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looper /north shore report


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I just got off the Lester and it is complete chocolate milk and running pretty quick. Some guys were in the river, some at the mouth, I didn't see anything caught.

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so did I , after I was almost swept into the lake. almost had to ditch my gear.

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so did I , after I was almost swept into the lake. almost had to ditch my gear.


Was that you Chadwick on the North side of the river at the mouth? I had just drove over to the otherside, got out and saw someone crawling out awfully wet. Hopefully you didn't lose anything, and you certainly didn't miss any action grin.gif

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I fished yesterday for the first time in search of steelhead/loopers! Stopped at the Lester around 7:30 but it was crowded - one guy was unhooking a good sized fish and seemed to have a stringer going.

Stopped at the French and saw some very good sized fish in the river (which you cannot fish) and a lot of guys fishing out from the mouth.

Then, fished at the Knife. Hooked my first fish out from the mouth. But (excuse alert!) the drag was set too light on my brand new setup and I never got a good hookset! It jumped though and the top half of the fish was large.

Didn't see anyone else catch a thing. I hope this was a slow day...

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With Steelhead you lose a lot of what you hook up under the best of conditions.

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I was out on a few good streams. Early Sunday had a good crowd everywhere! But as the rain came in...the softer crowd dissappeared wink.gif. I hooked up with 3, 1 at the knife and 2 on another local stream but only 1 wild one came in and was released. I'd say the fishing was pretty slow. Water temp was 38 in the morning off the knife. The cold front kinda put all fishing to a hault. Hooked 1 last one on the lester during the rain but I didn't get him in. I think next the next few weeks will do better if it gets warmer. There was a few fish surfacing at the french when I was there...but no one hooked anything. Good luck to you guys.

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shiner- that would be me. I lucked out, I didnt die! my cell phone was ruined and my wallet was soaked along with all my tackle. It was very scary.KATMAN- I was at the lester yeasterday too. I hooked one but it broke me off fishing under the bridge during the rainstorm.

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was up at the french this morning, i didn't see anything from anybody

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Chadwick, I didn't mean to trivialize your experience, it is very scary when that happens, glad you're ok.

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No, I actualy was curious if anyone from these forums saw that. Im getting a belt for my waders for sure. Its something that kills people every year and something people somethimes dont even know.

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Yeah..I've heard scary stories of similar things happening. Glad you're ok. I took a tumble towards the end of Sunday too. But it was me being stupid and walking through the Stewart with the big, heavy rain. I stepped on a huge log that moved and when I replanted my foot on a different spot, I was on the log again...just spinning away. I lost it and sat down pretty hard. Banged up my rod a bit too. Nothing too bad but that sure sucked! GL to everyone and stay safe!

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I almost got swept away once when I lost my footing. Luckily I was fishing with a friend who was standing nearby just out of the current and grabbed me as I drifted by him. I was in high school at the time so I didn't really appreciate how lucky I was until years later.

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Yea I went for a ride last year smelting at the lester good thing the way the mouth was set up I got washed out to the shallows out front where the water was only about 2-3 feet deep but it was at night and scared the sh--t out of me blush.gif

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water temps on the middle shore today was a high of 42, water was high and stained but still fishable. I landed 3 steelies and lost another. Man those fish are tough in high water. I could see my reflection in all three fish.

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I landed my first lester river steelhead today. just a small one but still a stellie. I saw someone leaving with a Pike on a stringer, Isnt this illegal? season doesnt open for a few more weeks.

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I and my friend Dan made it up to the north shore on Monday and stayed overnight at Gooseberry Falls. We stopped by the hatchery at the French river and saw some examples of beautiful Loopers that they were going to be collecting eggs and sperm from on Tuesday morning. We also got some great paperwork, including maps and info on trout fishing the north shore. Great for a couple of novices.

On Monday we set up camp and tried to fish the Gooseberry. All the rain had it muddy, high, and fast. Without any luck (or a lot of confidence) we traveled South to the Stewart where there were at least a few other fisherman. I got a few pointers on fly patterns/techniques and we fished into the evening. I had a fish on for all of a second near the mouth but it ran up river and I had my hands full of stripped fly line (inexperience..).

On Tuesday the water had come down some, and Dan and I headed up to split rock. Dan caught a Rainbow but it wasn't all grown up yet. We found out later we were not up river as far as most of the fisherman- (again beginners seeing the water for the first time, and with it high and muddy at that). Tried the Gooseberry some more, but a local we talked to came and left shortly due to how high it was still. So we packed up and hit the Stewart one last time (having learned it was one of the quickest to clean up after a rain). There we got started at the same time as a group of five and fishing was tight. On the plus side we did see one of them land a beautiful "Steelie" and were front and center to get a good look before it was gently realeased.

All in all we learned quite a bit and enjoyed meeting several helpful fisherman.

Good luck, I would guess things are only heating up.

Karl

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Is the water still moving pretty fast at the lester river? Was down there on tuesday with only one hit and saw a couple caught.

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I landed my first lester river steelhead today. just a small one but still a stellie. I saw someone leaving with a Pike on a stringer, Isnt this illegal? season doesnt open for a few more weeks.


Somebody caught a pike on the Lester? I didnt know they were in there. It is technically illegal to keep pike now but i dont think we want pike in our trout streams eating all the trout, maybe thats just me.

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yep. I think it probably came from the lake to spawn. thats just my opinion. I have a buddy who said he saw a 20 lber in the sucker, and talked to a guy who caught a small one in there.the water is still prety moving, but nothin like monday. you can now walk across in some spots.

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I didnt even know they were up that far in the Lake. Are there ever any walleyes in there?

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Last weekend I was fishing the Brule in WI and I caught a northern. There was bigger one that followed the hooked one I caught all the way to shore. That was kinda cool but I was disappointed it wasn't a steelhead.

s3700021es0.jpg

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yeah i just dont think the northerns can be helping the trout populations in those streams. confused.gif

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no one told me that lester got a small run of pike, you should have seen my eyes when i landed a snot rocket out of lester. had one tangle up in my line that was around 8 # and saw about 8 or 9 others in the slow water on wed..

nice fish skippers kid landed tonight laugh.gif.

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I've caught them in the mouth in the fall, but never have seen one in the spring. weird

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I got a 8 lb. northern yesterday out of the sucker. The water is clear and getting low. The knife is in great shape but 43 Degrease. A lot off small fish around " Stealhead " They are cool.gif. I think after this weekend they will be to low to fish if we do not get rain.

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For a newbie, how long will the fish be up in the mouths consistently? I won't get up there for 2 more weeks....

I look forward to posting on this forum a lot more...I'll be up for the summer and this board gets a lot of activity. There are some very helpful people no doubt.

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