As the open water season is quickly coming to an end here in northeast Wisconsin, the Great Lakes Tributaries continue to produce good fishing for Steelhead and Brown Trout. Hopefully the harbor action picks up as well!
I decided to try my Automatic Fisherman from the dock for open water fishing and was pleasantly surprised with how well they worked. I had a brief hookup with a nice Brown Trout before it was able to wrap around some dock pilings and snap my 8 pound line. I was a little nervous that the fish might be able to pull the bases in, but they held surprisingly well!
After spending the morning hours at Manitowoc Marina with only a small Rainbow and a lost Brown Trout to show for my efforts in the pouring rain, I headed to the West Twin River in hopes of tangling with some spawn minded Trout there.
Within minutes my bobber sank as it drifted through the first pool I chose to fish. A missed hookup had me bummed, but determined to catch that fish! A new spawn sac was all it took to catch this fish. The very next drift my bobber once again popped below the surface and this time I had chrome on the other end!
After a quick fight in the current I had my first Steelhead of the day, a small but pretty little guy. The fish measured 16 inches and was promptly returned to the river to grow up and fight another day. Fishing pressure in the area and a lack of fish in this area once again had me on the move.
I have been wanting to get to the Kewaunee River for some time, so I headed north in search of more chrome. I stopped at a popular spot known as Footbridge and talked with a guy that had been fishing there all day and caught 1 Brown and 1 Rainbow here on spawn, which was encouraging. I headed to one of my favorite, less known spots on the Kewaunee and began fishing spawn.
After experimenting with my bobber rod and trying different drifts, I casted my bobber tight to the opposite shoreline and had it sink almost upon hitting the water! Another missed hookup! I quickly casted back into the spot and the fish hit the spawn even harder! Another hookset and I was once again fighting a Steelhead! This fish had broader shoulders than the last!
After a 30 second fight the fish jumped out of the water right at me and sent my bobber flying right back at me! Unfortunately this fish was able to shake me twice, and my time had run out, so it was a long drive home wishing that I had started in this area rather than end there!
1 comment:
Nice to test out the automatic fisherman before winter. Always wanted to get up to the twin rivers. Done the kewaunee before.
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