chequamegon bay fishing

fished out near the lighthouse sunday afternoon with my brother took 3 nice lake herring and two cohos marked tons of fish but the bite was slow,we were on ice for almost 5 hrs very windy and cold.

Hey Brian

What can you tell me about lake herring? I don’t know anything about them. Are they related to the whitefish and how big do they get? I hear them referenced from time to time by guys fishing Superior and my curiosity finally got the best of me.

Thanks in advance for any info you might have for me.

a lake herring is freshwater herring im not positive but i think there is two kinds in lake superior the other being a bluefin herring,they generally get up to 20 inches or so i love em they can be smoked pickled canned etc.fun to catch hey good luck.

IF you think of it the next time you catch one could you take a pic and post it here or email it to me. Call me curious. There’s not a lot of freshwater fish that I don’t know at least a little about and I don’t know a darn thing about lake herring.

Thanks much.

Lake Herring

James, I was kind of curious myself.

Another: Bluefin Herring

Mark

I catch quite a few herring each year off the Two Harbors breakwater. I carry a few #2 Mepps spinners with plain hooks to throw to them when I see the schools cruise past. Herring can be a hoot. They fight like sailors on a lighter line. Jumps are not unusual. They will make at least a couple very strong runs, often several.

Fresh Herring are a delicacy along the shore when pan or batter fried. They are referred to as Blue Fin Herring at most restaraunts that serve the fish. They are outstanding when caught, dressed out promptly and cooked within a matter of a couple hours. I generally do mine just like a walleye or crappie fillet.

If you have a pet pickling recipe, these fish are great for that.

I generally start to see loose schools of the Herring along the breakwater when the summer heat sets in. As Mnetioned in one of the links provided they come to certain areas based on water temp and plankton production. I think there is a paralell between the heat the breakwater generates and the plankto levels peaking which draws Herring to the near vicinity. The Herring are easily identified by the irridescent red stripe that runs along the lateral line and often is the reason they get confused with rainbow trout. Out of the water the Herring has a transluscent white lower half with a greenish back. That reddish stripe seen in the water is not visible out off the water. 2 and 3 pound fish are common.

They do not hold up well at all on a stringer. If I see Herring in the morning, my afternoon trip will include a cooler and ice so they can be kept ice cold until I finish fishing. This really helps to maintain quality.

My spinners are usually gold and retrieved at a depth of at least 8 feet. Spinners with some orange are my favoreed ones and silver with blue take Herring well too. I have seen people fishing them with Looper bugs and waxies as well, but spinners have taken all of those I catch.

Herring are fun in the summer but they can be challenging. I have heard that winter Herring are easier to catch under the ice, but I’m seldom up there during the winter.

Great info CT!

ct:

Another thing that I have recently seen done by Bret Alexander in Door County fishing for whitefish is to breach the gills to let them bleed out. Another suggestion which seems to make sense is not to freeze them and prep them in the appropriate manner for which cooking method you are planning on immediately. As you mentioned even frying is an appropriate method if done immediately.

Mark

The only time I freeze any fish is to get it home without spoiling. These herring are darned tender and freezing them is the only way I have to get them home to do much of anything with them. If we are going to eat herring fried, its done the day they are caught.

I have bled herring too. I still prefer to ice them even though they get nipped with the knife. Cheap insurance towards a great meal.

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The only time I freeze any fish is to get it home without spoiling. These herring are darned tender and freezing them is the only way I have to get them home to do much of anything with them. If we are going to eat herring fried, its done the day they are caught.

I have bled herring too. I still prefer to ice them even though they get nipped with the knife. Cheap insurance towards a great meal.

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Agreed!!! Got a friend who is moving to Duluth shortly, maybe get a chance to meet some of you!!!

Mark