Sport Fishing Forums - Freshwater Fishing Forum http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/ Share your freshwater adventures from around the globe. en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:47:34 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/images/misc/rss.jpg Sport Fishing Forums - Freshwater Fishing Forum http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/ Fishing The Zone For Coho Salmon Milwaukee #3 http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f249/fishing-zone-coho-salmon-milwaukee-3-a-362471.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:40:36 GMT Fishing The Zone For Coho Salmon Milwaukee #3 By Captain Jim Hirt Let me explain how to be more productive by following some basic rules and using basic tools. Activity and habits of fish are dictated by many variables. A rather basic approach will put you on fish and keep you there. I... Fishing The Zone For Coho Salmon Milwaukee #3

By Captain Jim Hirt
Let me explain how to be more productive by following some basic rules and using basic tools. Activity and habits of fish are dictated by many variables. A rather basic approach will put you on fish and keep you there. I will cover how to find the most productive zones by species Article number one and two one covered Chinook and Brown Trout now let's look at Coho Salmon as it applies to Lake Michigan and other big water ecosystems. Get caught up by reading article number one titled Fishing The Zone For Salmon Milwaukee #1. This information is necessary to understand the following article.

Zones By Species
Lake Michigan Milwaukee is an outstanding fishery with many options for anglers. The most popular targets of anglers here are Chinook salmon, Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Lake Trout. Allow me to offer environmental preferences for each of these. Breaking each fish down by their preferences is the best way to find steady consistent action on any fish.

Coho Salmon Zone By Temperature
Coho offer great action with the reward of some of the best eating of all Lake Michigan fish. Once again the answer to putting them in the box is temperature. Look for them in temperatures above 50 degrees up to 57 degrees. Exceptions to this temp zone are possible but not the norm. As they come in to spawn they will be less sensitive to temperature. They will tolerate colder water and temperatures below 50 however they are less active.

Location And Forage
The principal types of forage for all fish in Lake Michigan are the Alewife and Goby. Look for pods of forage for consistent action. I have caught Coho at all depths all season long. Don't make the mistake of not running tackle for them they do require a different approach. Most consistent action is in the spring months of May and June. The reason for this is the water is very cold and the top water is the best habitat for them. The shallow water or the top 25 feet where warm water has accumulated is the answer to your best numbers. Early May run your baits in the top five feet and progress to deeper in the water column as the water warms up. The reason for outstanding spring fishing for Coho is the cold water of Lake Michigan concentrates them. Finding a temperature break is the key to finding fish. A break is defined as a major or minor change in water temperature. At times a small change of a degree or two will hold fish but I have found the greater the change the better the concentration of fish. In spring the Coho that have wintered on the southern end of Lake Michigan will migrate north. You will find some action near shore and this is a good starting spot. My experience is deep water can be very productive. I fish out to ten miles off shore in 250 feet of water for fantastic action and limits on this exciting spring fish.

Presentations For Limits On Coho Salmon
Anytime of day is a good time for this quarry. I categorize them as day feeders with angling success all day. Water temperature will dictate your best bait. I will break this down by temperature. Below 50 degrees use small crankbaits, minnow type lures and small spoons like the regular size Vulcan in silver or bright colors sold by Badger Tackle. Above 50 the cold water baits will produce but not as well as six inch orange flashers or dodgers with flies or squids. The distance between the attractor and the fly or squid will vary with the temp of the water. Try one and a half times the length of the flasher or about nine inches up to eighteen inches. Longer lead on the fly seems to work better in colder water. You may catch some fish on downrigger but they are not my first choice for presentation. Church Tackle Walleye Boards are the way to go. I run four or more on each side of the boat working an area over three hundred feet wide. Set up for Coho with a six foot 15 pound leader tied to a 3/8-ounce keel sinker attached to the 20-pound main line to your reel. Baits are attached with a ball bearing snap and run 25 feet behind the planner board. The planer board is run well off to the side of the boat out of your travel path.

Hot Lures Define The Day
Let's wrap this up with my favorite lures. For spring crankbaits, minnow type lures and Small spoons like the regular size Vulcan or six inch orange flashers and dodgers with flies or squids. Later in the season go to larger 11 inch dodgers and flies along with all size spoons in silver green. Magnum Reaper spoons did very well for us later in the season on Coho recent years. Baitfish size should be considered when selecting your spoon size. Vulcan and Reaper spoons are both sold by http://www.badgertackle.com I will continue with Zones for Rainbow Trout in the next article. Good Luck! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2009, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved ]]> Freshwater Fishing Forum Jim Blue Max Charters http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f249/fishing-zone-coho-salmon-milwaukee-3-a-362471.html FLW schedule now out http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f249/flw-schedule-now-out-303896.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:41:01 GMT FLW OUTDOORS ANNOUNCES 2010 CIRCUIT SCHEDULES Anglers Can Begin Registering Monday, Nov. 2 MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 27, 2009) – FLW Outdoors, the world’s leading tournament fishing organization, announced its 2010 schedules and tournament details; many of which have been modified to... FLW OUTDOORS ANNOUNCES 2010 CIRCUIT SCHEDULES



Anglers Can Begin Registering Monday, Nov. 2



MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 27, 2009) – FLW Outdoors, the world’s leading tournament fishing organization, announced its 2010 schedules and tournament details; many of which have been modified to address the challenges many anglers are facing at all levels of the sport.



“Many of our anglers have been directly affected by the current economic downturn,” said Charlie Evans, President and CEO of FLW Outdoors. “We thoroughly studied every aspect of our tournaments and carefully developed our 2010 programs to minimize the time and expense required to compete while at the same time visiting quality fisheries that will provide exciting events that anglers and fans alike will enjoy. We are confident that the adjustments we made will serve our anglers well and position the sport for continued prosperity.”



The FLW Tour, whose schedule was released earlier this year and is listed below, culminates with the Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing, in Atlanta.



Date Fishery Location

Feb. 10-13 Red River Shreveport, La.

March 3-6 Table Rock Lake Branson, Mo.

March 24-27 Lake Norman Charlotte, N.C.

April 21-24 Ft. Loudoun/Tellico lakes Knoxville, Tenn.

May 26-29 Lake Ouachita Hot Springs, Ark.

June 23-26 Lake Guntersville Huntsville, Ala.

Forrest Wood Cup

Aug. 5-8 Lake Lanier Atlanta, Ga.



The FLW Tour will feature a cumulative weight format in 2010. The field of 150 pros and 150 co-anglers will compete Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with the top five pros advancing to Saturday. The total weight from the first three days will determine the winning co-angler Friday, and the total weight from all four days will determine the winning pro on Saturday. Weigh-ins will be held lakeside the first three days, moving to an arena in conjunction with the Tour’s popular Family Fun Zone and Outdoor Show on day four. Practice for each event has been condensed from four to three days – Saturday, Sunday and Monday – and tournament waters will go off-limits 13 days prior to practice, with registration on Tuesday.



Pro entry fees will be $4,000 per tournament and deposits have been reduced to $1,000 for each event. Pro anglers will continue to compete for a $100,000 top award in each event, with payouts of $10,000 through 50th place. Co-angler entry fees are $700 per event, and the top co-angler award in each tournament is $20,000 with payouts of $800 through 50th place.



The top 30 pros and co-anglers from the 2010 season will qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup. The 2010 Forrest Wood Cup champion will earn $500,000 in the pro division and $50,000 in the co-angler division, unchanged from last year. Every pro that qualifies and fishes will earn a minimum of $7,000 while every co-angler earns a minimum of $1,500.



Sponsor contingency awards are being developed with our partners and will be announced for all circuits in the near future.



The top 100 pros and top 100 co-anglers from the 2009 FLW Tour and the 2009 FLW Series, top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers from each division of the 2009 Stren Series and the boater and co-angler champion from the 2009 BFL All-American may register beginning Monday, Nov. 2 and must enter by Dec. 7 in order to secure their priority entry position for the 2010 season. Ranger boat owners may enter beginning Dec. 7, followed by Champion and Stratos boat owners and TBF members Dec. 8. General public entries will be accepted beginning Dec. 9. Deposits for all six events will be accepted online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time. For additional information, visit FLWOutdoors.com.



The FLW Series will be adjusted with the Eastern Division being discontinued. The 2010 National Guard FLW Series will serve anglers in the Western United States and its schedule is below.



Date Fishery Location

Jan. 13-16 Lake Shasta Shasta Lake, Calif.

May 5-8 Lake Roosevelt Payson, Ariz.

June 9-12 California Delta Stockton, Calif.

Sept 22-25 Lake Mead Las Vegas, Nev.



The FLW Series field of 150 pros and 150 co-anglers will compete Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with the top five pros advancing to Saturday. The total weight from the first three days will determine the winning co-angler Friday, and the total weight from all four days will determine the winning pro Saturday. Practice for each event has been condensed from four to three days – Sunday, Monday and Tuesday – and tournament waters will go off-limits six days prior to practice.



Pro entry fees have been reduced to $2,000 per tournament and co-angler entry fees have been reduced to $350 per event. Anglers will compete for top awards of $50,000 in the pro division and $10,000 in the co-angler division, with awards of $5,000 and $400, respectively, extending through 50th place. The top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers at the end of the season will qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup.



The top 100 pros and top 100 co-anglers from the 2009 FLW Series and the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers from the 2009 Stren Series may register beginning Monday, Nov. 2 and must enter by Dec. 15 in order to secure their priority entry position for the 2010 season. Ranger boat owners may enter beginning Dec. 15 followed by Champion and Stratos boat owners and TBF members Dec. 16. General public entries will be accepted beginning Dec. 17. Pros and co-anglers who enter all four tournaments with a counterpart by Dec. 17 will be given priority over anglers who enter less than four events. Deposits for all four events will be accepted online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time. For additional information, visit FLWOutdoors.com.



The current Stren Series will consist of four divisions in 2010 – Central, Northern, Southeast and Texas – with the Western division being discontinued. Each division will consist of three tournaments and the full schedule is below.



Central Northern

Date Fishery Location Date Fishery Location

March 18-20 Lake of the Ozarks Osage Beach, Mo. June 3-5 Potomac River Marbury, Md.

April 15-17 Lake Ouachita Mount Ida, Ark. July 15-17 Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y.

May 13-15 Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky. Sept. 9-11 Lake Erie Erie, Pa.



Southeast Texas

Date Fishery Location Date Fishery Location

Feb. 25-27 Lake Okeechobee Clewiston, Fla. Jan. 7-9 Lake Falcon Zapata, Texas

April 29-May 1 Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Ala. Feb. 4-6 Sam Rayburn Jasper, Texas

Sept. 30-Oct. 2 Pickwick Lake Florence, Ala. June 17-19 Toledo Bend Manning, La.



Invitational

Date Fishery Location

Nov. 4-6 Wheeler Lake Decatur, Ala.



The fields will consist of 150 boats fishing Thursday and Friday and the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers advancing to Saturday. Winners will be determined by total weight from all three days. The points champion from each division will qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup and a fifth Forrest Wood Cup qualifier will advance from an Invitational event that is open to the top 50 anglers from each division.



Pro entry fees remain $825 per tournament and co-angler entry fees remain $325 per tournament. Anglers will compete for top awards of $25,000 in the pro division and a Ranger Boat in the co-angler division, with awards of $800 and $350 extending through 50th place, respectively. The entry fee in the Invitational is the same as a tournament entry fee.



The top 40 pros and top 40 co-anglers from each division of the 2009 season and the top 40 boaters and top 40 co-anglers from each division of the 2009 Bass Fishing League may register beginning Monday, Nov. 2 and must enter by Dec. 10 to secure their priority entry position for the 2010 season. Ranger boat owners may enter beginning Dec.10 followed by Champion and Stratos boat owners and TBF members Dec. 11. General public entries will be accepted beginning Dec. 14. Pros and co-anglers who enter all three tournaments in a division with a counterpart by Dec. 15 will be given priority over anglers who enter less than three events. Entries are accepted online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000 beginning Monday, Nov. 2. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time. For additional information, visit FLWOutdoors.com.



The Bass Fishing League continues its longstanding tradition as the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home tournaments in 2010 with 24 divisions serving weekend anglers. There will be four divisions merging and they are the Everglades with Gator; Empire with Northeast; Texas/Louisiana with Cowboy; and Dixie with Bama. Payouts, formats and entry fees for qualifiers and Super Tournaments remain unchanged.



The 2010 All-American presented by Chevy will be held on DeGray Lake in Hot Springs, Ark., May 27-29. This no-entry-fee tournament will pay the winning boater $100,000 and the winning co-angler $50,000. Every angler will cash a check, with the 54th place boater earning $1,500 and the 54th place co-angler earning $750.



Entries for the 2010 season will be accepted by division on the following dates: Dec. 7 – Hoosier, Michigan, Music City, and Volunteer; Dec. 8 – Bulldog, Cowboy, Great Lakes, Illini and Mississippi; Dec. 9 – Bama, Buckeye, Choo Choo, Gator and Mountain; Dec. 10 – Arkie, LBL, North Carolina, Northeast and Okie; and Dec. 11 – Ozark, Piedmont, Savannah River, South Carolina and Shenandoah. Entries are accepted online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time. For additional information, visit FLWOutdoors.com.



FLW Outdoors launched National Guard FLW College Fishing in 2009 and the success has been unparalleled. The national championship for the first season will take place at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., on Fort Loudoun/Tellico lakes, April 10-12, 2010.



The 2010 schedule will consist of four qualifying events and one regional tournament in each division – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western – and is below.



Central Northern

Date Fishery Location Date Fishery Location

March 20 Lake of the Ozarks Osage Beach, Mo. March 27 Mt. Island Lake Mount Holly, N.C.

April 17 Lake Ouachita Mount Ida, Ark. June 5 Potomac River Marbury, Md.

May 15 Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky. July 17 Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y.

July 24 Mississippi River La Crosse, Wis. Sept. 11 Lake Erie Erie, Pa.

Central Regional – Indiana University Northern Regional – North Carolina State

Oct. 30-Nov. 1 Lake Monroe Bloomington, Ind. Nov. 6-8 Lake Jordan Raleigh, N.C.



Southeast Texas

Date Fishery Location Date Fishery Location

Feb. 27 Lake Okeechobee Clewiston, Fla. Jan. 9 Lake Falcon Zapata, Texas

March 13 Old Hickory Lake Gallatin, Tenn. Feb. 6 Sam Rayburn Jasper, Texas

May 1 Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Ala. March 6 Red River Natchitoches, La.

Oct. 2 Pickwick Lake Florence, Ala. June 19 Toledo Bend Manning, La.

Southeast Regional – University of South Carolina Texas Regional – University of Texas

Nov. 13-15 Lake Murray Columbia, S.C. Oct. 23-25 Lake Austin Austin, Texas



Western

Date Fishery Location

Jan. 16 Lake Shasta Shasta Lake, Calif.

May 8 Lake Roosevelt Payson, Ariz.

June 12 California Delta Stockton, Calif.

Sept. 25 Lake Mead Las Vegas, Nev.

Western Regional – Sacramento State

Oct. 16-18 Folsom Lake Sacramento, Calif.



Full-time students at four-year institutions with a bass fishing club are eligible to compete. There is no entry fee, boats are provided and each team receives a travel allowance. Each qualifying event will accept up to 40 teams with the top five teams from each division advancing to their respective regional championship. The top five teams from each regional championship advance to the national championship. The team that takes home the national championship title qualifies for the Forrest Wood Cup.



Each team consists of two students competing for awards that are split between their bass fishing club and their respective school. Entries will be accepted online at CollegeFishing.com beginning Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 8 a.m. Central time. For additional information, please visit CollegeFishing.com.



The FLW Walleye Tour will consist of two divisions; East and West. Each division will host three tournaments with a field of 150 boats and these tournaments will culminate with the FLW Walleye Tour Championship. The schedule is listed below.



East West

Date Fishery Location Date Fishery Location

April 8-10 Detroit River Trenton, Mich. May 20-22 Mississippi River Red Wing, Minn.

April 29-May 1 Illinois River Spring Valley, Ill. June 24-26 Lake Oahe Pierre, S.D.

July 15-17 Lake Winnebago Oshkosh, Wis. July 29-31 Devils Lake Devils Lake, N.D.

FLW Walleye Tour Championship

Sept. 23-25 Leech Lake Walker, Minn.



Pro entry fees will be $750 per tournament and co-angler entry-fees will be $250. Anglers will compete for top awards of $25,000 in the pro division and $5,000 in the co-angler division, with awards of $1,000 and $400, respectively, extending through 50th place. Anglers that participated in the FLW Walleye League, which will be discontinued, are encouraged to participate in the FLW Walleye Tour.



The top 50 pros and top 50 co-anglers from the 2009 FLW Walleye Tour and the top 10 boaters and top 10 co-anglers from the 2009 FLW Walleye League may register beginning Monday, Nov. 2 and must enter by Jan. 11 in order to secure their priority entry position for the 2010 season. Ranger boat owners may enter beginning Jan. 11 followed by Champion and Stratos boat owners and TBF members Jan. 12. General public entries will be accepted beginning Jan. 13. Pros and co-anglers who enter all three tournaments in a division with a counterpart by Jan. 13 will be given priority over anglers who enter less than three events. Deposits for all three events will be accepted online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000 beginning Monday, Nov. 2. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time. For additional information, visit FLWOutdoors.com.



FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports.



For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.



FLWOutdoors.com ]]> Freshwater Fishing Forum jackdaniels http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f249/flw-schedule-now-out-303896.html New Jersey stocking trout this winter http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f249/new-jersey-stocking-trout-winter-302783.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:28:12 GMT Winter Trout Stocking Begins November 23 Hey, New Jersey trout anglers - Get ready for another round of super-sized trout stocking! Beginning Monday, November 23, more than 5,000 large trout will be stocked in 23 lakes throughout the state (see list below). These 14 inch to 17 inch two-year... Winter Trout Stocking Begins November 23
Hey, New Jersey trout anglers - Get ready for another round of super-sized trout stocking! Beginning Monday, November 23, more than 5,000 large trout will be stocked in 23 lakes throughout the state (see list below).

These 14 inch to 17 inch two-year old rainbow trout come on the heels of the 21,000 beauties measuring 14 inches to 24 inches, which were stocked in October. If you thought the trout stocked in October were nice, the winter trout had an extra month to grow and the average size will be even bigger!
Cooler temperatures and the approach of winter used to signal the end of trout fishing in New Jersey. Not anymore! Trout fishing in New Jersey is now a year round reality. It’s a reality thanks to nearly 650,000 trout raised at the Pequest State Trout Hatchery in Warren County, stocked in the spring, fall and winter.



The Winter Trout Stocking Program extends trout fishing action through the winter months and early spring until spring stocking begins. In fact, spring anglers are in for a real battle when they hook into large trout stocked in October and November, which are not caught in the fall and winter.

There’s plenty of time to chase fall and winter stocked trout before ponds and lakes freeze. Traditional baits like worms, fathead minnows, meal worms and powerbait fished on the bottom during open water work well for those fishing from shore.

Ice does not mean the end of trout fishing. A growing number of anglers look forward to the opportunity to catch large trout through the ice. Proven methods for catching trout through the ice are using tip-ups with powerbait or fathead minnows, and jigging with small jigs or ice jigging flies. Anglers should check to make sure ice fishing is not prohibited at their intended ice fishing location(s).

Anglers should pick up a copy of the Freshwater Fishing Digest and familiarize themselves with the regulations pertaining to their chosen fishing hole. The Digest as well as other information about fishing in New Jersey is also available online at www.njfishandwildlife.com/fishing_fresh.htm. The new 2010 Freshwater Digest should be available in late December.

Whatever winter (or fall) trout stocked water body you choose to fish, one thing is certain -- there will be big trout waiting. Trout anglers no longer need to suffer withdrawal or the winter fishing blues thanks to New Jersey’s Trout Stocking Program developed by the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife with your input.

Below is the list of waters being stocked with numbers of trout. These lakes range in size from five to 100 acres and have shoreline access and/or boat launching sites. Temporary program changes, if any, will be noted below the list.

WINTER TROUT STOCKING SCHEDULE 2009

Monday, November 23

Middlesex County
Hook's Creek Lake - 200

Monmouth County
Spring Lake - 190
Topenemus Lake - 180

Ocean County
Lake Shenandoah - 220

Passaic County
Green Turtle Pond - 300

Sussex County
Little Swartswood - 390
Lake Aeroflex - 390
Lake Ocquittunk - 190
Silver Lake - 230

Tuesday, November 24


Atlantic County
Birch Grove Park Pond - 180

Bergen County
Mill Pond - Not stocked See below

Camden County
Haddon Lake - 190
Rowands Pond - 100

Cumberland County
Shaws Mill Pond - 200

Essex County
Verona Park Lake - 190

Gloucester County
Mullica Hill Pond - 160

Hudson County
Woodcliff Lake - 200

Passaic County
Barbours Pond - 160

Salem County
Riverview Beach Pond - 160

Wednesday, November 25

Hunterdon County
Amwell Lake - 160

Morris County
Mt. Hope Pond - 160
Speedwell Lake - 200

Union County
Lower Echo Lake - 160

Warren County
Furnace Lake - 350

PROGRAM CHANGES in 2009

* Mill Pond in Bergen County will not be stocked this winter due to dam repairs. Its winter trout allocation (150 fish) will be re-distributed to the three waters listed for Essex (Verona Park Lake), Hudson (Woodcliff Lake) & Passaic (Barbour's Pond) counties. Note: The individual trout allocations listed above for these three waters do not reflect this temporary increase. ]]> Freshwater Fishing Forum jackdaniels http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f249/new-jersey-stocking-trout-winter-302783.html Giant Carp caught in Brazil http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f249/giant-carp-caught-brazil-302514.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:48:41 GMT I just came across this picture of a giant carp caught today by angler Jamerson Lumardi on the Várzea das Flores lagoon in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

About 1 meter long (3.3 feet) / 60 kilos (132 pounds)

I don't know much about carps but this is a damn nice fish

SEND THIS PICTURE TO A FRIEND
Attached Images
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]]> Freshwater Fishing Forum Jer http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f249/giant-carp-caught-brazil-302514.html Fishing The Zone For Brown Trout Milwaukee #2 http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f249/fishing-zone-brown-trout-milwaukee-2-a-298441.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:15 GMT Fishing The Zone For Brown Trout Milwaukee #2 By Captain Jim Hirt Let me explain how to be more productive by following some basic rules and using basic tools. Activity and habits of fish are dictated by many variables. A rather basic approach will put you on fish and keep you there. I... Fishing The Zone For Brown Trout Milwaukee #2

By Captain Jim Hirt
Let me explain how to be more productive by following some basic rules and using basic tools. Activity and habits of fish are dictated by many variables. A rather basic approach will put you on fish and keep you there. I will cover how to find the most productive zones by species Article number one covered Chinook now let's look at Brown Trout as it applies to Lake Michigan and other big water ecosystems. Get caught up by reading article number one titled Fishing The Zone For Salmon Milwaukee #1. This information is necessary to understand the following article.

Zones By Species
Lake Michigan Milwaukee is an outstanding fishery with many options for anglers. The most popular targets of anglers here are Chinook salmon, Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Lake Trout. Allow me to offer environmental preferences for each of these. Breaking each fish down by preferences is the best way to find steady consistent action on any fish.

Brown Trout Zone By Temperature
Big browns are common in the estuary created in the Milwaukee area by three rivers. Brown Trout are a warm water species, so look for them in temperatures above 55 degrees. They will tolerate colder water and temperatures above 65 however my biggest browns over twenty pounds have come at near 55 degrees. Keep your baits in 55-degree temperature and you will increase your odds on big fish. When I am catching small fish, I know the water is too warm for a trophy. It is time to adjust the tackle to colder water. A temperature gauge is a tool a trout fisherman cannot be without.

Location And Forage
The principal types of forage for trophy fish in Lake Michigan are the Alewife and Goby. Look for pods of forage for consistent action. I have caught browns in water as shallow as 5 feet and out to 100 feet. Most consistent action however is in shallow water or the top 25 feet where warm water has accumulated. Early spring in the months of March April And May we find are consistently the best for browns. Over the years 90% of this species are caught when the water is below their preferred temperature. The reason for outstanding spring fishing for this fish is the cold water of Lake Michigan concentrates the fish. The Lake temp is in the mid to high thirties and this causes the fish to stay near the warmer water of the river mouths and harbor gaps. Later in the season the browns disperse along the shoreline. Finding a temperature break is the key to finding fish. A break is defined as a major or minor change in water temperature. At times a small change of a degree or two will hold fish but I have found the greater the change the better the concentration of fish.

Presentations For Lunker Browns
First light of the day is the best time to catch this quarry. They seem to be more sensitive to light than other types of fish. Light up a Vulcan or Reaper Magnum Glow spoon sold by Badger Tackle before first light for fish in the box ahead of the rest of the pack of anglers. A stealthy approach is necessary for the biggest fish. In definition stealth is a presentation that avoids being notice. Several are used for trolling.

I would skip the downriggers as a presentation for browns. I have found this to be the least productive of presentations I have tried. The most successful for me is leadcore. A weighted line with a Seaguar fluorocarbon leader is attached to a Church Walleye Planer board. The planer board is run well off to the side of the boat out of the travel path. Leadcore is graduated to allow five feet of depth for every color. Five colors will run lures approximately 25 feet down 10 colors fifty feet and so on. This allows you to fish any depth you want.

Hot Lures Define The Day
Let's wrap this up with my favorite lures. Magnum spoons are my first choice. Use Glow in dark for before first light and in heavy overcast. When fishing in very bright conditions or with the presence of small baitfish go to regular or small lures. My magnum spoons are about five inches long, regular four inches and small three inches. The two most productive spoons for me during the 2009 season was the Vulcan magnum and Reaper Magnum both sold by http://www.badgertackle.com For a slow 2.0 M.P.H. or slower presentation I use the Reaper. Above 2.0 speeds the Vulcan is best, it mixes well with most big plugs and flasher flies.
I will continue with Zones for Coho Salmon in the next article. Good Luck! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2009, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved ]]> Freshwater Fishing Forum Jim Blue Max Charters http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f249/fishing-zone-brown-trout-milwaukee-2-a-298441.html