Two harbors fishing

Heading up to two harbors and silver bay this weekend. Whats going on for fishing up there this time of year. Is there any good shore fishing going on? How about short boat trips? taking the family up there so my fishing time will be limited but it would still be nice to wet a line.

Thanks for the help.

Mike- Head down to the mouth of any of the rivers up there. Cast heavy spoons or heavy cranks, you can get about anything, even walleyes. When I was living up there we would also do really well fishing off the bottom. Blow up a night crawler and let it sit 2-3 feet from bottom, then sit back and have a

Good Luck, we look forward to hearing how you did.

John

There’s a good crappie bite going on Lax Lake right now.

Grab a couple Krokodile spoons , 1/2 oz., gold w/orange stripe, and walk out to the end of the Two Harbors Breakwater and cast off the lake side corner or straight off the end. From August on is when I see the better lake trout fishing there. Be sure to take a net with a very long reach to the handle.

That’s a great tip. CT, are you working those spoons right above bottom or do you countdown and try to fish the whole water column?

Jason…

It depends on what I am after. Cohos and an occasional looper will come to hardware cast and allowed to be counted down to about twenty before the retrieve. Cohos and loopers are higher up in the water column mostly or will readily come up that high to hit. Kings will be a tad bit deeper but will rise to hit as well.

For the lakers, I cast and allow the bait to drop on a free line [bail open] until the line gos slack. I start the retrieve with a good solid line snap to jump the lure off bottom a few feet and then just bring it back slowly and steadily. Most of the trout will smack it in the bottom 1/3 of the water column, but I have had them hit right on the top too. More than anything with casting and allowing the drop is that the retrieve will cover the entire water column. One never knows where the fish will show themselves.

2 rods are allowed out on the wall. In the fall I will rig a shorter rod with a slip float set at 10 feet and hang a crawler on a plain beak-type walleye hook, a size 4, cast it and let it soak. I cast the hardware on the other line. On about every fourth or fifth cast I make my retrieve so that the hard bait passes by the crawler within twenty feet or so. Many times a coho will be follwoing a hard bait for a whle out of curiosity and then leave it in favor of the crawler.

The fishing does not have to be confined to the end of the wall either. I have taken coho, king, loopers, herring, walleye, northern, and lakers staring from the dogleg bend on the inside [harbor side] out to the end and back to the same bend on the lake side. Water depths will vary broadly from 35-40 feet near the dogleg to near 90 feet at the end on the outside, or lake side, corner. I have run closely along the wall with the boat and locator studying the structure and water depths. I have taken fish about everywhere from the structure, but I still favor what the end offers.

Mike,

Make sure you have a trout stamp no matter what you are fishing for.

-J.

Thanks for the information, everyone.
I’m new to the North Shore game, so I’ve got a question.
What sort of rods & line are best for fishing from shore up there?
I’m thinking a 7′ medium action rod with 10# mono would do?
Could I go with a 10′ to fling the hardwear way out there, or is that overkill?

I’d lighten up a bit on the line. Go with 6 or 8 pound and you’ll gain a lot in casting distance. Use a clear line, colors and braids are easily seen by these fish can affect your fishing.

Personally I’d snoop around for a longer rod. I use a 10’6″ St.Croix Premier and a custom made 8’6″ HMG Fenwick flyrod blank built into a spinning rod. The longer rods go a long way in dampening the effects of runs from the stronger fish and will also help you get extra distance from the casts. The rods don’t have to be heavy but should rated to be able to handle a 1/2 ounce spoon. A rod rated as such will still allow you to hurl the 3/4 ounce metalworks too. When you are shorecasting or fishing from breakwaters you have limited mobility so anything you can get in your hands to help you is going to be a huge benefit, finding this out will come when you hook into some of these fish. Even with the lighter lines, the long rods are what wears the fish out and is easier on you too.

For a reel I’d suggest nothing less than a 4000 series spinning reel. Shimano has several models in the 4000 size that you can use for size comparison. I use Shimano Saharas in the 4000. Using the 6 or 8 pound line I have been spooled only once and that was my fault.

Thanks for the help guys. Brought my pole, and tackle with but never did get to wet a line. Maybe next time. Was surprised to see at one of the beaches near beaver bay a pile of walleye guts dump on shore. Where do you think they where caught at? Didnt think there where any eyes in the lake around there.

Longer rod,check.
Larger reel,check.
I’m glad I asked.
I know what you mean about the advantage of a longer rod and the shock dampening effect. I’ve landed fish on line that would have been way too light had it been on a shorter, stouter rod.

Thanks,CT. I hope to get up there soon to put your advice to work.

Mike

Be sure to have a net with a looooooong handle. Mine extends to 10 feet.

Will do. I bought a large net with a long handle last year and this year I replaced the handle with a couple sections of the handle from my roof rake so I could fish off a wall on the river. It’s worked well,so I should be set. I can add or take off sections as needed. It works really well.
Thanks again for the advice.

Mike