How-to guide for 'loopers

[shogun]

If you are bobber fishing, do not spool your whole reel with fluorocarbon. It doesn't float like mono and it is made to cut right through the water. If you do this what will happen is all of your line will sink right to the bottom and get wrapped around rocks and snagged up. You'll start reeling in your bobber and the bobber will go straight down to the bottom and you'll have to jerk it through all the stuff that the line settled on and got stuck in.

I have learned this from my own personal experience.

I have found that fluorocarbon is more brittle and breaks easier too.

[matthothand]

Glad to see many people getting the answers they need. The big question a lot of folks want to know is when to fish loopers. Besides whenever you can....now. With the overcast forecast and water temps becoming ideal and ice and freezing temps stepping aside now would be a good time to think about catching some fish. It's a big shore. There is plenty of room. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Don't think you need to be there before the sun either. If the fish are there it can happen anytime or all day.

[Lorin]

Good info here guys. Just a little money saving advice for everyone. It's pretty easy to go through alot of line down there. Do yourselves a favor and order a spool of Cabelas pro in the low vis green. This stuff is very similar to xl and you can get a 2000 yard spool of 6 lb for $8.99. I use it on all of my long rods, unless I am using 4 lb. I think you get 3100 yards of 4 lb for the same price. Give it a try.

[fatfinger]

i concur- this thread is VERY informative.havent had a chance to try out what ive learned from it tho as the darned ice keeps movin in whenever i go to give her a whirl.does HSO or FM have any publications in print? with all the info on so many subjects it got me to wondering.

chuter- is that cabellas low vis green their take on power pro?does it work good for all trout too?thanks

[Steve Foss]

Just to add a bit of perspective, when fishing loopers from shore, XL is not a good choice because it abrades so easily. A harder line like Maxima or XT is the better choice for those situations. Stiff for sure, and worse when it comes to memory/coiling, but the abrasion resistance is the more important factor in the rocks. Those loopers/steelies/coho will drag that line right along the shoreline bedrock and boulders.

From the T.H. Breakwall and other similar shore casting situations into deep, unobstructed water, bring on the XL!

[Lorin]

i concur- this thread is VERY informative.havent had a chance to try out what ive learned from it tho as the darned ice keeps movin in whenever i go to give her a whirl.does HSO or FM have any publications in print? with all the info on so many subjects it got me to wondering.

chuter- is that cabellas low vis green their take on power pro?does it work good for all trout too?thanks

It's mono. And as far as being abrasion resistant. I can't recall having a fish actually breaking me off. I've lost a few due to the hook pulling out. I landed one the other day that actually swam under a sheet of ice I was standing on. It was about a 4 lb Looper that snuck through my grasp shot under the ice and tangled himself up in the rocks. After about 5 minutes he popped loose and swam free and I did land him. Pretty good line IMO.

[Swimmer]

Hey Steve and RH1. THe only time I've been able to fish loopers/reefers in the big lake was in the late Spring or Fall. I did a bunch of research and found a 9.5 foot rod at Gander (already had a large open spool ideal for this) and followed all the advice. One thing I found out is that my new rod was way too wimpy. No backbone and the tip was loosy goosy. So my first suggestion is to buy your equipment in Duluth or area shops where they know what you are going to do with it.

Now for a question or two. I know it is possible to land a trout/salmonid any time of the year, but is it practical? I fished the mouths of the French, Sucker, Tettagouche, Lester, and Cascade (?) for a total of about four/five days at different times (late Spring and Fall) and never had a sniff. The guys fishing around me were skunked too. I'm not complaining -- there is something very soothing about this type of fishing -- but wondering if I picked the wrong time of year? PS, used Looper Bug, crawler, and spoons (Cleos and Alligators).

[reinhard1]

as far as loopers, they are fished in boats in the main lake, off shore as your telling us or in the rivers themselves in the spring. i use an 8 foot spinning rod with 8 pound test in the rivers. i use spawn [provided by my brother who goes neary every day during the run] a split shot and a clip on bobber. i drift the rivers in spots where the loopers like to hang out.

my favorite spot is the tail end of a pool. i adjust the bobber to the depth provided by the river at the time. i want the the bobber to show me that i am just bumping the bottom with the spawn sack. if the bobber floats with no interuption the bait is not where you want it to be. you want that bobber to show signs of stoppin very lightly, kind of ticking the bottom. if the bobber stops or goes down just lift up on your long rod. the looper will set the hook by themselves with your resistance and the fight begins.

it is helpfull to know how to "read" the river. places where you know a large boulder is creating that V shape current on the side of the boulder. that is another place to drift the spawn bag. well i'll stop for now but i hope your getting the idea of drifting the current for this great fish. i'm sure more will chime in on this thread. there are great fishermen on this thread who will provide all the information you will need. i will also give some of my experiences on this exciting type of fishing.

the roar of the river, and it's quieter streches and scenic suroundings will capture memories for a lifetime. good luck.

[Steve Foss]

is there a previous thread regarding fishing for loopers in rivers as well?

There has been some scattered talk over the years. But as for a definitive thread, not that I know of.

A how-to on fishing the North Shore rivers for steelies and loopers would be a great addition to this thread, IMO. I've only done it a few times and am not the expert. There are a handful of true experts on North Shore river steelies/loopers who frequent (and one who moderates) this forum.

I know that there are lots of steelhead afficionados who don't like the looper fishery one single bit, but honestly, in the rivers you catch them in basically the same ways with the same gear and lures (with perhaps some differences), and I'd love to see that kind of info shared on this thread. One of my best shore/Two Harbors Breakwall rods is actually a Berkley stream steelhead spinning rod.

That being said, river fishing can get REALLY congested really fast, as we all know, and there may be some reluctance to share techniques in fear that it'll lead to more folks fishing the streams.

There's something tremendously soothing about drifting a stream for trout. I'm not an accomplished fly angler by any means, and most of my stream trouting has been with spinning gear, but the gurgle of running water, when not punctuated by the shouts of tourists or the crunch of other wader boots on gravel, brings its own brand of peace. Once you start stacking people into the rivers, it basically becomes like a smelt run.

[Swimmer]

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't talking river fishing, but that sure sounds enticing. I was talking fishing the mouths of the rivers. People always say when the river is up, the fish stack up outside the mouths. I guess I've never had the pleasure of fishing when the river was up...ankle deep in the mouth of the French when I've had the pleasure of fishing it. I have fished the San Juan, Colorado, White, Snake, Yellowstone, Arkansas, N. Platte miracle mile (Wyoming), Green, Virgin, Jackson Creek, Whitewater, Brule (WI), Little Cannon, Ansel Adams, ect. and I have an idea where the trout hang out in rivers/streams. Not trying to brag...this Lake Superior stuff, though, is a different animal.

[reinhard1]

sounds like you have had plenty of experience in rivers. like you said you already got an idea of how to read a river and that is the important ingrediant in my opinion. from there it's equipment and bait and patiance. this type of fishing is very relaxing, but sometimes you have to be a little agile hopping rocks carefully while trying to bring a looper to a net.

another thing also is the number of streams you have to choose from. some have easy access, and some have some trails to get to the prime waters where you need to be in reasonable physical shape. another thing is to have proper waders to fish the cold water you will be standing in at times. i dont have expensive ones but i wear wool socks and long underwear so that does help. the rocks can be very slipery so use extreem caution and know where you are walking. i have felt bottoms on my boots to prevent slipping, they do help but you still have to use caution. when the water is relativily clear you can see bottom, but when its murky use a guide stick to prod ahead of you.

when netting a looper that you are going to release, keep the fish in the water while unhooking it and then realease it when it's ready to go back. make sure the adipose fin is clipped if your going to keep a looper, those are the only leagal fish you can keep. steelhead are not leagal to keep and will not have any fins clipped. take a stringer along if you are going to keep a fish. well that's it for now unless anyone has any questions. i'm sure that there are others out there that can contribute with some tips or general information. good luck.

[Steve Foss]

So for you stream folks, who know the various NS streams well, how often you think a guy could get by in knee high rubber boots using spinning gear to drift for loopers/steelies?

[hugoslugger]

I've been getting away with just fishing from the banks for the last 2 years. At Lester I believe you'd be fine with just knee high rubber boots

[reinhard1]

depends on the stream. some you can get by with the knee high boots. i think hip boots are plenty for most areas. some prefer waders. i used hip boots for years, until i got waders for a gift. streams like the babtism i would go no less that hipboots for example. in a lot of cases you need to get out in the stream to get to a favorite spot once you know the river. we have fished the mouth of the knife just a little bit up from where it enters the lake right from the sand so it very's. in general in my opinion hip boots at a minimum. good luck.

[jellio]

If your thinking about fishing the shore this afternoon it should be decent the weather is condusive for it anyway.....I'll be stuck working till 10PM tonight...stupid work.

[Jarrid Houston]

Stupid spring cleaning....

[Steve Foss]

Anyone want to continue the stream steelie/looper primer?

We just cleaned a lot of off-topic chatter out of this thread (mostly my own posts ) so it will be a more concentrated source of information.

[reinhard1]

count me in. good luck.

[srfishin15]

me too headed up tonight to fish tomorrow morning and possibly sunday, gonna domy best to break the streak of never catching a looper, been fishing for them once a spring since i was 9, hoping to finally land one this weekend. (closesty ive come is hooking one in the boat launch area) if theres a report i'll give one.

[Redlantern]

Please keep it going.

[reinhard1]

hey, i'm ready to help you if you are thinking about fishing in the streams up to the first barrier. however it's realy early for that type of fishing right now. if your going to fish off shore near the river mouth's than you may have luck according to what i am seeing in the posts. there is a lot of advice on this thread if you read through them. maby it would be usefull if you told us what you are using for equipment and bait and what your techniques are. we are here to help. good luck.

[srfishin15]

0. dad caught one coho, guy next to me walked up and caught two steelhead, one about 8-9lbs after i'd been fishing the spot for 45 minutes. depressingcouple days.

[Surface Tension]

So for you stream folks, who know the various NS streams well, how often you think a guy could get by in knee high rubber boots using spinning gear to drift for loopers/steelies?

If your not using chest waders your reaching.

What I mean by that is you should be positioning yourself according to the run your drifting.

If your stuck on the bank you limit the run you can drift and the ones you can your compromising yourself by adding more line out over dead water to reach your drift.. If your fishing a run or hole with other anglers you'll be hosed. The least amount of line out you the better.

Hip boots really aren't even good enough but way better then boots

Yes you can use a spinning reel but because of the smaller rivers plus the shorter drifts on the North Shore you don't need it.

If you use a fly reel you'll strip out enough line to get to the head and tail of the run. You'll strip in line to make the next drift.

No reeling and your drifts are seamless. So it depends on length of drift.

If I were fishing the bigger rivers in MI I'd have a spinning outfit along for the places I know I can get 100'+ drifts,

If it were AK it be spinning or baitcaster exclusively.

[reinhard1]

that's some good information right there. it's important to have the right equipment, knowledge of "reading" rivers, and staying safe. there are usualy other fisherman around, but it's good to have a buddy nearby. you never know if you take that one wrong step in that cold water. i second the fly reel. less twists in the line also. good luck.

[Swimmer]

It seems the N. Shore rivers I'm familiar with have "barriers" fairly close to the river mouths. Maybe that was because I've never been there this time of year with good flow. So a question. Once the water is flowing, are the fish able to surmount barriers and go further upstream? I can see quite a bit of fishable river at the Lester...not the French. Not Cascade. Sucker?

[Steve Foss]

Swimmer, loopers aren't as strong swimmers as steelhead, and generally can't get past the first barrier falls on the N.S. rivers. That's in general. For more specific river-by-river perspective, I can't help you.

[reinhard1]

at the lester the big pool by the railroad bridge to me is as far as i go, although depending on the year [weather] the can go further. the temperance, the fish go quite aways, same with the split rock and the babtism. the knife where the wires are and the dnr traps, that is the barrier but steelhead go further. the sucker is usualy fished to the big pool above the railroad bridge but fish can go further.

steve is right, steelhead are powerfull fish and i have watched them jump over the knife's barrier. loopers, as steve said are not as strong. however they do give you a tussle. i have had steelhead lead me down the shores of a river and a couple of times i ended up in the drink. remember, steelhead you can not keep. none of their fins are cliped. the barriers are marked, so be on the lookout for them. good luck.

[Swimmer]

Thanks for the info guys. It would be great to spend a week up there exploring a new river each day. You should have to earn your stripes and your knowledge of those rivers. I fished the White River in NW Arkansas a couple weeks ago and used my fly rod for the second time (others with me using spinning gear). Newbee city. Though I did catch a couple rainbows and lost a few more. It's kind of like when I field dressed my first deer...never had a father or uncle who hunted deer, (and my experienced buddy had left a half hour earlier) so I had to use a book to figure out how to field dress the beast. Not the best way to learn, but I got er done. Fly fishing is the same. New knots, new "lures", new knowledge. That knowledge earned the hard way. Which I kind of like. Good fortune!

[outdoor_guy]

There are a few lower shore rivers that you can find steelhead up farther which is where I prefer. Not many people fish up river that far cuz you can't keep steelhead but then again I like getting away from crowds and personally like the fight of a steelie better:)

[shogun]

There are a few lower shore rivers that you can find steelhead up farther which is where I prefer. Not many people fish up river that far cuz you can't keep steelhead but then again I like getting away from crowds and personally like the fight of a steelie better:)

A lot of guys will get on your case for fishing that far up and harassing those spawning fish, banging them on the head with lead over and over again. There's a reason guys aren't up their bugging those fish and it's not just because they can't keep them.