The Milwaukee Harbor bite small boat bite ( Or some Facsimile to that )is something I really want to try. But I have NO CLUE never done any of this type of fishing. Someone have any good links as to time of year what conditions need to be etc.
Me too, Mr Haataja has this whole thing so dialed in I might hire him a few times to save the time and money.
yep that guy knows his stuff….. 
Tom, The Milwaukee harbor is plump full of shad right now and the fish have been in the main harbor on a feast. The bite has been tough because of the overwhelming amount of food available. Though, some days have been better than others. I got out for two hours in a buddy’s boat and we did 5. 2 Bows/2 browns/ and a laker. He’s been out before and after that and has blanked and had 20+ fish day.
There is still ice floating in the harbor, so caution is a must. Eric is an awesome guide if you want to go that route.
There isn’t a one technique fits all perfect solution for fishing the harbors, sewage plant discharges, and power plant. For small craft, the Milwaukee harbor is great because it offers a large area that is surrounded by breakwalls. It gets choppy in there pending wind direction, but usually somewhere to escape the waves/wind.
Trolling: You can make it as simple or complex as you wish. Match the forage of smelt, gobies, shiners, whitefish,…. For years, all we did were 12′ noodle rods and “hand-held” trolling flat lines with #7 shad raps, wiggle warts, flat fish, thundersticks, rouges, cleos, krockidiles,…and the list goes on. Anything that can reach to the depth the fish are at which can be surface to 30′ and match the forage base.
Jigs:Hair jigs and Tinsel jigs were my go to baits for many years back in the 80’s and into the 90’s. Flukes came along and we started using them. Eric has made a name for himself using Gulp. My primary jig is 1/4oz. Though I rig rods with 1/8 through 5/8. I’ve been experimenting with some saltwater baits, and surprisingly, the RipTide Curltail baits for redfish and produced a lot of fish for me in the firetiger color. I say surprised, because thumping 5″ curltail grubs has not been a good bait for anything except lakers. Silver/blue- silver/green – white/blue – white/green – gold – gold/orange – purple/pearl – silver tinsel – pearlecent crystal flash – gold flash/black hair have been a few of the standard colors that has proven themselves over the last 30+ years. Another bait that can be super hot is the glow in the dark squids used for trolling for lakers. Instead of inserting the plastic piece in the head, use a 3/8oz tube jig. A lot more than lakers will eat those things.
Live Bait: Spawn sacs, skien (spawn still in the membrane) large shiners, and large fatheads all can do some damage. Very simple rigging. Dead stick from a foot off the bottom varied to a few feet below the surface. Slip or stick bobbers work great. FYI – spawn very close to the bottom can get chowed by gobies, scupins, and other bottom dwellers. As for the minnows, some days dead will out produce live and the other way around. Another live bait rig I absolutely love is the erie-derie with about a 4 or 5″ smelt on it w/ a stinger hook. Female smelt are super mushy. Male smelt have firm bodies and withstand the casting much better. Back in the day, we netted ourr own smelt, sorted and froze. Wasn’t uncommon at the power plant to go through a 1 gallon zip lock bag of smelt per person per day.
“Lindy” rigging with shiners can have its moments. I like keeping the bail open and holding the line with a finger. As soon as they hit, feed them some line and hammer’m.
If you go to Milwaukee Harbor, keep in mind that the fish move around. One day, they can be stacked up by the MSOE discharge, next day the corner area of a steel sea wall, and the next they are stacked up in a hole by the south gap. A good locator will key you into where they’re at if you need to go search’n.
If you look back through the last year or so of posts, there is a lot of info, along with a bunch of pics of commonly used techniques.
I forgot to mention there is still a few people out there that think Chumming with corn is a good thing. It’s my understanding that it is illegal, and per a fisheries biologist that works in a hatchery – Trout can not digest corn and it can kill them. Please don’t do it.
Good Luck
WOW thanks Randy!! Gentlemen, thats called spilling your guts and usually takes a few hundred dollar bar tab!! 
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WOW thanks Randy!! Gentlemen, thats called spilling your guts and usually takes a few hundred dollar bar tab!!
I take cash, check, or Paypal 
Guys:
A lot of very relavent info from using E. Haataja, to all the info that Randy put in. Randy does do some guiding so, consider him if you have an opportunity. I have guided/fished with him in the Northwoods and can tell you he is very knowledgable where he is searching water. Now put him on water he knows, well you get the picture. My brother has been to and used Eric H. in one of schools and was very pleased with the info passed along, but still nothing can replace time on the water. I know that my bro was struggling down there and having a guide acquaintance get me some on the water locations/depths to him helped his day. Spending the amount of time that I did back in the 80’s on the breakwalls, I can tell you there is still a learning curve on fighting the fish and other variables.
So get down there and have fun using the people above to shorten the curve or the info Randy provided. Again if you go during the cold water period, BE CAREFUL!!! The water is cold, the currents can be nasty, if you are going to certain areas make sure you know there are no underwater obstructions to ding your boat, etc.
Mark
Mark, thanks for the kind words, but I do not guide on Lake MI. So, I just stick with guiding in the tributaries. I haven’t had any interest in getting a 6 pack for down there, or changing my boat to a more “appropriate” walleye rig for there. I refer my calls to Eric since I personally know a few of his clients and they all came away with a great experience.
Randy-you are supposed to say that CASH is KING 
,anyhoo you can’t miss with him on the tribs.He will show you spots that most will miss.Trust me,I have seen it first-hand MANY years ago.
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I haven’t had any interest in getting a 6 pack for down there
Randy:
I was just on your website a bit ago again and picked up on that little detail. I just saw EH and Karen Savik from NA Fishing Journal in the harbor from last fall. For a bass gal, her first net job was very impressive… net the fish and lay the hoop on the boat side so the fish can rest in the water. Was looking for this thread to post another Lake MI inquiry.
Mark
Wow thanks Randy… If my understanding is right basically search first ( SI ) and once fish are found then go for it. Is there a part of the water column that you look for as being feeding fish versus neutral? What is the time frame on the bite?
I like to see a lot of fish in the top 12′ of water with some shad around. But, not to say the bottom 5 feet can be on fire at times.
Though I fish Milwaukee occasionally, there’s a few other harbors that I do as good or sometimes much better in. Another thing to look for in later spring through early fall is isolated spots in open water. It takes a lot more time (and gas) to find open water schools, but to me its fun to get on them with no one around.
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