Gearing Up for Rainbow -- The Transition
| |
 Well, this was the last kick at the cat as far as good old winter ice fishing was concerned. The days were getting warmer and the ice was getting thinner and for the last time I ventured out to a spot where there is a channel about 30 to 35 ft. deep. I set one line right in the channel and another one along the drop-off at about 20 to 25 ft. This is a good area for perch and some nice whitefish up to 5 lb. have been caught here.
| |
| A week after the above outing, you had to be very careful when going out onto the ice. The creeks were opening up and open water was apprearing out in the lake at the mouths of these creeks. The huts and the snowmachines are gone and fishermen flock out on foot to encircle these open water areas. |
| They are still-fishing through the ice in about 10 to 12 ft. of water and the target species is the rainbow that would be staging at the mouths of the creeks and getting ready to make their spawning run upstream. Along the shores of Lake Superior there is also a good chance of picking up some nice whitefish in the bargain. |  |
| If you are going to take part in this kind of fishing, move out onto the ice very cautiously. It is a good idea to have a life jacket nearby or wear a floater coat or survival suit. Regardless of all the warnings, there are always a few guys that have to be hauled out of the "drink". Your life is too high a price to pay for a few fish. As the ice retreats, more open water invites the appearance of small boats and canoes. A mix of still-fishing, drift fishing, and trolling replace the on ice activities in the ongoing effort to hook onto the elusive prey. During this past winter, I basically targeted perch, rainbow and whitefish along the shores of Lake Superior and as we make the transition from winter fishing to summer fishing, I would like to refer to some of the baits that have worked well for me. | |
| Minnows | |
| Dace -- good for perch
|
| Shiner -- good for perch and whitefish
|
| Bugs and Grubs | |
| Wax Worms --good for perch, whitefish and rainbow
|
| Mayfly Nymphs (Wigglers)
|
| Fish Eggs | |
| Salmon or Rainbow Spawn
Although a bait usually identified with spring rainbow fishing, these spawn or roe bags can also be used in the fall and the winter. Actually, fish eggs are a good bait at anytime. If you are going to use fresh spawn over a longer period of time, make sure that you preserve it (this could be another whole topic) because it has a very short shelf life even in the fridge and then the smell can get pretty bad. Unfortunately, without some method of preservation, you cannot freeze fresh spawn -- it turns to mush. |
| *Hooks-- for the 3 species discussed here, I would not use a hook any larger than a #6. In many cases a smaller hook (#8 or 10) is best | |
 | Next time we will head up this creek and do some rainbow fishing. We will also look at open water trolling for rainbow and spring coho. |
| |
 | |
| |
