More on cusk fishing
I position my sticks at a 45 degree angle over the hole so they're easier to find. The reflectors make them visible in case I go looking for them after dark. If you lay them flat and it snows overnight, good luck ever finding them again! To each his own. Not like you have a lot invested in the tackle! Mine are marked with name / address too as required. I buy hooks with a six inch snelled leader and use clips to attach them to the weight and the line. That way, if it's something small, I snip the line near the mouth without pulling it out of the water. Replacing the hook/leader is fast and easy.
As for bait, pretty much anything smelly will do. I've heard some people use chicken liver. I use the shiners because I buy them for my tip-ups anyway. Little suckers would do fine too. I've been experimenting with cut bait vs. live bait. So far, the cut bait seems to do a little better, but it's far from a statistically valid sample!
I catch the occasional laker too. Usually right after I drop the line before dark. I wouldn't keep them anyway, but I do think your restricted from keeping a trout caught on a cusk line.
Locations. The north side of Mink has a lot of shoal and boulders -- prime habitat for cusk, so I've never ventured elsewhere. I fish in 15-40 feet over mostly sandy bottom but relatively near shore. When I've gone further away from ledge or deeper, I haven't caught much. I wonder how far they will cruise from "home" looking for food?. I have had lines get dragged into the rocks and wrapped up/fouled, which is why I move out a little further to mostly sandy bottom.
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