Hamilton Reef
08-03-2007, 08:36 PM
Fishing by the light of the moon
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070802/GPG0204/708020523/1233
08/02/07 By Kevin Naze Press-Gazette correspondent
Anyone who has fished as a family knows it can be the best of times when the weather and fish cooperate.
So, with relatives visiting, Lake Michigan calm and a bright moon rising, we launched our boat late Saturday and Sunday.
Most anglers pulling up to the docks or motoring into the harbor after an evening trip cast strange looks our way as we prepared to head into the twilight glow. Fishing was slow, said one. Terrible, said another.
Apparently, they'd never tried night fishing.
Catching salmon and trout after dark is nothing new. Minus the full moon and calm seas, though, the ability to do it all night in the past was limited to pier anglers soaking bait like alewives or spawn that emitted scent.
Today, there are paint finishes on spoons and plugs that glow for hours, and baits electronically triggered to light as soon as they touch water.
Still, the best nights for fishing are when there's extra light from the moon. Having cool water is a plus, too. Fifties are ideal, but the low to mid-60s on the surface is fine as long as it's cooler not too far below.
There are advantages and disadvantages to fishing late into the evening. While boat traffic decreases dramatically, staying out long hours is hard on the body if you'll also be fishing the red-hot dawn bite.
Since full moons in summer are fleeting, we decided sleep could wait.
A couple shooting stars in the sky and moonbeams dancing off the water's surface were definite bonuses.
A 90-minute, after-hours cruise the first night with a nephew and his girlfriend produced three strikes; a leisurely midnight tour with a brother-in-law the second saw five hits in the first two hours.
Our catch included four chinooks in the "teens" — the largest a healthy 18.06 pounds — and one rainbow trout.
Some others who fished longer or who launched after midnight when the moon was high overhead did better.
One friend said the action was terrific between 1 and 3 a.m., with glow baits trolled fairly high in the water column. Once the pre-dawn parade of boats began to roar, however, it was like turning off a switch.
"They shut right down," he said. "We didn't have another bite until 4:30 (a.m.)."
Our bites came 30 to 50 feet down, but other anglers fishing later into the night said the salmon moved up as the hours passed.
At times, fish could even be heard splashing, presumably as they chased baitfish during a feeding frenzy.
Warmer water near shore slowed the pier catches recently, but the cool water was only 30 to 40 feet down once you moved out.
Many trollers, especially those who don't launch until sunrise and are back at the dock before sunset, complained the bite was slow last week. Fishing pressure from the 2,200-plus-angler Kewaunee/Door County Salmon Tournament may have played a role. With far fewer boats on the water earlier this week, the morning action improved substantially for many.
Others believe the catching is more wind- and weather-related.
Whatever the case, seasoned big lake trollers often like to get away from the crowds. Not only is it easier to maneuver if you have a big fish on, many times you'll get more bites than when fishing spots where one boat after another pulls downrigger cables and balls, Dipsy Divers and other hardware through the water.
June catches might have been the best ever, while July — though very good — had a couple spotty stretches.
August can bring some of the biggest fish of the season, with spawn-minded chinooks, browns and cohos packing on weight for river runs in fall. It'll also bring another full moon.
If it's calm the last week of August and the bite slows during the daytime, don't be afraid to try for after-hours chinooks.
We'll leave the moonlight on for you.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070802/GPG0204/708020523/1233
08/02/07 By Kevin Naze Press-Gazette correspondent
Anyone who has fished as a family knows it can be the best of times when the weather and fish cooperate.
So, with relatives visiting, Lake Michigan calm and a bright moon rising, we launched our boat late Saturday and Sunday.
Most anglers pulling up to the docks or motoring into the harbor after an evening trip cast strange looks our way as we prepared to head into the twilight glow. Fishing was slow, said one. Terrible, said another.
Apparently, they'd never tried night fishing.
Catching salmon and trout after dark is nothing new. Minus the full moon and calm seas, though, the ability to do it all night in the past was limited to pier anglers soaking bait like alewives or spawn that emitted scent.
Today, there are paint finishes on spoons and plugs that glow for hours, and baits electronically triggered to light as soon as they touch water.
Still, the best nights for fishing are when there's extra light from the moon. Having cool water is a plus, too. Fifties are ideal, but the low to mid-60s on the surface is fine as long as it's cooler not too far below.
There are advantages and disadvantages to fishing late into the evening. While boat traffic decreases dramatically, staying out long hours is hard on the body if you'll also be fishing the red-hot dawn bite.
Since full moons in summer are fleeting, we decided sleep could wait.
A couple shooting stars in the sky and moonbeams dancing off the water's surface were definite bonuses.
A 90-minute, after-hours cruise the first night with a nephew and his girlfriend produced three strikes; a leisurely midnight tour with a brother-in-law the second saw five hits in the first two hours.
Our catch included four chinooks in the "teens" — the largest a healthy 18.06 pounds — and one rainbow trout.
Some others who fished longer or who launched after midnight when the moon was high overhead did better.
One friend said the action was terrific between 1 and 3 a.m., with glow baits trolled fairly high in the water column. Once the pre-dawn parade of boats began to roar, however, it was like turning off a switch.
"They shut right down," he said. "We didn't have another bite until 4:30 (a.m.)."
Our bites came 30 to 50 feet down, but other anglers fishing later into the night said the salmon moved up as the hours passed.
At times, fish could even be heard splashing, presumably as they chased baitfish during a feeding frenzy.
Warmer water near shore slowed the pier catches recently, but the cool water was only 30 to 40 feet down once you moved out.
Many trollers, especially those who don't launch until sunrise and are back at the dock before sunset, complained the bite was slow last week. Fishing pressure from the 2,200-plus-angler Kewaunee/Door County Salmon Tournament may have played a role. With far fewer boats on the water earlier this week, the morning action improved substantially for many.
Others believe the catching is more wind- and weather-related.
Whatever the case, seasoned big lake trollers often like to get away from the crowds. Not only is it easier to maneuver if you have a big fish on, many times you'll get more bites than when fishing spots where one boat after another pulls downrigger cables and balls, Dipsy Divers and other hardware through the water.
June catches might have been the best ever, while July — though very good — had a couple spotty stretches.
August can bring some of the biggest fish of the season, with spawn-minded chinooks, browns and cohos packing on weight for river runs in fall. It'll also bring another full moon.
If it's calm the last week of August and the bite slows during the daytime, don't be afraid to try for after-hours chinooks.
We'll leave the moonlight on for you.