Fishing North Pier in Duluth

I have a conference coming up next month in Duluth. I will be staying in Canal Park and I thought for fun I would try fishing off the pier. Does anyone know anything about fishing from shore in Canal Park? Is it worth a try or not even an option? Any thoughts, suggestions, or comments would be awesome!

You’ll need an awful long net handle for one thing.

I’d run up the shore and cast some of the river mouths or go to Two Harbors and fish that breakwater. If you fish the rivers with spoons or spinners be aware that you have to have single hooks of those baits to be legal if you are within 100 feet of the river mouth. No restrictions on the breakwater in T Harbors.

Thanks Tom. What would you use to fish the break water? I will be in Two Harbors next week and thought I would give that a try.

We’ll be in Two Harbors during the middle of the week too. I’ll be down on the breakwater at least a little while a couple times thru the day.

Plain gold Mepps Spinners in sizes 2 thru 4 are good. I get those with the red or orange tubing on the treble. Gold Lil Cleos with an orange stripe in 2/5 ounce are great. Same thing in Krocodile lures of 1/4 and 3/8. This time of year it also pays to have the same lures but in silver/blue and silver/green.

On the breakwater you’ll be looking at fairly deep water on the lake side after you pass the dogleg. You won’t need to fish deep, maybe up to a ten or 15 count. Just a nice smooth. moderate retrieve speed. A long net won’t be needed on the breakwater but do take a net. 6 pound line is a good plenty for the fish as long as its fresh. I use XL 6 pound exclusively , but I see others with 8 pound. The more successful breakwater anglers stay away from any of the braids. Be sure to have some GOOD ball bearing snap swivels. You don’t lose many but you most certainly want one on the line. If you’re paying like $6.00 for a pack of three you’re in the ballpark for GOOD.

Other than that its all up to the fish.

If you want to fish river mouths, pick up a looper float and bobber stops along with a couple darker or black looper bugs and some waxies. Add a splitshot to the line so you’re “just” ticking the bottom when you cast upstream and allow things to drift downstream. Single hook stuff there remember. I don’t care for the nitwits that beat the rivers to death so I stay on the breakwater and enjoy life.