Milwaukee In-harbor Browns

Made it out twice in the past week, and boated about some nice fish each time. Water temps have been hovering between 33 and 36, so may just stay open a bit longer with moderate temps in the forecast. Lucky for us, since the river was iced up shortly after the first cold blast we had a few weeks back. Rather than working the discharge areas with numerous other boats, we opted to spend most of our time jigging and pitching the main gap. Blades (compliments of Randy W.) and Gulp 5 inch jerk shad both worked, but the hook-up percentage on blades was much better…now ain’t that a surprise. Boated a dozen or so Browns and lakers each day, and missed at least as many. Kept a few of the browns for the smoker and just took a pair of fillets off. With lakers out of season, they were all released.

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Z- If your missing them on blades, then your swinging at tail slaps. When you get those hits that feel like something pushed your blade and didn’t thump it – just hold it still. Almost everytime they will turn around after a tail slap and EAT IT. Just ask Gursky about that lesson. Those Gama EWG trebs are sticky – didn’t you put one in your hand to test them out???

BTW, have you been down to OCPP? Before the north wind, it was on fire down there

Randy Wieland wrote:

Z- If your missing them on blades, then your swinging at tail slaps. When you get those hits that feel like something pushed your blade and didn’t thump it – just hold it still. Almost everytime they will turn around after a tail slap and EAT IT.

Randy my friend, you must have ice water running though your veins. I feel anything and it’s ****** HOOKSET!!!!******. I’d never be able ot keep my nerves under control

After getting skunked the last two times out in the Dells and Lake Geneva, I took a last chance shot at the power plant (Oak Creek south of Milwaukee) during the warm weather early this last week. Living fifteen minutes away, this was on list to learn something about fishing like this close to home.

It took a while, but once I got it down, and found the right spot, I connected with 17 browns, three of them in the 28-30″ range. One point, four fish in four cast. All on 4″ gulp and a 5/16 jig. So fun!!!! I can’t imagine a better way to close out the season.

Discovering something so cool, and this close to home will add so much to my love of fishing early and late in the season. The line on both of my medium setup rod/reels are nice and tightly wound now.

Fantastic fighting fish. Jigging/ casting jigs. Close to home on a nice pre-winter day, it simply does not get much better after it all came together. As much as I have missed fishing Pool 4 in the late fall, this is a real treat.

Glad to see I am not alone!

Steve Root wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Randy Wieland wrote:</div>
Z- If your missing them on blades, then your swinging at tail slaps. When you get those hits that feel like something pushed your blade and didn’t thump it – just hold it still. Almost everytime they will turn around after a tail slap and EAT IT.

Randy my friend, you must have ice water running though your veins. I feel anything and it’s ****** HOOKSET!!!!******. I’d never be able ot keep my nerves under control

Steve,
I pee icicles in July. Some days it’s more fun to see how long you have them swim around with a bait before they spit it.

Cycle, I was thinking about hitting the Dells in the last couple weeks but couldn’t pull myself away from the musky bite I was on on Oconomowoc Lake, and then the Lake MI harbor bite. Surprised to hear it was slow. But the battle with salmon and trout on lighter gear, as opposed to trolling gear, is tough to beat.
And yes, Randy, I did test a hook or two of yours on my fingers; those buggers are sharp. Had to cut a couple off this week to get the fish out of the net. Going to have to pick up some replacement trebles.

On the Dells… My buddy and I were shocked as well. Did the day thing.. working all depths. Super slow would get really light nips… had a couple real little walleye and sauger to boat before they dropped off. Fished in to the night in areas where we have done well this late and still nothing.

Tagging browns in lake michigan had me jumping up and down in the boat. I was alone, and netting the first two big ones was a challenge. Yea the skunk, and then success here at home has me re-thinking my time in the boat late season for sure.

Only did this one other time, and that was this past spring… trolling with our walleye gear. Caught my first two coho salmon…. I am hooked on that direction as well when that small window opens up.

I keep meaning to hit the coho bite, because it can get fast and furious. But with all the fishing opportunities that time of year, a guy can go schizo trying to decide where to fish.