Shore line fishing around Duluth and Superior

Never fished this area before. Any suggestions for the end of March? Type of bait type of fish available? Any help would be great. Going to visit daughter who lives in Superior.

Location: try the mouth of the French River…You will see other people there so you will know where to fish

Types of fish: mostly kamloops (numbers down the last few yrs though). Might catch the odd steelhead.

Lures: Looper bugs (available in any baitshop in Duluth) on 6 to 8 lb line with a bobber. May want to tip it w/ a wax worm. Can also try nightcrawlers or spawn floated off the bottom.

Hope this helps…

Right now is when the steelhead and camloops (rainbow trout) stage to run up the mouths of the rivers on the north shore. Rivers such as the Lester, Sucker, French, Tamledge, etc will hold fish off of them. Dont feel like you have to be right at the mouth of the river as these fish will be up to a mile on each side of it, sometimes more. Coho salmon are also around in numbers this time of year.

As for lures, i like a number 6 or 4 plain hook with a whole crawler under a bobber maybe 4 or 5 feet. Another option is any type of hair jig, or a Custom Jigs and Spins ratso. With these types of jogs i like a dark color, and i never put bait on them. Some guys load em up with wax worms but it is not necessary.

Any more questions just holler!

Thanks guys. Sounds like it would be fun to try. Nice to have a daughter in that area to visit. I can’t wait. Grant I’ll stay in touch. Thanks again, Chuck

Hey Grant….What type of rod and line are you using for that type of fishing?

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Hey Grant….What type of rod and line are you using for that type of fishing?

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In general you will want a rod that at a minimum is 6’9 or 7 feet. I usually have a 7 and a 8 footer with me when i go. A longer rod will enable you to cast further because some days it is necessary to be out there as far as you can.

Lake superior water is very clear as you know, so i like a flourocarbon line in 6 pound test. Yes i know, flourocarbon sinks so you will not want this on your whole spool when bobber fishing. In this instance i will just use it for my leader and have regular mono as my main line. All in all, i would not recommend using anything over 8 pound test.

Make sure you have a descent size reel for this application as well. I prefer 2500 shimano’s in this situation because you get a good weighted bobber and you can cast a mile out there. The last thing you want is to hook a 8 plus pound steelhead with very little line left on your reel.

I would even recommend a 9′ rod if you have one. I would usually just use my steelhead rod with a spinning reel. This helps in casting long distances. Also, what worked great for me is a weighted casting bobber which would almost double the casting distance. I would use this when fishing hair jigs (looper bugs).

Lighter line (6 lb) is nice for casting and also because L.Superior is so clear. Flourocarbon is nice but I don’t think it is neccesay. I have caught hundreds of Kamloops along the N. Shore w/out flourocarbon line.

Another thing I noticed when fishng up there (not sure why) is that the best bite was usually from 1 to 4pm and I would try and fish over between then.

Also, don’t forget your warm clothes as it can be very cold standing along the shore.

Grant, what is the parking like in these areas? How far of a walk is it? Do you need waders? Sorry for all of the questions . Just want to be prepared.

Thanks for all the info guys,

Chuck

Wondering if the clear mono would work as well as the floro as a leader??

I have a couple long (8ft or more) spinning rigs, but have 15# braided on both, would a 4-6′ mono leader work?

Al

Parking is very easy at 90 percent of the rivers including the Lester and French. You will be able to park 50 feet away from where you will fish. And no waders are not necessary! Pretty easy fishing if you ask me (except for the catching part of course) 2 or 3 fish other than salmon is a good day.

Al- not sure if I understand your question correctly but yes you can use 15 pound braid as your main line you will just be handicapped on casting distance. Clear mono won’t work as well as flouro but it will do. Sometimes it won’t make a difference, especially on windy days, but I use it all the time anyways.

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Al- not sure if I understand your question correctly but yes you can use 15 pound braid as your main line you will just be handicapped on casting distance. Clear mono won’t work as well as flouro but it will do. Sometimes it won’t make a difference, especially on windy days, but I use it all the time anyways.

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You hit it, I have two poles set up for spinning with 15# braid and was thinking instead of another reel I could just use mono as a leader.

Be interested in hearing the difference between flouro and mono in this case??

I can buy a small spool of flouro if it’d make much difference.

Not real familiar with the difference between braid and mono for casting, mono’s better???

Maybe another trip to cabela’s is in order, 2500 huh? ..:)

What about using hard baits??
TIA

Al

Guys, thanks for all the info. Should be fun to try. ? I have a 2011 license but no Trout stamp. Can I purchase a 2012 license and trout stamp and fish with that or do I have to purchase a 2011 trout stamp and wait to buy a new license after April 30th? Confused on that one.

chirp:

I would think that you could buy your new .’12 license and if they don’t have the .’12 stamp out your old .’11 stamp should suffice until the end of this month. Just remember that you will be in need of the Great Lakes Trout stamp, not the inland one.

Mark

Off the MN website

Angling licenses are valid from March 1 through April 30 of the following year.

I’m assuming then you could buy your 2012 now and they would have the stamp.

Al

I heard there were people out on Park Point fishing. Any idea what they are fishing for and what method they would be using?

From what I gathered through the grapevine is that people were fishing off the pier in canal park for cohos and were actually catching a few. Last weekend we caught all of our cohos on a four inch Rapela(mirrored silver) trolling. we got out on the lake at about 7 and didn’t have ONE hit until the sun started to peak out, but after that it was non stop action. Let me know if you have anymore questions.

Good luck out there

Sounds like you had a good day. I will be up Easter weekend to try some shore fishing. Thanks for the update. Stay on them. Hope I can find some.

I just checked the MN DNR and there is only one trout stamp and it covers trout streams as well as Lake Superior.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/licenses/license_detail.html?id=24

Vickie

Thanks for that info.

Any weekend reports for the Duluth area shoreline? How about the Pier in canal park. See alot of people fishing off of that. Whats working? Will be up Friday and Saturday to try it.

Most everybody is in the rivers now as fish have been moving up to spawn. The peir will always have its 20 people out there. If i were you i would bring your steelhead rod and fish the rivers hard.

Grant,Thanks for the info. What do they use for baits up in the rivers. Never fished the area before.

Does anyone know how and when to catch trout around the duluth area, when they are in spawn.

Sort of an old thread here, but the lake trout season is closed when they’re spawning in the Duluth area….all of Minnesota’s shoreline for that matter.

Brandon, usually a spring run up the North shore for steelhead. As far as how to fish, fly or spinning works. We caught this one the middle of April right after opener. If you Google The Outdoor Report Episode one, we filmed a show up there with Garett Svir from Slab Seeker Fishing. Our part starts at about the 15 minute mark. Hope this helps. It was a blast.

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Going to be in and around Duluth this weekend, is there anything worth targeting from shore this time of year? If so, what do I need?

Casting around river mouths [the Lester River is as good as any] can produce a variety of fish this time of year…loopers, lakers, cohos, you never know what may show up. Plan on fishing early morning, sunset or overcast day. Spoons and minnow baits are good choices to cast. I think Lake Trout season ends October 8 this year, but check the regs to be sure.

Pink Salmon were up in the North Shore Tributaries the last couple weeks. Sounds like it was a fly fishing bite. Time to head to the Wisconsin fall run now. Steelhead time. Ever need any help Slab Seeker Fishing will put you on them.

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Sorry for the upside down picture.