Lake Superior Fishing reports.

[Surface Tension]

Yes to downriggers. When the lake trout are tight to bottom you want to actually bounce once in a while. Depending on the bottom make up, bouncing, drag, or just a 1' off. If you don't have downriggers you can get by right now with 1 lb rig because the trout are relatively shallow. Some Falls you'll fishing bottom up to 250'.

If you don't have downriggers I'll assume you don't have a wire rig either. A LC reel spooled with a super braid will work just fine. 3 way swivel, 1' drop line with 1'lb ball(mono lighter then your main line) 6' leader to dodger/fly/meat.

[Northlander]

Ya you will need a way to get baits to the bottom. I have been catching very few hi risers lately. About 90% of my fish are towards the bottom 15' or so. Big green flasher/dodger with silver on 1 side and glow on the other with either a spin n glow or flie in antifreeze or greens with maybe some with some blue or glow mixed in.

Tied up some big spin n glows and they have been working with a smelt on them.

Even the dypsie rod has cooled down.

A wire rig with a 1# ball 3 wayed would be a good choice. My lead core rod has only worked when droped down on the down rigger. A Secret weapon rig (3 colors) on the riggers has been doing ok.

Man that fog would not burn off yesterday. By the time we left at about noon it was just starting to lift to the point we could actually get the boat moving at a decent speed. It was a LONG trip out in the morning. 12 miles at 12 miles a hour.

The trout came quick yesterday but we did a couple circles in the fog netting one and wound up getting 3 of our 6 riggers all tied together. Nothing like triple stacking a downrigger to give ya fits.

Oh and like ST said get down and hit bottom where and when you can and move the riggers up and down, even if only 5', often. Some times that will trigger strikes.

[andrew chadwick]

did well today. six fish with one 15+ lb fish caught and released. also lost a downrigger ball and about 4 spoons

[2thepointsetters]

Must have been a good day to get your balls stuck in the rocks. I had 5 people on board and everyone was turned around watching us net a fish (even the driver) and we went from 200 f.o.w. to 38 f.o.w. My depth raider probe, 2 12lbballs, 3 color lead with snap weight, 7 color lead, and 2 8oz snap weight rods all got stuck in the rocks. Thankfully there was no wind and I had the clutch set loose on the riggers so it just pulled more cable instead of snapping. Long story made short... I got everything back besides one spoon, otherwise I had about $400 worth of gear in the rocks at one point in time. I still cant believe thats all that got lost. On a positive note we were only 2 fish short of a 5 man limit yesterday. Best fishing so far this year.

[photo]

We had a nice morning also on Thursday. 4 kings and 3 lakers by 9 am. Pays to get up early I keep telling myself. They came on dipsies and sliders.

[photo]

Hey Northlander, can I get your email address? Trying to decide on going to Isle Royale or the Apostle Islands September 17-20th. Thought you would have some ideas.

[Northlander]

Photo my e-mail is always in my sig below all my posts.

As far as ideas on where to go I would stay around here. The fish are turning on and some nice ones are getting caught. Seeing more kings now too.

I tied up a bunch of spin n glows and those are even working.

Wish I could have gotten out more today but work gets in the way some times.

I dont have any recent knowledge of Isle Royale but I do know the kings are starting up by the Islands. Check the Washburn reports and see if Jim Hudson has anything to say. He is the man down there.

[photo]

Thanks Northlander! I usually overlook the obvious and of course your email is right there.

Kind of leaning toward the Apostles due to wind protection, less travel time, less prop busters, less chance of wrecking and dying. From the guys I have spoken with (only two of them), they are saying that the Apostles are pretty good fishing in the fall.

That being said, any other feedback as to the two locations based on quality / quantity of fish? Thanks guys.

[opsirc]

hoping to get out sat or sunday.

[Northlander]

Got out about 2:30 this afternoon. Hit 115-120' just on the cheesey side of the line. Wound up catching 6 lakers. All small in the 3-6# range. Hot bait was a antifreeze/chart spin n glow with meat behind a green flasher with glow on 1 side and silver on the other. That caught 5 of the 6 right on the bottom. Other fish came on the trusty orange/glow/antifreeze fishlander spoon down 95'. Great conditions even with a little fog.

[opsirc]

was out today, went 1 for 2, trolled from stony point to past two harbors. Seems like the fish have dissappeared, in 6 hours only graphed a couple dozen fish. where are they all at?

do not recall a year like this, I have been out a half dozen times and each time graphed very little fish.

[Northlander]

Have you read my reports? Thats why I put them here to try to help people get on some fish. Im not telling you what to do but when I can see charters in the same area Im fishing I know Im in a decent spot. Its not fast and furious but its pretty consistent.

[walleyehunter80]

the lakers are going hot and heavy right now so get out there and get them. we went 23 for 30 with only 2 lines out in only 4.5 hours of fishing

[opsirc]

walleye hunter

were you up along the north shore? we trolled from 80ft to 450 ft and could not find any.

[Northlander]

the lakers are going hot and heavy right now so get out there and get them. we went 23 for 30 with only 2 lines out in only 4.5 hours of fishing

Would you care to expand on this report a bit? Where, what depths and what was working? Thats a very good day of fishing. Better than anything I have heard all year.

[walleyehunter80]

70-80 fow fishing within 5 feet of the bottom at all times, one rigger with SWR pulling a large chrome dodger and a spin/glow the other rigger large chrome dodger and spin/glow 40' behind ball. trolling speeds were between 1.4-2.0 at the ball. spin and glow colors were anything in your box it didnt matter! Dont forget to drive like your drunk!!!!!!

good fishing

[Northlander]

On the NS Im assuming? The bite seems to have really picked up over there the past few days.

[DeathRoe]

the lakers are going hot and heavy right now so get out there and get them. we went 23 for 30 with only 2 lines out in only 4.5 hours of fishing

HELP!! HELP!!! Pull me out, I'm drowning in the Bullpoo!

[fsnrod]

DeathRoe you've hit that nail right on the head. I'm also wearing my hip boots on that one.

[Northlander]

Guys be careful. I at 1st thought it was fishy (Could still be) but I have gotten some simular reports from reliable sources the past few days. Im headed out after work today and all day tomorrow. Some big fish being caught as well.

Spoons as well as flashers/spin n glows on bottom. With or without meat.

Ill let ya know what I find.

[lovethegitch]

went to isle royal last weekend got our limit of kings and a few steelhead fishing was great got a handful of lakers by accident while trying for kings did not get time to try for lakers although the boats that were out there were catching lots of them some very big ones.what a trip cant wait to go back.

[andrew chadwick]

I have never had luck with flashers or dodgers. whats the trick to them?

[Northlander]

Run the flasher dodger with a fly/squid/spin n glow behind it about 2.5 times the length of the flasher dodger. Some guys go shorter and some longer. Slow seems best most days. 1.8 - 2.2 especially when running meat on bottom.

I like mine 75-100' back.

[Xplorer]

Good luck Steve, and you better run the outriggers to keep you on the water and not in the air

TWO HARBORS TO DULUTH MN-DULUTH MN TO PORT WING WI-

923 AM CDT TUE SEP 15 2009

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...

.REST OF TODAY...VARIABLE WIND AROUND 5 KT BECOMING NE 15 TO 20 KT.

MOSTLY SUNNY. WAVES LESS THAN 2 FT BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT.

.TONIGHT...NE WIND 15 TO 20 KT DECREASING TO 10 TO 15 KT. MOSTLY

CLEAR. WAVES 3 TO 5 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT.

.WEDNESDAY...E WIND 5 TO 10 KT INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 KT. MOSTLY

SUNNY. WAVES 2 TO 4 FT.

[fishmaster LOW]

Had a chance to fish out of McQuade early this morning but pulled up the lines before the big wind was coming. Beautiful sunrise & flat calm can't beat that! Went 2 for 3 with the action as close to the bottom as you can get - 2 of the strikes were triggered by bouncing balls off the bottom. Chrome dodger and a glow spoon worked the best. Marked quite a few fish on bottom and a couple schools 40-60 feet down over 90-100 fow. 25in laker biggest. Wish I could have gotten more to bite as they were down there.

[Northlander]

Good luck Steve, and you better run the outriggers to keep you on the water and not in the air

Ya I saw the whitecaps while coming down Mesabi after work and said No Way. Maybe tomorrow morning or Ill just go chase some Crappies on Island Lake for a while.

[8942jc]

Fished Mon. 13 out of 14.All Lt. One 11 # let it go .Other fish were small.Fished 90 to 115 ft. on the bottom 10 ft.All spoons 'lemonade,flannel shirt,anti-freeze etc. .Fish came on the new torpedo wire from MG.All the fish were caught on one downrigger and only one on the other. Used my friends lures on the fishless side and mine on the other side.We could only come to the conclusion the wire had something to do with it. We fished by the nets at knife river.We did have good fishing a few days earlier at 2 harbors in 90-100 ft. same wire and same spoons. GPS speed was 1.7- 2.5

[walleyehunter80]

Ha ha ha fishy you say? Why would anyone have any reason to lie? No one on here knows who I am so what would I get out of it? If anyone wants to know right where on the North Shore I was fishing feel free to call me 507-381-5745 Josh

[Northlander]

I believe ya walleyehunter but just know that at times people will give false reports just to mess with others or get a rise out of others. Its too bad but thats the unfortunate truth.

By the way Ill take that area you were fishing if you would send it to my e-mail below. Im not to proud to try some potentially new spot.

[LoonASea]

I did some casting from shore a few days ago at a river mouth along the south shore ,,,,,I couldnt believe the numbers of fish jumping out in deeper water (much farther out then I could cast),,It seemed every time I looked out I would see one clear the water and there I was on shore instead of in a boat

LAS