. This is a very powerful predator and can tear the tackle with one sharp movement. When landing it, always keep the line taut. Don't let the predator move toward the grass or snags, otherwise it will leave the angler without the long-awaited trophy.
• When fly fishing, you can catch the bloodthirsty lenok with a mouse. Another method is using a boat. When fishing this way, you can safely bait the fish with real insects, and the lenok will certainly attack them.
• Lenok can be caught with a bottom fishing rod using worms. The predator loves this bait and greedily snatches its prey from the bottom, swallowing the hooks deep.
• In winter, spinners are used to catch this amazing fish. However, they must be constantly moved, keeping the bait as close to the bottom as possible. The bait should brush the bottom of the reservoir, stirring up sediment. After this, the predator first pins its prey to the ground and then begins to swallow it. At this time of year, flies, worms, maggots, and many other baits are used. Professional anglers, in the old-fashioned way, tie cloths of different colors to the hooks: red, orange, which attract the attention of salmon.

Conclusion

These are the tricks and secrets you need to know when visiting the Putorana Plateau's trophy fishing tours. Then, the angler is sure to have luck and a large trophy catch. Catching a large lenok can not only be a prize for the winner, but also earn them a commemorative trophy.