Double Grand Slam - Norfork River

Article by John Berry 

• I had not fished in two days and I was beginning to have withdrawal pains. I checked conditions and noted that the Norfork was off. The temperature was thirty but the Weather Channel assured me that the temperature would climb to thirty nine and there would be little wind and bountiful sunshine. I tried to tempt my wife, Lori, but she thought it was too cold. My yellow lab, Ellie had not recovered from the constant action of our last outing, so I decided to go by myself. I loaded my wader bag and rod case into my ancient Volvo and headed out. 
• When I arrived at the Ackerman access, I was surprised to see that mine was the only car there. I leisurely donned my waders and put my nine foot four weight fly rod together. I waded up stream and headed to one of my favorite spots. My rod was still rigged with a size eighteen zebra midge from my last fishing trip. I waded over to a nice run and began fishing. On the second cast I caught a small brook trout. 
• I immediately thought about the grand slam. The Arkansas grand slam is when you catch all four trout species that we have here, rainbow, brown, cutthroat, and brook trout, in one day. The rainbows are heavily stocked and pretty easy to come by. The browns are stocked in fewer numbers but they reproduce naturally which creates a significant population. The Cutthroats are lightly stocked and fairly hard to come by. The brooks are the least stocked and hardest to come by. While several of my clients have landed grand slams in the past year, it has been a while since I have had one. It seems that I catch the rainbow, brown, and cutt, but cannot seem to find a brook. Today, by starting with a brook, I thought I had a great chance at catching one. 
• I picked up a couple of rainbows but the action was light. I moved over to another run to try my luck. As I was walking in, I noticed that there were several trout rising and that a heavy midge hatch was beginning. I sat on the bank for a while and rerigged my rod. I clipped off my fly, untwisted my lead, clipped of my tippet and removed my strike indicator. I was left with a seven and a half foot 4X leader. To that, I tied on a four and one half foot 6X tippet and a Dan’s turkey tail emerger size eighteen.  
• This is my brother, Dan’s, signature fly. He designed it specifically for the Norfork River but has found it effective on the White and every where else he has tried it, from Montana to the Smokey Mountains. Dan has been tying them for me for twenty years and they are a staple of my fly box. A few weeks ago I decided to learn to tie them for myself. I went through my fly tying materials and located the items I needed. I sat down with the recipe from the Home Waters book and a fly Dan had tied. I took my time and knocked a few out. The next time I saw Dan I showed him the flies and asked him to critique them. He told me to make the wing a bit longer but that they looked pretty good. The fly I tied on was one of my ties. 
• I walked into the run until I was on the right hand edge of the current and faced down stream. I cast to the left at a forty five degree angle. As soon as the fly hit the water I stripped the line back to sink the fly in the film. As it swung in the current the water pressure against the fly line caused a belly to form in the line. Rather than mending the line upstream to achieve a drag free drift, I left the belly in the line. The increased water pressure on the fly helps set the hook when a trout hits the fly. I began picking up fish immediately. I caught several rainbows and then got into a pod of browns and landed several. I still needed a cutthroat. I kept working my way down stream and finally picked up a cutt. I had my grand slam! 
• I continued fishing down the run and landed several rainbows, browns and cutthroats in the process. I felt the strong take of a good fish. It hit my fly hard and immediately ran down stream taking a lot of fly line with it. I was almost in the backing when it made its first jump and I got my first glimpse of him. It was in incredibly fat, brightly colored, male rainbow that was at least eighteen inches long. I swallowed hard and tried to concentrate on the job at hand. I was able to slowly work the fish closer and then he took another long run. About this time the rainbow took another head shaking leap into the air. In the process, the light 6X tippet broke and the bow was gone. 
• I cranked my line back in. I wasn’t disappointed. He had given me a thrill and I had really enjoyed the struggle. I pulled out my fly box and searched for another Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Alas, that had been my last one in size eighteen. Luckily I had several in size twenty two that Dan had tied. Would the smaller fly work as well as the eighteen? I carefully tied one on. With the smaller hook it was much harder to thread the 6X tippet through the hook eye. After several failed attempts, I cut the tippet at a 45 degree angle to create a point on the end of it and was then able to complete the knot. I pinched down the barb and returned to my fishing. On my first cast, I hooked and landed a nice brook trout. It was my second grand slam of the day! 
• John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished the local streams for over twenty five years. John can be reached at (870) 435-2169 or http://www.berrybrothersguides.com .

August Door County Fishing

August can be an exciting month for fishing in Door County.  You still have plenty of options for bass, walleye and northern pike fishing.  Earlier in the month, expect to fish deeper water for all 3 species of fish, but you will be able to target these fish a little shallower at the end of the month.  The closer you get to September, the better the fishing will get for bass, walleye and northern pike.

The salmon and trout fishing stays good throughout all of Door County for the month of August and you can expect to start seeing some fish come in shallower at the end of the month.  Keep up with the fishing charters latest reports and you’ll have a good idea of what depths to troll for salmon and trout.  Once the fish come in shallow, you’ll see a lot more recreational anglers get out to fish because they can stay close to shore where it is safer for their smaller boats.

For more information on visiting Door County, take a look at our tourism links.

• Door County, Wisconsin
• Door County Fishing Charters
• Door County Lodging
• Door County Bait Shops
• Door County Marinas
• Door County Boat Rentals

July Door County Fishing

July is the month for salmon and trout fishing in Door County.  Anglers can still fish for northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass and perch, but the salmon & trout fishing is so good than many anglers prefer to tackle these fish instead.

Fishing charters are very busy during July as they troll for chinook salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout and lake trout.  The salmon fishing can be incredible at times with limits occuring regularly.

July is also a good time to visit Door County because there is so much to in the area.  Besides the recreational fishing, anglers can participate in the annual Kewaunee/Door County Salmon Tournament.    Boating, swimming and golf are just a few of the other things you can experience in Door County.

For more information on visiting Door County, take a look at our tourism links.

• Door County, Wisconsin
• Door County Fishing Charters
• Door County Lodging
• Door County Bait Shops
• Door County Marinas
• Door County Boat Rentals  

May Door County Fishing

Once May rolls around, the fishing starts to heat up in the Door County region.  As the water temperature heats up throughout the month of May, you can expect much better bass fishing along the Green Bay shoreline as well as all of the bays in the Door County area.  Near the end of May, Sturgeon Bay starts to heat up and this really starts to draw anglers to the region.  Sturgeon Bay is known for some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the county. 

Some of the other well-known areas for catching smallmouth bass in May are anywhere along the rocky structured shoreline of Green Bay from Little Sturgeon north to the Peninsula State Park. 

Northern pike, walleye, perch, lake trout, brown trout and brook trout are also available during the month of May.  Some good northern pike spots are Rowleys Bay and the Mink River.  Walleye can be found throughout Little Sturgeon and Sturgeon Bay.  Perch can be found along the same rocky shorelines as the smallmouth bass from Little Sturgeon to the Peninsula State Park.

For more information on visiting Door County, take a look at our tourism links.

• Door County, Wisconsin
• Door County Fishing Charters
• Door County Lodging
• Door County Bait Shops
• Door County Marinas
• Door County Boat Rentals

April Door County Fishing

Once April rolls around, anglers are getting that itch to get out there to do some fishing.  Usually, mid-April is about the time that ice will start to move out of the Green Bay side of the peninsula.  This allows the trollers to get out there for the early brown trout fishing in Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, Ephraim, Sister Bay and Ellison Bay.  Some of the best early season fishing comes out of Sturgeon Bay once the ice is out.  On the Lake Michigan side, don’t plan on getting out on the water until the end of April, but the weather conditions will dictate when ice out will occur.  It can change from year to year, so it’s not recommended to plan an out of town trip year way in advance because you may not have any open water to fish if the ice is out later than typical.  In the last week of April, there should be plenty of open water on the Lake Michigan side to fish for brown trout and rainbow trout.

The walleye fishing heats up as soon as the ice is out on Sturgeon Bay.  Sturgeon Bay is known for its excellent smallmouth bass fishing, but the walleye fishing can be really good during the first couple weeks of ice out.  Some other fish that can be caught in Sturgeon Bay in April are perch, brook trout and rainbow trout.

For more information on visiting Door County, take a look at our tourism links.

• Door County, Wisconsin
• Door County Fishing Charters
• Door County Lodging
• Door County Bait Shops
• Door County Marinas
• Door County Boat Rentals

Early Risers Catch Trophy Brown Trout: Milwaukee

• In this article we will continue with successful methods of catching trophy fish. I would like to explore location, presentation and lure selection for Brown Trout. This is a virtual untapped resource on Lake Michigan. Most anglers get hung up on salmon fishing and ignore big Bulldog Brown Trout. Once you have an opportunity to hook up with a fish that is almost as big around as he is long you will be back for more. Footballs, as we like to call them, are only about 3% of the catch out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The lack of popularity and pressure puts
  you in a great position to boat a real wall hanger. This unique specie has two strains the Domestic or German and the Seeforellen. The bigger of the two is the Seeforellen with the state record at 36.5 pounds. I have landed German Browns over 20 pounds. This is definitely a trophy in any angler’s book. Where there are similarities in the two species on temperature preference the biggest difference is location. Domestic are more of a near shore fish and Seeforellens are a pelagic specie found suspended in deeper water.
• Please allow me to give you an overview of the optimum conditions for predictable success. All the weather factors discussed in the last article pertain to Browns as well. They are always more active at first light and last light of the day. Heavy overcast days afford some of the best opportunities for lunkers.
• Temperature is as important in producing Browns as it is for any other fish. I work water that is 60 to 63 degrees when it is available. The month of April is known for easy pickings on all size Browns. When the lake has not warmed up to the preferred temp for Browns, look for them at mouths of rivers, harbors, protected bays and power plant discharges that offer water above the lake temp. A temperature gauge is a tool all fishermen cannot be without.
  
• A stealthy approach is necessary for the biggest fish. In definition stealthy is a presentation that avoids being notice. Several that can be used are trolling downriggers with leads to 100 feet or more and leadcore is another good choice. Most of the time you will find working shallow water less than 40 feet is key to domestic brown success. In the clear shallow water a normal presentation will generally not produce.
  
• Mid summer is the best time to locate Seeforellens in deep water. Find a sharp break in temperature from the colder lake water to 60 to 63 degrees and present your tackle in temperature they prefer. These breaks above colder water are the best place to locate trophy fish. Presentation will remain the same get away from the boat in water undisturbed. I have one more presentation that you may find easier to work especially in shallow water. Fish the surface down to fifteen feet with planer Boards. Some of your choices are, Yellow Birds, Church, Off Shore and Riviera. I’m a little hesitant to recommend a particular brand because what works for me may not work for you. I will say I find it easier to run a small board on each line rather than a large board with releases on the towline. I do feel it is important to run all the same type to get a presentation that is easy and productive. The clear surface water leaves you with a visibility factor to consider. I run a 1/4 to 1 ounce bead chain trolling sinker at the end of the 20-25lb mono to avoid line twists and get the depth I want. From the sinker to the lure I use 8ft of a 12lb mono and a small round cross lock snap. When the fish hits, the board slides down to the trolling sinker. With the sinker in line, the board will not knock the fish off as it would if it ran down to the lure. When setting this presentation, I set my boat speed at 2 mph and let out my lure about 30 to 100 feet and attach the board. This distance will change with the amount of light, type of lure and depth you want to fish. When action is slow, adjust this distance and see what happens. Once the board is attached, carefully lower the board into the water and let out enough line to allow room for more boards, between that board and the boat. Boards should be spaced about 30 feet apart. When a fish hits, the board releases and it will drop back behind the boat. Land your fish and reset this board by letting out enough line to allow the board to fly back into the same spot it came from.
  
• Let’s wrap this up with my favorite Brown Trout lures. Spoons are my first choice with crankbaits and minnow type lures a close second. Always consider the size of the baitfish and amount of light in the time period you are fishing. When fishing in bright conditions or with the presence of small baitfish go to regular or small lures. Run the magnum spoons in low light situations. The two most productive Brown Trout spoons for me in recent years are the glow in the dark Vulcan and Reaper both sold by Badgertackle.com The silver/blue Vulcan has also
  been a regular producer. The shore fishermen are also having good success with this lure. I will continue with trophy variables for Rainbow Trout in the next article. Good Luck!
   

Captain Jim Hirt
www.bluemaxcharters.com

Trolling Tips For More Fish In The Cooler - Milwaukee

• This article wraps up with more ideas and gives a summary of ways to boat more salmon and trout. All of these tips will work for all trolling applications. Some days you can do everything wrong and still end up with a decent number in the cooler. Aggressive fish hammer the lures and stick well. There are also days when most of the fish are off by the time you get to the rod. Several things I do will put more fish in the cooler for you.
• The number one most important change to make to keep the fish on the line is good quality hooks. This may sound obvious, although some anglers do not pay attention to this detail. I look for 1x, 2x, and 3x or in some cases 4 extra strong hooks. Strong sharp hooks are a simple answer with immediate results. Most manufactures of fishing lures cut costs by using a cheap hook. Your time and other expenses are large compared to replacement hooks. All hook manufactures offer standard and premium grade hooks. Look for the best extra strong extra sharp they have to offer.
• Correctly set reel drags are a close second. I always hear stories of the big one that got away. The line breaks, a snap opens or some other failure of the terminal tackle. Please allow me to explain how to correctly set and maintain your drag on your reels. The correct amount of drag is measured in pounds. You find the correct number by dividing the test weight of your line by four or 25% of the line breaking value. All line sold will have the line weight marked on the package. An example would be 20-pound test divided by four would have a drag setting of 5 pounds. To get this setting run the line through all the rod eyes as you normally would and connect the line to a spring scale. The other end of the scale should be connected to a fixed object. Pull on the line with the rod bent over and adjust the reel drag to allow it to slip as a 5-pound measurement is obtained on the scale.  Where this may feel a little light to some anglers, it will allow the fish to be played without pulling the hook out of the fish. The rod should play the fish and not the reel. Do not crank up the drag to pull the fish in with the reel.
  This will only lead to lost fish and disappointment.  To me there is nothing more vital to my success on the lake and satisfaction of my customers than a high ratio of fish on to fish in. I am sure there are some that will disagree with a procedure I use. I pull my lines and stop
  the boat on all of the fish over ten pounds or at least that’s my goal. Occasionally, in the heat of the battle, a larger fish will end up close to the boat before we can clear lines. Then I will take the boat down as slow as we can to avoid getting the fish around my other lines. The longer you drag the fish around the more time they have to get off. Over the years I have found that the harder you pull on the fish the harder they fight and more likely they will come off. This also allows me to run smaller terminal tackle and lighter lines both of which improve
  presentation.
• I will wrap this up with one more of many small details that help to put the fish in the cooler. How you play the fish is an art of which, when done correctly, will go a long way to your success. I am a firm believer in not pumping the rod to high or too fast. As you remove the rod from the rod holder it is your option to set the hook or not. I personally don’t do it. When you have twenty pounds of salmon tearing line off the reel and you pull to set the hook something has to give. Bend a hook, open a snap, break a line or rip the hook out of his mouth all of which are not good. Just maintain the bend in the rod and use a moderate pumping motion raising the rod to the one o’clock position and lowering it to the three o’clock position. On the down stroke reel in the line on the reel. When the fish is running there is nothing you can do just enjoy the fight. During this time reduce your boat speed and or pull lines to reduce the pressure on the tackle. Good Luck!!

Captain Jim Hirt
www.bluemaxcharters.com

Trophy Salmon and Trout Fishing Variables - Milwaukee

• Several factors determine the size and quantity of your catch.  If you are a member of a fishing club, you probably noticed the same persons seem to place very well for the biggest fish every year.  I believe there are many components that go into their success.  Yes they pay their dues by being on the water more than most.  This affords them an opportunity to try a variety of presentations in all seasons and weather.  Unfortunately all of us cannot break away and get out on the water as often as we would like to.  
• This starts a series of five articles that goes into some of the variables that will allow you to land a fish of a lifetime.  Timing is undoubtedly the number one variable.  By timing I mean to fish when the big ones are biting.  This includes weather, time of day and time of the year.  If I were a Musky angler, the window for this opportunity would be very small.  The good news is salmon and trout fishing is much broader in scope, with greater chances to boat your trophy.  You can boat a twenty plus pound Salmon, Brown, Rainbow or Lake Trout from the start of
  the Lake Michigan season in April to late October.  Let’s narrow that down by species and time of year.  Chinook Salmon live four and a half years and it makes sense that they will be the biggest at the end of their life cycle.  These monsters will be the most aggressive and
  easiest to get in the months of late June thru September.  Brown Trout love the warm water.  To catch the biggest look for a heavy thermo cline with a radical shift in temp from sixty to fifty in just a few feet of water.  This is definitely a mid summer pattern during the months of July and August.  Huge Rainbows are most accessible in the month of June.  The reason for this is as Lake Michigan or any large body of water warms up the temperature near shore warms first.  As this warm water pushes out it meets the cold surface water.  This is a magnet for big Rainbows.  Fishing the surface temp breaks yields the big bows every season.  Lake Trout are a real treat and trophies can be caught all season long.  The best scenario is when the temperature breaks sharply from sixty to the forty-five degrees below one hundred feet of water.  This concentrates the baitfish and the big Lakers are easy pickings.  

• This should help you with the best time of year, now shall we consider the time of day.  You may find some surprises here because all species are not created equal.  Most anglers know that the time period from one hour before sunrise to one hour after is key to hot action.  This is also true for the last hour of the day.  Your best numbers of fish can come early and late although usually not the trophies.  My theory is in a hot bite the best tackle and presentations are not in the water.  Specialized tackle and presentation is key when you are on a trophy hunt.  Monster Kings or Chinooks are the least particular when it comes to time of the day.  I will say I have boated some of my biggest fish year after year during the hours of eleven to one in the afternoon.  Brown Trout are another story they definitely like low light.  First light or last, heavy overcast and foggy days are killers for huge Browns.  I wouldn’t even go after them mid day in sunny conditions.  Rainbows love light and lots of it.  Pound these tail walkers from ten in the morning to three in the afternoon.  I will go into a great mid day presentation for non-stop action in a future article.  Lake Trout in general are very seldom found near the
  surface and the biggest ones are never there.  They hang on the bottom in more than one hundred feet of water.  Look for them well after the sun comes up on clear sunny days.

Captain Jim Hirt
www.bluemaxcharters.com

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