Milwaukee 5-17 Salmon Fest

Headed north to the towers where we found them Monday but decided to set inside in 60fow and troll nne while setting. We were marking bait near the surface and hooks intermittently at various depths. Before all the lines were set 7 color and Mountain Doo a medium king then missed a rigger white dodger/Spotted Cow down 50 and missed a 5 color Lady Bug. I was beginning to worry the misses were predicting another bad hookup rate like Monday. 50 rigger took a LT followed by a small brown on same setup. I was wondering if the bigger fish had left then the full core with new Brad’s Holo NBK fired the first of 5 times for the AM with a 15#king. Then we missed a nice king on 50’ rigger.

The seas were nice with a chop from the SE, very little current with 48 on the surface and 46 down 40. The mid depth rigger was quiet just like Monday so I pulled the dodger/Holstein and put out another NBK and went 2 for 3 on that rod with kings. We kept pecking away trolling north and south 70-75fow keeping the Depth Raider around 1.8. Bait was diminishing as were the hooks but still some bites so didn’t want to leave as no one was around us and looked like most were 120 and out.

We were up to 15 by 0900 and I decided to make my turn on the deep side on this pass and when we got to about 82fow tripled on kings, full core NBK, 7 color Mt Doo and 110 1.5set wire with chrome dodger, aqua teaser and Hey Baby that stopped just shy of 400loc. Before we could get any lines back in 30’ 3set dipsy 8” orange Bechhold and blue longtail a Coho we released and a 5 color Lady Bug and Coho released. 8 color Mt Doo fished the day. 12 kings, 2 Coho, 2 browns and 4 LT and let 4 Coho grow. Only missed 3 fished that had hooked up and reeling and 3 drive bys so way better rate than Mondays escape artist exhibition.

5 color Lady Bug 3 for 4
6 color Hey Baby 1 for 1
7 color Mt Doo 3 for 4
8 color Mt Doo 1 for 2
10 color Holo NBK 5 for 5
200 copper Holo NBK 0
30’ 3 set Bechhold Blue Longtail 1 for 2
80’ 1.5 set wire white dodger/teaser/Holstein 2 for 2
110’ 1.5 set wire chrome dodger/teaser/HeyBaby 1 for 2
40’ rigger trash can dodger/Holovorkian 2 for 2
60’ rigger white dodger/Spotted Cow 4 for 5
40’ rigger SWR Holo NBK 2 for 3.

I’ve never owned an NBK despite lots of others doing well on that color. So we pushed for it in a Brad’s cut plug for one this year’s new colors and sure impressed with first time out.

Grey Beard