Best Bets: Plenty of redfish, snook and snapper up for grabs

The few anglers getting out of late have been contending with quite a few fish.

Redfish have been biting very well in a wide variety of locations and sizes, including many that have been too big to keep.

Hungry, post-spawn snook are moving from coastal waters, back up into the estuaries.

Mangrove snapper continue to bite well in the outer estuaries, as recently mature fish move to join offshore spawning stocks.

Tarpon hookups on big fish were reported from Boca Grande Pass, and on juveniles from upper Charlotte Harbor.

The vanguard species of migratory pelagics ? Spanish mackerel and little tunny ? are showing up in large sizes as they move south through cooling Gulf waters.

Rapidly rising waters in Lake Okeechobee have spurred bass to move en masse into the outside vegetation lines, all around the Big O.

REDFISH: The Bait Box on Sanibel reports redfish biting well, all around the island. A rental rod customer caught four, including two fish over the 27-inch maximum, Wednesday at Blind Pass. Anglers ducking out of Tuesday?s strong winds reported catching keeper reds and trout along Wildlife Drive (closed Fridays) in the J.N. ?Ding? Darling National Wildlife Refuge. And anglers fishing San Carlos Bay waters from the Sanibel Pier and causeway also have been catching keeper and oversize reds.

Lehr?s Economy Tackle in North Fort Myers got a couple of reports from the Picnic Island area of upper San Carlos Bay, where schooling reds to 22 inches were biting in good numbers.

And Lehr?s customer Mark Miller reported doing very well on redfish along the Charlotte Harbor shorelines from Matlacha Pass north to the Burnt Store Marina area, where more of his catches were oversize than in the high-slot range.

Steve Mason and Casey and Gail Canada caught and released slot-size reds on numerous stops during Saturday?s rising tide in northern Matlacha Pass, where ladyfish chunks under the mangroves proved irresistible, providing there were plenty of baitfish and mullet in the same areas. They also picked off a few reds and trout on artificials, before the tide began flooding.

Out of Fishermen?s Village, King Fisher bay boats fishing Charlotte Harbor?s eastern shorelines with live sardines and shrimp have been catching slot-size and undersize reds between Punta Gorda and Pirate Harbor.

SNOOK: Anglers fishing from the Sanibel Pier have been catching and releasing huge snook, often when baiting with frozen thread herrings, according to the Bait Box. Rough surf has slowed the beach fishing action for snook, but some linesides still are being caught along Bowman?s Beach and in Blind Pass, early in the mornings or in the evenings.

Lehr?s reports very good numbers of snook to 31 inches have been taking live baits along Charlotte Harbor?s lower east side on an afternoon bite this week.

Lehr?s also reports the sales of plastic avocado jig tails and 1-ounce leadheads remain strong to anglers who cast into the outflows of the W.P. Franklin Lock, from the North Shore Park Pier. That action should only pick up tempo as more snook move up the Caloosahatchee River, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee.

King Fisher bay boats report snook biting live herrings along Charlotte Harbor?s upper east side.

SNAPPER: Chris and Kaylyn Romey used live shrimp to catch and release 10 mangrove snapper, two sheepshead, a 17-inch snook and a crevalle jack Wednesday on a Fishbuster Charter to the backwaters of Estero Bay with Bonita Beach Capt. Dave Hanson.

Sanibel anglers have been catching lots of mangs, and one reported bonnethead shark, fishing from the center-span abutment of Sanibel Causeway Island B. They?ve also been catching snapper on live shrimp along Wildlife Drive, according to the Bait Box.

MACKEREL: Ed and Hunter Moran and Dana Cline and sons caught 18 dandy Spanish mackerel, from 22 to 26 inches, trolling Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow plugs, Kastmaster Spoons and white feather jigs along the northern bar, just outside Boca Grande Pass. They also got into a school of large little tunny, just inside the pass, and they lost two lures to tarpon while trolling inside the pass Sunday.

Bait Box customers reported catching Spanish mackerel while casting chrome spoons this week from Sanibel beaches, where a few whiting also were biting throughout the day on shrimp.

TROUT: Sanibel beach fishermen have been catching a few trout from the island?s shoreline troughs, according to the Bait Box.

Trout have been the main targets of King Fisher bay charters. The specks have been mostly undersize, but biting well on live shrimp and smallish sardines.

OFFSHORE: The Mesch party of six from Cape Coral braved sloppy seas Tuesday to box a dozen grouper, including 10 reds to 8 pounds and a brace of gags taping two feet apiece. They also caught six mangrove snapper and 20 lanes, fishing southwest of Boca Grande Pass in 85 feet of water. King Fisher Capt. Ralph Allen also reports seeing lots of Spanish mackerel in depths around 60 feet.

LAKE TRAFFORD: Boaters still are finding boat launching difficult due to low water levels in the Immokalee lake, but Lake Trafford Marina owner Ski Olesky reports two groups fishing over the weekend caught enough crappie and bluegills for family fish fries. They baited with minnows, worms and crickets, and fished well off the shorelines.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE: Clewiston Capt. Mark King reports very good bass fishing in the Big O?s rising waters. His Sunday party went through five dozen wild shiners and caught some 40 ?good, solid fish? to 7 pounds, fishing scattered holes in outside grass lines on the West and East walls. By 9:30, however, that action was mostly over as bass buried back into denser shade.

Santos Solis of Vero Beach, Fla., won the Sept. 15-16 Gator Division Walmart Bass Fishing League tournament with a two-day total weight of 47 pounds, 15 ounces. Solis said he was flipping a 1-ounce Medlock Jig trailered with a black-and-blue-colored Gambler Ugly Otter in reed lines near Cochran?s Pass, near the north end of Observation Shoal. Three other anglers also had bags topping 40 pounds.

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Reel Report: <b>Fishermen</b> enjoying chamber-of-commerce weather, tides

Wayne Miller caught this 7-pound largemouth bass while throwing a big topwater twitchbait in Bayou Sara Thursday morning. Miller says bass fishermen can put together a nice sack of fish if they're willing to move around and try different baits. (Submitted by Wayne Miller)

Great weather, good tidal movement, decent water clarity, falling water temperatures and major feeding times early and late should all add up to some awesome fishing over the next week no matter what you like to catch.

The little rise on the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers has stained the water heading into the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Predictions from the National Weather Service indicate the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is going to let the reservoirs behind the dams at Coffeeville on the Tombigbee and Claiborne on the Alabama fall slowly, keeping the rivers at a higher level.

That likely will extend the time some muddy freshwater flows into the Delta.

That won't be a huge problem for bass fishermen who make the effort to fish creeks and bays, but it could hinder folks who like to fish the main rivers.

I know folks were catching speckled trout and the occasional redfish up around Twelve Mile Island on the Mobile River early in the week, but I haven't heard if the river rise has hurt those bites.

I'm fishing up that way today, so I will have a better sense of what's happening. (I plan on posting an update to www.al.com as soon as I'm off the water.)

Bobby Abruscato said with water temperatures earlier in the week still hovering around 81 degrees, not much has changed in the Mississippi Sound. Until the water cools beyond 75 degrees, he said summer patterns would persist.

George Koulianos and a partner caught redfish and a couple of flounder off the stumps in Grand Bay. They didn't fish for specks.

He found specks and white trout around the rigs by Katrina Cut on Monday. Live shrimp under a slip cork were the ticket.

Chris Vescey at Sam's in Orange Beach said the pompano bite in the surf off Gulf Shores picked up this week. Sand fleas were the preferred bait.

Redfish and flounder are still biting well around Perdido Pass and Bay St. John. Specks are biting at night around the docks off Old River.

With cooler temperatures, Vescey said king mackerel and Spanish mackerel should be biting close to shore.

Offshore, he said the billfish bite, especially among white marlin and sailfish, should pick up.

The wahoo bite is still solid to the southeast around the Nipple, Spur and Elbow.

Rough seas have prevented most fishermen from heading to the southwest rigs.

Flounder, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish were biting at the Gulf State Park Pier on Thursday. One angler also lost an estimated 40-pound cobia.

Over the last week, redfish, bluefish, whiting, sheepshead, triggerfish and pompano were caught.

Live bait is growing scarcer at the pier. Folks targeting flounder are bringing their own bull minnows onto the pier.

Wayne Miller said the Delta continues to be a challenge for bass fishermen as they deal with another rise on the rivers feeding it.

The good news is that the bass are still biting. However, anglers should be prepared to try numerous areas and techniques to put together a good sack.

The topwater bite continues to be good on frogs, buzzbaits and stickbaits. Miller caught a 7-pound largemouth bass in Bayou Sara Thursday morning while slowly fishing a big topwater twitchbait on wood banks.

Bandit crankbaits in shad patterns and small spinnerbaits are working in the main rivers.

The most productive slow presentation Miller has found over the past week in the rivers has been a Junebug-color worm fished slowly around wood cover. It has been really effective with good tidal flow.

The DOA bite continues to be consistent along the south end of the Delta around the Causeway. Miller said anglers should always be vigilant in their search for active shrimp. 

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<b>Fishing</b> winding down; fall colors move in

IRON MOUNTAIN - Fishing activity declined during the past week, as folks turn attention to hunting.

"There were some perch caught," said Patti Teske at Florence Sport and Bait. "The guys were using plastic twister tails tipped with crawlers. Muskie were also hitting."

Don Ciochetto at The Sport Shop in Iron River said some nice trout were caught, but the season is winding down fast. Panfish and bass continue to bite, but walleye was slow.

John Grier's Whispering Pines Outpost reported anglers purchasing minnows, but not much activity.

Grier's shop has registered 31 bear so far, which is ahead of last season's pace. Other area shops reported some bear being taken as well.

Teske said Wisconsin archery hunters have taken a few bucks during the past week.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said archery hunters report they have been seeing good numbers of deer and there were quite a few nice deer registered over the opening weekend.

Bear hunters continue to report that bears are not hitting baits as well as a few weeks ago due to a very abundant acorn crop this year providing them with more than enough food.

The opening of many hunting seasons seems to have cut down on the amount of angling pressure throughout Wisconsin's Northwoods. Musky continue to provide the most consistent action and anglers report musky have been active at nearly all times of the day.

Fall colors are coming on stronger and moving farther south, with some good color now being reported at the Black River State Forest and Wildcat Mountain State Park. For current statewide information on statewide fall color, log onto the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's Fall Color Report.

Michigan DNR reported the following fishing conditions across the Upper Peninsula:

Keweenaw Bay: Has good coho fishing along the east shoreline, off the mouth of the Falls River, the L'Anse Township Park and between Sand Point and Carla's. Most are trolling 35 to 55 feet down in 40 to 70 feet. The Falls River is low and clear so no fish were seen. Lake trout and coho were caught in Traverse Bay when trolling off Hermits Cove, Gay Point and Big Louie's Point when trolling a foot or two off the bottom in waters 70 to 160 feet deep.

Chocolay River: Reported good catches of coho salmon.

Marquette: A few boats were out fishing for salmon and lake trout but windy conditions prevented boats from heading out several miles to fish. Fish were stacked up near the end of the Lower Harbor breakwall.

Carp River: Anglers were starting to catch a few salmon with Cleo's, stick baits or crawlers.

Menominee: Walleye fishing was good in 25 to 30 feet of water both north and south of the Cedar River. Anglers are using crawler harnesses then switching to Reef Runners or Thundersticks after dark. Walleye were caught around Green Island and off the mouth of the Menominee River in 15 to 30 feet of water. Try large stick baits.

Menominee River: Boat anglers caught walleye but most of the fish were sub-legal. They are trolling crawler harnesses or casting crank baits. Rock bass, smallmouth bass and freshwater drum were also caught. Shore anglers fishing near the Hattie Street Dam caught panfish on crawlers, wax worms or minnows.

Cedar River: A few smallmouth bass were caught on crawlers.

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers were fishing around the mouth of the Escanaba River and out to the "Black Bottom" when trolling or drifting crawler harnesses in 18 to 30 feet of water. Very few fish were caught off the Kipling Flats, the Narrows and off the Terrace Bay Inn. Perch fishing was fair to good in 10 to 23 feet of water off Kipling. Both the Ford and the Day's River had low water levels and few fish.

Big Bay de Noc: Has fair to good smallmouth bass action around Garden Bluff when casting or drifting crawlers, crank baits or plastics in waters 10 to 38 feet deep. The Nahma Boat Launch is now closed for dredging. The Garden Launch would be best for those looking to head out to the areas where most of the fishing takes place this time of year.

Munising: Boat anglers are now targeting coho but catch rates were slow. No lake trout were reported this week. Surface water temperatures were in the low to mid 60's but could drop quickly with the cold front. Pier angling activity continues to increase slowly as catch rates for coho and splake are improving slowly. Some are still-fishing with spawn bags while others are casting spoons or spinners.

St. Mary's River: Water levels are at an all-time low as the Great Lakes have receded. Some are having trouble launching their boats. A good number of pink salmon were in the river.

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Catch <b>Bass</b> Under Bridges With These Tips from Pro Angler Aaron Martens

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If you’re not sure where to cast for bass on any given lake, head for the nearest bridge. Most bridges provide bass with deep water, shade, bridge pilings and riprap for cover, and baitfish. Current caused by the wind or a power-­generating dam boosts its desirability. But don’t take my word for it. Just ask bass pro Aaron Martens, who’s finished second twice in the Bassmaster Classic by fishing bridges exclusively.

Top of the Morning
At daybreak, largemouth bass often feed on shad near the surface around bridge pilings. Martens picks off these fish with a Megabass Giant Dog-X walking stickbait. He works the Dog-X alongside the bridge pilings and over the eddy water on the downstream side of the pilings. “I catch a lot of bass by fishing the eddy 50 to 100 feet down­current from the pilings,” Martens says. “Most fishermen overlook these bass.”

Let’s Get Cranking
Largemouths feed deeper when the sun starts to get up. Martens uses his fishfinder to see how deep the bass are suspended next to the pilings. Once he has the depth, he selects a diving crankbait that runs at or just above that depth. “Cast past the bridge pilings and retrieve the crankbait with the current,” Martens says. “Try to bump the pilings with the crankbait and hit them from different angles. Don’t sit in one spot all the time.”

Give Them the Shake
When the lunkers are refusing crankbaits, or are too deep to reach with them, Martens starts targeting the fish with a shaky-head jig dressed with a Zoom Fluke. Depending on the depth and current, Martens uses a jig that weighs from 1/8 to 3/4 ounce. “Cast upcurrent past the bridge pilings, count the jig down to the right depth, and reel it back slow and steady,” Martens says. “Try to hit the pilings with the jig.”

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Cooler Alabama weather signals second-best <b>bass</b>-<b>fishing</b> season

Kenny Pannel flips a jig into timber at Lake Neely Henry. He primarily uses jigs and buzzbaits to catch bass as the water cools. (BASS)

The cooler weather of recent mornings has inspired Alabama hunters who are eagerly awaiting a number of hunting seasons that will begin in upcoming months.

The chilly mornings have also been exciting for Alabama bass fishermen who know the drop in temperatures signals the start of the second-best time of the year for bass fishing in the state.

"I think most people including me think that the spring of the year is the best time to fish, but the fall is definitely the second-best time," said Dan Catchings, a district fisheries biologist with Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries in Eastaboga. "From about mid-September to about mid-November, the bass are really active again."

A bass' life cycle revolves around the fact that it is a cold-blooded creature, Catchings explained. In summer months, bass seek deep-water refuges and become lethargic. In the cold months of the winter, they also live in deep water to find the warmest water. They also feed less because the colder water lessens their metabolism and makes it tough for them to chase prey. In the fall, however, bass eat like pigs at a trough. They must fatten up for the winter and they do so in shallow water where they are easier to catch.

Kenny Pannel, a pro tournament fisherman on the BFL and BASS Federation tournament trails, said the cool mornings Alabama has seen in the past few days will be enough to trigger great fishing in the upcoming weeks.

"They'll start to move shallow now and they will gorge themselves on baitfish until it gets too cold for them to move much," he said.

"They'll get up in that shallow water and that's when I like to get a buzzbait out and fish it early in the morning. I use a white or a white/chartreuse medium size with about a 1-inch blade. If it's windy, I'll use a buzzbait with a clacker that makes a little more noise so they can find it better in the choppy water."

Bass will typically gather in the shallow water along banks and seawalls. He pinpoints those areas with his buzzbait.

Alabama can still get some warm, sunny days in late September and in October, and the buzzbait bite will end as soon as the sun gets up in the sky. When that happens, Pannel says, he targets bass that will gather close to fallen trees and other timber. He uses a green pumpkin jig with 30-pound test line to yank bass out of the thick stuff.

He says the best fishing this time of the year actually occurs at night. As the temperature drops at night, the spotted bass gather in numbers on rocky points. He uses a black/blue ½-ounce spinnerbait with a No. 6 smoked Colorado blade and slow rolls it across the rocky points.

"I don't know where those fish go during the summer but when it starts cooling off like it is doing now, they get on those rocky points at night and the fishing gets really good," he said.

Doug Powell, a staff environmental specialist for Alabama Power and a fisheries biologist, says when the temperature begins cooling as it has the past few days, it signals fun time.

"Bass are no different than other critters, really," he said. "Everything in the woods gets lethargic during the hot summer months and gets active again in the fall. People think of alligators as a hot summer creature, but that isn't true. They are cold-blooded, too. They don't move much in summer but they start getting active now."

Powell says that when the water cools to the point that fishermen see shad beginning to school, that means the bass are fattening up for the winter.

"The colder mornings signal that harder times are coming," he said. "They know they have to eat while they can and what they are looking to eat is in shallow water where the fishermen can get to them better."

Pannel says he loves fall fishing for reasons other than bass getting aggressive again. Fall, he says, is the most peaceful time to fish. Most bass tournaments have ended for the year and pleasure boaters have called it quits until next spring. Many fishermen have called it quits, too, as they spend more time watching football and preparing for the hunting season.

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Fall <b>fishing</b> patterns evident with rising water and cooler temperatures

September 20, 2012|Gary Blockus

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership is taking applications for the 2013 Coldwater Conservation Grants Program, which is offering planning grants and implementation grants to help protect and conserve the health of Pennsylvania's coldwater ecosystems.

Applications can be found at http://www.coldwaterheritage.org/ and will be accepted through December 14, 2012. The Coldwater Heritage Partnership urges watershed groups, conservation districts, municipalities and local chapters of Trout Unlimited to apply. The partnership is a cooperative effort of Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.

Also, don't forget to find out about the delays in refilling Leaser Lake. The Leaser Lake Heritage Foundation will holdi a public meeting 7-9 p.m. Thursday at the Lynn Township Municipal Building on Route 143 to update the public on the dam repair, fish habitat, trail development, the handicap accessible fishing area and the wood duck box program. For more information go to http://www.leaserlakeheritage.org/

FRESHWATER REPORT

Wallenpaupack Sports Shop, Hawley (570-226-4797): Mark says anglers have been very successful catching stripers while drifting herring at Calico Point, Ironwood and Shuman Point. Walleye activity has turned on, and they seem to be going after nightcrawlers on worm harnesses while trolling. Smallmouth bass are going after crank baits and Kai-tech lures. There are a lot of big pickerel and pike taking live baits. With the air and water temperatures cooling, fishing has been excellent.

Pecks Pond Boat Rentals, Tackle & Bait, Dingmans Ferry, (570-775-7237): peckspondrentals@yahoo.com; http://www.peckspond.com: Charlie says bass and pickerel are becoming more active with the cooler weather. Soft plastic jerk baits, Zara spooks and other surface lures, and just-under-the-surface lures are working well. Try working 10-inch black plastic worms on the tops of the lily pads, work them across the tops and let them fall into the holes. This might be the last time this year the plastic frogs will work. The holes in the sub-surface weeds are producing excellent catches of perch. As a reminder, the shop is open weekends and by reservation. The shop is no longer accepting Minn kota motors for repair this season. It will resume repair service in the spring of 2013.

Mauch Chunk Lake Boat Rental and Bait Shop, 625 Lentz Trail, Jim Thorpe, (570-325-0100): Jeremy says that the fishing has been great again. Minnows and worms seem to be the best bet for catching fish at the lake. The fishing pier is active with pickerel and bass. Bluegills and crappies are active from the fishing pier to the beach area and are after the meal worms. Catfish are active now more through the day and are after chicken livers. Also, walleye are becoming more active with the cooler water and he's getting reports of them being caught on the left side of the beach by the camping area.

Willie's Bait & Tackle, Cementon (610-261-2767): Willie says the Canadian lake he spent time at least week was tough fishing, but he caught some good largemouth and smallmouth bass. He had a big 19-inch smallmouth, and Roger had a nice 19-inch largemouth, so it was a good trip for them. The Lehigh River isn't fishable after getting 8 inches of rain in Albrighstville and 5 inches in Lehighton. Mauch Chunk Lake has been fishing well. The Monocacy Creek was still doing well. The Salmon River in New York has been turning on.

Bob's Wildlife Taxidermy, 4642 Kernsville Road, Orefield (610-398-7609): Bob says the shop has been very quiet for bait, so he's not hearing many fishing reports. He's probably knocking off the bait business for the year as most of his customer base is shifting to hunting season. They're coming in with trail camera pictures and getting excited for some nice bucks. He's getting in his first order of deer urine next week.

Archery @ the Glenn, Allentown, (610-791-7665): Brian says area fishing has been great. Customers are reporting good catches from local lakes and streams. Live bait seems to be the ticket by simply matching the size minnow or worm to the targeted species of fish. Leeches will catch anything, but don't quit if you run out of live bait. Twister tails on jig heads and stick baits are sure to entice more bites. The fish are active, so get out with some friends or children and have some fun.

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Okeeheelee Park top spot for quick <b>bass</b> trips

Brendan Bingham, 13, shows a bass he caught on a plastic lizard worked through grass while fishing from the bank at Okeeheelee Park. It was the biggest catch of the afternoon trip.

Sometimes, a relaxing day of bass fishing is just what the doctor ordered.

That’s what we were looking for on the overcast afternoon of Sept. 16, when I was setting up an impromptu bass fishing trip with my 14-year-old son and his friend. We wanted to grab our bass rods and a couple of soft plastic worms, stop our car, catch a few bass and leave with not much work.

We chose Okeeheelee Park for our short fishing adventure, and it was a good choice.

The many lakes at the park hold plenty of small bass. Anglers casting either from the bank or a nonmotorized boat at Okeeheelee Park are not likely to catch a big lunker bass, but there’s good, steady bass action in lakes with parking lots and restrooms and water fountains nearby.

The lakes of Okeekeelee Park are part of a fish management area established by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. That means all bass caught at Okeeheelee Park must be released immediately.

The Okeeheelee lakes include a fishing pier, fish feeders and submerged fish attractors along with pleasing signs that read “Fishing allowed.”

Even though all bass must be released, anglers fishing at Okeeheelee can keep bluegill and redear sunfish (if they’re 8 inches or longer) as well as up to six channel catfish. A freshwater fishing license is required unless anglers are under 16, over 65 or otherwise exempt from the license requirement.

Joggers and cyclists use the trails that wind around the lakes, so anglers should look behind them before casting.

We fished with soft-plastic worms, about 6 inches long in the greenish “watermelon red” color. We used braided line because it makes pulling the bass through shoreline vegetation easier.

We fished with no weight, allowing the worms to sink slowly after casting. I caught five small bass by working my worm slowly up off the bottom and letting it sink again as I reeled it slowly back toward the bank. Bass love to hit them while they’re sinking. Many of my hits came just outside the edge of the grass line.

Most of the bass we caught were 1 pound or less, but they were fun to catch on light tackle, especially with braided line because the low-stretch line translates the thump of the bass hitting the worm so well.

I was amazed how hard some of the park’s tiny bass hit. They’re aggressive.

Our friend Brendan Bingham, age 13, caught the largest bass of our day, about 1.5 pounds, using a soft-plastic lizard pulled across the surface through grass.

Parent-child bass tournament Saturday: Bass Fishing Kids will hold its annual parent and child bass tournament Saturday at Quiet Waters Park near Deerfield Beach. It’s open to kids ages 5-17 with their parents. Check-in begins at 6:45 a.m. Fishing begins at 7:30 a.m. The $25 entry fee includes a barbecue lunch after the tournament and a chance at prizes. Anglers are being asked to register by Tuesday. Call Gary Waingrow at (954) 306-3441 or register online at bassfishingkids.com.

Free seminars on Thursdays: Juno Bait, a tackle shop on U.S. 1 in North Palm Beach, is hosting a series of free fishing seminars at 6 p.m. on Thursdays. This week’s seminar is about using Flair Hawk jigs, followed by pier fishing basics on Oct. 4, tackle maintenance on Oct. 11, surf fishing basics on Oct. 18 and early-season sailfish on Oct. 25. For details, call (561) 694-2797.

Tags: bass fishing, Okeeheelee Park

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 22nd, 2012 at 11:01 pm and is filed under Fishing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Fall <b>fishing</b> makes Lake Michigan a busy place

Milwaukee's lakefront, scenic threshold to the world's greatest freshwater resource, has a tendency to draw a crowd.

Even as temperatures dipped and summer slipped into fall this week, the harbor was one of the busier places in Brew City.

Sailors from four continents gathered to compete in the Soling Worlds. The fleet of sleek boats and support vessels made a parade-like passage through the harbor gaps each day to and from their open-water course.

At the other end of the spectrum, freighters the length of football fields chugged into and out of our fair port.

And less conspicuous - mostly - a smattering of sport-fishing boats trolled and drifted in the near-shore waters of Lake Michigan.

Eric Haataja of West Allis and I had just embarked on a noon fishing outing from McKinley Marina on Monday when we contributed to a traffic jam in the harbor.

It would be tempting to blame a chinook salmon. But that would fail to acknowledge our intentions.

"We're going to have to follow it," Haataja said, eyeing the dwindling supply of line on my reel as a fish made off for points east.

The helmsmen on a half dozen sailboats nearby noticed the line sizzling through the water and deftly tacked to the south.

Haataja fired up the main outboard on his 19-foot fishing boat and closed the distance to the unseen but considerable force.

"Thank you," Haataja said to the sailors as he slid our boat close to the breakwater and out of the traffic pattern.

It's not a standard point of lecture in boating education courses. But it sure is nice when other vessels are aware of their surroundings and give a sport-fishing boat at least a brief right of way while fighting a fish.

Yes, we intended to hook the fish. No, we didn't want to cause congestion in the harbor. And since it was the first fish of the day, we also didn't want to lose it.

The fish circled the boat and went on several more long runs.

I don't know if scientists have measured the horsepower of an 18-pound chinook salmon, but medium-weight fishing tackle is barely able to harness it.

It took 15 minutes to bring the fish to boat-side. Haataja slid the net under the fish and hoisted it aboard.

The fish, a female, was 35 inches long. In the early stages of a spawning migration, its skin was the color of tarnished silver.

We kept the fish. Its flesh was firm and still very good table fare. And its eggs will be used for bait.

As we reorganized the boat, a pair of fishing boats trolled past us, working the north gap. More sailboats zigzagged through the harbor. And a few shore anglers cast from Government Pier and the Veteran's Park sea wall.

As with attendance at football games and lakefront music festivals, anglers targeting Wisconsin's Lake Michigan harbors in fall can expect plenty of company.

For this, the fish are entirely responsible. Chinook (or king) and coho salmon return to harbors and tributaries in September and October on spawning migrations.

Brown and rainbow (or steelhead) trout are also caught close to shore in fall.

For shore and pier anglers, the concentration of fish presents one of the best opportunities of the year. Boat anglers simply shift their focus closer to shallower waters.

The fall fishery is dependent on stocking in Wisconsin waters. In the Milwaukee harbor, 114,000 chinook salmon fingerlings and 16,135 coho salmon yearlings were stocked in 2010.

The stocking, paid for by license fees and the Great Lakes Trout and Salmon Stamp, occurs in harbors from Kenosha to Door County.

Cuts to the stocking levels are pending to help balance the number of predator and forage fish in the lake. An announcement by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is expected soon on final stocking levels for 2013.

Haataja, owner of Big Fish Guide Service, grew up in Racine and has three decades of experience catching fall salmon.

"One of the best parts of this fishery is it's available to every type of angler," Haataja said, keeping an eye on the graph as he repositioned the boat.

Haataja takes advantage of electronics to locate pods of salmon in the harbor.

"If I'm not seeing fish on the graph, I'll keep moving," Haataja said.

Moving can include fishing. Some days Haataja will troll crank baits on flat lines in the harbor. Others he'll rig up a lead head jig with a soft plastic tail and fish while drifting or slowly trolling.

But Monday we found fish within 5 minutes of leaving the McKinley Marina public boat launch. The spot, near the north harbor gap, was the first we checked.

The water was about 25 feet deep. Fish showed on the graph from 17 to 22 feet down.

This time of year, Haataja said the fish most readily hit crank baits or salmon eggs.

We let the boat slowly bob in the lee of the sea wall while we fished long spinning rods with slip bobbers and #6 hooks. We attached chunks of skein, or salmon roe, to the hook and set the slip bobber to present the bait about 18 feet below the surface.

The skein had been cured with a homemade mix featuring Borax. Commercial recipes are available.

The salmon couldn't resist. After the first fish was landed, Haataja reeled in an 8-pound coho salmon, still bright as a new dime.

Over the next 45 minutes we each landed three more kings between 12 and 20 pounds.

Haataja then dropped me off on the north break wall to oblige a photo request. As he moved the boat into position, two more chinook hit this lines.

I watched as Haataja landed and released both fish.

"The king always returns in the middle of September," Haataja said.

Like the genial crowd of fellow anglers, boaters and sailors in the harbor this week, that's a fall tradition worth celebrating.

Send email to psmith@journalsentinel.com

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