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James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
New member
Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 69
Registered: 2-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 8:59 am: | |
Midday Salmon Fishing Techniques Milwaukee #2
By Capt. Jim Hirt
When the sun goes up the fishing action slows down. If this is the way fishing outings go for you please read on to discover some of the proven techniques used by charter captains. Chartering with six people on board is a numbers game. Steady action will entertain the group and more happy customers will follow.
Allow me to share a few presentations for a midday or late morning. Don't get me wrong you won't rock n roll like a first light bite but steady action will increase the numbers in the fish cooler. Two setups come to mind when fishing bright light, calm waters and clear blue bird skies. Lake Michigan Milwaukee water is gin clear and the action can die in a hurry on the clear sky days. First and foremost you must get away from the boat to water undisturbed by conventional tackle. Stealth is the way to go for a all day bite here's how.
The last article was set up and use of leadcore. For the angler with out the budget or space on the boat for 15 rods as I do here is a very simple and inexpensive answer. Some of you may use this technique to some degree of success I have taken it to a new level. This method of presentation will improve your catch by fifty percent.
Downriggers are one of the oldest most used and most productive tools used for salmon and trout on the Great Lakes. Their potential for putting fish in the cooler is undisputed. As with any tool proper usage is the answer to success. A common question I receive from fellow fishermen is how long do you run your drop back leader? This is the length of line between your lure and the downrigger weight. This one item will make the difference of a few fish or steady action. The variables on the length of drop back leader are dictated by many factors. The four most important that I consider are type of lure, amount of light at the presentation, the color of the water and the mood of the fish. The main types of lures fall into three categories spoons, rotators (flashers, dodgers) and plugs. Each of these has it’s own qualities that come out when run with the proper leader length. Spoons are the most forgiving and will do their job on a leader as short as 10 feet although I seldom run them that short unless I am fishing in stained or very deep water. On average 30 feet is a good leader length depending on the other variables. Rotators are another animal. Each type has its own characteristics on average a 20 foot leader is best. The leader length on plugs like spoons aren’t as critical. Twenty feet is a good place to start. The amount of light at the lure will also change your leader length. As a general rule the more light the longer the leader. On calm clear days midday with lots of sun 150-foot leaders will catch fish when a short leader presentation is dead. Fluorocarbon fishing line will also greatly enhance the total number of fish in the boat. I recommend Seaguar Invizx twenty pound for a soft durable fishing line invisible to fish. Mood of fish is also to be considered. Short leaders produce a more erratic action and may turn fish on or off. When setting tackle try some short and some long to get a feel for the mood of the fish. When the bite slows down, change the leader length of the best producing lures to keep the rods dancing. To run this rig, snap on your favorite lure I like Reaper or Vulcan Spoons by http://www.badgertackle.com Good Luck let's go fishing! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
New member
Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 63
Registered: 2-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - 3:02 pm: | |
Midday Salmon Fishing Techniques Milwaukee #1
By Capt. Jim Hirt
When the sun goes up the fishing action slows down. If this is the way fishing outings go for you please read on to discover some of the proven techniques used by charter captains. Chartering with six people on board is a numbers game. Steady action will entertain the group and more happy customers will follow.
Allow me to share a few presentations for a midday or late morning. Don't get me wrong you won't rock n roll like a first light bite but steady action will increase the numbers in the fish cooler. Three setups come to mind when fishing bright light, calm waters and clear blue bird skies. Lake Michigan Milwaukee water is gin clear and the action can die in a hurry on the clear sky days. First and foremost you must get away from the boat to water undisturbed by conventional tackle. Stealth is the way to go for all day bite here's how.
A major improvement and steady producer for me is leadcore on boards. I do not recommend this presentation for first light it is far to time consuming to run during a hot bite. After the early morning bite or about two hours after sunrise I break out the leadcore. The basics are reel, rod, line and planer board. The reel you use is based on the amount of leadcore line you want to run. The rule of thumb is 4-5 feet of depth to every color of leadcore. When your target fish is 15 feet down you should run 3 or 4 colors of leadcore. Some of you may be thinking why is there a variation of 4 to 5 feet per color. The factors that affect this are type of lure and boat speed. This line is graduated in 10-yard sections each having a different color. When selecting a reel purchase one large enough to handle the amount of colors you would like to run. Leadcore is a bulky line and most likely will not fit on the reels you are currently using. Find a tackle store that deals with this product to ensure a correct purchase. Popular set ups are 3 colors, 5 colors and 8 colors.
Rods for leadcore need to have plenty of backbone. I use a heavy action 8-foot rod. This should give you the power needed to reel in 500 feet of line, planer board and 20-pound kings.
The line comes in many test weights. 27 or 36 pound is what I run it all has the same sink rate. You will also need a backing line of one of the super lines like Power Pro. From the leadcore to the lure use a 20-pound fluorocarbon line.
To avoid tangles when running multiple leadcores you will need a planer board for each rig. The purpose of a planer board is to move the line off to the side of the boat away from other lines. Several manufactures have boards for leadcore. Church has a walleye board also you may use Offshore boards.
When loading this reel, start with 300 yards 50 pound Power Pro for a backing line then strip the lead out of the end of the leadcore and tie a Willis Knot to the leadcore. Finish with a Willis Knot and 30 feet of a 20-pound fluorocarbon to a ball bearing cross lock snap.
To run this rig, snap on your favorite lure I like Reaper or Vulcan Spoons by http://www.badgertackle.com and let out all of the line to the backing. Then install your board on the backing so it does not release. I usually run them 150 feet off each side of the boat. More information on this subject in Midday Salmon Fishing Techniques Milwaukee #2. Good Luck let's go fishing! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
New member
Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 60
Registered: 2-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - 12:05 pm: | |
The Three R's of Fishing #2
By Capt. Jim Hirt
As with all sports and activities basics and fundamentals are the foundation from which a sound well played game is achieved. The name of this article could have been the twenty-five R's of fishing because many small details will make or break your day on the water. However I decided to focus on only three of the fundamentals rigging, reacting and record keeping. This is article #2 of a two part article. Look for part #1 for rigging tips.
Reacting to time of year is also to be considered when trying to catch moody fish. As the seasons change, so do the temperatures of the water. Fish are cold blooded and their metabolism changes as their body temp changes. Most anglers know there are cold and warm water species of fish. Which means all fish if given a choice will find their preferred temperature range. In fact too high or too low beyond their limits will cause stress and eventual death. In large fresh water lakes, the time of day isn't nearly as critical at locating the depth of the preferred temperature level for the fish species you're seeking. Lakes layer into three separate layers of water in the spring and stay that way until cold weather. The middle layer, where there is a larger concentration of dissolved oxygen, baitfish and therefore predator fish, is called the thermocline. It can usually be found anywhere from ten feet to the bottom. This is a temperature layer, as well as an oxygen-saturated layer, and fish will relate to it as both a comfort zone and one where their body metabolism functions the most efficiently. These fish will be suspended and feeding on alewives, smelt or other forage fish.
The peak feeding and optimum temperature for Coho and Chinook is 52°, with an active range from 44° to 58°. For Lake Trout the peak feeding and optimum temperature is 51°, with activity from 43° to 53°. Fish will rarely venture out of these zones, once stratification has taken place, except to catch a meal and then will quickly return to it. One thing to remember when fishing the thermocline is that its depth can change from day to day because of wind and wave action. It may be several feet deeper or shallower from one day to the next so you'll have to relocate it each time you go out. Having said all that, when fishing in water temperatures near the bottom of your target species preferred temp, adjust to small spoons in a slow presentation. At their optimum temp go aggressive with large baits in quick presentations. Most anglers under estimate the speed of their quarry.
I cannot stress record keeping too much. Your ability to document good and bad days will be your magic rabbit in the hat. This info will shorten your learning curve and should be reviewed before every fishing outing. Record the date, location, weather, lures or bait, presentation, for each type of fish you catch. Good Luck let's go fishing! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
New member
Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 55
Registered: 2-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 3:40 pm: | |
The Three R's of Fishing #1
By Capt. Jim Hirt
As with all sports and activities basics and fundamentals are the foundation from which a sound well played game is achieved. The name of this article could have been the twenty five R's of fishing because many small details will make or break your day on the water. However I decided to focus on only three of the fundamentals, rigging reacting and record keeping. This is article #1 of a two part article.
Rigging is a vast subject with a different definition to most anglers. To me it means assembling the correct components in the best way to meet the current conditions. Let's get into specifics. The rod, reel, line and terminal tackle are the foundation to success. In my earlier days of fishing the selection of a fishing rod was confusing. The more people you talked to the worse it got. My experience over the years has lead me to a simple conclusion, heavy weight rods for big fish with high test line. Light weight rods for small fish on light test line. Following the recommended line weight marked on the rod will put more fish in the cooler. A rod that is too stiff will not bend with light line. The result will be lost fish from failure to maintain a tight line to the target. You will also be able to use smaller snaps and terminal tackle on light line with a light action rod. This will enhance the lure action with improved presentation.
Reacting to changes will improve your success. The speed of your bait whether it is a spoon, jig, or crankbait is important. The right lure at the wrong speed will be less productive. The correct speed is dictated by many variables. Always consider the mood of fish and the environment they are in and adjust to the conditions. This will help you find the best speed. Mood is defined by weather and the time of year. High and low barometric pressure are a part of the weather question. They both have a significant impact on the mood of all fish. Activity level in fish will change with the movement or lack of barometer movement. You must know what the weather has been preceding your fishing trip. This information will set the stage giving you the information you can use to your advantage. A clear blue high sky after a low pressure front is every anglers nightmare. Fish get spooky, neutral or negative in these conditions. For these types of days a slow spot on the spot presentation is key. Work your favorite location with precise boat and lure control. Inactivity is normal, when this happens pick your favorite locations on any body of water and look for your target species in the next break to deeper water. Work smaller spoons, lures or baits in a slow systematic presentation. If motor trolling is your method of fishing use small spoons. Present them at slow speeds and fish them near the bottom. On the other hand steady barometric pressure for an extended period of time with overcast sky conditions is time to grab your pole and to head for the water. Don't miss these ideal days. The fish will be up on the shallow flats, near shore and active. Pound these fish with big baits and fast erratic actions. Work hard, work fast and cover a lot of water. This sets up a great opportunity for trolling big water. The correct lure color for overcast will put more fish in the boat. Silver or gold has long been the standard until resent years. Cutting edge anglers are now going to glow in the dark lures. The visibility of glow spoons far exceeds the old standards. Badger Tackle has great line up of glow spoons. For the anglers that run a boat speed from 2.0 to 3.5 MPH I would recommend the Vulcan magnum. This is a tough heavy weight spoon with a slim profile that fits well with most freshwater and saltwater forage base sizes. The other one I like is the Reaper. Run the regular size on clear calm days and magnum at first light, overcast or whenever you are down deep or in a low light presentation. The Reaper is a wide spoon with a crippled baitfish action for trolling at speeds of 1.0 to 2.5. The Striper and Salmon fishermen say it is a perfect match to the Shad and Alewife forage. Both are exclusively sold at http://www.badgertackle.com/ you won't be disappointed. Please read part #2 coming soon. Good Luck let's go fishing! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
New member
Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 48
Registered: 2-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 4:42 am: | |
Hi-Tech Rigging And Tools For Trolling
By Capt. Jim Hirt
The details of any one particular item for well rigged hi-tech trolling would be an article in itself. I will try to address that in subsequent articles. This article will not be a primer for the angler starting out. It is for those interested in coming up to speed on what's new and successful for trolling any body of water for any species. The basic presentations will get you by on most days when the fishing is easy. Professional and tournament anglers that troll have found a way to produce fish in the most difficult situations. The word here is STEALTH. It is defined as a presentation with the least visibility that you can fish at great distances from the boat. On Lake Michigan where I fish the state of Wisconsin stocks close to five million fish annually. There is no shortage of quarry for the angler to target. There are still days with calm clear water and high blue skies when conventional presentations produce only marginal results. With fishing everywhere your ability to master a presentation for all types of conditions separates the men from the boys. Your arsenal for hi-tech trolling should definitely include planer boards with copper, leadcore or fluorocarbon line to meet tough conditions. In fact for my money I would skip other options and run all my tackle on one or a combination of these. Multiple lines on boards will out fish all other presentations most days. There will be a learning curve and additional expenses; however, the effort will far exceed your expectations. I will be writing an article on fishing copper in the near future. I already have all the information you need for leadcore rigging in an article #28 Fishing Leadcore Rigging at http://www.badgertackle.com Fluorocarbon options are explained in #13 Spring Fishing Presentation on the same website. This is an excellent less expensive choice for fish from the surface to 50 feet down. Add more or less weight to get the desired depth. Please check out the lures at Badger Tackle. Over the last several years the spoons sold here have out produced all the other spoons I run. They have a great selection of three different spoons with unique actions in a variety of sizes and colors for all game fish.
Most fish locators include a surface temperature gauge and I wouldn't be without one but it is only half of the tools you need. In my opinion the tool you must have for trolling is a speed and temperature gauge. Your down speed and temp are critical and you must have a means to monitor them. The speed and temp gauge attaches to the downrigger cable just above the ball and provides the information needed to keep your lures in the correct temp and at optimum speed. The Great Lakes has under water currents that change with the winds. Wherever you fish the wind effects your body of water the same way. Most times your surface speed will be faster or slower depending on your direction of travel relative to the current below you. When trolling with the current, if the surface speed you selected is 2.0 MPH your lures will be considerably slower and render them ineffective. By monitoring your down speed and temp you will not troll for hours with poor presentation or location.
To complete this article we must know what tool will give us the most reliable measurement of speed and temp. A great product out in the market place for this purpose is the Depth Raider. This unit offers a probe that you connect to a special downrigger cable giving you speed and temp at the lure to depths of 200 feet. This information is sent to an easy to read display. I was very impressed with Curt Kell of Kell Laboratories the innovator of this product. His attention to quality and customer satisfaction sets him apart in the industry. The Depth Raider will set the standard for this type of product for years to come. To get information on this product call Curt at 262-534-2202. Good Luck let's go fishing! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
New member
Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 47
Registered: 2-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 4:39 am: | |
Is Leadcore Right For Me?
By Captain Jim Hirt
I received this e-mail recently and thought it was a good question that more anglers would be interested in. Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Website contact us page http://www.bluemaxcharters.com I will be pleased to answer. My charter season is under way and it may take a while to back to you.
Hello Capt. Jim Hirt:
I really liked your informative article on using leadcore line on the http://www.badgertackle.com web site!!! I am asking for some additional info on using lead core.
I am an avid fisherman on the north shore of lake Erie central basin in Ontario waters. My girl friend and I are always fishing for walleye and trout in the warm weather with great success. Besides my 3 downriggers on my 17 foot boat, Last season I started running the offshore inline planers (yellow ones)...one on each side. I was using a 3 way swivel with one too two ounces of lead and a 4 foot lead pulling a body bait lure. We caught walleye on this setup and a few lunkers (biggest ever). I used line counter reels, one reeled with Power Pro and the other with mono. We are fishing 55 to 75 feet of water. Usually the fish are suspended 40 to 60 feet down. My million dollar question is can we reach these fish at these depths with a leadcore setup off the inline planers. I was reading an article on a Website saying the inline planers would sink if you spool with more than three colors (each color is 10 yds). He was using crankbaits, I use minnow type baits like Ripplin Redfins, Husky Jerks and AC Shiners (floating baits) I would like to here your opinion.
How much lead core (yardage and pound test) can you run from inline planers? What kind of inline planers would you recommend? I really like the idea of purchasing two leadcore outfits to run off my inline planers to target these fish at these depths. Can you recommend a set-up for leadcore to run off inline planers to get down to these fish? Thank you so much for reading this far and could you please reply by email. Have a great fishing season!!!
Thank you for reading my articles. I hope they contribute to you success. I fish leadcore down to 80 feet with no problems. Use one color of 27 pound for every 4-5 feet of depth that you are making your presentation. The variables in depth are boat speed, leader length and type of lure. A slow boat speed with a short leader of fluorocarbon will run about 5 feet per color. A faster boat speed and longer leader will run higher in the water column. Diving lures vs. spoons will also run a little deeper. Back your reel with Power Pro 30 pound. Run as many colors as needed to reach the depth you would like. Finish with a Seaguar fluorocarbon leader of 10 feet and a 30 pound cross lock ball bearing swivel snap. The board I run is determined by the number of colors of lead. For one to seven colors I use Church walleye boards this is their biggest board. Above seven colors I like Yellow Bird Big boards. They make two sizes this is their biggest one. I have run up to 20 colors with no problems on Big Birds. To keep it simple you could run all Big Birds.
I do not like the ready made leadcore combos. They use a Dacron backing it wears easily and breaks and there goes your set up. Power Pro costs more but it will last many seasons. Buy a reel with a retrieve rate of 4.2 to 1 or higher with a capacity of at least 350/30 pound for up to 10 colors. Eight foot medium heavy fiberglass rod will do the trick. Go inexpensive on the rod no more than $25 you don't need an expensive rod. The total for rod and reel should be about $75. full core lead $12, Power Pro $13, Seaguar fluorocarbon leaders $12 and great fishing action on difficult fishing days PRICELESS. The best of luck to you this season!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
New member
Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 46
Registered: 2-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - 8:13 am: | |
Fishing Lures For Catching Moody Fish
By Capt. Jim Hirt
From time to time we all can use a little help. These changes in thinking or additions to your fishing arsenal will improve your success. The speed of your bait whether it is a spoon, jig, or crankbait is important. The right lure at the wrong speed will be less productive. The correct speed is dictated by many variables. Always consider the mood of fish and the environment they are in. This will help you find the best speed. Mood is defined by weather and the time of year. High and low barometric pressure are a part of the weather question. They both have a significant impact on the mood of all fish. Activity level in fish will change with the movement or lack of barometer movement. You must know what the weather has been preceding your fishing trip. This information will set the stage giving you the information you can use to your advantage. A clear blue high sky after a low pressure front is every anglers nightmare. Fish get spooky, neutral or negative in these conditions. A slow spot on the spot presentation is key. Inactivity is normal, pick your favorite locations on any body of water and look for your target species in the next break to deeper water. Work smaller spoons, lures or baits in a slow presentation. If motor trolling is your method of fishing use small spoons. Present them at slow speeds and fish them near the bottom. On the other hand steady barometric pressure for an extended period of time with overcast sky conditions is time to grab your pole and to head for the water. Don't miss these ideal days. The fish will be up on the shallow flats, near shore and active. Pound these fish with big baits and fast erratic actions. Work hard, work fast and cover a lot of water. This sets up a great opportunity for trolling big water. The correct lure color for overcast will put more fish in the boat. Silver or gold has long been the standard until resent years. Cutting edge anglers are now going to glow in the dark lures. The visibility of glow spoons far exceeds the old standards. Badger Tackle has great line up of glow spoons. For the anglers that run a boat speed from 2.0 to 3.5 MPH I would recommend the Vulcan magnum. This is a tough heavy weight spoon with a slim profile that fits well with most freshwater and saltwater forage base sizes. The other one I like is the Reaper. Run the regular size on clear calm days and magnum at first light, overcast or whenever you are down deep or in a low light presentation. The Reaper is a wide spoon with a crippled baitfish action for trolling at speeds of 1.0 to 2.5. The Striper and Salmon fishermen say it is a perfect match to the Shad and Alewife forage. Both are exclusively sold at http://www.badgertackle.com/ you won't be disappointed.
Time of year is also to be considered when trying to catch moody fish. As the seasons change so do the temperatures of the water. Fish are cold blooded and their metabolism changes as their body temp changes. Most anglers know there are cold and warm water species of fish. Which means all fish if given a choice will find their preferred temperature range. In fact too high or too low beyond their limits will cause stress and eventual death. In large fresh water lakes, the time of day isn't nearly as critical as locating the depth of the preferred temperature level for the fish species you're seeking. Lakes layer into three separate layers of water in the spring and stay that way until cold weather. The middle layer, where there is a larger concentration of dissolved oxygen, baitfish and therefore predator fish, is called the thermocline. It can usually be found any where from ten feet to the bottom. This is a temperature layer as well as an oxygen-saturated layer and fish will relate to it as both a comfort zone and one where their body metabolism functions the most efficiently. These fish will be suspended and feeding on alewives, smelt or other forage fish.
The peak feeding and optimum temperature for coho and Chinook is 52° with an active range from 44° to 58°. For lake trout, the peak feeding and optimum temperature is 51° with activity from 43° to 53°. Fish will rarely venture out of these zones, once stratification has taken place, except to catch a meal and then will quickly return to it. One thing to remember when fishing the thermocline is that its depth can change from day to day because of wind and wave action. It may be several feet deeper or shallower from one day to the next so you'll have to relocate it each time you go out. Having said all that, when fishing in water temperatures near the bottom of your target species preferred temp, adjust to small spoons in a slow presentation. At their optimum temp go aggressive with large baits in quick presentations. Most anglers under estimate the speed of their quarry. Good Luck let's go fishing! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
New member
Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 45
Registered: 2-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 4:03 pm: | |
Smart Fishing Lures On Red Fishing Line!
By Capt. Jim Hirt
The year of red has arrived. Wherever you fish and whatever you fish for fishing lures on red fishing line will increase your catch. That's a fact let me tell you why. The reason it is so effective is simple, visibility. Read this article for all species all presentation tips that will work for you.
Some of you will think red line what happened to clear mono line. There are applications where clear will work well but red will work better. Visibility needs to be broken down into sections. First a discussion of how light penetrates water and the impact of light on successful fishing. I must go into a little science to illustrate why red is sweeping the fishing line industry. The color of your lure has long been a concern by anglers. Correct lure color is very important to your success. A bait with a color that produces well on top water may not be effective in a deeper presentation. Now line color will add to the success of any presentation. This is a good time to talk about color as it relates to the amount of light. You may or may not remember learning the colors of the rainbow in school. The colors are remembered by this acronym "ROY G BIV". These letters mean red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Most of the time I run lure colors of red, orange, or yellow when a lure is presented in the portion of the water column with the most light. The other end of the rainbow blue, indigo and violet are used in darker or low light situations. The reason for this is the spectrum of light changes as it penetrates the water. As demonstrated by this discussion, the first color that disappears as light penetrates water is red. This is why red fishing line is so effective. Red disappears at 15 to 30 feet of water. We all know that a line that is invisible to fish will not spook your target and lures look more natural. For this reason red will put you on more action in deeper presentations.
What if most of your fishing is done in less than 30 feet of water? Red line should also be your first choice. This secret is now being used by pro bass fishermen to catch more fish in shallow water. The key here is your ability to see subtle movement in the line to detect the bite. Clear line is very hard to see and you will miss the nibblers. A bass will inhale the bait and spit it out before you can detect the line movement.
Rigging is important to red line in shallow or deep water. Running red line directly to your favorite lure may not be the way to go. Tournament anglers are using a 4-foot fluorocarbon clear leader on the end of the red line. This approach should be applied anytime red line is used. Ice fisherman use 4-pound test red line with fluorocarbon leader to detect the bite of small pan fish. Salmon anglers trolling with multiple lines will find red line is easier to see and more manageable with less tangles. The answer is red above and below the water. Follow this tip for more action and less downtime. Live bait, plastics, cranks and spoons all become more effective on red line. Power Pro, a leader in the fishing line industry, has an ultra-strong braided Spectra® Fiber Phantom Red line that is the first choice of cutting edge anglers everywhere.
Please allow me to tell you of a relatively new and much improved addition to spoon colors. I have found that glow in dark colors catch more fish. After charging up the glow paint on the spoons with a bright light, they will take fish in the dark or stained water. You will find several manufactures with this product. I have found the glow on the spoons at http://www.badgertackle.com will last longer than most of the spoons being sold. Good Luck let's go fishing! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
New member
Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 44
Registered: 2-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 01, 2007 - 4:32 pm: | |
Fishing Spoons for all Seasons
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Fishing spoons for spring, fishing spoons for summer, fishing spoons for fall and winter. Spoons are never the wrong bait. The variety of spoons is the reason they produce. The universal popularity of the spoon worldwide has caused it to evolve to a all species all season favorite. I would need to write a large book to go into all the types of spoons and their applications to different species. When I was done the subject would only be scratched on the surface. The best approach for me would be to cover all season fishing with spoons for salmon, trout and freshwater game fish. Fortunately I have had an opportunity over the past 25 years to try my luck on a wide assortment of species. The three most important factors to consider in lure selection are the action, color and size. I will break this down by season and type of fish.
The preferred water temperature of your target easily defines spoon action. In the times of the year when the fish you are after cannot find the temperature of the water they like you must adjust to meet conditions. For instance, you are looking to hook up with Brown Trout and the water temperature is 40 degrees, twenty degrees below their preferred range of 58 to 66 degrees. A slower lure action is required for this cold water. This can be achieved by a slower retrieve rate when casting or a slower boat speed for trolling. The problem with a slow speed is many spoons loose their fish attracting action. A spoon that solves this problem is the Nestor Wobbler made by BadgerTackle.com. The crankbait action of this spoon is deadly in slow presentations. This spoon also has multiple holes in the lip that will allow you to change from a wobbly baitfish action to a vibrating high-speed action. I recommend the Nestor Wobbler for most salmon, trout, bass and pike. It has been a consistent producer for me. Any time your target is in cooler water than they like slow down to improve your catch rate.
Color is very important to your success. Light is the number one consideration in your lure color. This is a good time to talk about color as it relates to the amount of light. You may or may not remember learning the colors of the rainbow in school. The colors are remembered by this acronym "ROY G BIV". These letters mean red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. There are exceptions to every rule. Most of the time I run lure colors of red, orange, or yellow when that lure is presented in the portion of the water column with the most light. The other end of the rainbow blue, indigo and violet are used in darker or low light situations. You may ask what about silver and white? I consider these as neutral or they will work in any type of light. All the other colors fall into either bright or dark. Bright lures are used in bright light conditions dark lures in low light. A relatively new and much improved addition to spoon colors is the glow in dark colors. After charging up the glow paint on the spoons with a bright light, they will take fish in the dark or stained water. You will find several manufactures with this product. I have found the glow on Badger Tackle spoons will last longer than most of the spoons being sold.
Size is as important to productive fishing as any of the other variables. The rules are simple: match lure size to the forage of your target and if fishing is slow or dead go to smaller size spoons. For example the first light bite was fantastic you were on your way to a limit catch. Then the sun comes up bright in a clear blue sky and all the action stops. I believe the reason for this is too much flash produced by large lures turns off fish. This is time to scale down to smaller lures. This approach can be applied any time you find yourself in bright conditions.
Consider all three, action, color and size to become more productive. Fish come in a wide variety of sizes and attitudes and one thing is common to all. You must get their attention if you expect to catch them. Adjust to meet conditions and you will become a better angler. Good Luck let's go fishing! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Fishing Lures for Trophy Lake Trout
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In this article we will complete the series on catching trophy fish. I would like to explore location, presentation and lure selection for Lake Trout. Fishermen everywhere covet them for their table excellence giving them a nickname of poor man’s Lobster. Lake Trout baked or poached and served with melted butter is a feast fit for a king. This slow growing member of the Char family can attain a life of over twenty years and have been known to grow to more than 50 inches and reach over 100 pounds. Lake Trout are mature enough to reproduce when they are six or seven years old. Some Lake Trout respond to a homing instinct. They return to the same spawning grounds year after year, while others do not. This trout lives in deep cold lakes. Their preferred water temperature is about 50 degrees. In the summer they stay deep and can usually be caught by deep trolling. But as the water cools with the fall season and into spring, artificial lures and flies may take lake trout fished shallower, near shore.
Finding a trophy may be a difficult task although I feel following a few rules will augment your odds for success. I have found that in twenty years of fishing my biggest have come on spoons. I believe the reason for this is spoons will maintain an attractive appearance at very slow speeds. When you think Lakers think slow. This very cold water species has the slowest metabolism of all the game fish. If you have not caught a Laker, you are trolling too fast. The bigger the Lake Trout the colder the water they prefer and the slower they move. A quality large spoon that trolls well at speeds below one mile per hour is required. Keeping in mind that you will be working in deep water below 100 feet. The color choices should be in the bottom half spectrum of the rainbow. There is not much light down there and green, blue, indigo violet colors will sustain some color at these depths. A silver plated spoon will reflect light better in low light and used in combination with the colors is a good choice. You might try the new Reaper glow in the dark spoons. They were very productive for me this last season. The lack of light has brought me to my favorite presentation. In some cases bouncing the bottom is the only way to provoke a strike. A one pound lead ball sinker will allow the contact needed. Use a wire line rod with 30 pound wire terminated with a plastic keel and lead ball. The keel provides a three way connection for wire, ball and monofilament. At the end of a two foot mono leader run an 8 inch silver or glow in the dark dodger and a 4 foot lead to the spoon. Troll with the bottom contour letting out enough wire to allow the ball to bounce on the bottom. A word of caution, some bottoms have lots of hang ups and it takes a constant vigilance on your part to avoid hanging up and still keep constant bottom contact.
As you read earlier, when the water cools in fall they return to the same spawning grounds year after year. The eggs are deposited over a boulder-strewn or rubble bottom structure, in depths from 40 feet to about one foot. This affords the angler another opportunity to get into some serious laker action. Work this shallow water with the same wire line rod. Go with 8 ounces of weight no flasher and standard Reaper Big Joe red/green or Reaper Peacock blue/green spoons. Motor troll the shallows while hand holding the rod bouncing the bottom as you go.
Let's wrap this up with my favorite Lake Trout lures. Dodgers and magnum spoons are my first choice with dodger Spin n Glows a close second. The two most productive Lake Trout spoons for me in recent years are the glow in the dark Reaper Green Fox Glow and Fish n Chip Silver both sold by Badgertackle.com The standard Reaper in the silver combinations are best for shallow water. This completes the trophy variables series I hope you enjoyed it and it leads to your fish of a lifetime. I will give an overview of different types of lures in the next article with a focus on spoons. Good Luck let's go fishing! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Fishing Milwaukee Wisconsin For Trophy Tail Walking Rainbows
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In this article we will continue with successful methods of catching trophy fish. I would like to explore location, presentation and lure selection for Rainbows. The excitement of Rainbow Trout fishing is on the top of my list. When you hook up with a fish that goes air-borne, it is an experience you will never forget. This trophy fish is not as commonly caught on Lake Michigan as the other species primarily due to their summer location. Where there are exceptions, most of the time deep water is the best location to find them. Look for them in 150 feet of water and deeper. This fish likes deep water but don't look for them on the bottom. Fishing the surface down to forty feet should be your target.
The primary forage for Rainbows up to six pounds is aquatic and terrestrial insects, crayfish and other crustaceans. Rainbows also eat fish, as well as plankton, snails, leeches and fish eggs. They take a variety of anglers’ flies, lures and baits. The presentation of choice for fish under six pounds is flashers and flies. Big bows are more likely to forage on baitfish and spoons would be the way to go for trophies.
The water temperatures in June make it the best month for all size Rainbows. Rainbow Trout are a cold water fish that cannot survive when the water temperature rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period of time. Their optimum water temperature is about 55 degrees. Although they do best when the water is less than 70 degrees, they can withstand temperatures into the 70s if there is plenty of oxygen. In June the surface water near shore warms first. This warming trend extends to the deeper surface water as the season continues. A temperature break where the warm near shore surface water meets the colder off shore can be dynamite in holding trophies. In forage-rich Lake Michigan, they grow 30-32 inches long and may reach 16 pounds by the time they are five years old. On charter we have boated Rainbows to 21 pounds.
Please allow me to give you an overview of the optimum conditions for predictable success. This is a fish with banker's hours. I never work them before 10 in the morning and by 4 in the afternoon they are off the best bite of the day. They like the bright light and your lures should be for the brightest conditions. If you recall from one of my earlier articles on lure color as it relates to light, you should use lures that are at the top end of the rainbow that are red, orange, yellow and green. Combinations of these colors on a silver spoon will get the action started. Two of my favorites are made by Badger Tackle the Vulcan Dolphin Green and Silver and the Reaper Big Joe Silver. These lures are sold only at badgertackle.com
A stealthy approach is necessary for the biggest fish. Several that can be used are trolling downriggers with leads to 100 feet or more and leadcore is another good choice. Three to five colors of lead will put your lures where they belong. Get away from the boat in water undisturbed. The basics of leadcore are simple. The most expensive part is the reel. It must have enough line capacity to handle the leadcore line plus mono and Dacron for a total of anywhere from 300 to 600 yards. I run my three to ten colors on an Okuma Convector CV45D. This is the smallest reel a full core will fit on. Leadcore sinks at a rate of 4-5 feet per color. A half core will run about 24 feet deep. When loading this reel, start with 100 yards of a braided Dacron then strip the lead out of the end of the leadcore and tie a Blood Knot to the leadcore. Finish with a Willis Knot and 60 feet of a 20-pound monofilament to a ball bearing cross lock snap. You will need a heavy action 8-foot rod to work with lead. The most effective way to present this is with a Yellow Bird Big Bird planer board if you are going to use multiple set ups. Snap on your favorite lure and let out all of the line to the Dacron. Then install your board so it does not release. I usually run them 150 feet off each side of the boat. Very wide turns and low boat traffic are a must to avoid tangles and getting run over. I set my drags light. When the reel starts to scream, adjust the drag as necessary. Reel in the line until you can reach the board and hand release it. Now the line is clear to bring in the fish. I will continue with trophy variables for Lake Trout in the next article. Good Luck let's go fishing Captain Jim. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2007, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Fishing Milwaukee Early Risers Catch Trophy Brown Trout
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In this article we will continue with successful methods of catching trophy fish. I would like to explore location, presentation and lure selection for Brown Trout. This is a virtual untapped resource on Lake Michigan. Most anglers get hung up on salmon fishing and ignore big Bulldog Brown Trout. Once you have an opportunity to hook up with a fish that is almost as big around as he is long you will be back for more. Footballs, as we like to call them, are only about 3% of the catch out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The lack of popularity and pressure puts you in a great position to boat a real wall hanger. This unique specie has two strains the Domestic or German and the Seeforellen. The bigger of the two is the Seeforellen with the state record at 36.5 pounds. I have landed German Browns over 20 pounds. This is definitely a trophy in any angler’s book. Where there are similarities in the two species on temperature preference the biggest difference is location. Domestic are more of a near shore fish and Seeforellens are a pelagic specie found suspended in deeper water.
Please allow me to give you an overview of the optimum conditions for predictable success. All the weather factors discussed in the last article pertain to Browns as well. They are always more active at first light and last light of the day. Heavy overcast days afford some of the best opportunities for lunkers
Temperature is as important in producing Browns as it is for any other fish. I work water that is 60 to 63 degrees when it is available. The month of April is known for easy pickings on all size Browns. When the lake has not warmed up to the preferred temp for Browns, look for them at mouths of rivers, harbors, protected bays and power plant discharges that offer water above the lake temp. A temperature gauge is a tool all fishermen cannot be without.
A stealthy approach is necessary for the biggest fish. In definition stealthy is a presentation that avoids being notice. Several that can be used are trolling downriggers with leads to 100 feet or more and leadcore is another good choice. Most of the time you will find working shallow water less than 40 feet is key to domestic brown success. In the clear shallow water a normal presentation will generally not produce.
Mid summer is the best time to locate Seeforellens in deep water. Find a sharp break in temperature from the colder lake water to 60 to 63 degrees and present your tackle in temperature they prefer. These breaks above colder water are the best place to locate trophy fish. Presentation will remain the same get away from the boat in water undisturbed. I have one more presentation that you may find easier to work especially in shallow water. Fish the surface down to fifteen feet with planer Boards. Some of your choices are, Yellow Birds, Church, Off Shore and Riviera. I’m a little hesitant to recommend a particular brand because what works for me may not work for you. I will say I find it easier to run a small board on each line rather than a large board with releases on the towline. I do feel it is important to run all the same type to get a presentation that is easy and productive. The clear surface water leaves you with a visibility factor to consider. I run a 1/4 to 1 ounce bead chain trolling sinker at the end of the 20-25lb mono to avoid line twists and get the depth I want. From the sinker to the lure I use 8ft of a 12lb mono and a small round cross lock snap. When the fish hits, the board slides down to the trolling sinker. With the sinker in line, the board will not knock the fish off as it would if it ran down to the lure. When setting this presentation, I set my boat speed at 2 mph and let out my lure about 30 to 100 feet and attach the board. This distance will change with the amount of light, type of lure and depth you want to fish. When action is slow, adjust this distance and see what happens. Once the board is attached, carefully lower the board into the water and let out enough line to allow room for more boards, between that board and the boat. Boards should be spaced about 30 feet apart. When a fish hits, the board releases and it will drop back behind the boat. Land your fish and reset this board by letting out enough line to allow the board to fly back into the same spot it came from.
Let's wrap this up with my favorite Brown Trout lures. Spoons are my first choice with crankbaits and minnow type lures a close second. Always consider the size of the baitfish and amount of light in the time period you are fishing. When fishing in bright conditions or with the presence of small baitfish go to regular or small lures. Run the magnum spoons in low light situations. The two most productive Brown Trout spoons for me in recent years are the glow in the dark Vulcan and Reaper both sold by Badgertackle.com The silver/blue Vulcan has also been a regular producer. The shore fishermen are also having good success with this lure. I will continue with trophy variables for Rainbow Trout in the next article. Good Luck! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Salmon Charters Milwaukee Trophy Chinooks The Best Time, Lure And Location!
By Capt. Jim Hirt
We are truly blessed with a world class fishery on Lake Michigan. It is not uncommon to boat fifteen fish in a five hour period. The management of this resource over the twenty plus years I have been chartering has been outstanding. Chinook Salmon, in the twelve to seventeen pound class, are a regular part of most trips. The big hogs over twenty five pounds are not as common as they used to be. It requires a special attitude on your part to target a wall hanger. As stated in the previous article timing is critical. On most days I have a fair idea of the size and quantity of the catch I expect to produce before the lines are set. Please allow me to give you an overview of the optimum conditions for predictable success. I will also try to cover exceptions to the rules that I have run into over the years.
Weather is as big of a factor as any and when the conditions are favorable you can expect huge fish. Weather fronts, sky conditions, barometer and sea state all play a role in turning on the fish that dreams are made of. I always look for barometer movement. A steady barometer may offer a great chance to get a suntan but it is not conducive to trophy fishing. When the sky turns black and the waves start to build Mother Nature gets up and going. The odds of huge fish are definitely on your side if you have the guts to stay the course. A word of caution, it is essential that the novice or faint of heart use prudent judgment in these conditions. You must know your equipment and have it in top shape. When this may be a little extreme for some allow me to present some options.
Big Chinook Salmon are a cold water species so look for them in temperatures below 45 degrees. The exception is when they come into spawn. At this point in their life temperature is not important. Keep your baits in 45-degree temperature and you will increase your odds on big fish. When I am catching small fish, I know the water is too warm for a trophy. It is time to adjust the tackle to colder water. A temperature gauge is a tool a salmon fisherman cannot be without.
Clear water and sunny conditions are the enemy. This scenario will turn off most fish. However some fish can be had when certain presentations are used. A stealthy approach is necessary for the biggest fish. In definition stealthy is a presentation that avoids being notice. Several are used for salmon trolling. Downriggers are a popular method to run tackle with many variations possible. In sunny conditions increase your downrigger leads to 100 feet or more. By running long leads you work water undisturbed by noise and turbulence of the boat. Leadcore is another good choice. A weighted line with a fluorocarbon leader is attached to a planer board. The planer board is run well off to the side of the boat out of the travel path. Leadcore is graduated to allow five feet of depth for every color. Five colors will run lures approximately 25 feet down 10 colors fifty feet and so on. This allows you to fish any depth you want and is a killer for huge kings.
Chinook live four and a half years and it makes sense that they will be the biggest at the end of their life cycle. These monsters will be the most aggressive and easiest to get in the months of July thru September. I have produced Kings over twenty pounds in April, although this is the exception to the rule.
Let's wrap this up with my favorite lures. Magnum spoons are my first choice. Big lures big fish with a consideration to the size of the baitfish and amount of light in the time period you are fishing. When fishing in very bright conditions or with the presence of small baitfish go to regular or small lures. My magnum spoons are about five inches long, regular four inches and small three inches. The two most productive spoons for me during the 2006 season was the Vulcan magnum and Reaper Magnum both sold by Badgertackle.com For a slow 2.0 M.P.H. or slower presentation I use the Reaper. Above 2.0 speeds the Vulcan is best, it mixes well with most big plugs and flasher flies.
I will continue with trophy variables for Brown Trout in the next article. Good Luck! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 2:31 pm: | |
Milwaukee Trophy Salmon And Trout Fishing Variables.
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Several factors determine the size and quantity of your catch. If you are a member of a fishing club, you probably noticed the same persons seem to place very well for the biggest fish every year. I believe there are many components that go into their success. Yes they pay their dues by being on the water more than most. This affords them an opportunity to try a variety of presentations in all seasons and weather. Unfortunately all of us cannot break away and get out on the water as often as we would like to. This starts a series of five articles that goes into some of the variables that will allow you to land a fish of a lifetime.
Timing is undoubtedly the number one variable. By timing I mean to fish when the big ones are biting. This includes weather, time of day and time of the year. If I were a Musky angler, the window for this opportunity would be very small. The good news is salmon and trout fishing is much broader in scope, with greater chances to boat your trophy. You can boat a twenty plus pound Salmon, Brown, Rainbow or Lake Trout from the start of the Lake Michigan season in April to late October. Let's narrow that down by species and time of year.
Chinook Salmon live four and a half years and it makes sense that they will be the biggest at the end of their life cycle. These monsters will be the most aggressive and easiest to get in the months of late June thru September.
Brown Trout love the warm water. To catch the biggest look for a heavy thermo cline with a radical shift in temp from sixty to fifty in just a few feet of water. This is definitely a mid summer pattern during the months of July and August.
Huge Rainbows are most accessible in the month of June. The reason for this is as Lake Michigan or any large body of water warms up the temperature near shore warms first. As this warm water pushes out it meets the cold surface water. This is a magnet for big Rainbows. Fishing the surface temp breaks yields the big bows every season.
Lake Trout are a real treat and trophies can be caught all season long. The best scenario is when the temperature breaks sharply from sixty to the forty-five degrees below one hundred feet of water. This concentrates the baitfish and the big Lakers are easy pickings.
This should help you with the best time of year, now shall we consider the time of day. You may find some surprises here because all species are not created equal. Most anglers know that the time period from one hour before sunrise to one hour after is key to hot action. This is also true for the last hour of the day. Your best numbers of fish can come early and late although usually not the trophies. My theory is in a hot bite the best tackle and presentations are not in the water. Specialized tackle and presentation is key when you are on a trophy hunt.
Monster Kings or Chinooks are the least particular when it comes to time of the day. I will say I have boated some of my biggest fish year after year during the hours of eleven to one in the afternoon.
Brown Trout are another story they definitely like low light. First light or last, heavy overcast and foggy days are killers for huge Browns. I wouldn't even go after them mid day in sunny conditions.
Rainbows love light and lots of it. Pound these tail walkers from ten in the morning to three in the afternoon. I will go into a great mid day presentation for non-stop action in a future article.
Lake Trout in general are very seldom found near the surface and the biggest ones are never there. They hang on the bottom in more than one hundred feet of water. Look for them well after the sun comes up on clear sunny days.
In the next article I will explain how weather can help you boat the big ones and the most productive presentations, lures and locations for your wall hanger Chinooks. Good Luck! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 2:30 pm: | |
Charter Milwaukee Trolling Tips For More Fish In The Cooler
By Capt. Jim Hirt
This article wraps up with more ideas and gives a summary of ways to boat more salmon and trout. All of these tips will work for all trolling applications. Some days you can do everything wrong and still end up with a decent number in the cooler. Aggressive fish hammer the lures and stick well. There are also days when most of the fish are off by the time you get to the rod. Several things I do will put more fish in the cooler for you.
The number one most important change to make to keep the fish on the line is good quality hooks. This may sound obvious, although some anglers do not pay attention to this detail. I look for 1x, 2x, and 3x or in some cases 4 extra strong hooks. Strong sharp hooks are a simple answer with immediate results. Most manufactures of fishing lures cut costs by using a cheap hook. Your time and other expenses are large compared to replacement hooks. All hook manufactures offer standard and premium grade hooks. Look for the best extra strong extra sharp they have to offer.
Correctly set reel drags are a close second. I always hear stories of the big one that got away. The line breaks, a snap opens or some other failure of the terminal tackle. Please allow me to explain how to correctly set and maintain your drag on your reels. The correct amount of drag is measured in pounds. You find the correct number by dividing the test weight of your line by four or 25% of the line breaking value. All line sold will have the line weight marked on the package. An example would be 20-pound test divided by four would have a drag setting of 5 pounds. To get this setting run the line through all the rod eyes as you normally would and connect the line to a spring scale. The other end of the scale should be connected to a fixed object. Pull on the line with the rod bent over and adjust the reel drag to allow it to slip as a 5-pound measurement is obtained on the scale. Where this may feel a little light to some anglers, it will allow the fish to be played without pulling the hook out of the fish. The rod should play the fish and not the reel. Do not crank up the drag to pull the fish in with the reel. This will only lead to lost fish and disappointment.
To me there is nothing more vital to my success on the lake and satisfaction of my customers than a high ratio of fish on to fish in. I am sure there are some that will disagree with a procedure I use. I pull my lines and stop the boat on all of the fish over ten pounds or at least that's my goal. Occasionally, in the heat of the battle, a larger fish will end up close to the boat before we can clear lines. Then I will take the boat down as slow as we can to avoid getting the fish around my other lines. The longer you drag the fish around the more time they have to get off. Over the years I have found that the harder you pull on the fish the harder they fight and more likely they will come off. This also allows me to run smaller terminal tackle and lighter lines both of which improve presentation.
I will wrap this up with one more of many small details that help to put the fish in the cooler. How you play the fish is an art of which, when done correctly, will go a long way to your success. I am a firm believer in not pumping the rod to high or too fast. As you remove the rod from the rod holder it is your option to set the hook or not. I personally don't do it. When you have twenty pounds of salmon tearing line off the reel and you pull to set the hook something has to give. Bend a hook, open a snap, break a line or rip the hook out of his mouth all of which are not good. Just maintain the bend in the rod and use a moderate pumping motion raising the rod to the one o'clock position and lowering it to the three o'clock position. On the down stroke reel in the line on the reel. When the fish is running there is nothing you can do just enjoy the fight. During this time reduce your boat speed and or pull lines to reduce the pressure on the tackle. Good Luck!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 07, 2006 - 5:55 am: | |
Salmon Fishing Milwaukee Patience Puts More Fish In The Cooler
Milwaukee fall fishing has never been better. The west wind has moved the Alewives in from 160 feet to 50 feet and the temperature is 45 degrees at 30 feet down. All presentations are working. Spoons, flasher flies and plugs are all taking fish. The first light bite has been fantastic. Doubles and triples are common when the sun is just on the horizon. I start my morning with all glow spoons. Charge them up with bright light before you put them in. Charge them again every opportunity you have in all low light situations. Keep them bright for the hottest action. I have been running my Slide Divers on #4 early and going to a lower number after it gets brighter out. The lower the number the deeper they dive. Sixty feet of line out is a good place to start. The best glow spoons for me have been the Reaper Fish Fry, Green Fox or any of the Tiger Glows in the magnum size. The only place you can find them is at Badgertackle.com Downriggers 40 to 60 down have been the ticket once again with glow spoons. Later in the day on sunny days move to deeper water and fish 60 to 90 feet down with Vulcan Silver Plate, Silver Sky or any of the silver colors in the regular size. This 3-inch spoon is just the right size to match the Alewives look for them at Badgertackle.com
Four-year-old kings are also available. Most of the boats are reporting four to six of these big bruisers each trip. You will have to pick and peck at them. Try magnum spoons and #3 and #4 J-plugs. The big kings will be available until mid October with the quantities diminishing toward the end of October. For exciting action on the biggest fish of the year fish the warm water outside the break walls, in the harbor gaps and around the harbor. When the water is clear go with all silver, silver/green, silver/blue. In low light or cloudy stained water, run the glow in the dark spoons. Downriggers 15 to 30 down are the way to go. Run your corner downriggers at 12 to 22 feet with 60-foot leads and cover the deeper water with the remaining downriggers. The Slide Divers are taking a lot of fish with the large ring set to #2 and 50 foot leads at 37 feet of line out. I used 50-pound Power Pro on all my divers this year and it allowed for better hook sets and deeper running with less problems.
Let's continue with ways to land more of the fish you have on the line. We covered quality hooks and correct setting of the drags on your reels. They probably rank as the top two in importance, although there are many other ways to get the fish to stick. To me there is nothing more vital to my success on the lake and satisfaction of my customers than a high ratio fish on to fish in. I am sure there are some that will disagree with a procedure I use to allow a greater numbers at the end of the day. I pull my lines and stop the boat on all of the fish over ten pounds or at least that's my goal. Occasionally, in the heat of the battle, a larger fish will end up close to the boat before we can clear lines. Then I will take the boat down as slow as we can to avoid getting the fish around my other lines. The longer you drag the fish around the more time they have to get off. Over the years I have found that the harder you pull on the fish the harder they fight and more likely they will come off. This also allows me to run smaller terminal tackle and lighter lines both of which improve presentation. I know pulling lines is a lot of work but I would rather do that than disappoint a customer and friend. I have the pleasure of a new group of fishermen twice a day with a wide variety of experience. Most of who have never caught a fish before. My youngest this year was three and oldest was eighty-seven. We managed to boat over 80% of the fish we had on. There will be more on this subject in the next article. Good Luck!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 35
Registered: 2-2006
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 28, 2006 - 6:13 am: | |
Charter Fishing Milwaukee Improving Your Fish On To In The Cooler Ratio!
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Every year I try to improve my number of fish in the cooler.
Some days you can do everything wrong and still end up with a decent number in the cooler. Aggressive fish hammer the lures and stick well and there are days when most of the fish are off by the time you get to the rod. Several things I do now that seem to be working for me I know will put more fish in the cooler for you.
The number one most important change to make to keep the fish on the line are good quality hooks. This may sound obvious, although some anglers do not pay attention to this detail. I look for 1x, 2x, and 3x or in some cases 4 extra strong hooks. Strong sharp hooks are a simple answer with immediate results. Most manufactures of fishing lures cut costs by using a cheap hook. Cheap hooks may get the job done the first time but don't count on it. Your time and other expenses are large compared to replacement hooks. All hook manufactures offer standard and premium grade hooks. Look for the best extra strong extra sharp they have to offer. Go with the same size that is on the lure when purchased. After you have landed a fish take your time not to bend the hook removing it from the fish. A common problem is the hook gets caught in the net and it is bent out of shape. Never! Never! straighten a bent hook. Buy yourself a split ring pliers and replace the bent hook. You should carry plenty of spare hooks on board. Always inspect your hooks for sharpness and shape before you put them in the water. I guarantee you will loose less fish when you follow these guidelines. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved
Set The Drag For more Fish In The Cooler
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Every year I try to improve my number of fish in the cooler. This article is a continuation of last issue with some of the most important ways to improve the number of fish on to those in the cooler. As I stated in the last article quality hooks are the most important with correctly set reel drags as close second. I always hear stories of the big one that got away. The line breaks, a snap opens or some other failure of the terminal tackle. Please allow me to explain how to correctly set and maintain your drag on your reels. The correct amount of drag is measured in pounds. You find the correct number by dividing the test weight of your line by four or 25% of the line breaking value. All line sold will have the line weight marked on the package. An example would be 20-pound test divided by four would have a drag setting of 5 pounds. To get this setting run the line through all the rod eyes as you normally would and connect the line to a spring scale. The other end of the scale should be connected to a fixed object. Pull on the line with the rod bent over and adjust the reel drag to allow it to slip as a 5-pound measurement is obtained on the scale. Where this may feel a little light to some anglers it will allow the fish to be played without pulling the hook out of the fish. The rod should play the fish and not the reel. On bigger fish pump the rod in a gentle motion and reel in the line on the down stroke. The purpose of the reel is to store the line. Do not crank up the drag to pull the fish in with the reel. This will only lead to lost fish and disappointment. Have fun!! Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 33
Registered: 2-2006
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 08, 2006 - 6:32 am: | |
Fishing Milwaukee Downrigger Leaders How Long ?
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin The four year old Chinooks are staging and getting ready to come up the Milwaukee River. Look for exciting action on the biggest fish of the year in the warm water outside the break walls, in the harbor gaps and around the harbor. Don't try to finesse them because they are biting on reflex reaction. What I mean by this is rotators with flies, small spoons and slow trolling is definitely out! Go big go fast for best results. My first choice for tackle is the Vulcan magnum spoon. A close second and third choice are the Nestor Wobblers magnum size and size #4 J-plugs. When the water is clear go with all silver, silver/green, silver/blue. In low light or cloudy stained water, run the glow in the dark colors. Vulcan and Nestor Wobblers you can get from Badgertackle.com J-plugs you can get anywhere. Downriggers 15 to 30 down are the way to go.
If the two and three year old Chinooks are the way you want to go, look for the temp break to 50 degree water. The wind has been moving the fish around. A couple of days of west wind will move the warm water out and the fish will come in to 50 to 60 feet of water. When the wind blows east, go deep over 100 feet for fish. Reaper Spoons, J-Plugs and Rotators with blue or green flies are steady producers. I like to run a mix of rotators and spoons. The rotators will attract the fish to your downrigger presentation. As always check the water temperature as the first thing you do. Find the 50 degree water and you will most likely find fish. If you fish at first light, you may find fish in the warm water above the temperature break to 50 degrees. When the water is above 50 degrees from top to bottom, continue to deeper water in search of colder water for two and three year old salmon. Action has been steady and predictable. All presentations are working early in the day. Downriggers are better later in the morning or mid day. Try Slide Divers set to #2 with 65 feet of Power Pro line out or conventional mono divers with 80 to 100 feet of line out. Temperature is the key. Find the break and work above and below it for salmon. If it's clear and calm, you may have to run long leads of 50-100 feet on the Slide Divers and downriggers.
Downriggers are one of the oldest most used and most productive tools used for salmon and trout on the Great Lakes. Their potential for putting fish in the cooler is undisputed. As with any tool proper usage is the answer to success. A common question I receive from fellow fishermen is how long do you run your drop back leader? This is the length of line between your lure and the downrigger weight. This one item will make the difference of a few fish or steady action. The variables on the length of drop back leader are dictated by many factors. The four most important that I consider are type of lure, amount of light at the presentation, the color of the water and the mood of the fish. The main types of lures fall into three categories spoons, rotators (flashers, dodgers) and plugs. Each of these has it’s own qualities that come out when run with the proper leader length. Spoons are the most forgiving and will do their job on a leader as short as 10 feet although I seldom run them that short unless I am fishing in stained or very deep water. On average 30 feet is a good leader length depending on the other variables. Rotators are another animal. Each type has its own characteristics on average a 12 foot leader is best. If you run them too long they loose their action. The leader length on Plugs like spoons aren’t as critical. Twenty feet is a good place to start. The amount of light at the lure will also change your leader length. As a general rule the more light the longer the leader. On calm clear days with lots of sun 100-foot leaders will catch fish when a short leader presentation is dead. The exception to this rule is the rotators. Long leaders on rotators will usually not produce. Mood of fish is also to be considered. Short leaders produce a more erratic action and may turn fish on or off. When setting tackle try some short and some long to get a feel for the mood of the fish. When the bite slows down, change the leader length of the best producing lures to keep the rods dancing. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 32
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 08, 2006 - 6:30 am: | |
Fishing Charters Milwaukee For all Species Fishing, Spread The Tackle.
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin 8/19/2006. The four year old Chinooks or King Salmon are about as large as they are going to get. We are now getting Kings at about 20 pounds. Our best lure for them has been magnum spoons in silver/green, silver/blue or Glow in the dark. I like the Reapers or Vulcan magnums from badgertackle.com. Downriggers are the way to go. The wind has been moving the fish around A couple of days of west wind will move the warm water out and the fish come in to 50 to 60 feet of water. When the wind blows east go deep over 100 feet for fish. Rotators and blue or green flies are also working. I like to run a mix of rotators and spoons. The rotators will attract the fish to your downrigger presentation. As always check the water temperature as the first thing you do. Find the 50 degree water and you will most likely find fish. If you fish at first light you may find fish in the warm water above the temperature break to 50 degrees. When the water is above 50 degrees from top to bottom continue to deeper water in search of colder water for salmon. The boater's that don't care to run 6 to 8 miles off shore I would consider working the warm water for some great Brown Trout or Rainbow action. Look for them from 25 to 85 feet in the top 40 feet as they like the warm water. Action has been steady and predictable. All presentations are working early in the day and downriggers are better later in the morning or mid day. Try Slide Divers set to #2 with 65 feet of Power Pro line out or conventional mono divers with 80 to 100 feet of line out. Temperature is the key. Find the break and work above and below it for salmon. If it's clear and calm, you may have to run long leads of 50-100 feet on the Slide Divers and downriggers. Watch your speed! Kick up your speed to 2.4 to 2.7 for Rainbows and between 1.8 and 2.4 for Kings. The warm water Kings like a slower speed. Good Luck!!
The top fishermen know that when the action stops or never starts its time to spread the tackle and work all the different types of fish. If this sounds strange, you may not have considered that each species of fish likes different lures, presentations and temperatures. When I go out on any trip I start with what I believe is the hot set up based on the last trip. This works most of the time but when it doesn't I spread my tackle out to cover all the types of fish. I usually fish 100 feet of water or more because most days all five types of fish are there. This gives me the most possible opportunities to produce fish. Deep water on summer days holds temperature changes from top to bottom creating the correct conditions for all Lake Michigan game fish. There are also some fish that do not hold very often in less than 100 feet of water. When talking to other fishermen they tell me they have never caught a Rainbow or a Lake Trout. This is because they do not fish all potential depths in deep water. As a general rule Rainbows like the warm surface water and Lakers prefer the cold bottom in 100 feet or more.
When I spread tackle out, I run a mix of different lures doing what I call mini sets. This is what I might do in a summer presentation. I split up my rods into three mini sets. On the deepest lines in the coldest water I fish for Lake trout. All the deep lines are matched for speed, color and preference of the target. This is a good time to talk about color as it relates to the amount of light. You may or may not remember learning the colors of the rainbow in school. The colors are remembered by this acronym "ROY G BIV". These letters mean red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Most of the time I run lure colors of red, orange, or yellow when that lure is presented in the portion of the water column with the most light. The other end of the rainbow blue, indigo and violet are used in darker or low light situations. You may ask what about silver and white? I consider these as neutral or they will work in any type of light. All the other colors fall into either bright or dark. Bright lures are used in bright light conditions dark lures in low light. Now let's get back to setting our deep lines. Go with colors for low light that work well at a speed you intend to run and in the size of the baitfish. Medium to large spoons, rotators with flies, or spin-n-glows and lake trolls work most days. Look for temps below 48 degrees for Lake Trout. The next mini set will run in water above the deep lines. Fish the 48-58 degree water spreading the lines to run about every ten feet of depth. Here we are looking for Chinooks and Coho salmon. I like a mix of rotators and flies with a long lead spoon or two. The balance of my lines will run in 59 degrees or warmer water looking for rainbows and browns. Depending on how much warm water you have to work with you can cover it with long lines, diving planers and lead core. The mini set in the warmest water with plenty of light should have the lures with fastest action and brightest colors. When the fishing gets tough spread out your presentation and go deep. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 31
Registered: 2-2006
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 08, 2006 - 6:28 am: | |
Milwaukee Fish Report Smart Fishing Efficiency!
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin 8/10/2006. Fishing is still excellent the east wind continues to move the warm water into Milwaukee and the cold water moves out. For most of the day this is has brought the cold water fish down to below 70 feet in 100 to 200 feet of water. The Chinooks are between 12 and 20 pounds. Coho are running up to 8 pounds. We have had good numbers on Rainbows 8-14 pounds look for them in the top 40 feet as they like the warm water in depths over 100 feet. Action has been steady and predictable. At first light look for the big Chinooks, Coho and Brown Trout in the top 40 feet in closer to shore. I think this will dry up as this area becomes too warm. All presentations are working. Try Slide Divers set to #2 with 65 feet of Power Pro line out or conventional mono divers with 80 to 100 feet of line out. Most magnum spoons in silver/green, silver/blue or Glow in the dark are working. I like the Reapers or Vulcan magnums. Downriggers are also good with spoons or rotators and blue or green flies. Run half cores of lead early with spoons. Later in the morning about 730 am follow the fish down and out to deeper water. I set up in 45 feet at first light and when action slows down I move to over 100 feet for Rainbows up top and Salmon at the temp break to 50 degrees. Temperature is the key. Find the break and work above and below it. Then work north and south in that depth. If it's clear and calm, you may have to run long leads of 50-100 feet on the Slide Divers and downriggers. Watch your speed! Kick up your speed to 2.4 to 2.7 for Rainbows and between 1.8 and 2.4 for Kings. The warm water Kings like a slower speed. Fish on!!
Smart Fishing! Efficiency leads to success. This is true in all endeavors and fishing is no exception. I know when I was a rookie and even today I thought it would be great to charter or hire a guide in all parts of the world to see how they go about rigging tackle and setting up their boat. I know we all fish a little or a lot different from each other. Where the majority of the mechanics are probably the same, small differences in the way we go about fishing will make or break the day. Please allow me to tell you about some of the items I use on my boat that helps produce fish. As some of this article may sound like an infomercial, it will perhaps lend to some changes in your method of operation. I am constantly evolving year to year and in some cases day to day. A new tool I added this season that is helping keep fish on the line and is quicker to use is the rod holders and track system sold by Bert's Custom Tackle. Fishing just got easier with their adjustable Rod Holder with a Ratchet Gear System. Adjust the rod holder to the angle that you want. You have 5 positions or from vertical to horizontal to choose from. When you get a fish on the line you can easily pull the rod holder straight up with the Ratchet Gear System. It’s easy to remove your rod and maintain pressure on the line in one motion! Their track system allows me to add as many rod holders, cup holders and a variety of other options.
Most everyone fishes salmon out of Milwaukee with downriggers. The way you attach the line to it has everything to do with how many fish you will put in the boat. I have tried most of the different styles of releases. I like the Blacks release with the clip to attach the weight as one unit. The Blacks releases are completely adjustable to set the hook when the fish bites and never tangle or wear the line. The alligator style clips and rubber bands never seem to work for me. Look for ways on your boat to use the time on the water more efficiently. Gota go another fish screamin line! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 26
Registered: 2-2006
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 6:09 am: | |
Charter Salmon Fishing Milwaukee Temperature and speed is key!
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The summer heat is on! Temperature gauge is the one tool you can't be without. The wind comes out of the west the warm water is pushed out of Milwaukee and the cold water replaces it. Wind out of the east warm water comes in and the fish move to deeper water. The fish are always following temperature and food. If you find temperature you will always catch some fish. When you are marking baitfish in the correct temps the action heats up. Most recently east wind has moved the action to 100 feet or more. Seventy feet down is the temp break to 50 degrees. This is a good place to start for Chinooks. All species are active with half the catch being Chinooks from 5-20 pounds. We have been catching a lot of Rainbows this year. These acrobats have been in the top fifty feet of water. Long lead spoons on downriggers, half cores of lead on Yellow Bird Big Birds are the best. Magnum Spoons by Michigan Stinger and Reapers by Badger Tackle have been doing the trick. Most of the silver with green, chartreuse or blue will keep the rods jumping. The best time for Rainbows is from 10 am to 5 pm in 80 to 150 feet of water. There has been a great first light bite on Chinooks in the warm water in 50 to 80 feet of depth 20 to 50 down on all presentations. This is by far the easiest time of the day to get into fish. As the sun rises they will move down and out follow them to continue producing. Glow spoons are a must. Most manufactures have them. The extended glow used by Badger Tackle and Michigan Stinger glow brighter longer. Charge them up with a flash and they will be good all morning. Later in morning the different types of rotators with green or blue flies are taking fish. Watch your speed! Kick up your speed to 2.4 to 2.7 for Rainbows and between 1.8 and 2.4 for Kings. Fish on!!
In this article let's address lure speed as it relates to fish species. The easy way to remember how fast to run your presentation for your target is to think of the temperature they prefer. Lake trout like below 50 degrees water and they require the slowest lure speed. I run between 1.0 and 2.0 M.P.H. for Lakers. Chinook lure speeds and temps are all over the map. The book tells us 52 degrees is what they like. There is considerable variation in the temp of water you will find them. Early in the morning and just before dark they may come into the warm water to feed. As a general rule 2.3 M.P.H. will produce these fish. Coho like slightly warmer water than the Chinooks. I look for water of 52 to 57 degrees for them at 2.4 M.P.H. When you are looking for Brown Trout, fish 60 degrees and above at 2.3 to 2.6 M.P.H. This leaves the Rainbows. To catch Rainbows fish 60 degree plus water at 2.7 to 3.5 M.P.H. I use the fish I am catching as an indicator to my boat speed. When I am catching Lakers I speed up to catch Chinooks. When catching Rainbows I slow down for Lakers. Catching fish every day is a constant evaluation of variables. No two days are the same. Your ability to evaluate the changes will lead to your success. To complete this article we must know what tool will give us the most reliable measurement of speed and temp. A product out in the market place for this purpose is the Depth Raider. This unit offers a probe that you connect to a special downrigger cable giving you speed and temp at the lure to depths of 200 feet. This information is sent to an easy to read display. I was very impressed with Curt Kell of Kell Laboratories the innovator of this product. His attention to quality and customer satisfaction sets him apart in the industry. The Depth Raider will set the standard for this type of product for years to come. To get information on this product call Curt at 262-534-2202. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 24
Registered: 2-2006
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 08, 2006 - 12:45 pm: | |
Milwaukee Charter Fish Report & Small Details Big Rewards!
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rainbow trout, Chinooks and Coho have been active during the past week. The area and depth have been constant as the big pond settles into a summer pattern. The best water has been 80 to 150 feet with Rainbows coming on Slide Divers set to #3 with 80 feet of line out and 5 color lead core with small Vulcan #2 Silver Sky spoons. This is a midday bite between 10 am to 4 pm. This same tackle will take Coho early and Rainbows thru the day. You can also catch Chinook all thru the day but the best bite has been early and late in the day. Look for them in water below 50 degrees. The temp break to 50 degrees is at 70 feet. Fish for them from 70 to the bottom on downriggers. I find the best action about ten feet off the bottom. Magnum spoons like the #5 Monkey Puke and Fish n Chip Reapers along with most of the different types of rotators with green or blue flies are taking the big ones. Watch your speed, kick up your speed to 2.4 to 2.6 for Rainbows and between 1.8 and 2.4 for Kings. Have a blast!
I would like to point out several items over looked by most fishermen that should be a focus every time on the water. Attention to detail and organization is the key to success in most everything we do. This also holds true to any type of fishing. Motor trolling is a mix of the perfect bait presented in the most favorable way. If I were to pick just one of the two most important factors in trolling, it would be presentation. Most fish will reject the best lure at the wrong speed or depth. Those of you who do not have a budget of $500 for a speed and temp gauge must learn to read what I call blow back on the downrigger cables. As the weight with the lure behind it runs below the water, the force of the water pushing on the weight creates an angle as the wire enters the water. If the boat was stopped, the cable would hang straight down and your lure speed would be zero. As the boat speeds up the weight swings back this is blow back. This will tell you a whole lot of things about what is going on down there. Sometimes there are currents or you may be traveling up or down wind. Focus on this angle to regulate the amount of boat speed required. Experience is the best teacher here. Note the cable angle visually when you are producing fish to duplicate the speed. When you are not catching fish increase or decrease your speed. No two boats, days or lures produce well at the same speed.
The second detail I believe is neglected by some is lure size and color. Whenever fishing is slow it is always a good idea to try a variety of sizes of lures in the same color. Go with small, medium and magnum spoons in the same or similar colors. This will help you determine what the fish are looking for. Many times big fish will hit small lures due to their neutral or negative attitude and not have anything to do with medium or magnum lures. Another reason for a variety of sizes is fish come in all sizes and if you run all large spoons you may be missing a great bite on medium and small fish. The other obvious reason is to match the size of the baitfish. Over the years I have found this technique will keep the rods dancing on slow days. The message here is don’t get locked into speed, size, color or location. Change is good when the action slows down work with the variables. Catch a bunch!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 22
Registered: 2-2006
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 - 3:50 pm: | |
Milwaukee Charter Fish Report & Let’s Play Favorites
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin. East wind and the normal warming of the water are setting up Lake Michigan into a summer pattern. The key any day on the water is temperature and baitfish. Find those two ingredients and your on fish. There are Coho at all depths on flashers, dodgers, rotators and flies. Most of the attractors are working. Watch your speed they are very speed sensitive. I have been running them between 1.8 and 2.4. The surface temperature is up to 62 degrees and the Rainbows are turning on. They are coming on half cores of lead with Vulcan #2 Green Dolphin spoons. We’re taking a mixed bag of 50% Coho, 25% Chinooks and 25% Rainbows. We are getting our best action in 80 to 200 feet of water off of the filtration plant. Look for the huge schools of baitfish for the best action. There are also Chinooks around between 10 and 14 pounds. Big spoons are working for the big boys on downriggers presented from 25 feet to the bottom. The best spoon for us at first light is the Vulcan #3 Fire Tiger or Monkey Puke glow. Later in the day they go to Michigan Stinger's Stingrays in the glow puke color. Enjoy our great resource.
In previous articles we covered the LTLR now let’s focus on three of my favorite lures. In this article I would like to help you with what lures to run for a typical July or August trip on Lake Michigan. This is a very difficult question. Where I can't possibly go into all species and all situations, perhaps I can define what I believe will catch fish 90 percent of the time. Please keep in mind that the best lure not properly presented will not catch fish. Milwaukee is known for excellent Chinook salmon fishing, so I will focus on salmon. If I were to run just one lure day in and day out and consistently catch fish, it would be a flasher and fly. Flashers come in dozens of colors, sizes and manufactures. The one I would select would be an 8-inch Pro Troll Hot Chip 8. E-Chip technology is blowing away the fish. Color, speed and the length of the leader from the flasher to the fly are critical to all attractors. The leader should be 22-25 inches. I measure from the end of the hook to the back of the flasher. This measurement may change day to day. The length of the leader will affect the speed of the fly. The bigger Chinooks may require a longer leader. Colors are all over the map. You can use combinations of white flashers with white flies deep and green with green flies above 60 feet. My number two choice would be two different spoons. For first light fishing I like the Badger tackle Vulcan or Reaper glow spoons in the size number two or three. This spoon has put more fish in the cooler than any other spoon I run. The other spoon to try is a Michigan Stinger. All of their colors work for different situations. Two of my favorites for kings are the SH77 Blue Dolphin and SH60 Kevorkian. Use these lures when fishing in over cast or sunny situations. Below fifty feet down the Kevorkian is best. Run spoons on your Slide Divers and flasher flies on your downriggers. A simple and very effective way to produce fish on calm days with clear skies is to run just two spoons. The lead from the spoon to the downrigger should be one hundred fifty feet. This presentation will not allow tight turns. When the morning bite stops, go long to continue catching fish. Have a great fishing season. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Charter Fishing Report & Something Out of Nothing!
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin 5/30/2006. Plenty of Coho action on flashers and flies don‘t be afraid to run them deep. The surface temperature is warming up and the fish are moving down. We’re taking a mixed bag of 50% Coho, 50% Chinooks and a few Browns and Lake Trout. A few fish on top with most of our action on downriggers 20-50 down in fifty to eighty feet of water. Look for the huge schools of baitfish for the best action. Gobbly Wabbler peanut flies in green or purple are best for hammering the Coho tied 13 inches behind a 6 inch orange flasher. There are also Chinooks around between 10 and 17 pounds. Big spoons are working for the big boys on downriggers presented from 25 feet to the bottom. The best spoon for us is the Vulcan #3 Fire Tiger or Monkey Puke glow. Slide Divers are also producing fish 30-40 feet down with spoons or flasher flies.
I would like to describe a scenario most of you have probably run into at one time or another. Clear Blue Bird sky calm water nothing biting zip, zero, nada, nothing!! Perhaps there was an early first light bite and you missed it. Maybe you have friends on board and they can only fish from noon to four in the afternoon. Not the best hours of the day. Well what do you do?
Charter Captains deal with this on many days each season. Let's start with how we got here. Attitude of fish is set up by many factors some being weather, barometer, light, water temperature and phase of the moon. The list goes on forever you get the picture. Unfortunately most of the best times to fish are not an option to a good share of the fishing community. Don't despair all is not lost. This is not an answer that will create a flurry of action so wild that you can't keep up with the tackle. It will however put a few fish in the cooler and avoid the dreaded SKUNK! Most of the factors mentioned put the fish in a neutral or negative state. These types of fish will not take an aggressive presentation. Put away the plugs, flasher flies and magnum spoons. Go stealth, Go long, Go light, and Go small. This all means present small spoons at great distances on light line in waters undisturbed. This is not a new concept. Far too many fishermen use a heavy mono line on tough fishing days and it becomes ineffective. Heavy 20-30 pound line must be used on rotators, flashers and dodgers don't go with light line on these or you will loose them. Several stealth presentations come to mind. I could just skim over all of them but I would like to focus on just one with all the details necessary. An effective tool for the tough days is what I call the LTLR (light line rig) it is easy to rig, however, it does require specialized tackle. I run a medium size Okuma Convector CV-20D line counter reel capable of holding 300 yards of 12 lb. line with a smooth drag and an Okuma CGL-C-762ML medium light rod. I have found this combo to be superior for this application. A low visibility Seaguar Invizix fluorocarbon 12 lb line is the key to this presentation's success. Attach the spoon with a size #1 Sampo 30 lb. coastlock snap. With this type of day four downriggers offer the stealth you are looking for. Too much tackle will spook the fish. The light line requires a rubber band release. Don't go with any of the regular releases or a big Chinook will break your line. Run 80-120 foot leads off the downriggers with at least 20 feet of separation between them. It is a proven fact that small lures are the way to go on neutral or negative fish. For this reason I use a size #2 Vulcan spoon and match the color based on the amount of light. This 3-inch spoon closely resembles the profile of the smaller Lake Michigan baitfish and trolls well at all speeds. Have a great fishing season. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 - 8:45 pm: | |
Fishing Report Milwaukee, Hot Locations For Salmon And Trout
By Capt. Jim Hirt
The wind and rain have been a problem lately. I have been out on most of the days when we have had good lake conditions. We are catching more cohos than any other species. Cloudy days bring better action on silver spoons and sunny days bright orange or red are working. Usually my spring coho come on flasher flies, not this year. On most days I start out with a mix of flasher flies and spoons in a variety of colors. As I start producing fish, changes to the most active lures are made. I am finding that at the current water temperatures of 44-50 degrees on cloudy days small spoons like the Vulcan #2 Silver Star, Silver Sky and Spring Green are out producing the flashers. The sunny days Michigan Stinger's Orange and Red Shanster, Orange and red Chip Shanster, have been best. Michigan Stingers with the needle sharp VMC hooks are almost 100% for fish on and fish in the cooler. The good news is the spoons are not as speed sensitive as the flashers. For those of you who do not do well with flashers try some small spoons. Downriggers down 15-30 feet, Slide Divers set on #4 with 40 feet of line out and Yellow Birds are the presentations I have been successful with. Action has been good where ever you find a temperature break. The harbor gaps and tight along the shoreline are all good places to try. The big kings are scattered. They like the bigger spoons such as the Titan #3 in most of the silver and glow color patterns. Some of the boats have been out in deeper water, but the water inside of 45 feet has worked for us. The boat speed of 2.2-2.4 on the Depth Raider gave the best results. The contents of the fishes’ stomachs showed they were eating well. There are some 2-inch Alewives in the fish we caught. We also snagged some big ones on our lures.
I would like to share with you some of my key locations to find fish and the hottest set ups for early summer presentation. The most important factor at this time of the year is water temperature. I recommend a must item for you is a surface temp gauge. Your gauge can be a simple hand held thermometer or a unit built into your fish locator.
Early summer is a great time for Coho and Chinooks. They prefer water temps in the mid fifties. Think about it, the temperature of Lake Michigan is in the 48-degree range. The most active fish are in the top twenty-five feet of water. Find the warmest temp you can. Sometimes I am fishing a temp break of only a degree or two. You will find these temp breaks at mouths of rivers, power plants and protected bays. The wind direction will be a major player in warm water location. The surface warms first and wind will move this water around. On Wisconsin’s shore a light east wind does wonders for improving action. The reason I used most of this article on temperature is because it is a key factor in finding fish. Temperature is almost more important than the type of lure you use.
Motor trolling is the method I use for most of my fishing, and I will explain one of my basic setups. If possible I would max out the number of rods, because more is better this time of year. I fish 50% of my lines on Yellow Bird planer boards. Find a brand you like and run all the same type. The balance of my lines are on Slide Divers and downriggers. For lures I like small #2 Vulcan spoons. On most days all of their colors will work. The water is too cold for flasher flies and they will be used when the water warms to over 52 degrees. When fishing early in the season, fish metabolism or body temp is very low and requires a slow presentation. I run my boat speed between 1.8 and 2.4 miles per hour. The color of the lure is dictated by the amount of light and water color. On most days, in clear water, I use silver or glow lures. Hotter colors work best in cloudy water. You can’t go wrong with chartreuse in both conditions. The new glow in the dark lures are an excellent option. The old rule of thumb applies, bright lures bright days, dark lures dark days. Good luck! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Fishing Report Milwaukee and More Fish For Only $20.
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Early May fishing has been great. We’re taking Chinooks 8-14 pounds, lots of Coho and some Brown Trout. The Brown's have been running mostly between 4-7 with a few over 10 pounds. There has been a good morning and evening bite on the big Kings and Browns. Mid day is when we are catching most of our Coho and smaller Browns. On the early and sunset bite bigger spoons and plugs have produced fish. The Vulcan Silver Reaper #3 or #2, J-plugs #3 silver and some fish on glow spoons in the larger sizes. Downriggers 14 -24 down and Slide Divers at 10 to 20 feet have been best. My planer boards have been slow at first and last light. I don't put them out until the mayhem of big kings slows down. This avoids the big kings ripping through the boards. About 8am we start to pound the coho. Their biting on Gobbly Wabbler Peanut flies in aqua or Kelly green 12-18 inches behind a 6 inch orange flasher or dodger. I present them on 50% of my rods with small spoons like the Vulcan #2 or Savant Jake 45 in silver or glow colors on the balance. Be sure to run planer boards like Yellow Birds because most of the Coho are in the top 10 feet. Anywhere you can find a temp break has been working. Try the harbor gaps along the shoreline to the north or south. I hear some of the boats have been out in deeper water but the water inside of 45 feet has worked for us. The boat speed of 2.2-2.5 G.P.S gave the best results. The contents of the fishes’ stomachs showed they were eating well, all different sizes of alewives were present.
Small changes in tackle and presentation will make a big difference in the number of fish in the cooler. It does not cost a lot of money to improve your technique. As a charter captain I am invited to fish with many other fishermen during the course of the season. I know everyone has a different way of doing things but I am always surprised to see how each of us approaches the fundamentals. I believe presentation is more important than any other factor when fishing any body of water. The best anglers catch more fish because they focus on getting as close to a natural presentation as possible. Every time you go fishing, whether it's for salmon or any other specie, think about how your bait is working. One of the biggest mistakes I have seen is the lack of a Fluorocarbon leader from your main line to the bait. Salt-water anglers have been using leaders to enhance the action of the lure, reduce the visibility of the line and create a more stealthy natural presentation for a long time. Its time to get on the wagon. A spool of 18 lb. Seaguar Fluoro Premier fluorocarbon leader for $9 will put more fish in the boat! Most anglers do not consider the terminal tackle that important. The last ten feet of your line is critical to producing. What do you use to attach your lures? Snaps are rated by pounds of pressure they will with stand. Use the correct size for your target species. You wouldn't use a deer rifle for rabbit hunting so, don't use a 150 lb snap for 30-pound fish. Try the smaller snaps. I use a 30 lb Cross Lock Ball Bearing snap on all of my lines except for the diving planers and flashers or dodgers. They take a lot of abuse and for them I use a 75 lb snap. Premium Ball Bearing snaps cost more but they're worth it. The smaller snaps won't last as long so replace them frequently or fatigue will cause them to fail. One last word on this subject is that good drags on your reels are necessary. Set the drag correctly and keep your thumb off the spool. The rod should fight the fish not the reel. Have a great fishing season. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
Jim Blue (Unregistered Guest)
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Charter Fishing Report Milwaukee and Electronics For Salmon fishing!
By Capt. Jim Hirt
April fishing is very good. Most of our charter trips are catching limits. Clear skies with the wind out of the northeast at 5-10 mph have been the norm. The water flowing into Milwaukee harbor is 57 degrees. We have been fishing the temp breaks in front of the river mouth and harbor gaps marking fish at all depths. Our best presentations are Yellow Bird planer boards with 25 foot leads behind the boards and downriggers 8 to 15 feet down. The way I set up a planer board is with 20 lb. mono to a 1/4-ounce bead chain sinker. Use 8 feet of 18 lb. Seaguar Fluoro Premier fluorocarbon leader from the sinker to a size #1 Cross Lock snap and lure. The fish have not been too particular. Most small crankbaits, 3-4 inch spoons and J-Plugs are taking fish. Some of our best producers have been Vulcan Silver Sky #2, Fishlander Easter Egg and Koho Cracker #2 spoons. Depending on wind direction the north and south gaps are producing fish. Our bigger Chinooks have been caught at the north gap. The fish at the north gap came on small spoons. Silver blue spoons worked best for us running 60 feet behind the ball on downriggers 8-15 feet down. Our best boat speed was 2.4 mph. We ran dipsey divers but they did not produce a fish.
I often get the question of what tackle do I need to get started in motor trolling for salmon and trout. This series of articles will take you from bare essentials to no budget all inclusive fishing equipment. In the previous two articles we have covered plan "A" downriggers basic applications and stealth option plan "B". Electronics are a must have for any type of fishing. I will try to balance cost with productivity in this article.
It makes no difference whether you go plan basic or all out. Electronics are your eyes and ears. To try to fish with out them would be very difficult.
There are three key items of electronics for every salmon fisherman on the Great Lakes. First and foremost to safety and finding fish is a marine radio ($100). The information a radio can provide is well worth the investment. It is also your link to marine authorities and weather. Some radios have a built in scanner for all channels. This is not a bad idea for getting all the latest news when on the lake.
The price of a fish locator is all over the map. You can do just fine with most locators that are rated for depths of up to 600 feet ($119). A more costly option is to purchase a locator with speed and surface temperature ($300). For the salmon angler with cash to spend, include a G.P.S. in your locator for $600.
Most experienced fishermen that troll know that speed and temperature at the lure is the most important information they need to consistently catch all species of fish. There are many units out in the market place that will give you this information. I had an opportunity to run a Depth Raider ($429) on my boat in the 2005 season. This unit offers a probe that you connect to a special downrigger cable giving you speed and temp at the lure to depths of 200 feet. This information is sent to an easy to read display. Unlike other units of this type it gave steady and reliable info trip after trip. I was very impressed with Curt Kell of Kell Laboratories the innovator of this product. His attention to quality and customer satisfaction sets him apart in the industry. The Depth Raider will set the standard for this type of product for years to come. To get information on this product call Curt at 262-534-2202.
The skies the limit when it comes to electronics. Some will say you need more or less than my recommendation. I do believe the three items listed here will give you an edge when it comes to fishing the Great lakes. The next article is one you won’t want to miss. How to put more fish in the cooler for only $20. Have a great fishing season. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Salmon Trolling What Do I Need? Plan "B"
By Capt. Jim Hirt
I often get the question of what tackle do I need to get started in motor trolling for salmon and trout. This series of articles will take you from bare essentials to no budget all inclusive fishing equipment. The last article covered Plan "A" downriggers basic applications. This article will introduce you to an all stealth option plan "B".
To tie this article together I will go back over rod and reel selection. Recent years the buzzword on the water is stealth. Clean presentations offered a good distance from the boat will take more and bigger fish. Too much tackle will often turn the fish off. Purchase two Okuma CGL-C-802M 8 foot medium action trolling rods. They will give you all the versatility and power you need. There are great quality fiberglass rods starting at $60 each. Line counter trolling reels are important to precision and don't cost much more than reels without line counters. Look for quality based on the amount of times you expect to use them. A two ball bearing reel like the Okuma Magda MA-30DX is affordable and will last a long time with good maintenance. A $45 reel that will hold 300 yards of 20 pound test will also hold a half core of lead and all of the mono or fluorocarbon set ups. Types of presentations are endless and the budget minded fisherman couldn't include all the options. The key here is where are the fish. You must be able to fish at all depths. More and more fishermen are going without downriggers. Stealth is the cutting edge and the savviest anglers use it in one form or another. Two $30 rod holders start this option. Here it gets interesting, due to the complex and simple choices. Slide Divers, leadcore, power rods and flat lines with all the individual variations of each will cover top water to the briny deep.
A must have would be the $15 size #1 Slide Diver with a set of diver rings and weights. A reel loaded with 300 yards of 65 pound Power Pro at $30 with the Slide Diver will reach to over 100 feet in depth. This is a simple and very productive way to go. You may want to set up both of your rods for Slide Divers, one for each side of the boat. The line counter reels will give you the capability of knowing where your lure is and repeating that depth after every fish.
Use this same rod, reel and line for your power rods. Remove the Slide Diver and tie on a three-way swivel. Use an Opti-Dodger snubber with a 9 foot Seaguar Fluoro Premier 28 lb fluorocarbon leader ($11) and a snap. By adding a variety of different size ball sinkers in 4 to 16 ounces to the last position on the three way, you will have total depth control. Power rods produce best when run off Big Bird Yellow Bird planer boards. In this application let out your line with weight and note the number of feet. Attach the Yellow Bird and let it go out to the side of the boat. Yellow Birds are manufactured to run left or right of the boat's path. They allow you to position your line in water undisturbed by boat noise.
Flat lines are as old as the hills. Many anglers are coming back to them as an answer to catching fish on or near the surface. The same Power Pro rod as used for dipsys and power rods will also work for flat lines. On the end of the Power Pro use a uni-knot to attach 15 feet of 18 pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader. I recommend using an Opti-Dodger 2 x 2 ball bearing swivel/double-Lok snap for attaching the lure. A 50 pound swivel is large enough. Too large of a swivel will dampen the action of the lure. Here is very important note about fishing with all no stretch lines like Power Pro. Do not go for big hook sets, in fact no hook set is the best way to go. When the rod starts to bounce, just reel the fish in. I'd suggest backing off the drag so that the line slips a bit on the hook set, that way, you shouldn't tear the hook out. I will go into electronics and lures in part three of this article. Have a great fishing season. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 4:05 pm: | |
Salmon Trolling Tackle Fishing Milwaukee!
By Capt. Jim Hirt
I often get the question of what do I need to get started salmon fishing. Blue Max charters will take you from bare essentials to no budget all inclusive fishing equipment. The boat is another whole article in itself and won't be covered at this time.
A fishing fanatic could blow a wad of cash in a hurry. A little restraint and a plan is the way to catch a decent number of fish on most trips. Why I say a decent number of fish is because a basic package may not produce in all conditions. My boat is loaded with electronics and dozens of presentation options. The must have list for a charter boat is geared to meeting a variety of good and difficult conditions for all species of fish. The average angler does not need to go to that extreme.
To start let's cover a very limited budget for one person fishing out of a small boat. In the state of Wisconsin on Lake Michigan we are allowed three rods per person. You could buy three rods although I believe when fishing alone or even with one other person more tackle means more expense and not necessarily more enjoyment or fish on. In recent years the buzzword on the water is stealth. A clean presentation offered a good distance from the boat will take more and bigger fish. Too much tackle will often turn the fish off. Purchase two 8-foot medium action trolling rods. They will give you all the versatility and power you need. There are good quality fiberglass rods starting a $30 each. Line counter trolling reels are important to precision and don't cost much more than reels without line counters. Look for a quality based on the amount of times you expect to use them each season. A basic bushing or one ball bearing reel is affordable and will last a long time with good maintenance. A $50 reel that will hold 300 yards of 20 pound test has the capacity for a half core of lead and all of the mono or fluorocarbon set ups you may want to try down the road. Spool up with 20 lb Berkley Trilene XT ($7) monofilament. A slightly more expensive but worth it option is to try the advantages of fluorocarbon line. The low stretch near invisible Berkley Vanish ($15) or Seaguar Invizx ($20) will put more fish in the cooler. Types of presentations are endless and the budget minded fisherman couldn't include all the options. The key here is where are the fish. You must be able to fish at all depths. Plan "A" would be two manual downriggers at about $130 each with an 8 pound weight included. The Great Lakes spawned the use of downriggers and they are very simple and effective at all depths. This is one of the most basic of presentations. The use of this tool is limited only by your imagination. Basic set up is to let out your lure behind the boat and attach it to the weight. Then lower it down to the depth you want to fish. The way you attach it has everything to do with how many fish you will put in the boat. I have tried most of the different styles of releases. I like the Blacks release ($10) with the clip to attach the weight. The Blacks releases are completely adjustable to set the hook when the fish bites and never tangle or wear the line. A sturdy net ($40) that will handle fish to 40 inches will be needed. Electronics will be important to safety and success. I would not go out on any of the Great Lakes without a marine radio. Expect to spend $150 but your safety is worth it. Knowing how deep the water is and where the fish are is critical to safety and your ability to put fish in the cooler. The starting price for a fish locator that works to 600 feet is $120. Always ice your catch a 70 quart cooler ($25) will lend to the table quality. Local fishing clubs ($36) are a great source of information and camaraderie. They will provide an endless network of friends, activities and info. The plan “A” package will offer the opportunity to catch reel screaming Chinooks, dancing Rainbows, huge Brown Trout, tasty Coho and rod bending Lakers. At a modest price compared to other sports of $825. Split the cost with a buddy and have a blast!! I will continue with plan “B” on this subject in the next article. Have a great fishing season. Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved. |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 3:27 pm: | |
Fishing Charters Milwaukee The Ugly Days Part #2
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Ugly days we all have been there. A few that come to mind for me are big waves, fog, rain, northeast wind, calm clear water and clear sunny skies among others. Unfortunately very few of us can fish on the best days of the season. We must learn to cope with the conditions as they are or hang it up and try another day. This article will focus on what to do, or perhaps not to do, in some of the most difficult salmon fishing scenarios.
In the last article we covered fish that are active or aggressive with tough trolling conditions such as high wind and waves.
Now I will cover fishing for fish that are neutral or negative with ideal boating circumstances of calm clear water and clear sunny skies. Light and lean is the best way to define the most productive presentation. Correct lure selection and presentation is critical to your success. Put away the big and the bold tackle. I don't run magnum spoons, J-plugs or any lures with a lot of flash. Consider the reflectivity factor. Go to lures with little or no flash. Neutral or negative fish do not like a lot of flash. The best color spoons will be white or black blade on one side and green or blue on the other with a silver prism paper accent. An all white or black blade both sides with green/silver or blue/silver prism accent are also on my favorites list. Experiment with other low reflective colors. Small lures and slow boat speeds are best.
This brings me to a good point, how many of you are keeping a fishing log of conditions, lures and dates? This information is invaluable on ugly days. You don't need anything fancy and it does not take much time. I go to my log before most trips and always when fishing is slow.
Presentation is a big part of everyday on the water and it should be your first priority when fishing calm clear water. There are several ways to go. The general theme of these presentations is stealth. Get your lures away from the boat. Spread the tackle to minimize the intimidation that a lot of tackle brings.
On the deep downrigger lines below 120 feet your best bet is an Opti-Dodger and fly. Light penetration is less down there and a little flash is required. My best Opti-Dodger colors for down there are white, glow or silver with a white or little boy blue fly. On another downrigger at least 40 feet above the dodgers and flies you have two options. You can use a SWR rig with a spoon or a LTLR 100 feet back with a spoon. Let me explain. SWR (secret weapon rig) is a three color leadcore rig on a downrigger. For more information on this rig it is covered in detail in my article #18 published on the Internet. Do a search on Google for Jim Hirt leadcore fishing #18. The LTLR (light line rig) is much easier to rig and does not require any special equipment. I run a medium to small reel capable of holding 300 yards of 12 lb. line with a smooth drag. A low visibility Berkley fluorocarbon 12 lb line is the key to this presentation's success. Attach the spoon with a size #1 Sampo 30 lb. coastlock snap. Next run a Dipsy on each side with 50 lb. Power Pro fishing line. This setup will run 25% deeper than it would with mono and is great for getting down and out to the sides and the travel path of the boat. Finish your stealth presentation with four leadcore rods on side planers. Use a full core on the outside boards and five color lead core on the inside boards to avoid tangles. This combination of tackle will always produce. A word of caution, some of your lines will be 500 to 600 feet behind the boat. This is not tackle to run in a congested area. Have a great fishing season. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 11
Registered: 2-2006
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 3:26 pm: | |
Milwaukee Salmon Fishing The Ugly Days
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Ugly days we all have been there. A few that come to mind for me are big waves, fog, rain, northeast wind, calm clear water, warm water and clear sunny skies among others. Unfortunately very few of us can fish on the best days of the season. We must learn to cope with the conditions as they are or hang it up and try another day. This article will focus on what to do, or perhaps not to do, in some of the most difficult salmon fishing scenarios.
I will break this up into two sections. First, fish that are active or aggressive with tough trolling conditions. Second, fish that are neutral or negative with ideal boating circumstances.
The active or aggressive fish with tough trolling conditions would be in our area northeast wind with big waves. This is a very special day in regards to how you work the fish and what you use for presentation and tackle. The wind direction will change based on the geography of where you fish. I am on the west shore of Lake Michigan. When the wind blows northeast it can get lumpy in a hurry. Over the years I have found this boat movement will add fantastic action to the lures. Correct lure selection and presentation is critical to your success. The big variable here is water temperature and wave heights. Look for Chinooks in 42 to 52 degree water. When you can find the best temperature from the surface down to 50 feet life is good. Many presentation options are possible. In waves over four feet it may not be productive to work the top ten feet. You will find yourself fighting the tackle more than the fish. Six rods may be all you can handle. Run four on downriggers and two on Dipsy Divers, this is no time to get fancy. On the deepest downrigger at fifty feet run a flasher fly, not a dodger fly. Why? Flashers are more speed tolerant. As you move with or against the waves, your boat will speed up and slow down. You will find flashers work in a wide range of speeds. A long leader of 36 inches from fly to flasher is recommended. Flashers will also draw fish to your boat. Put this rig on the port corner downrigger. From port to starboard on the next downrigger use a heavy weight magnum spoon forty feet back and forty feet down. Light small spoons get lost or do not run well in these conditions. J-Plugs work well in heavy seas. Use #4 or #5 chrome on the next down rigger sixty feet back and 50 feet down. The starboard corner should run another large heavy spoon at eighty feet back thirty feet down. Dipsy Divers fill in the twenty foot level. Options on lures are heavy spoons, J-Plugs or flasher flies. Get your tackle in and hold on. The ride will be rough with plenty of great fishing action. We catch some of our biggest fish on lumpy days. When the temp break for salmon is below 50 feet move all your tackle down to the desired depth. Increase the spread of all the downrigger lines to thirty feet to avoid tangles. Boat control is always a problem in heavy seas. Down wind with the waves will give the best ride and presentation. There are times when we will make a productive down wind pass for a mile or two pick up lines to run the same area again. Fishing against the waves may not be successful if correct boat speeds cannot be maintained.
Second scenario, fish that are neutral or negative with ideal boating circumstances. This would be a day of flat calm water and clear sunny skies. Warm water above the preferred temperatue of your target may also be part of the problem. The answer to finding and catching fish in these conditions will take more space than I have in this article. I will speak to this subject in the next article. Have a great fishing season. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 10
Registered: 2-2006
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 3:23 pm: | |
Milwaukee Wisconsin Fishing For Coho Salmon
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Spring fishing season on Lake Michigan to most means only one thing Coho fever. This article is my run and gun approach to some of the hottest fishing action you will find anywhere. The season for us starts about mid April with limit catches on Brown Trout but that's another story. Coho action heats up the early part of May. These 3-5 pound scrappers are excellent table fare. The groups that charter with me come back year after year. Of all the fish I catch, they are my favorite for the table.
My spread of tackle is four Dipsy divers, twelve planer boards and four downriggers. Coho like the commotion of a lot of tackle. This is no time to be conservative. Max out the number of legal lines you may run. The only problem with my presentation is the same tackle you run for Coho will also catch Rainbow Trout, if you can call that a problem. The problem is a fifteen pound Rainbow dancing out of the water in between all those lines can give the Captain heart failure what a way to go!!
Let's go into detail on each presentation to give you an idea on what works for me. When setting lines I usually put out the planer boards first. I run all the same type. There are a variety of brands, styles and sizes. Yellow Bird, Offshore, Church and others make them. My first choice for Coho is small Yellow Birds. They are small, light and easy to rig. They do require some tuning to perform at their best. On the back of the bird attach a split ring with a size 5 cross lock snap. You will appreciate this when rigging on cold days when your fingers are numb working with cold water and fish. For a release you may run Red Devil or Offshore. I run Red Devil releases but you may find them a little difficult to work with. Whichever release you run, attach it with a split ring and install it at the tip of the V formed by the wire on the side of the bird. They must stay in this position all the time so I wrap a rubber band around the wire to hold the release in place. The trick to running birds is the adjustment to get them to run all in a row. You accomplish this by bending the wire on the side where the release is attached up or down to get them to track in a line. I would number them once you have them running right. On each rod I run a 1/4 to 1 ounce bead chain trolling sinker at the end of the 20-25lb mono to avoid line twists and get the depth I want. From the sinker to the lure I use 15lb mono and a small cross lock snap. When the fish hits, the board slides down to the trolling sinker. With the sinker in line, it will not knock the fish off as it would if it ran down to the lure. I put out as many boards as I can handle, with equal number of boards on both sides of the boat. When setting this presentation, I set my boat speed at 1 to 2 mph and let out my lure about 30 to 100 feet and attach the board. When action is slow, adjust this distance and see what happens. Once the board is attached, carefully lower the board into the water and let out enough line to allow room for more boards, between that board and the boat. Boards should be spaced about 30 feet apart. I run mostly 6 inch orange flashers and Silver/blue, silver/green or purple flies. The distance from the flasher to the fly is 9 to 18 inches. When a fish hits, the board releases and it will drop back behind the boat. Land your fish and reset this board by letting out enough line to allow the board to fly back into the same spot it came from. Dipsys are run as you normally do. I like to let out just enough line so you can't see the flasher. A good way to check your boat speed is to watch how your flasher on the dipsy is running. It should rock back and forth five times and then make a complete revolution. Downriggers are run with flashers and flies about 10 feet behind the ball. This produces the best action on the flasher. As with all flashers speed is critical. Have a great fishing season. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!!
Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Username: Jim_blue_max_charters
Post Number: 9
Registered: 2-2006
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 3:22 pm: | |
What Lures Do The Milwaukee Charters Use?
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Charter captains have been known for guarding their secret lures for as long as there have been charters. Now is the time for passing on that information. This article contains detailed descriptions of the hottest producer for salmon and trout where ever you fish for them.
I am not concerned that exchanging information with other anglers will in anyway affect the available number of fish or impact my charter business. Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes are a put and take fishery. The salmon and trout in the lakes are raised for stocking in hatcheries. Where there is some natural reproduction the majority of the fish do not reproduce. They live their normal life cycle and die.
In recent years I have found a definite trend in tackle among the most productive charters. This is not to say that on any given day another piece of tackle cannot out produce the captain's favorite. It is also my experience that the right lure presented incorrectly will not produce the desired results. Please keep in mind that the lure I am about to discuss is very temperamental to speed and presentation.
The lure I am talking about is the attractor and fly. Some of you will say I can't catch crap on them. In this article I will try to remove some of the mystery. Attractors come in a variety of types. Some manufactures call them rotators or dodgers or flashers. All of them are very speed sensitive. They must run at the correct speed to produce!! The good news is some work well at faster speeds and some at slower speeds. For this reason you may find a combination that works for you, I run them all. Because they are speed sensitive when trolling you must have a tool for measuring your speed at the lure. A new product out in the market place for this purpose is the Depth Raider. This unit offers a probe that you connect to a special downrigger cable, giving you speed and temp at the lure to depths of 200 feet. This information is sent to an easy to read display. I was very impressed with Curt Kell of Kell Laboratories the innovator of this product. His attention to quality and customer satisfaction sets him apart in the industry. The Depth Raider will set the standard for this type of product for years to come. To get information on this product call Curt at 262-534-2202. Most of these attractors come with instructions as to how fast to run them. That is where I would start. Generally speaking dodgers run at speeds from 1.0 to 2.2 miles per hour. Opti-dodger makes a product I have good success with it works well even at higher speeds. Flashers need a little quicker pace to work some where between 1.8 and 2.6. Rotators, like Spin Doctors, cover 2.0 to as fast as 3.5. The trick to consistently catching fish with this tackle is speed and the distance from the attractor to the fly.
Flies come in every color of the rainbow and a variety of sizes. In the area I fish the two hottest colors are all the shades of green and all the shades of white. Size does not seem to be that important. Most of the flies sold locally are about 3 inches long. There are dozens of manufactures or you can tie your own and save a lot of money. I will cover fly tying in another article. The distance from the very end of the hook to the tip of the loop, which attaches it to the attractor, is critical to success. On any day it varies from 18 to 30 inches. So where do you start? I start with 23 inches. You can go longer on some of your attractors and shorter on others and see what happens. The smaller fish like the short leads and big Chinooks like longer leads. Water temperatures also come into play. Fish like Lake Trout in very cold water like longer leads. Think of it like this, the longer the distance from the fly to the attractor the slower the speed of the fly. Day in and day out the main stay of the most productive charters are attractors and flies. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!!
Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Post Number: 8
Registered: 2-2006
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 3:21 pm: | |
Charter Fishing Wisconsin By The Numbers
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Finding and consistently producing fish is the goal of every fisherman every trip out on the water. The question is how can it be done? This article will communicate the importance of G.P.S. for filling the cooler and returning home safely.
For those of you not familiar with G.P.S. I will give you a brief overview of the product. Global Positioning System is a series of satellites that circle the earth each with a distinctive signal. This signal is sent by the satellites to a receiver. The receiver will then tell you your location on the earth in longitude and latitude. The accuracy of this information is within 15 feet. The price of a G.P.S. can range from $80 to several thousand dollars. The more expensive units will offer more graphic information that makes them easier to use, although the accuracy is the same. My experience with both high and low priced units tells me I do not need an expensive unit. The key to successful operation is learning how to apply the extensive information available.
The question is how do I use my location as provided by G.P.S. to fill the cooler and return home safely? Let’s start with safety. You should always enter in the memory of your unit the spot where you put your boat in the water. We will call this your home waypoint. Most units will store 500 or more waypoints. Assuming there is no shallow water or obstacles like land in your path, use your home waypoint and compass to find your way home. Fog, darkness or bad weather does not effect the operation of this unit. In the event of an emergency you could call someone with your coordinates and they would know where to find you. In the more sophisticated units a map showing your position with the depth of water at your location is displayed. The use of this information is critical when working bottom structure for fish.
There are many ways to use G.P.S. for finding fish. On my boat we log the coordinates of every fish caught on a sheet of paper. These coordinates are used to return to the same spot day after day. After a fish hits a lure it makes perfect sense to turn the boat around to try the same spot again. Many times we will get another fish on immediately as we pass the same location. When no additional fish are taken, we will circle in that area using the original coordinates as the center of our search. I usually enter one of the areas where action has been very good as a waypoint in the G.P.S. for future trips. Working with latitude and longitude numbers takes a little practice, stay with it the work is worth it. There are chart plotter units that draw a line showing the path of the boat on the display screen to simplify this process. As I mentioned earlier a chart plotter G.P.S. with a map chip for your area will give you your position relative to water depth, land features and harbor entrances. I use the water depth when I follow a bottom contour for fish holding near the bottom. Lake trout are known for staying near the bottom. This technique is very effective for them.
On the Great Lakes we often fish in areas where wrecks are located. The location of wrecks entered in the G.P.S. will save a lot of lost tackle. It will allow you to fish near wrecks without the fear of hanging up on them. I like to enter the location of schools of bait fish you see on the locator when under power heading out to a spot or trolling for further investigation. On a trip that starts before daylight, you must have G.P.S. to pin point the location of yesterday’s hot first light action.
I could go on and on about the importance of knowing precisely where you are and where you want to be. Some would consider G.P.S. a luxury or not needed. I find the information this unit supplies as invaluable and you will too. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Post Number: 7
Registered: 2-2006
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 10:12 am: | |
Lake Michigan Charters Wisconsin Rigging For Success Article #19
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In three months we will be out on Lake Michigan. Now is the time to think about changes to make your trips more productive next season. There are many ways to go on this subject. Over the next several articles I will try to cover topics like rigging, tackle and presentation. My goal is to provide information, which should lead to more fish and less slow fishing.
In the last article we covered Leadcore rigging and presentation. Let us continue with rigging. The top fishermen know that when the action stops or never starts its time to spread the tackle and work all the different types of fish. If this sounds strange, you may not have considered that each species of fish likes different lures, presentations and temperatures. When I go out on any trip I start with what I believe is the hot set up based on the last trip. This works most of the time but when it doesn't I spread my tackle out to cover all the types of fish. I usually fish 100 feet of water or more because most days all five types of fish are there. This gives me the most possible opportunities to produce fish. Deep water on summer days holds temperature changes from top to bottom creating the correct conditions for all Lake Michigan game fish. There are also some fish that do not hold very often in less than 100 feet of water. When talking to other fishermen they tell me they have never caught a Rainbow or a Lake Trout. This is because they do not fish all potential depths in deep water. As a general rule Rainbows like the warm surface water and Lakers prefer the cold bottom in 100 feet or more.
When I spread tackle out, I run a mix of different lures doing what I call mini sets. This is what I might do in a summer presentation. I split up my rods into three mini sets. On the deepest lines in the coldest water I fish for Lake trout. All the deep lines are matched for speed, color and preference of the target. This is a good time to talk about color as it relates to the amount of light. You may or may not remember learning the colors of the rainbow in school. The colors are remembered by this acronym "ROY G BIV". These letters mean red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Most of the time I run lure colors of red, orange, or yellow when that lure is presented in the portion of the water column with the most light. The other end of the rainbow blue, indigo and violet are used in darker or low light situations. You may ask what about silver and white? I consider these as neutral or they will work in any type of light. All the other colors fall into either bright or dark. Bright lures are used in bright light conditions dark lures in low light. Now let's get back to setting our deep lines. Go with colors for low light that work well at a speed you intend to run and in the size of the baitfish. Medium to large spoons, Opti-dodgers with flies, or spin-n-glows and lake trolls work most days. Look for temps below 48 degrees for Lake Trout. The next mini set will run in water above the deep lines. Fish the 48-58 degree water spreading the lines to run about every ten feet of depth. Here we are looking for Chinooks and Coho salmon. I like a mix of opti-dodgers, flashers and flies with a long lead spoon or two. The balance of my lines will run in 59 degrees or warmer water looking for rainbows and browns. Depending on how much warm water you have to work with you can cover it with long lines, diving planers and lead core. The mini set in the warmest water with plenty of light should have the lures with fastest action and brightest colors. When the fishing gets tough spread out your presentation and go deep. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 10:00 am: | |
Lake Michigan Charters Wisconsin Leadcore Rigging Article #18
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Now is the time to think about changes to make your trips more productive next season. There are many ways to go on this subject. Over the next several articles I will try to cover topics like rigging, tackle and presentation. My goal is to provide information, which should lead to more fish and less slow fishing.
In the last article we covered rigging diving planers and flat lines. Let us continue with rigging presentations. The tools out there are endless. Being flexible on the slow days is the answer to more fish. It is a fisherman with a full arsenal of presentations that finds action when fishing gets tough. The hot rig for the last several years has been leadcore. With the influx of Zebra Muscles the waters of the Great Lakes have become very clear. In my opinion the toughest conditions are calm clear sunny days. On these types of days leadcore is the way to go. I do not recommend this presentation for first light it is far to time consuming to run during a hot bite. After the early morning bite or about two hours after sunrise I break out the leadcore. The basics are reel, rod, line and planer board. The cost of a rig will start at about $150.
The reel you use is based on the amount of leadcore line you want to run. The rule of thumb is 4-5 feet of depth to every color of leadcore. When your target fish is 15 feet down you should run 3 or 4 colors of leadcore. Some of you may be thinking why is there a variation of 4 to 5 feet per color. The factors that affect this are type of lure and boat speed. This line is graduated in 10-yard sections each having a different color. When selecting a reel purchase one large enough to handle the amount of colors you would like to run. Leadcore is a bulky line and most likely will not fit on the reels you are currently using. Find a tackle store that deals with this product to ensure a correct purchase. Popular set ups are 3 colors, 5 colors and 8 colors.
Rods for leadcore need to have plenty of backbone. I use a heavy action 8-foot rod. This should give you the power needed to reel in 500 feet of line, planer board and 20-pound Kings.
The line comes in many test weights. 27 or 36 pound is what I run it all has the same sink rate. You will also need a backing line of mono, braided Dacron or one of the super lines like Powerpro. From the leadcore to the lure use a 20-pound fluorocarbon line.
To avoid tangles when running multiple leadcores you will need a planer board for each rig. The purpose of a planer board is to move the line off to the side of the boat away from other lines. Several manufactures have boards for leadcore. Church has a walleye board also you may use Yellowbird's big bird and Offshore boards.
When loading this reel, start with 100 yards of a backing line then strip the lead out of the end of the leadcore and tie a Blood Knot to the leadcore. Finish with a Willis Knot and 60 feet of a 20-pound fluorocarbon to a ball bearing cross lock snap.
To run this rig, snap on your favorite lure and let out all of the line to the backing. Then install your board on the backing so it does not release. I usually run them 150 feet off each side of the boat. Very wide turns and low boat traffic are a must to avoid tangles and getting run over. I set my drags light. When the reel starts to scream, adjust the drag as necessary. Reel in the line until you can reach the board and hand release it. Now the line is clear to bring in the fish. Some of my biggest fish were caught on this presentation this year. The good news is it produces fish all day long. Good Luck let's go fishing Captain Jim. . Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 9:54 am: | |
Fishing Charters Wisconsin Lake Michigan Diving Planers Article #17
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Now is the time to think about changes to make your trips more productive next season. There are many ways to go on this subject. Over the next several articles I will try to cover topics like rigging, tackle and presentation. My goal is to provide information, which should lead to more fish and less slow fishing.
In the last article we covered some of the many ways to use a downrigger. Let us continue with rigging presentation. The tools out there are endless. It is a fisherman with a full arsenal of presentations that finds action when fishing gets tough. It is my experience that on any given day one presentation or other will produce better than the other. Most boats run diving planers like Dipsy Divers, Slide Divers, Deep Sixes and similar divers. This is a very simple tool that is not run to its full potential by most fishermen. Start with a clear mono or fluorocarbon 25-pound line one and a half times the length of the rod you are using. On one end tie a size 5 cross lock snap to attach the lure. Tie the other end to a snubber. They come in many colors. I prefer a clear product made by Opti-Dodger. The snubber will absorb the shock of the strike and set the hook. The snubber is then attached to the diver. On the release side of the diver tie your line from the rod. You can use a variety of different lines. The standard set up is 20 to 30 pound mono. Some other options are 20-pound Micro-filament, Uni-filament and stranded wire. The benefits of these options are the smaller diameter of this product allows the diver to reach greater depths. An 8 to 10 foot medium heavy action rod with a line counter reel completes this rig. They are often called poor man's downrigger. When asked by beginning trollers on what to buy I always recommend two diver rigs. They will take lures to a prescribed depth and repeat it over and over again. The disadvantage to this rig is it does not have a release and offers some resistance when reeling in fish. All divers come with a sheet of paper to tell you how many feet of line to let out to attain the depth you wish to fish. There is also a base plate adjustment to make the diver go to the side of the boat out of the boat’s path. When fishing calm days in clear water divers offer a stealth presentation. Line counter reels give you total control of depth for repeatability. For those who do not have line counters I would measure the distance from the reel to the first eye on your rod. When setting lines pull line from the reel to the first eye. If it is 2 feet multiply the number of pulls by 2 to calculate your amount of line out. Then refer to diver depth chart to figure diver depth.
To finish this article I will discuss flat lining. In this presentation you troll free lines off the back of the stern with little or no weight. You are restricted to one or two lines to avoid tangles. The advantage is to spot lures far from the boat 50 to 300 feet back. This is deadly when temperature of the water for your target is right on the surface. Spooky fish like Rainbows and Brown Trout will hit midday on flat lines. My flat line rods are spooled with 12-pound test line or you may use a small barrel swivel and a 12-pound leader to your heavier downrigger line. Use a good quality size 7 cross lock snap swivel to attach your lure. To add a little depth to this presentation use a bead chain keel sinker from 3/8 to 2 ounces eight feet ahead of the snap. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 9:49 am: | |
Fishing Milwaukee Downrigger Diversity Tips #16
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Now is the time to think about changes to make you more productive next season. There are many ways to go on this subject. Over the next several articles I will try to cover topics like rigging, tackle and presentation. My goal is to provide information, which should lead to more fish and less slow fishing.
Let’s continue with downriggers. In the last article we covered the hardware, weights, releases and manual or electric models. Now we will go into using this tool in many ways. The basic presentation is to set the lead by allowing the lure to trail behind the boat as the boat goes anywhere from 1.5 to 3.5 miles per hour. The distance the lure is run behind the weight of the downrigger will change depending on a large and ever changing set of conditions. At or before first light of the day, and again after sunset a short lead of 15 feet is the most effective. The commotion of many lures running side by side will draw fish to the boat. As the sun comes up and the bite slows down, you should consider increasing the distance from the weight to the lure. Zebra mussels have taken much of the color out of the water and a long lead is required for spooky fish on sunny calm days. This is very important when you are working the top forty feet of water. The short lead is also very good when fishing deeper than 75 feet down. There are lures that must be run shorter than 15 feet to work. Rotators, flashers and dodgers like to run 8 to 10 feet behind the weight. SWR is another presentation to run on a downrigger. SWR or secret weapon rig is a rod with two or three colors of leadcore line. The advantage to this set up is it runs below the weight to offer a lure in an environment 100 feet behind the boat. For many years some fisherman have been using down and outs. This is a small diving disc adjusted to run to the left or right of the boats path to provoke a hit. Set up the disc as you would for working it on a solo line and attach it 20 feet behind the weight. In addition to the standard rigging, sliders are a popular method of getting more lines in the water. After the main line is set a six foot piece of monofilament with a lure on one end and a snap on the other is attached to the main line and allowed to slide down to about midway from the surface and the bottom lure. With a downrigger you can also run a stack line to offer more lures at more potential depths. The way this is rigged is to set your main line as usual lower it to 15 feet and add another line by means of an additional release. My experience with this has been outstanding. Two lures together are very effective when working deep lines. I like a dodger or flasher 10 feet behind the weight on the bottom line and a spoon 30 feet back on the top stack line. The variations of downrigger presentation are end less. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 9:47 am: | |
Fishing Charters Milwaukee Downriggers 101
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Now is the time to think about changes to make you more productive next season. There are many ways to go on this subject. Over the next several articles I will try to cover topics like rigging, tackle and presentation. My goal is to provide information, which should lead to more fish and less slow fishing. Let’s get started with rigging. This is a very large topic that needs to be broken down into smaller subjects. Downriggers are a good place to start. This is one of the most basic of presentations and yet is very easy to get confused about. The use of this tool is limited only by your imagination. For every method I write about here some of you know dozens of other ways to work a downrigger. The basic concept is a wire line with a weight on one end with a release to hold a lure at a given depth. The other end is a spool or wheel to hold the wire and facilitate the raising or lowering of the weight. Downriggers are made in manual or electric. There are many brands out in the market place and I think they are all good. The high-speed electrics will give you an advantage when you are on a hot bite. For the average fisherman manuals will get the job done. There are all kinds of additional features you can add to your downrigger. An important one is temperature at the ball to tell you when your lure is the temp for your target. This can also be added to any downrigger later. Cameras to watch lure action and the attitude of the fish. All the extras may or may not get you more fish depending on your ability to interpret the information provided. Basic set up is to let out your lure behind the boat and attach it to the weight. The way you attach it has everything to do with how many fish you will put in the boat. I have tried most of the different styles of releases. I like the Blacks release with the clip to attach the weight as one unit. The Blacks releases are completely adjustable to set the hook when the fish bites and never tangle or wear the line. Weight selection is also important. Things to consider are size, shape, construction and color. For my corner downriggers a flat weight with a large adjustable fin is the way to go. When the fin is correctly tuned it will spread your presentation and avoid tangles. For the two inside downriggers I prefer a weight that tracks well and looks like a fish. I use 10-12 pound weights when fishing deep and go to 8 pounds for shallow presentation. The best source I have found for quality weights at a reasonable price is Off Shore Weights ask for Ralph 414-425-7663. I will finish on this subject in the next article. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Fishing Charters Milwaukee Fall Salmon Habits
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In previous article we covered lure presentation on clear days. Now let us switch gears and discuss location and presentation for Salmon in the last several months of their life. I will just group them together and call them spawners. For the fisherman in our area this includes Coho and Chinook. On or about the third week in July to the end of our season and beyond these fish are looking for a place to drop their eggs. The active feeding time of their life is coming to an end. The good news is they will still hit lures on what I call a reflex reaction. As the spawners start their quest for the perfect spot they will move from where you would normally look for them on baitfish. The end of July and early August fish the 55 to 70 degree water in depths of 100 feet or more. As the season progresses they start to move closer to natal-release sites. The four-year-old kings definitely like color. I like spoons or attractors and flies in green, orange, chartreuse, red and silver. As we get into August most of these fish will be suspended in the 60 degrees or warmer water. In the month of August I look for the biggest kings in 60 to 90 feet of water. The lure action changes everyday experiment with size, speed and color. One day the fish like flashers or dodgers the next its spoons. September the fish start to go up the river. Look for them in 50 to 40 feet of water, in the harbor gaps and mouths of the rivers. Dreamweaver 90002s plugs out preformed J-plugs four to one again this season for big kings. Try them all season long you won't be disappointed. When these fish get into the harbor there are three lures I run. Large silver or glow in the dark spoons, Dreamweaver plugs and size 3 Willy lures made by Hagen's Tackle. I just discovered the Willy lures this year and they caught fish on days when all other lures failed to produce. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
James Hirt (Jim_blue_max_charters)
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Fish Milwaukee Salmon Too Much Tackle
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In previous article we covered lure speed as it relates to fish species. Correct speed along with good presentation in the temp location the target prefers will put fish in the cooler. Let's talk about presentation. My latest fish report talks about long leads on the downrigger. How long is long enough? Early in the morning or low light days 20 feet behind the ball is fine. On clear blue skies late in the day cut down on the number of rods and run long. Has this happen to you? You start an afternoon trip clear skies lots of sun set the first line and you got a fish on before you can set the next line. You boat that fish get all the lines in and no more action. I believe too much tackle turns the fish off. Well what do you do no one wants to run one line? Spread your presentation and go long. If the temp break is at 60 feet and you run 4 downriggers run the outside or corner riggers at 60 and center riggers at 90 and 30 feet. Experiment with the lead. If you are marking fish and not getting hits lengthen the distance from the lure to the weight. I run what some call a SWR. This consists of a two to five color leadcore. This presentation may be 250 feet back running 10 to 25 below the weight. This is a killer stealth approach to for very difficult conditions. For more information on set up of leadcore see my article #9 at http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/lmfishingtips.htm Fishing is a constant evaluation of variables. No two days are the same. Your ability to evaluate the changes will lead to your success. To complete this article we must know what tool will give us the most reliable measurement of speed and temp. A new product out in the market place for this purpose is the Depth Raider. This unit offers a probe that you connects to a special downrigger cable they provide giving you speed and temp at the lure to depths of 200 feet. This information is sent to an easy to read display. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
Jim Blue Max Charters (Unregistered Guest)
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Fishing Charters Milwaukee Lure Speed By Species
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In previous articles we covered my three most productive lures for July and August. I will give a quick recap for those who missed the last issue. My first choice is an 8-inch Luhr Jensen flasher green with silver and glow tape with a green fly. The length of the leader from the flasher to the fly should be give or take 25 inches. I measure from the end of the hook to the back of the flasher. This measurement may change day to day. The length of the leader will affect the speed of the fly movement. The bigger Chinooks may require a longer leader. My number two and three choice would be two different spoons. For first light fishing I like a Fishlander ultra green glow in the easter egg color size number two. This spoon has put more fish in the cooler than any other spoon I run. The other spoon I like is a Northern King silver with blue and green accent and black dots. Use this lure when fishing in over cast situations or below fifty feet down. I hope this helps when you go shopping. A good way to not miss the info in Southeastern Wisconsin Outdoor Guide is to subscribe. To contact them look for info on page #2. In this article let's address lure speed as it relates to fish species. The easy way to remember how fast to run your presentation for your target is to think of the temperature they prefer. Lake trout like below 50 degrees water and they require the slowest lure speed. I run between 1.0 and 2.0 M.P.H. for Lakers. Chinook lure speed is all over the map. The book tells us 52 degrees is what they like. There is considerable variation in the temp of water you will find them. Early in the morning and just before dark they may come into the warm water to feed. As a general rule 2.5 M.P.H. will produce these fish. Coho like slightly warmer water than the Chinooks. I look for water of 52 to 57 degrees for them at 2.7 M.P.H. When you are looking for Brown Trout fish 60 degrees and above at 2.5 to 2.7 M.P.H. This leaves the Rainbows. To catch Rainbows fish 60 degree plus water at 2.7 to 3.5 M.P.H. I use the fish I am catching as an indicator to my boat speed. When I catching Lakers I speed up to catch Chinooks. When catching Rainbows I slow down for Lakers. Catching fish every day is a constant evaluation of variables. No two days are the same. Your ability to evaluate the changes will lead to your success. To complete this article we must know what tool will give us the most reliable measurement of speed and temp. A new product out in the market place for this purpose is the Depth Raider. This unit offers a probe that you connect to a special downrigger cable giving you speed and temp at the lure to depths of 200 feet. This information is sent to an easy to read display. I was very impressed with Curt Kell of Kell Laboratories the innovator of this product. His attention to quality and customer satisfaction sets him apart in the industry. The Depth Raider will set the standard for this type of product for years to come. To get information on this product call Curt at 262-534-2202. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
Jim Blue Max Charters (Unregistered Guest)
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Charter Fishing Milwaukee Hot Lures For Salmon
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In previous articles we covered where to start if you have not been out for awhile. In this article I would like to help you with what lures to buy at the tackle store for a typical July or August trip on Lake Michigan. This is a very difficult question. Where I cannot possibly go into all species and all situations, perhaps I can define what I believe will catch fish 90 percent of the time. Please keep in mind that the best lure not properly presented will not catch fish. Milwaukee is known for excellent Chinook salmon fishing, so I will focus on salmon. If I were to run just one lure day in and day out and consistently catch fish, it would be a flasher and fly. Flashers come in dozens of colors and sizes. The one I would select would be an 8-inch Luhr Jensen green with silver and glow tape with a green fly. The length of the leader from the flasher to the fly should be give or take 25 inches. I measure from the end of the hook to the back of the flasher. This measurement may change day to day. The length of the leader will affect the speed of the fly movement. The bigger Chinooks may require a longer leader. My number two choice would be two different spoons. For first light fishing I like a Fishlander ultra green glow in the easter egg color size number two. This spoon has put more fish in the cooler than any other spoon I run. The other spoon I like is a Northern King silver with blue and green accent and black dots. Use this lure when fishing in over cast situations or below fifty feet down. Run a spoon on your dipsey and flasher flies on your downriggers. A simple and very effective way to produce fish on calm days with clear skies is to run just two spoons. The lead from the spoon to the downrigger should be one hundred fifty feet. This presentation will not allow tight turns. When the morning bite stops, go long to continue catching fish. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
Jim Blue Max Charters (Unregistered Guest)
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Fishing Milwaukee Cold Start Finding Fish
Tip #10
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In previous articles we covered basic leadcore. I would recommend trying a leadcore line set up. This presentation will work when all others are dead. In this article I would like to explain where to start if you have not been out for awhile. I find Internet fish reports invaluable for up to date information look for the most recent reports. If you do not have that option, ask at the local sporting goods stores or the other fisherman at the launch ramps. Marine radio is also helpful if you have one. What if none of these options are available? Then follow the steps I recommend. The tools you will need are depth gauge, temp gauge and fish locator. I key on temp and food. In most cases when you find them you will catch fish. Start with a temp check on the surface. If it is too warm for your target species, you must take a temperature check from the top to the bottom in the water you are in to see if it is cold enough for your target. East wind will bring warm water into Milwaukee. The result may be water that is too warm for your target. When you find this scenario move out to deeper water and check again. Repeat this process until you are satisfied with the temp. Look for a sharp break in temp from the warm surface to the colder water. I work tackle both slightly above and below the break. Having said that, there are exceptions to every rule. I would also run one line well above and below the temp break. This may be out of the temp you expect to catch fish, but at certain times of the day they will be there. Run your most aggressive lures with the most action on the warm side of the break. In contrast, use slower less aggressive tackle on the extreme cold side. Baitfish are a very important ingredient to this mix. Always fish schools of baitfish when you see them. When you are under power on the way out and see baitfish on the locator get the lines in. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
Jim Blue Max Charters (Unregistered Guest)
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Lake Michigan Fishing Charter Milwaukee Leadcore Presentation
Tips #9
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In previous articles we covered some ways to present lures in early summer. This time of year look for most of your fish in the top 50 feet. Keep your eye on your locator and also work deeper marks when you see them. My experience this time of year is the deeper fish are less active and tend not to bite. Most often you will not mark well above 30 feet because those fish are out side the cone of your locator’s transducer. The primary presentations I use at this time of year are planer boards, dipsy divers and leadcore. If your budget allows, I would recommend trying a leadcore line set up. This presentation will work when all others are dead. The basics of leadcore are simple. The most expensive part is the reel. It must have enough line capacity to handle the leadcore line plus mono and Dacron for a total of anywhere from 300 half core to 600 yards two cores. I run my half cores or five colors on Diawa 47H. This is the smallest reel a half core will fit on. Line counter reels are not necessary. Leadcore sinks at a rate of 4-5 feet per color. A half core will run about 24 feet deep. When loading this reel, start with 100 yards of a braided Dacron then strip the lead out of the end of the leadcore and tie a Blood Knot to the leadcore. Finish with a Willis Knot and 60 feet of a 20-pound monofilament to a ball bearing cross lock snap. You will need a heavy action 8-foot rod to work with lead. You may run this with a planer board if you are going to use multiple set ups. Snap on your favorite lure and let out all of the line to the Dacron. Then install your board so it does not release. I usually run them 150 feet off each side of the boat. Very wide turns and low boat traffic are a must to avoid tangles and getting run over. I set my drags light. When the reel starts to scream, adjust the drag as necessary. Reel in the line until you can reach the board and hand release it. Now the line is clear to bring in the fish. I don’t fish lead early in the morning. I use it when the early bite is over. Some of my biggest fish are caught on this presentation. Good Luck Captain Jim. Let's go fishing!! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
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Fishing Charters Milwaukee Presentation Tips #8
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In previous articles we covered spring presentation and location. As we go into summer our presentation evolves to follow the temperature of the fish you are targeting. This time of year look for most of your fish in the top 40 feet. Keep your eye on your locater and also work deeper marks when you see them. My experience this time of year is the deeper fish are less active and tend not to bite. Most often you will not mark well above 30 feet because those fish are out side the cone of your locater’s transducer. The primary presentations I use at this time are planer boards, dipsey divers and leadcore. On all my rods in spring, I run a 20-25 pound test monofilament with a 12-pound leader. You need to go with a light leader to produce good action in clear water near the surface. Run the heavier test to a bead chain sinker or barrel swivel then an 8-foot leader with a cross lock snap. Starting out this way I will have the rods loaded with the correct line for most presentations later in the season. I use a standard dipsey set up with an interesting twist. Opti-Dodger has a clear snubber, which I run right behind the dipsey and then 8 feet of 25-pound mono to the snap. The purpose of the snubber is to reduce the shock of the strike on the monofilament and it stretches initially to recoil and set the hook into the fish I am almost 100% on the number of hits to fish boated with set up. When I get those ugly days that the action slows I throw in my leadcores. It is not a presentation that is fun to reel in fish on. 500 feet of line is a lot of cranking. Leadcore will produce when nothing else will. I will go into details on set up and running lead in the next article. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
Jim Blue Max Charters (Unregistered Guest)
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Fishing Charters Milwaukee May and June Presentation Tips #7
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In previous articles we covered general overview and the specifics of temperature breaks and their location. Now let's continue with spring presentation and location. If your season starts early as we do at Blue Max Charters, you will be on Lake Michigan when the surface temperatures are below the preferred temp of your target species.
I will cover late May and early June in this article. This time period provides great action on Brown trout, Chinooks, Coho and Rainbows. Browns, at this time of the year, will come on similar presentations, lures and locations as I described in the last articles. Look for temp breaks with bait fish and the warmest water. This time of year you won't find water that is to warm for Browns. I like small spoons with silver, green or white blades with green, orange or blue accent stripes. Work the top 25 feet of water. I set up 90% of my lines on planer boards working the top fifteen feet of water. The remaining 10% of my lines are on diving planers or downriggers for deeper fish. On all my rods in spring, I run a 20-25 pound test monofilament with a 12-pound leader. You need to go with a light leader to produce good action in clear water near the surface. Run the heavier test to a bead chain sinker or barrel swivel then an 8-foot leader with a cross lock snap. I don’t go nuts with Micro Filament or Super Braid lines because I think they are over kill for this application and add to expenses. Starting out this way I will have the rods loaded with the correct line for most presentations through out the season. I set my boat speed at 1 to 2 mph. Slow presentation is key in spring. The lures you run is all about the amount of light, baitfish size and the size of fish you are looking to catch. Mix it up! When one lure produces I would double up on that lure. For Coho I prefer 6 inch orange flashers and a variety of different colored flies instead of spoons. Adjust the length of the leader from the flasher to the fly to get the best results. The general rule is one and one half times the length of the flasher. My experience is the colder the water the longer the leader. Longer leaders slow down the action. There are times when I run up to three times the flasher length. Most Rainbows will hit the flasher flies. When only looking for Rainbows, substitute bright color spoons for flasher flies. The Chinooks should also take spoons. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 Or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
Jim Blue Max Charters (Unregistered Guest)
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Lake Michigan Fishing Charters Hooks Make the Difference
By Capt. Jim Hirt
The last article closed with a promise of exploring the different types of hooks I use on Lake Michigan and the techniques I use to sharpen them. This is a somewhat controversial issue for most fishermen. Everyone has an opinion I can only state what works for me. One thing I believe all will agree on is a sharp hook will catch more fish. There are many types of sharpeners out there. I have tried most of them. A simple $4.00 file is the system I keep coming back to. Start with a check of the point by trying to stick the tip into you thumbnail. A hook that slides off your nail needs some work. Do not shortcut this process 10 hits and 9 fish is a good day 10 hits and 2 fish you wasted your time coming out on the lake. File three sides of the point and test again. New lures do not always have sharp hooks! After you have boated a fish check the hook for sharpness and that it didn't get bent out of shape. A word of caution if you loose the tip of the hook from repeated sharpening it’s time to replace it. This is the first step for any type of fishing and I guarantee it will improve your number of fish in the box. When you shop for hooks buy quality extra strong hooks. It should say 2x or 3x on the package. There are cheap hooks that bend easily and won't hold a sharp point look for the best. A recent trend is to use red hooks in theory this makes sense. I do not have an opinion on this. I will be testing this on some baits this season. Always replace hooks with the same size you removed or the action will change. This leads us to the big question single hooks verses trebles. My rule is this stay with the original manufactures recommendation, they do the testing and that's good enough for me. Good luck. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
Jim Blue Max Charters (Unregistered Guest)
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Lure Presentation #5
By Captain Jim Hirt
The last several articles we covered some options for spring presentation with a focus on temperature, planer boards, lines, terminal tackle and lure selection. If you would be interested in this information, contact Southeastern Wisconsin Outdoor Guide for back issues. Let's continue with lure selection, colors, boat speed, and lure action for spring. The cold water slows down the metabolism of the fish; this in turn requires you to slow down your presentation. I select lures that are small and work well at slower than normal boat speeds. Your adjustment to these variables is different depending on the preferred temperature of the target species. Brown trout like the warmest water of the five game fish in Lake Michigan. They are looking for above 60-degree water. When you find 60 plus water, fish them as you would in summer. Below 60 degrees the way you fish should be adjusted. Most Browns will be found in the top 20 feet of water where bright lures should be best. Please read article #4 for break down of color by light. I slow my boat speed to below 1.5 mph. The small lures become very effective and run well at this speed. Does your boat troll at 1.0 to 4.5 mph? If it doesn't, you will find it difficult to produce all the types of fish in all types of conditions. Most boats have trouble trolling slowly. When I purchased my new boat, the Blue Max with two 454 engines, trolling slowly was a problem for me. I then added a drift sock to slow down my presentation. Without this tool you will not be successful every trip out. If you adjust the idle down too low on your motor, you will most likely have spark plug fouling or worse. Slow trolling is the way to go in spring or any time the water temperature is below the temp range of the fish you are after. In spring keep it slow, small and bright to increase your catch. Note don't forget to sharpen those hooks. In the next article I will go into hook types, sharpening techniques and the pros and cons of trebles vs. singles. Good luck Captain Jim. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 Or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
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Lake Michigan
Lure set ups Tips #4
By Capt. Jim Hirt
The last article was a general discussion of spring presentation with a focus on planer boards, lines and terminal tackle. This was good information for a starting point but you will need more information to produce every trip out. In the next several articles I would like to help you define when to use spoons, crankbaits, flasher flies, dodger flies, squids and a variety of other lures. The way I decide what to use is determined by many variables. Let’s look at each of them separately. What we are looking for is the right color, size and lure action that will get your target species to strike. There are basically two approaches with every fisherman putting his own twist on each. Some fishermen believe it is better to run all of the same kind of lure at one time and use a selection of colors or sizes. This type of presentation is called bait sets. Let’s say they are running six rods. They will run the same type of spoon on each rod in a variety of colors and sizes, or all flashers and flies in different colors. Bait sets work well when you know what's happening but you leave no room for error. If you're hot you're hot or if you’re wrong you may not be in the game. The other approach to presentation is running a different lure on every line. This set up is called shotgun. Mixing lures this way is tricky; some lures may be too fast or too slow to work well. On most days, I run a mix of different lures doing what I call mini sets. This is what I might do in a summer presentation. I am usually running 12-16 rods. I split up my rods into three mini sets. On the deepest lines in the coldest water I fish for Lake trout. All the deep lines are matched for speed, color and preference of the target. This is a good time to talk about color as it relates to the amount of light. You may or may not remember learning the colors of the rainbow in school. The colors are remembered by this acronym "ROY G BIV". These letters mean red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. There are exceptions to every rule. Most of the time I run lure colors of red, orange, or yellow when that lure is presented in the portion of the water column with the most light. The other end of the rainbow blue, indigo and violet are used in darker or low light situations. You may ask what about silver and white? I consider these as neutral or they will work in any type of light. All the other colors fall into either bright or dark. Bright lures are used in bright light conditions dark lures in low light. Now let's get back to setting our deep lines. Go with colors for low light that work well at a speed you intend to run and in the size of the baitfish. Medium to large spoons, Opti-dodgers with flies, or spin-n-glows and lake trolls work most days. Look for temps below 48 degrees for Lake Trout. I will get into downrigger presentation in another article. The next mini set will run in water above the deep lines. Fish the 48-58 degree water spreading the lines to run about every ten feet of depth. Here we are looking for Chinooks and Coho salmon. I like a mix of opti-dodgers, flashers and flies with a long lead spoon or two. The balance of my lines will run in 59 degrees or warmer water looking for rainbows and browns. Depending on how much warm water you have to work with you can cover it with long lines, diving planers and lead core. The mini set in the warmest water with lots light should have the lures with fastest action and brightest colors. I was not on the lake yet this season. I will start a fish report as soon as we get out. Give me a call on the lake to exchange information. Good luck Captain Jim. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 Or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
Jim Blue Max Charters (Unregistered Guest)
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Lake Michigan
Spring Presentation #3
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In articles one and two, we covered general overview and the specifics of temperature breaks and their location. Now let us start on spring presentation. If your season starts early as we do at Blue Max Charters, you will be on Lake Michigan when the surface temperatures are below the preferred temp of your target species. I would like to break this down by months.
I will cover April in this article. This month provides great action on Lake trout and Brown trout, with the other species available but not as active. Browns and Lakers, this time of year, will come on similar presentation with a preference to different lures. I set up 90% of my lines on boards working the top fifteen feet of water. The remaining 10% of my lines are on diving planers or downriggers for deeper fish. The lake will be very cold, well below your target temp. I fish the surface down to fifteen feet with planer Boards. Some of your choices are, Yellow Birds, Church, Off Shore and Riviera. I’m a little hesitant to recommend a particular brand because what works for me may not work for you. I will say I find it easier to run a small board on each line rather than a large board with releases on the towline. I do feel it is important to run all the same type to get a presentation that is easy and productive. On all my rods in spring, I run a 20-25 pound test monofilament. I don’t go nuts with Micro Filament or Super Braid lines because I think they are over kill for this application and add to expenses. Starting out this way I will have the rods loaded with the correct line for most presentations through out the season. In spring fishing, the clear surface water leaves you with a visibility factor to consider, and smaller crank baits do not run well on heavier test lines. I run a 1/4 to 1 ounce bead chain trolling sinker at the end of the 20-25lb mono to avoid line twists and get the depth I want. From the sinker to the lure I use 8ft of a 12lb mono and a small round cross lock snap. When the fish hits, the board slides down to the trolling sinker. With the sinker in line, it will not knock the fish off as it would if it ran down to the lure. I put out as many boards as I can handle, with equal number of boards on both sides of the boat. When setting this presentation, I set my boat speed at 1 to 2 mph and let out my lure about 30 to 100 feet and attach the board. This distance will change with the amount of light, type of lure, depth you want to fish. When action is slow, adjust this distance and see what happens. Once the board is attached, carefully lower the board into the water and let out enough line to allow room for more boards, between that board and the boat. Boards should be spaced about 30 feet apart. I run a mix of minnow type lures, crankbaits and small spoons. The lures you run is all about the amount of light, baitfish size and the size of fish you are looking to catch. Mix it up! When one lure produces I would double up on that lure. When a fish hits, the board releases and it will drop back behind the boat. Land your fish and reset this board by letting out enough line to allow the board to fly back into the same spot it came from. Avoid changing out to many lures if you are getting action because at times one lure feeds off another. By this I mean, a spoon may be attracting the fish but they will hit the crankbait next to it. If the weather cooperates, we will be doing charters by the next issue and I will include a fish report Good luck Give me a call on the lake. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 Or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
Jim Blue Max Charters (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
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Lake Michigan Temperature Is
Key #2
By Capt. Jim Hirt
In the last article, we started with the Importance of location, tackle, temperature and good record keeping. I also covered some of my key ways to find fish in early spring on Lake Michigan and the hot set ups to keep the rods dancing.
Let us now go into more detail on location of temperature breaks and how to work them. The first and perhaps most important is how to find these sometimes subtle temperature changes. Your primary tool, and one you cannot do with out, is a surface temp gauge. I use the one built into my fish locator. It also has a graph to show the temp history over the last hour. This may not be necessary but it can help when mapping temp over a given area. The big pond is very cold in April and May also some years even into June. Your ability to monitor temp and stay in as close to the target species preferred temp will make or break your day on the lake. Let us assume most of the lake is in the forty-degree range and your target species is Coho, browns or Chinooks. All of these fish are looking for two things, temperature as close to their preferred range and food. I will go into food and or forage in another article for now let’s focus on temperature. Out of Milwaukee we are fortunate to have several rivers flowing into a large harbor. The rivers warm earlier than the lake and the mouth of a river is a place to start with a temp check. In addition, you should be checking each of the three gaps in the break wall that creates the harbor. A south wind will push the warm water out the north gap. This will turn the fish on in this area while the south gap is too cold for productive fishing. The way I start any day is to work the warmest water or water nearest to preferred temp I can find. After working this water, I move to cooler water. Sharp temp breaks are usually better at holding fish then gradual changes. Always consider the wind direction, not only when you are fishing but what it has been doing over the last several days. A light east wind on our western shore moves warmer surface water on shore and contributes to a rise in temp and a good bite close to the shoreline. All harbors with rivers have some current flow and the wind determines the direction that warmer water will flow when leaving the harbor. Fish that warmer water and into the cooler lake water keeping an eye on your temp gauge. When you get action note your location by land sightings and temp. Stay with that temperature to find active fish. If you have worked the harbor and gaps with no or slow action, look for temp breaks on the lake created by shifts in wind direction. Another option is to check tight along the shoreline in protected bays. At times I will run my lures in the shallow warmer water on side planners keeping the boat out in the deeper cooler water. Another area to check out is any warm water discharged from power plants. We have this opportunity south of Milwaukee by twelve miles at Oak Creek. I will go into details of spring lure selection and presentation in the next article good luck Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 Or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
Jim Blue Max Charters (Unregistered Guest)
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Charter Captain’s Spring
Tips #1
By Capt. Jim Hirt
The start of the 2006 Lake Michigan Season is right around the corner and now is the time to think about early location and tackle. In this article, I would like to share with you some of my keys to finding fish and the hottest set ups for very early presentations. I have been a charter captain for over twenty years and these techniques have produced year after year. I am confident that you will achieve success applying these classic tips.
I start my season in early April and the most important factor at this time is temperature. I recommend a must item for you is a temp gauge for the surface and a notebook. Your gauge can be a simple hand held thermometer or a unit built into your fish locator. The notebook is all about what’s working and what’s not. I find if I can avoid duplicating non-productive techniques, I will improve my catches and enjoyment. Keeping record of your bad and good days is key to moving to the top of the list as an above average in your sport. I write down the date, time of day, conditions, cloudy, clear, calm, rough, port or lake G.P.S. numbers if you have them. Record this on every fish or at least at the end of the day. On a hot bite, I usually get caught up on my notes as soon as I can to avoid lost detail.
Spring action can be hot. Think about it, the temperature of the water is in the 40 degree range, and with a few exceptions, the fish we will find the most active are on the top five to ten feet. Well lets get started. It’s always a good idea to check the Wisconsin Outdoor Guide for up to date information on what’s biting. I also check at local tackle stores and Internet reports. If these resources were not available, I would then start with temperature. This holds true if you are in a boat or on shore. Find the warmest temp you can. Sometimes I am fishing a temp break of only a degree or two. Don’t rush this process. Haste to get your lines in non-productive water is just a waste of time. You will find these temp breaks at mouths of rivers, power plants and protected bays. The wind direction will be a major player in warm water location. The surface warms first and wind will move this water around. On Wisconsin’s shore, a light east wind does wonders to improving spring action. The reason I used most of this article on temp is it helps eliminate a lot of slow fishing time. Temperature is more important than the type of lure you use.
Motor trolling is the method I use for most of my fishing, and I will explain one of my basic spring setups. If possible, I would max out the number of rods, because more is better this time of year. I fish all my lines on planner boards. Find one you like and run all the same type. I like crank baits, jointed minnow type lures and some spoons. These will cover most fish. The water is too cold for flasher flies and they will be used when the water warms to over fifty degrees. When fishing early in the season, fish metabolism or body temp is very low. I run my boat speed between 1.0 and 2.0 miles per hour. The color of the lure is dictated by the amount of light and water color. On most days, in clear water I use white and black or silver lures. Hotter colors work best in cloudy water. You can’t go wrong with chartreuse in both conditions. The new glow in dark lures are an excellent option. The old rule of thumb applies; bright lures bright days, dark lures dark days. I cannot cover all the bases in this limited space so I will go into more detail in future issues. Good luck Captain Jim. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. With Blue Max Charters He can be reached at 414-828-1094 Or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com |
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