Ozarks Trout Fishing

By Rod Davis

At a business meeting in February in Nashville, I was invited for the second time to the White River in Arkansas for a weekend of trout fishing. The first invitation, I had let slip by, but I was determined to accept this time.

I was invited by “ Big Dave” Storm, CEO and founder of Storm Showers of Cookeville, Tennessee. It turns out his brother, Paul is a full time guide in Salesville, Arkansas, on the Norfork River.

I did not know much about the area, only that I had once read an article about the incredible trout fishery in that area and that the world record Brown Trout had been caught there several years ago. That fish was a little over 38 pounds. Yes, you read that right, 38 pounds! Read more

Louisiana State Record Grouper

J.J. Tabor of Thibodaux landed the below picture grouper from his secret fishing hole in the Gulf of Mexico. It weighed 359 pounds and he caught it in 400 feet of water. Tabor says he guesses the fish is around 33 years old but is sending an inner ear bone for testing.

The world record for grouper is 436 pounds and 12 ounces caught in 1985 off the coast of Florida. Read more

Maine Open Water Fishing Preview – 2008

Region A – Southwestern Maine

Slightly moderating temperatures, longer day length, and a greater incidence of “liquid” precipitation suggest spring is on the way; however, I only need to glance out my office window at the heavy snow pack to realize that fishing opportunities will likely be limited on April 1st, the traditional start to the 2008 open water fishing season. Another mixed precipitation event over the weekend is yet another reminder that winter is not over.

The 2007-2008 hard water fishing season got off to an unusually early start due to early ice formation, and some smaller waters supported fishing by mid December. The early arrival of winter brought with it the anticipation that perhaps spring would arrive early, but instead Mother Nature seems content on advancing a marathon winter. Interestingly the 2007 and 2008 winters were quite different, yet like last year, the “Big Bay” on Sebago Lake set up with ice to provide only a few weeks of ice fishing, just in time for spring thaw. Read more

Charter Captain’s Spring Tips

By Captain Jim Hirt

The start of the 2006 Lake Michigan Season is right around the corner and now is the time to think about early location and tackle. In this article, I would like to share with you some of my keys to finding fish and the hottest set ups for very early presentations. I have been a charter captain for over twenty years and these techniques have produced year after year. I am confident that you will achieve success applying these classic tips. Read more

Lake Michigan Leadcore Rigging Article #18

By Captain Jim Hirt

Now is the time to think about changes to make your trips more productive next season. There are many ways to go on this subject. Over the next several articles I will try to cover topics like rigging, tackle and presentation. My goal is to provide information, which should lead to more fish and less slow fishing.

In the last article we covered rigging diving planers and flat lines. Let us continue with rigging presentations. The tools out there are endless. Being flexible on the slow days is the answer to more fish. It is a fisherman with a full arsenal of presentations that finds action when fishing gets tough. The hot rig for the last several years has been leadcore. With the influx of Zebra Muscles the waters of the Great Lakes have become very clear. Read more

Lake Michigan – Spring Presentation #3

By Captain Jim Hirt

In articles one and two, we covered general overview and the specifics of temperature breaks and their location. Now let us start on spring presentation. If your season starts early as we do at Blue Max Charters, you will be on Lake Michigan when the surface temperatures are below the preferred temp of your target species. I would like to break this down by months.

I will cover April in this article. This month provides great action on Lake trout and Brown trout, with the other species available but not as active. Browns and Lakers, this time of year, will come on similar presentation with a preference to different lures. Read more

Salmon and Trout – Temperature Is Key #2

By Captain Jim Hirt

In the last article, we started with the Importance of location, tackle, temperature and good record keeping. I also covered some of my key approaches to finding fish in early spring on Lake Michigan and the hot set-ups to keep the rods dancing.

Let us now go into more detail on location of temperature breaks and how to work them. The first and perhaps most important is how to find these sometimes subtle temperature changes. Your primary tool, and one you cannot do with out, is a surface temperature gauge. I use the one built into my fish locator. It also has a graph to show the temperature history over the last hour. This may not be necessary but it can help when mapping temperatures over a given area. Read more

Great Lakes Lure set ups Tips #4

By Captain Jim Hirt

The last article was a general discussion of spring presentation with a focus on planer boards, lines and terminal tackle. This was good information for a starting point but you will need more information to produce every trip out. In the next several articles I would like to help you define when to use spoons, crankbaits, flasher flies, dodger flies, squids and a variety of other lures.

The way I decide what to use is determined by many variables. Let’s look at each of them separately. What we are looking for is the right color, size and lure action that will get your target species to strike.

There are basically two approaches with every fisherman putting his own twist on each. Some fishermen believe it is better to run all of the same kind of lure at one time and use a selection of colors or sizes. This type of presentation is called bait sets. Read more

Fishing Lake Michigan Milwaukee Lure Presentation

By Captain Jim Hirt

The last several articles we covered some options for spring presentation with a focus on temperature, planer boards, lines, terminal tackle and lure selection. If you would be interested in this information, contact Southeastern Wisconsin Outdoor Guide for back issues.

Let’s continue with lure selection, colors, boat speed, and lure action for spring. The cold water slows down the metabolism of the fish; this in turn requires you to slow down your presentation. I select lures that are small and work well at slower than normal boat speeds.

Your adjustment to these variables is different depending on the preferred temperature of the target species. Brown trout like the warmest water of the five game fish in Lake Michigan. They are looking for above 60-degree water. When you find 60 plus water, fish them as you would in summer. Below 60 degrees the way you fish should be adjusted. Read more

Lake Michigan Fishing Charters – Hooks Make the Difference

By Captain Jim Hirt

The last article closed with a promise of exploring the different types of hooks I use on Lake Michigan and the techniques I use to sharpen them. This is a somewhat controversial issue for most fishermen. Everyone has an opinion and I can only state what works for me.

One thing I believe all will agree on is a sharp hook will catch more fish. There are many types of sharpeners out there. I have tried most of them. A simple $4.00 file is the system I keep coming back to.

Start with a check of the point by trying to stick the tip into your thumbnail. A hook that slides off your nail needs some work. Do not shortcut this process – 10 hits and 9 fish is a good day, 10 hits and 2 fish you wasted your time coming out on the lake. Read more

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