Root River

[msolberg621]

kinda late on this report... fished the root mon, tues, wed, and thursday. good numbers of browns are still up on the runs early in the morning with the occasional steelhead. there are also a few salmon in there to. throwing tubes and fresh sacs under bobbers are your best bet.. the river is pretty cloudy with the rain we got, but with no rain in the forecast it should be fishable again by wed...

[Eric Haataja]

Did several guide trips put of racine and milwaukee and the fishing was pretty good overall with yesterday being the slowest day for us. We mainly fished from shore drift fishing spawn and casting spinners. I was amazed how on Saturday my clients landed 16 fish from shore mostly steelhead, and yesterday my client only landed 3 fished some of the same places but they did not want to feed.

Eric Haataja

[Eric Haataja]

Fishing should be fantastic after this rain and cold snap! Here's a few pics from my other trip on Sat.

A few other fish.

[ripper]

Would you give any advice as to the type of spinner is eaten by Root River browns?

Thanks

[Eric Haataja]

Here's the exact spinner I use. They are home made.

[ripper]

Very nice, thanks Eric.

[msolberg621]

fished the river for a couple hours this morning. water is still pretty high and dirty. ice is also starting to form on the banks. did manage to land 2 out of the 4 fish hooked. both very fresh. hopefully with the cold snap the water will start clearing it up a little bit

[msolberg621]

took a ride this afternoon and check to see if ice had formed on the river. from the 5th street bridge down to the chartroom its lock up pretty tight... the stretch of runs and hole down past the fish wier are still open, but ice is forming along the banks.. i'll drill some holes tommorrow and check ice depths up by azarions and will everyone know what i find

[msolberg621]

the upper part of the river is freezing over now. alot of floating ice now in all the major holes. looks to be around 1-2 inches in by azarions

[dennis]

The root river has seen water levels increase about 3 feet since the weekend, and it is now the color of chocolate milk...not good at the moment, but as soon as levels drop and the water begins to clear the fishing should get very good...there are excellent numbers of brown trout as well as steelhead...the river is now free of ice...

[Steve White]

Thanks for that update Dennis!! You are just making me drool with envy. Now get out there and catch a few to really put the hurt on me.

Tight lines,

Steve

[msolberg621]

kinda late but fished the root the last 2 days. eneded up 13 steelhead and 4 browns. water levels and clarity were perfect but now with all this rain it'll be bad agian.

[BigMusky]

Fished the Root at Colonial...found some good open holes and runs, but no fish. only tried spawn.

[BigMusky]

tried spawn below dam this morning. Fun fishing in snow and had to battle ice on line, but did manage nothing. Where are all these fish that are supposed to have come up!!! :confused:

[dennis]

Water levels have dropped a good 4+ feet in the past week or so, but we still need it to drop a bit more. Clarity is just now beginning to improve....that also needs a little more time...Water temperature as of Sunday was 38 degrees. By mid-week (just before the rains they are calling for) the river should be in great shape for steelheading. This weekend Horlick dam was the "hotspot", with many anglers hooking up....unfortunaltely most hooked fish found the swift water when hooked and many were lost....the best baits at the dam were large bright (or balck) flies as well as yarn (egg imitations). A few fish were also hooked on spawn...the fish are in the river in decent numbers, but far from peak...the only onther spot that produced well was the river bends in Island park. White tubes tipped with waxies produced best in Island. Good luck everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dennis]

Much of the same for the root...high swift DARK water...but the steelies are there and with the water getting over 50 they have been much more active. The river is still not in condition for any big days, but if you put in the time, you should find fish....the best area by far, remains the horlick dam....suckers are in as well, so be wary of those slimy little devils....Chartreuse egg patterns worked best....the root still needs to drop another 2 feet and clear considerably for drifting spawn to be effective. Good Luck to all!!!

[dennis]

Water levels finally dropped to good fishing levels, but weekend rains will certainly bring those levels right back up. Clarity was beginning to improve, with a whopping 8 inches of visibiltiy, but that will also be reduced in the coming days...River levels should peak late monday or early tuesday. Fishing was poor on Sunday, following a good day on Saturday. Spawn sacs took a few fish, but visibility is too poor for that to be really effective. Drifting white tubes tipped with waxies worked better. The best method, however, has been bright egg imitation flies drifted near the bottom in the deeper, swifter pools. Water temps are 48 degrees....

[dennis]

River levels are still too high for any quality fishing, and clarity is poor and will likely remain that way for the duration of the run...water temps have dropped to 38 and the fish have responded with inactivity...very little movement and most fish are lying on the bottom in the deeper holes and have been reluctant to take much of anything....if you are venturing out, plan on working hard for only a few bites...good luck to all!!

[dennis]

the river has once again risen and muddied significantly...contitions are terrible at this point...virtually unfishable...the water temp is finally getting back to 40 after a week of 37 and 38 degree water...fish numbers in the river are suprisingly low....since fish were processed on thursday, less than 17 fish have passed up the ladder and into the weir, and on that day only 33 were processed (handled).

[dennis]

Water levels are now back to "normal" levels and the clarity is as good as it has been all spring, but still a far cry from clear....water temps have risen to the 60 degree mark and if this warming trend continues the run will end quickly...as of now there are still a fishable number of steel in the river, but you will need to cover water and be particularly observant to locate them...Black flies (whooley buggers, egg sucking leeches, etc.)and egg imitations have produced best. Good luck to all!

[dennis]

Water levels on the root remain low. The lower deeper stretches of the river (washington park golf course and below) have good numbers of kings as well as coho waiting for rains to raise the river to make upstream passage easier. Lincoln park to the dam has seen numbers drop in the last week, but there are still fishable numbers of kings. Fly fishermen have been catching most of the fish lately using either large dark flies (like whooley buggers or egg sucking leeches) or bright egg patterns. Weather is calling for rains today, should we get significant precipitation, fish migration should be immidiate and significant.

[Lyubaka]

Made the trip almost every week late september through mid october (missed on some of the better Crappie and Walleye bite up in the dells for that). It was awesome though!
Did get a few on the Ultralite 12 footer so that was fun!
Orange Shrimp Patterns, Purple Soft Plastics Pink and Red eggs seemed to all work...

[dennis]

the root is very low, and as clear as it can get.....still a few coho up on the gravel doing their thing....lots of browns still in the river....mostly holding in the deeper pools. Drifting spawn through the holes should be productive....although I am not seeing too many doing it (most on the river lately have been sporting their fly gear)....Gotta love the root late in the fall and winter...lots of trout and fewer anglers!!.....good luck y'all!!!!!

[dennis]

Water levels are still very low and the water is still very clear. Fishing in the river has been very slow, especially when sunny. Fish movement has been only really occuring at night on bright days. Flyfishermen continue to dominate, and they are still struggling to find fish other than dirty beat up coho. Browns are in the river, but numbers are low, especially for this time of year. The lower stretches of river have been better (near main street bridge) as has been the harbor. Good numbers of browns and steel have been hitting jerkbaits, crankbaits as well as spoons. Action has been more consistent here even during high skies (although still better when cloudy). At least the pressure is finally off the river....good luck y'all!!

[dennis]

Oh yeah, drifting spawn has been working, but not like one might expect for this time of year.

[dennis]

The cold has locked up the river below lincoln park (The "cottonwood hole" is open and yet fishable). Most action was at the horlick dam late in the day. Several browns were hooked (and lost) and a bunch of coho and a chinook landed....suprisingly all yje salmon were very clean and seemed to have entered the river very late. A pair of the female coho still had a belly full of eggs and they were still tight in fact....kinda weird for december...especially the chin, as it was dark, but very clean...looked like an early september river fish! Ice fishing on the lower stretches of the river has begun, with 2-3 inches of ice. This morning several steelies and a couple browns were pulled through holes in the ice...harbor should be there soon!

[Eric Haataja]

The river is starting to come up. Up river and they are getting steelies and browns, after this rain and Melt everything will be blown out so today is probably the last day to hit the Root if you've got the itch for open water steel!

[dennis]

As of tonight, the river levels have not come up and flow has been not increasing....yet....clarity remains good....for now. Fishing has been slow in the mornings, but by afternoon the fishing has been quite good. Colonial park has been the most productive part of the river by far. It has been about a 50/50 split between browns and steel. Drifting spawn or skein has been the best way to get bit. Quarry park and horlick dam have had a few fish each morning, but fish movement, as of this weekend, has been almost non-existent, so after the few morning fish have been caught the areas are not replenishing themselves. Most of Lincoln park is ice free (cottonwood to the weir hole), but few have fished here...below lincoln park remains iced.

[dennis]

Areas below Lincoln park are still covered with ice, but most of Lincoln is free, as well as almost the entire way up to the horlick dam. Most anglers have been fly fishing and having little to no luck. Those drifting the deeper pools with spawn sacs, however, have been catching fish pretty consistently. Just work the deep holes patiently and thouroughly.

[dennis]

River is at flood levels and is currently the color of chocolate milk. The few fish caught this weekend were caught on the golf course between quarry and colonial parks. There is a large eddie that has formed (over what is normally the golf course) and this is the only location I saw or heard fish caught out of. Spawn was the ticket....a few steelhead were hooked and lost, and all fish I saw or heard of were browns.

[Eric Haataja]

Dennis thanks a bunch for the update I appreciate it!

Eric

[Eric Haataja]

The river has been producing good numbers of fish the past couple of days, not sure what this run off will do but today and yesterday the fishing was solid here, the river is up a bit but the spawn bite was pretty good.

[dennis]

The river has finally receded to fishable levels and the clarity is beginning to return, although still poor. Water temps have risen into the low-mid 40"s depending on the time of day and the steelhead are ripe and ready to spawn. Most anglers were fishing the horlick dam and doing pretty good. Green and pink flies were taking most fish....White suckers are in full run and redhorse are making their way in as well....some places the riverbed seems to be crawling with them....Monday the fishing should be very good, but several days of rain are in the forcast, so its probably gonna be a small window....

[Eric Haataja]

I aslo talked to my buddy who was fishing from shore in Racine and he caught 12 fish and missed about 8 other fish fishing there today on skein and on cranks, so the bite is going good now all over. He said there was only one other guy fishing there this evening, and lots of fish boiling and he missed a lot of fish on the float rods. He fished the lower river.

[Skeinball]

Spent the most time bouncing between a few harbors, from Kenosha to Sheboygan, skipping Milwaukee...Ended up with 3 fish for the weekend and a few more missed...Hooked fish on skein, cranks and spoons, could not keep them stuck though...Sometimes trying to stay away from the crowds pays off, this weekend it didn't...All the fish we hooked and landed were pretty dark already....and from the blood marks on the few piers we visited and the few guys we talked to, there wasn't all that much going on....at least in Sheboygan and Port...being the slowest...few fish in Racine and Kenosha, but nowhere near the action expected based on years past...

With Wisconsin not stocking the next batch of kings and whacking the browns that will come up to the weir, it looks like we'll all be taking up golf in 2012...sucks...

Next time we'll most likely be dragging the boat around...better shot at fish...

[deadeternity]

Skienball said: With Wisconsin not stocking the next batch of kings and whacking the browns that will come up to the weir, it looks like we'll all be taking up golf in 2012...sucks...

The DNR isn't stocking kings anymore? How will the fishing beable to to stay on it's feet when I hear that these fish are not successful spawners anyways? And whacking the browns? Does this mean killing the browns off? These 2 bits of info would not make any sense at all. Why would'nt they keep the salmon fishing and brown trout going strong?

[Skeinball]

The reasoning behind the cut is to fight VHS...Which I find absurd, because WI fish are not the only ones in the lake, other states aren't discontinuing stocking so the fish will still be there...MI has natural reproduction, so the problem won't go away...and warmwater species seem are affected as well...But I am no fisheries biologist, might check with the DNR for more details...

[Eric Haataja]

I know racine was going good for a budy of mine fishing skein in the near the mouth of the river he landed 16 fish.

[deno b.]

Just got back from the racine harbor, at the boat launch. 8:15-11:15.a.m. Have not had much luck on spawn sacs. But as soon as I got the bobber wet it went down, casting at the time so i missed it. But started to jig the bobber and the fish came back landed a nice male clean brown. Ended up getting two males on chartruse sacs. Got a female and another male on a storm 4" swim shad. Then one more on gulp swim shad with a darter head. what a blast nice morning to be out.

county workers were there taking the piers out, thought it would take them until thanksgiving to remove them, but by the time I left they were just about out. 5 fish total they were jumping everywhere. good luck

[Eric Haataja]

Thanks for the report! That bite will last at least another month down there!

[Eric Haataja]

Fish showing up in the lower root and from the weir down river the rain will onlyhelp!

Eric

[Eric Haataja]

Fished Racine today and the bite was o.k. we lost our share of fish but had fun catching some steelies and browns mainly on cranks in the harbor and river The best bite for us was up river and saw the guys doing o.k. by Azarians as well. I'll post some pics when I get some time caught a big one today.

Eric

[Eric Haataja]

There has been a pile of fish that are pushing up the river, Coloniel and Lincoln are probably stacked with fish! Flows and clairity should be perfect depending on ice flows.....

Eric

[BigMusky]

the river clarity was less then ideal. Major problems with ice because it limits casting distance and it is hard to get right in water with ice shelves. The ice build up on line was problematic with swift water as it would pull line up out of strike zone...plus spawn sack continuously would freeze...needless to say I got no fish in three hours of fishing today. Was planning on staying all day, but was not really having fun fighting ice and cold.

If we really get 14 inches of snow tomorrow night, it might peak again in flow, so i am going to wait a while for some warmer weather before I venture out again.

[Eric Haataja]

I talked with a buddy and he said that there were some fish caught here a few days ago or yesterday down in the lower stretches. This cold sucks!!!!!!!

[Eric Haataja]

Fishing is very very good now down on the Root talked to my buddy who crushed the fish yesterday on the Root, lots of fresh chromers up in the river!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Up a little ways in Coloniel above the weir and down in lincoln and island park are the places to be!

See ya down there!

[deno b.]

Buddy of mine hit the mighty root and did real well. I drove down there this morning and there was alot of ice did'nt appear to be alot of places to fish. He first tried by island to no luck, then found some open areas by lincoln, then put the smack down on the fish.

I hope to get down there on sunday. Good Fishing

[.Pan Handler]

Did real well on the Root this weekend, had to battle a lot of slush and ice most days, but many fish hooked. Good mix of steel and browns, couple big ones too. Fished the downstream portions (Lincoln, Island, etc.) Too bad we're in a deep freeze again. :(

[Eric Haataja]

Bite on the Root going now!!!!!

[walleyebum]

when is a good time to see the steelhead at the dnr place? and can you fish below it? thanks

[.Pan Handler]

There is plenty of fish in the tanks right now, and you can fish below the weir in Lincoln Park, but in the ~300 ft. directly below the weir, there is a fish refuge (=no fishing). If you fish there, you will get pinched in a heartbeat.

[Eric Haataja]

Lots of fish up in the river now along with many fish in the boat launch ecspecially browns, Bender park in oak Creek is finally stacked up with Browns and Kings too.

Eric

[.Pan Handler]

Tons of fresh kings in the river, along with tons of yahoo's. Had lots of laughs today, mainly from a group of 8 guys in a 15 foot long stretch of riffle in Island Park. Water is pretty stained, but the fish are feisty. Saw many trash bags full of kings being hauled home :) Have fun!

[brookiereleaser]

went down to racine tonight,

Tons of people fishing the upper stretches - the weir was closed and there are no fish in the tank??? are they done processing them or something? or when can i go down there and see em in the tanks? - certain days of the week?

anyways, saw mostly fly fishers down there, felt like i was in eastern europe for a while.

My buddy managed to get 3 stocker browns on small spinners.

Did not hook up anything here with spinning tackle.

Root is still really low compared to when I fished it for the spring run, holes that I almost drowned in last spring were up to my knee at best.

Lots of fish pushing up, and lots of d-bags snaggin/flossin or whatever you want to call it.

Saw bunches of kings on stringers and constant hook ups by people on fly rods, of which i have no idea if they were legit or not.

I saw two beautiful steelhead on stringers that were a treat to even see, man i gots to get me a fall steely.

If you want to try the fly , root seems to be a good place to go, but I would avoid the weekends if possible as it was not fun to fish unless you want to really get away from the crowds - you pretty much have to walk a long ways away from the usual access points.

good luck.
chuck .

[Bear]

I think the DNR will be processing fish around the 17th of this month.

I was there on Saturday. Each year I say to myself, I'm not going to get aggravated and disappointed by what I see, but it can't be avoided.

The vast majority of the fish on the stringers were caught by snagging or in many cases "flossing". I stood and watched this happen and made several calls to the DNR. When I pulled up to the river and was walking down the bank, I saw a guy try to net a fish that was swimming by on the way upstream, obviously out of frustration, because he really sucked at what he was doing.

Please don't consider these guys fly fishers; they are just "guys with fly rods". I'm a fly fisher. I swing streamers and dead-drift nymphs, constantly adjusting my weight to get the right depth and rate of swing; switching flies to find the right color and pattern that is working and reading the water looking for holding lies. This is what separates a fly fisher from those guys who stand at the stone wall, shoulder to shoulder, and flip 10' of line continuously through the same slot hoping for an unlucky fish to come along and swim into whatever they are throwing.

[pmjasper]

Well it's official...I stink!

Went to the Root River late morning and fished on of the holes I prefer. River was up compaired to last weekend and pretty stained. The wife and I put on some 1/16 jigs in hopes of attracting a king, coho, brown or steelie. Saw a few fish moving but could not interest them in anything. Fished for about and hour to an hour and a half, lost four jigs and decided to head up towards Oak Creek, just to take a look. The "hole" at Oak Creek was packed, looked downstream and saw nothing moving through and decided to call it a day and watch football.

I really used to be able to figure out certain species but these damn kings got me whipped by a long shot. I'd also like to start venturing out and finding some different areas to fish where I can possibly get away from at least, some of the crazies. Had one guy and his son, seemingly sprinting downstream right in the middle of the hole and barely "fishing" in the process. I realize that in the crowded confines of Wisconsin you're not really going to get away from the masses, but hopefully, I can find some place where I can throw a backcast without having to worry about five guys walking in the path of my fly line.

Until next week I guess......

[TJPike]

Hey Brookiereleaser or Bear,what is that term flossing ? I have not heard that up this way !!:confused:

[pmjasper]

TJ...Flossing is also known as lifting or lining. Basically, the angler is trying to match the weight of his presentation so that the line will cross the fishes mouth and essentially snag the fish in or around the mouth. Flossing, lifting or lining is not necessarily looking for the fish to bite or attack the presentation but rather just allow the hook to be in the "right place at the right time" deal.

[TJPike]

I'll be darn,i have never seen that up here nor have i heard of it..

[pmjasper]

In order to achieve this "great" skill you have to have fish in a very defined location, such as a bottleneck or a defined current seam. Now to be fair, I have fly fished attempting to get a salmon to hit and occasionally snagged one, but people who are activly attempting to snag usually have larger weights and set on every stop.

Another truth is that some of these people might not really recognize thaty are lifting. When I first started fishing the Salmon River in New York, I hired a guide who fished very defined seams, a few large shot and black sponge on a small but stout hook. He stated the way to fish it was to pull downstream slightly faster than the current in order to annoy the salmon into hitting. For years I thought this was the proper way to fish for salmon in the rivers. I honestly did not know it was lifting until asking more questions on different message boards and reading a few publications. I mean, this is what a "reputable" guide taught me so I believed it was correct.

All that said, I'm not trying to make excuses for those who actively try to snag, floss, line, etc., but there could be different reasons behind why they are doing that in the first place. And we have to keep in mind that all fish that get snagged are not intentional either. Just my $.02

[BigMusky]

same technique can be used with in-line spinner. Hold it steady in current until you feel a fish cross line and then set hook....you know those spawn sacks you buy at bait shops....probably more then you care to know come from this method.

[Bear]

O.K. for starters, I think I'll be using this site henceforth. If I had posted the type of message I posted previously in this thread, on the other site which I frequent for reports , I would have gotten flamed. I am believing that this site has a better class/level of fisher on it. I'll lurk on the other site for info only and to get a laugh if I need one.

Flossing was described perfectly by pmjasper. Though I will agree that some may not know that they are doing it or think that they are correct in doing so if that was the way they were taught.

In my experience, Kings do not strike the fly and give you feel of almost dead weight when the fly is in their mouth and will react when you set. (and the debate rages over whether Kings actually eat while in the rivers or simply strike out of instinct)...Other species like Coho, Steelhead and Browns will actually strike the fly out of agression or to eat, and there is no mistaking that you have a hook up. I experienced this on Saturday. I was dead-drifting and then letting a Headbanger Hex swing at the end of the drift. When the fly was coming up off the bottom, "thump", no mistaking it. A nice steelhead of around #12 inhaled it (released to fight (or be snagged) another day). IMHO you can't beat that fly. You just have to figure out what color the hot butt needs to be on any given river.

I'm really looking forward to the Steelhead and Browns to start running, though the antics still go on.

Tight Lines.

[rootpro6]

wait so ur saying they don't hit flies? Lmao great theory.

[pmjasper]

I think the debate as to whether kings actually strike while in the river will be debated for some time.

It is proven that fresh kings, upon entering a river system WILL chase plugs, spinners, streamers, etc. out of hunger, anger, territorial, etc. No one has really gotten the true answer from the salmon as of yet.

Now once the kings have been in the river for a few days, traveled some distance from the mouth, looking for suitable spawning grounds, it does seem they grow much less aggressive. Some say will not strike a lure, bait or fly at all, some say they will hit certain lures and flies if you get them close enough, some say only males will hit. I'm not really sure which is correct but, in my experience, they do get increasingly harder to catch after they have been in the river for some time. The only way I have ever heard to try and prove whether they will hit is to slightly short cast fish that are spotted, resulting in the fish having to move to strike the offering.

Thusfar, I can say my experience with river kings had been a frustrating one. I've fished the Salmon river in NY a few times and a few of Wisconsin's tributaries since moving from the east coast last year with not so great results. i've only gon one place with I've hooked up consistently and the method and reason why is probably more baffling than the river king debate.

In any event, as long as the fish run in the rivers the topic will be debated and fishermen like me will be conducting my own studies on a river nearby.

[Bear]

RootPro, I'm not saying they don't hit flies but here is what I believe:

I agree with pmjasper that they will strike a fly/lure when they are fresh in from the lake. At least for a day or two especially in the lower stretches of the river. After that, when they are on the move upstream and prior to spawning may at times strike out of agression or instinct. That is why fllies like the STS bugger and other dark colored buggers and nymphs work so well as it imitates the Petronarcys Stonefly that inhabits the lake and tribs. It is proven the King's digestive system shuts down as their reproductive organs expand and crunch off their stomachs, after entering the rivers and they actually digest themselves (the fat stores) from the inside out for needed nutrients, hence the rotting or their flesh prior to dying off. Absent a wound of some type, you'll start to see this at the least fatty areas like the base of the tail, around the other fins and along the front of their head, that fat gets taken up pretty quickly.

Once they are on the redds, the males become very agressive and territorial and will strike out of agression or to protect the redd from all invaders including other fish. (Sometimes larger streamers that imitate Smelt and other forage fish stripped around the redd works well.) I happened to have this proved out when fishing Bear Creek (nothing to do with my screen name) in Michigan a few years back. The Bear is an incredible piece of water and is a trib of the Big Manistee. I was drifting a brown/black Size 6 Michigan Wiggler pattern (killer pattern on this trib) through a run; two large males were chasing each other and when the larger one chased off the smaller one it started back downstream through the run at the same time my fly was drifting through the center of it. The fish turned a 180 a shot back upstream to attack the fly as it drifted by him and "fish on". However, I will say that this is the only time I observed this kind of behavior. I also believe that the hens will strike for the same reasons as the males when on the redds but are hesitant to leave the immediate area and you need to put the fly right in their face to illicit a strike.

I support the idea that lining/flossing is the primary reason for hook ups prior to fish being on the redds. However, with that said, I usually don't fish the redds, when active spawning is going on, unless I'm bored and need a fish fix. I prefer to fish the areas in the deeper water behind them looking for Steelhead, Browns and the occasional Coho that are feeding on the eggs.

Hang in there pmjasper. I too am from the East Coast (the Berkshires of Western Mass.) and have fished the Salmon many times. Once you have things dialed in you'll be productive. I would recommend waiting until the spawning gets active (look for freshly cleaned gravel) and go in search of the Steelhead and Browns. They are alot more fun and act more like a trout should in a river. If you add weight to your leader, constantly be searching for the right combination to keep the fly ticking the bottom which will put the fly about 6" off of it. Its a pain, but worth it.

I'll be tying up some more Head Banger Hex's (one of my "go-to"s) as well as STS Buggers tonite. I fish a flourocarbon tippet when the water is somewhat clear and one of the drawbacks is the brittleness especially when the water get cold resulting in alot of break-offs. You have to check your tippet constantly for nicks and chinks. I also like a pattern that I call my Bead Head Super-Glu Stone, which incorporates peacock herl and is lightly dabbed with the glue so it holds up longer.

Bear

[pmjasper]

Thanks Bear.

I definitely want to do more steelheading this year versus last. Last year I was putting together an arsenal for float fishing but didn't get out at all after early November.

I'm quite disappointed in that but being married, having to drive some distance to hit most of the rivers and the wife not preferring to venture out after it gets cold kept me home most days. Also not be familiar with the spring fishery, it pretty much was over before I realized things were even going on. Again, hopefully I'll be able to get out a little more this year and chase those steelies.

Also in the process of picking up a 10' 7wt to drift egg imitations and nymphs in promissing areas. I'll let you guys know how I make out.

[TJPike]

Of course at some point they will stop eating or even stop being aggresive,there nearing death when they enter the river.It dont take a scientist or a study to figure that out..:rolleyes: HELLO!!!

[Bear]

They aren't nearing death when they enter the river, they are very fresh. You write as though the fish know they are going to die and therefore aren't as agressive.

The only thing you left out of your message was the phrase "ain't got no"

Get a clue.

[brookiereleaser]

for those that fly fish,

I have seen alot of guys when at the end of their drift and the line is straight downstream they let it hang for a bit , which i know can be where alot of hookups happen, but

can someone tell me i have seen alot of people kinda like at the end of the drift when the line is straight back then jerk the line to the side as if trying to set the hook at the end of every drift, is this a legitimate motion for something i don't know or is this basically just seeing if something can be hooked if it happens to be in the area of your drift?!?

im curious, thanks, chuck

[rootpro6]

I think it's because it's hard to tell a snag in the water from a fish but sometimes it's used as a way to snag fish as well

[pmjasper]

Truly hard to say if it's legit or not. If you are fishing a tailout section, allowing your fly to swing and at the end of the swing you are hitting bottom, that could cause you to set the hook. That being said, however, if a guy is jerking at the end of every swing, it might be interpreted as attempting to snag fish in a shallowier area.

[Bear]

The technique you are talking about is called the "hang down". When the fly is directly downstream at the end of the drift, you let the fly hang in the current and prior to stripping back, you drop the rod tip so the fly drops back a couple of feet and if a fish has been shadowing the fly and is positioned directly behind it, you put it in their face, hopefully illiciting a strike.

As for the hookset at the end of the drift, its not part of the technique but I can see why they would do it because if a fish takes the fly at the end of the drift and doesn't move, if you set straight up, the fly will be hooked in the nose and possible pulled out. The side sweep will ensure the fish is hook in the side/corner of the mouth. Nothing harder than getting a good hookset when the fish is directly downstream.

[maruto]

for those that fly fish,

I have seen alot of guys when at the end of their drift and the line is straight downstream they let it hang for a bit , which i know can be where alot of hookups happen, but

can someone tell me i have seen alot of people kinda like at the end of the drift when the line is straight back then jerk the line to the side as if trying to set the hook at the end of every drift, is this a legitimate motion for something i don't know or is this basically just seeing if something can be hooked if it happens to be in the area of your drift?!?

im curious, thanks, chuck

It's a trick I'm using while fishing for inland trout. It's suppose to make "lazy" trout wanna strike. After you "dead drift" your nymphs or streamers and trout is nearby you jerk it a little bit at the end of each drift which causes a lot of trout to strike out of agression. I'm using the same trick fishing for lake run browns and steelhead. Too bad a lot of people jerks their flies trying to snag big ol' salmon.
Regards

[Eric Haataja]

pretty good skein bite going on down here in the harbor as well.

[brookiereleaser]

fishing sucked here this morning, actually didnt even bother throwing anything.

Water levels are rediculously low since last week, the few pools that remained in the upper stretches were wall to wall with weekend warriors, and in lower stretches down from the weir same thing.

I can't believe how fast the water levels dropped here from last weekend even with the bit of rain we got since then i thought they would stay up a bit.

I wouldnt waste your time down here unless you have some secret spots away from the crowds, mainly just due to the flows. but don't take my word for it if you are itching to get out because i am by no means an authority

all I am saying is that i saw more fish, better flows, less people, and caught some on the milwaukee both steel and salmon and i would rec. going there in a heartbeat.

[TJPike]

No report from the mighty ROOT for over 2 weeks ? If i was a betting man,i would say thats the best place to go right now SHHHHH !! How about a pm please ? Thanks ahead of time.. :rolleyes:

[Eric Haataja]

Actually personally I think the root is one of the worst rivers in the state to fish in October simply because it's sooooo crowded! Just my personal opinion. There's tons of fish that run up the river but I'll take fishing alone any day over sharing a hole with 7 anglers. The place to fish now is in Sheyboygan, both the harbor and the river is hot!

[brookiereleaser]

I tend to agree with eric, other than perhaps the steelhead run or later in the fall/winter when only the diehards remain.

The last time i went to the root a couple weeks ago i went to a few spots, looked around and decided to leave, just way too many people, and too little water flow.

The milwaukee blows the root out of the water IMHO but can be a little more difficult to find the numbers of fish just because the thing is much larger to cover.

I had a spot for my buddy and I a few weeks ago that was full of fish and not another angler in sight ---

The one thing im missing is the damn David Allan Cohos right now, i have yet to land one this year and i love the way those things look when spawning, i can't seem to find em, just kings and steel.

[blitzfish]

catching steelhead and not coho's is nothing to complain about lol... but give it another couple days or even start hitting up those small streams along the milwaukee now... those fish should be stacked in there while these water levels are dropping. I had a few friends that hit up a few of the small streams along the milwaukee and just slaughtered them last fall, and then we didn't have much rain at all. This is the highest i've seen the river during the fall run in a few years, so it SHOULD be better than that, but i just keep hearing all these bad reports, but it should only get better. That will also tend to be for the same reason Eric mentioned... i also talked to a friend that hit the root up last night and the report is still the same... crowded and very little fish being caught. not really worth the effort.

[samthemaster]

i have never fished this area before and was wondering if people are still stacked like salmons(from what i've read in previous reports)? planning to bring my fly rod and spinning gear just in case flies don't produce. thanks!

[collinfishes]

its the root, theres almost always tons of guys even in the middle of January on the coldest day youd still be able to find a dozen er so guys down there. especially this weekend id bet theres loads of guys from island to the dam. but theres still some browns and steelies around up there and with this rain theres a bunch of fresh fish on there way up. you just kinda have to deal with stepped on or crowded spots on the root.

[samthemaster]

are there spots open down river that would usually be open for swinging? hopefully next week, i would be able to get out early morning.

[JKrue2568]

Fished Horlick Park yesterday, the water was like chocolate milk, and had no takers. Spawn, jigs, and spinners were used with no takers. :mad: Hopefully the water clarity clears up, and the bite turns back on. Good luck to all.

[pmjasper]

Funny you chose that term...chocolate milk, as I just used it on another site to explain the conditions faced Saturday on the Root. I too found the muddied conditions and elevated water levels and knew it would be a tough day. I fished for about an hour, swinging large rabbit strip streamers in the calmer water near shore to no avail. After that, I made a jump to another river and found similar conditions. I fished hard for about three hours with nothing to show for it. It was still nice to be out but I wish I wasn't relegated to the weekends as the conditions have been less than ideal the last few weekends.

This may have been my last time out this year, as some family issues and the pending colder temperatures may stop my quest for steelhead on the local rivers. I wish I could have gotten out more this fall but the cards just didn't fall that way. At least I'll be all geared up for next spring. Best wishes all.

[Eric Haataja]

Still a decent amount of fish in the river up in Colonial and quarry Park.

[pmjasper]

Tough conditions to say the least.....went out yesterday and the river was pretty low. At the levels they are at, there are only a few select holes that are capable of holding fish. The bad thing is thoroughout the winter, those holes have been bombarded with fishermen, who have either taken the fish or left them extremely skiddish.

I fished a few marginal holes yesterday to no avail. Looked for a few deeper holes but they were already being fished. I saw one large fish (brown or steelie) on a stringer out of one of the better holes but that was it. I will be searching a few different rivers in the next coming weeks in hopes of locating new holding water. Even with no fish, I still love the relative tranquility of fly fishing rivers in the winter. Hopefully things will open up in the next few weeks and i can get a fish or two.