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Posts tagged: lake michigan

Leaping Rainbow Trout Fishing Milwaukee

Leaping Rainbow Trout Fishing Milwaukee

By Lake Michigan fishing Charter Capt. Jim Hirt
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 Now let’s look at Rainbow Trout as it applies to Lake Michigan and other ecosystems.

Questions
Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Blue Max website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at http://www.jimhirt.com

Zones By Species
Last year was an above average year for Rainbow Trout on Lake Michigan Milwaukee. Wisconsin Lake Michigan holds the state record of over 27 pounds for this species. We boated many between fifteen and twenty pounds. This fish can be elusive to some anglers; however, armed with the information in this article you will be on your way to many great outings of this tail-walking acrobat. Allow me to offer environmental preferences for this fish. Breaking each fish down by their preferences is the best way to find steady consistent action on any fish.

Rainbow Trout Zone By Temperature
Rainbows offer great action. Nothing matches the excitement of being on the rod with ten pounds plus of leaping muscle on the line. Once again the answer to putting them in the box is temperature. A thermal break is the way to find them. Thermal break is a point where water changes temperature. Look for them in temperatures between 43 and 58 degrees. This is a wide range and offers some challenges. My article will provide information on how to locate them as the water goes from 40 to 75 degrees through out the season. The trick to success is mobility and presentation.

Forage big part of the equation
The principal types of forage for most fish in Lake Michigan are the Alewife and Goby. You will find at times the contents of their gut contain these bait fish. My experience with rainbows may change your mind on bait and presentation. The spring and early summer is the answer to easy pickings on the big pond. The reason for easy rainbow fishing at this time is the abundance of insects. Following the bugs may seem like a crazy way to catch any fish but it is key for rainbows. Any warm spring day will provide an excellent hatch of the diet of all size Rainbow Trout. The location on the water with the most bugs will have the best concentration of fish.

Where to start looking
When I am on a rainbow hunt, off shore is the place to be. It is smart to start trolling in about 50 feet of water and head out deeper. As action picks up you should note GPS, depth and temp info. This info will be your key to staying on fish. With the water in the forties don’t be surprised to find some huge fish in this cold water. When the bite slows troll back to your best GPS numbers. I have found that in deeper water fishing the surface is always better for monster bows all season long.

The best months
April, May and June. Work the temp breaks and bugs for hot action. The top 25 feet where warm water has accumulated is the answer to your best numbers. Early May run your baits in the top twenty-five feet and progress to deeper in the water column as the water warms up. Anytime of day is a good time for them. I call them fish with banker’s hours 9 to 5 is the time to get them.

What baits are best?
Water temperature will dictate your best bait. I will break this down by temperature. All season long use crankbaits; minnow type lures and small spoons like the regular size Vulcan in silver or bright colors sold by Badger Tackle. Eight-inch flashers and dodgers with flies or squids are a staple as the water warms up to 60 and above. The distance between the attractor and the fly or squid will vary with the temp of the water. Try two to three times the length of the flasher or about sixteen up to twenty-four inches. Longer lead on the fly seems to work better in colder water.

Presentation advice
You may catch some fish on downriggers but they are not my first choice for presentation. Church Tackle Walleye Boards and leadcore are the way to go. I run three or more on each side of the boat working an area over three hundred feet wide. You should set up for rainbows with a 1,2,3,4,5 color leadcore. This will give you coverage from 5 to 25 feet. The Church Planer Board will 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 8-inch flashers and dodgers with flies or squids. My best spoon color is chartreuse/silver/green. Magnum Reaper spoons did very well for us in July and August on Bows in 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 Lake 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© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

King Salmon Rule In Milwaukee

King Salmon Rule In Milwaukee

By Lake Michigan fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Chinooks are big mean and a rush to catch. This fish is the most exciting fish in Lake Michigan. Location and presentation are the keys to success. Let me talk you through the details. They are not predictable and at times difficult to figure out. Now let’s look at Chinook Salmon as it applies to Lake Michigan and other big water ecosystems.

Questions
Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Blue Max website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at http://www.jimhirt.com

Getting Started
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 zone for Chinook.

What Is A Zone
I define a zone as a location where greater concentrations of the target species are found. You may use, as I do, this system for any type of fishing or in fact hunting. The basics are simple. What does your target want? Focus on what you know and do research to find out more.

Zone Rules
Pick the type of quarry you are after and make a list of the known environmental preferences for that species. Armed with that information you will have the guidelines or rules to become more successful. Breaking the rules will put you in water with less of the target fish

Environmental Preferences
The top of the most important list and what I look for is food and temperature. When you are in a zone with the correct temperature and good forage you will increase your chances. Other important factors are cover, habitat, maturity of fish, light intensity, water depth, weather, current flow, current intensity, oxygen level and fishing pressure. Your ability to measure, monitor and locate the ideal set of fishing preferences for your target is key.

Chinook Salmon by temperature
Big Chinook Salmon are a cold water species, so look for them in temperatures below 50 degrees. The exception is when they come into spawn. At this point in their life temperature is not important. Keep your baits in 45 to 52 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. I have caught them in water as shallow as 10 feet and out to 300 feet fishing near the bottom. There is no limitation on the depth they like. Key in on temp for success. A temperature gauge is a tool a salmon fisherman cannot be without.

Forage part of the picture
The principal forage for these bruisers is the Alewife. Look for pods of forage for consistent action. The baitfish will hold Chinook in any area. Keep your fish locator cranked up on the gain to show baitfish along the bottom.

Reason for Stealth Presentations
Clear water and sunny conditions are the enemy. This scenario will turn off most fish. However, some fish can be had when certain presentations are used. A stealthy approach is necessary for the biggest fish. In definition stealth is a presentation that avoids being notice. Several are used for salmon trolling.

Stealth Presentations
Downriggers are a popular method to run tackle with many variations possible. In sunny conditions increase your downrigger leads to 100 feet or more. By running long leads you work water undisturbed by noise and turbulence of the boat.

Leadcore is another good choice. 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 and is a killer for huge kings.

Best Months of the year
Chinook live four and a half years and it makes sense that they will be the biggest at the end of their life cycle. These monsters will be the most aggressive and easiest to get in the months of June thru September. I have produced Kings over twenty pounds in April, although this is the exception to the rule.

Weather Variables
Weather is as big of a factor as any and when the conditions are favorable you can expect huge fish. Weather fronts, sky conditions, barometer and sea state all play a role in turning on the fish that dreams are made of. I always look for barometer movement. A steady barometer may offer a great chance to get a suntan but it is not conducive to trophy fishing.

Hot Tickets
Let’s wrap this up with my favorite lures. Magnum spoons are my first choice. Big lures big fish with a consideration to the size of the baitfish and amount of light in the time period you are fishing. 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 2012 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 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© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Coho Salmon Crazy In Milwaukee

Coho Salmon Crazy In Milwaukee

By Lake Michigan fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
From Brown Trout we go to Coho Salmon. This article will point out and explain what has worked for me over 25 years of fishing. In my opinion Coho are the most predictable of all salmon species. Activity and habits of fish are dictated by many variables. Get on board and allow me to share some tricks for Coho with you. 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 Busting Spring Brown Trout Milwaukee. This information you may find necessary to understand the following article.

Questions
Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Blue Max website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at http://www.jimhirt.com

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 game 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, but they do require a different approach.

May and June on fire for Coho
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 that the cold water of Lake Michigan concentrates them.

Fish the break
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 degrees 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 downriggers 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 ran 10 to 25 feet behind the planner board. The planer board will 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 crank baits, minnow type lures and small spoons like the regular size Vulcan. I have selected four of my top Coho spoons and assembled them in a Coho Trophy pack at Badger Tackle. Later use six inch orange flashers and dodgers with flies or squids. As the Coho put on weight later in the season go to larger 8 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 in 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© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

How do I use my G.P.S

How do I use my G.P.S
By Lake Michigan fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Finding and consistently producing fish is the goal of every fisherman every trip out on the water. The question is how can it be done? This article will communicate the importance of G.P.S. for filling the cooler and returning home safely.

Questions
Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Blue Max website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at http://www.jimhirt.com

The Tool
For those of you not familiar with G.P.S. I will give you a brief overview of the product. Global Positioning System is a series of satellites that circle the earth each with a distinctive signal. This signal is sent by the satellites to a receiver. The receiver will then tell you your location on the earth in longitude and latitude. The accuracy of this information is within 15 feet or less.

The Cost
The price of a G.P.S. can range from $80 to several thousand dollars. The more expensive units will offer more graphic information that makes them easier to use, although the accuracy is the same. My experience with both high and low priced units tells me I do not need an expensive unit. The key to successful operation is learning how to apply the extensive information available.

G.P.S. and Safety
The question is how do I use my location as provided by G.P.S. to fill the cooler and return home safely? Let’s start with safety. You should always enter in the memory of your unit the spot where you put your boat in the water. We will call this your home waypoint. Most units will store 500 or more waypoints. Assuming there is no shallow water or obstacles like land in your path, use your home waypoint and compass to find your way home. Fog, darkness or bad weather does not effect the operation of this unit. In the event of an emergency you could call someone with your coordinates and they would know where to find you.

G.P.S. and finding fish
In the more sophisticated units a map showing your position with the depth of water at your location is displayed. The use of this information is critical when working bottom structure for fish.

There are many ways to use G.P.S. for finding fish. On my boat we log the coordinates of every fish caught on a sheet of paper. These coordinates are used to return to the same spot day after day. After a fish hits a lure it makes perfect sense to turn the boat around to try the same spot again. Many times we will get another fish on immediately as we pass the same location. When no additional fish are taken, we will circle in that area using the original coordinates as the center of our search.

Save the spot
I usually enter one of the areas where action has been very good as a waypoint in the G.P.S. for future trips. Working with latitude and longitude numbers takes a little practice, stay with it the work is worth it. There are chart plotter units that draw a line showing the path of the boat on the display screen to simplify this process. As I mentioned earlier a chart plotter G.P.S. with a map chip for your area will give you your position relative to water depth, land features and harbor entrances. I use the water depth when I follow a bottom contour for fish holding near the bottom. Lake trout are known for staying near the bottom. This technique is very effective for them.

G.P.S. save tackle
On the Great Lakes we often fish in areas where wrecks are located. The location of wrecks entered in the G.P.S. will save a lot of lost tackle. It will allow you to fish near wrecks without the fear of hanging up on them.

G.P.S. a must have
I like to enter the location of schools of bait fish you see on the locator when under power heading out to a spot or trolling for further investigation.

On a trip that starts before daylight, you must have G.P.S. to pin point the location of yesterday’s hot first light action.

I could go on and on about the importance of knowing precisely where you are and where you want to be. Some would consider G.P.S. a luxury or not needed. I find the information this unit supplies as invaluable and you will too. 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© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved .

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 8/21/12


Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 8/21/12

By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Biggest King Salmon of The Year in Milwaukee!
Surface temperature is down to 70 degrees and the fish are 40 feet to bottom. The weather has been clear in the morning pop up storms in the afternoon.

Morning Action
Clear skies and calm winds go deep to 110 to 150 feet. With all the current troll southwest to northeast. Set up in 110 and beat the bottom for the deep marks as it gets deeper. Our Lowrance HDS Gen 2 has been keeping us on fish with most of the marks in 105 to 155 feet. Tons of warm water out there and a very slow troll (1.5 – 1.7 MPH) has been best with Badger Tackle Magnum Reaper spoons. Bill and Mike Imhoff double teamed this 21.5 pound 35 inch Chinook. Smile and laughs all around with action on some of the biggest fish of the year the last five days. Reaper spoons are made by http://www.badgertackle.com

Afternoon pop up storm action!
Our best presentations are 8 & 10 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 40 to 75 down. Fish have been on regular and magnum spoons in a blue and silver or green and silver pattern. Our best boat speed is 1.7 to 2.0 mph on the Depth Raider. Divers are producing very well set to #2 with 50 to 125 feet of line out with the ring. Yes the big kings are in the warm water!

Where!
Head north south or due east compass bearing and set up in 110 feet of water. Out in front of the water filtration plant is a good option for small boat anglers the fish seem to be closer to shore in that location. Fished northeast of the Milwaukee shipwreck 43° 08.242’N / 87° 49.888.00’W with steady action in 120 feet. It’s eight miles north but can be worth your time and gas.
On the way out we have seen some big marks in the gaps. We spent a half hour on them nothing. Shore fishing is zip nada nothing! Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!! 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 8/1/12

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 8/1/12

By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
King Salmon Fishing Has Maxed Out in Milwaukee!
Surface temperature is up to 74 degrees and the fish are 40 feet to bottom. The weather has been great! In about a month the four year old Chinooks will run the rivers. Now is your chance to wrestle the biggest KINGS of the year. Fishing has been exciting with a mixed bag of all species. Mostly Chinooks, Rainbows and Coho. Chinook to 19 pounds are screaming line and all are enjoying some great action. Fish from 100 to 180 feet of water anywhere east of Milwaukee. Grant Courley landed the biggest fish of his young life on a Vulcan Magnum Silver Spoon! It was just under 18 pounds. Vulcan spoons are made by http://www.badgertackle.com

How!
Our best presentations are 8 & 10 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 80 to 155 down or five feet off the bottom. Fish have been on regular and magnum spoons in a blue and silver or green and silver pattern. The Vulcan Magnum or Reaper Magnum spoons by Badger Tackle have caught most of our fish. Our best boat speed is 2.0 to 2.1 mph on the Depth Raider. Slide Divers are producing very well set to #2 with 50 to 85 feet of line out with the ring.

Where!
Head north south or due east compass bearing and set up in 100 feet of water. Out in front of the water filtration plant is a good option for small boat anglers the fish seem to be closer to shore in that location. The gaps are dead and the shore fishing is zip nada nothing! Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!! 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 6/13/12

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 6/13/12

By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim
Kings! Coho! Lakers! Browns! Snapping in Milwaukee
Surface temperature is up to 58 degrees and the fish are 30 feet to bottom. The weather has been full sun at times windy but the fishing has been consistent. Heavy coolers the last five days with and all species mix. Chinook to 18 pounds are screaming line and all are enjoying some great action. Fish from 60 to 125 feet of water anywhere east of Milwaukee. All alone we put together groups at $125 per person. The hot bait was the Magnum size Reaper Fish n Chip spoons made by http://www.badgertackle.com We also had action on orange flashers and flies.

How!
Our best presentations are 8 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 30 to 65 down or five feet off the bottom. Ran the SWR over the weekend at 45 feet and it produced very well. The fish have been on regular and magnum spoons in a blue and silver or green and silver pattern. The Vulcan Magnum or Reaper Magnum spoons by Badger Tackle have caught most of our fish. Six inch orange dodgers and Johnnie Peanut Flies are also doing a good job on Coho. Our best boat speed is 2.0 to 2.1 mph. Slide Divers are producing very well set to #1.5 with 50 to 85 feet of line out with the ring.

Where!
Head north south or due east compass bearing and set up in 65 feet of water. Out in front of the water filtration plant is a good option for small boat anglers the fish seem to be closer to shore in that location. Water color has cleared up so their should be some action in close to shore but I haven’t fished it try this at first light.
Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!! 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 5/20/12

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 5/20/12

By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Limit Catches Are The Norm In Milwaukee!
Only thing better than the weather has been the fishing. Don’t miss this opportunity to crank in some great eating. The last couple of trips we have caught everything but Brown Trout. Some Kings to 15 pounds yesterday! Fish from 80 to 125 feet of water. Some action in closer to shore but the hot action is out. Note For the month of May mention this report and receive one free hour of fishing with a five hour charter booked and taken in May!!!! All alone we put together groups at $125 per person. The hot bait was the Magnum size Reaper Fish n Chip spoons made by http://www.badgertackle.com We also had action on orange flashers and flies.

How!
Our best presentations are 5 and 6 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 25 to 45 down or five feet off the bottom. The fish have been on regular and magnum spoons in a blue and silver or green and silver pattern. The Vulcan Magnum or Reaper Magnum spoons by Badger Tackle have caught most of our fish. Six inch orange dodgers and Johnnie Peanut Flies are also doing a good job on Coho. Our best boat speed is 1.7 to 2.0 mph. Slide Divers are producing very well set to #2 with 70 to 90 feet of line out with the ring.

Where!
Head northeast, southeast or due east out the north gap Milwaukee and fish in 80 to 125 feet of water. Out in front of the water filtration plant is a good option for small boat anglers the fish seem to be closer to shore in that location. Water color has cleared up so their should be some action in close to shore but I haven’t fished it try this at first light.
Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!! 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 4/21/22/12

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 4/21/22/12

By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Mixed Bag With some Nice Chinook!
We had two charter trips this weekend with good action both time periods. In the morning we had a few Coho, one twelve pound Lake Trout and two Chinooks in the teens. Afternoon was about the same with seven fish total. Mostly Coho both charters with a nice eleven pound Chinook in the afternoon. The hot bait was the regular size Reaper Peacock made by http://www.badgertackle.com We also had action on orange flashers and flies.

How!
April fishing remains average to good when you can get out. The weather has created some problems with presentation and access to the best fishing areas. Our best presentations are 2,3,4,and 5 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 12 to 45 feet down. The fish have been on regular and magnum spoons. The Reaper Magnum and regular Peacock Silver spoon by Badger Tackle have caught most of our fish. Six inch orange dodgers and Johnnie Peanut Flies are also doing a good job. Our best boat speed is 1.7 to 2.0 mph. Slide Divers are producing very well set to #2 with 30 feet of line out.

Where!
Head northeast out the north gap Milwaukee and fish north in 45 to 70 feet of water. Water color may be an issue if it is cloudy move in and out of the cloudy water for the best action. The color break is holding most of the fish.
Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!! 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Fishing Downriggers 101

Fishing Downriggers 101

By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Now is the time to think about changes to make you more productive this season. There are many ways to go on this subject. Over the next several articles I will try to cover topics like rigging, tackle and presentation. My goal is to provide information, which should lead to more fish and less slow fishing. Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at http://www.jimhirt.com

Let’s get started with rigging.

This is a very large topic that needs to be broken down into smaller subjects. Downriggers are a good place to start. This is one of the most basic of presentations and yet is very easy to get confused about. The use of this tool is limited only by your imagination. For every method I write about here some of you know dozens of other ways to work a downrigger.

Basic downriggers

The basic concept is a wire line with a weight on one end with a release to hold a lure at a given depth. The other end is a spool or wheel to hold the wire and facilitate the raising or lowering of the weight. Downriggers are made in manual or electric. There are many brands out in the market place and I think they are all good.

Electric and manual options

The high-speed electrics will give you an advantage when you are on a hot bite. For the average fisherman manuals will get the job done. There are all kinds of additional features you can add to your downrigger. An important one is temperature at the ball to tell you when your lure is in the temp for your target. This can also be added to any downrigger later. Cameras to watch lure action and the attitude of the fish. All the extras may or may not get you more fish depending on your ability to interpret the information provided.

Setup and tune up

Basic set up is to let out your fishing spoon behind the boat and attach it to the weight. The way you attach it has everything to do with how many fish you will put in the boat. I have tried most of the different styles of releases. I like the Blacks release with the clip to attach the weight as one unit. The Blacks releases are completely adjustable to set the hook when the fish bites and never tangle or wear the line.

Weight selection is also important

Things to consider are size, shape, construction and color. For my corner downriggers a flat weight called a pancake with a large adjustable fin is the way to go. When the fin is correctly tuned it will spread your presentation and avoid tangles. For the two inside downriggers I prefer a weight that tracks well and looks like a fish.

How heavy?

I use 10-12 pound weights when fishing deep over 100 feet and go to 8 pounds for shallow presentation. Attach the weight to the cable with a Clincher. This plastic termination for the end of the cable allow you to attach a snap for the ball without crimps. The clincher or similar types will save cable fatigue and lost downrigger weights. I will finish on this subject in the next article.

Buy Four And Get One Free

Badger Tackle has a promotion for a free spoon. Call me anytime to help with your spoon selection. If you would like to try the hottest spoons for salmon and trout for shore anglers or trolling and jigging in 2011 go to http://www.badgertackle.com 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Badger Tackle - www.badgertackle.com Blue Max Charter Fishing - Milwaukee WI - www.bluemaxcharters.com