An Outdoorsman's Journal

   Coho on the Big Pond

Hello friends,

   Three annual trips for me every May, are inland trout fishing, generally remote, Green Bay for walleye, always full of hope and usually very rewarding and possibly the most challenging and fulfilling is paddle trolling my canoe for coho salmon on Lake Michigan at Port Washington. Alewife come into the harbor at Port Washington to spawn as the water is warming and the coho follow. For about 25 years I have tried to catch salmon out of my canoe, and I average 0 to 3. Last year I hit the jackpot and caught my limit, 5, two days in a row.
As you can guess, I was extremely excited to evade death and catch some coho.

   Thursday, May 28th
   High 56, low 41

   Here is the plan, hit the harbor/boat landing and get intel, drive to the beach, a very cool place, prepare my canoe and gear and paddle out to sea. Bad news came from the two people I spoke with. First was a local fisherman that keeps his boat at a slip in the marina. This gentlemen told me that he does not fish with a northeast wind, which is what was blowing. I walked over and spoke with another fishermen that told me the coho are 2-3 miles from shore in 140 to 200 feet of water.
   First physical adventure was paddling against a solid wind from the beach to the harbor entrance which is maybe a 900 yard jaunt. I put out 3 lines with a flasher fly combo which in simple terms is a steel flasher about 2x4 inches painted red or orange in my case. In front of it I had a 2-ounce weight and the fish catcher would be a peanut fly which is a treble hook with about 1-inch strips of what looks like tinsel wrapped around it and green with flashes of white and blue seem to be common colors.
   I run one line straight back with a spinning rod and then I use a left and right planer board to pull the other two away from my canoe.
  I made it to the harbor and on the end of each break wall there was about a half dozen shore fishermen throwing spoons for coho. Over the next two days, I am quite sure that I showed these guys and gals quite the real life, balls to the walls reality fishing show.
   I am paddling around the inside of the harbor, the US Coast Guard is having a training mission with about 6 guys in the water plus boat handlers.
   One of my poles starts bending backwards and it is fish on, long story short I landed a very hefty coho and everything was perfect in the world of MGW and the naysayers at the boat launch were a distant memory. An hour later I caught another coho, paddled back to my truck with most daylight gone and headed to a you know what parking lot to sleep in The GMC Hotel.

   Friday, May 29th
   High 58, low 40

   If you are not aware of this, Wisconsin's east coast as well as north coast "Lake Superior" are much colder in the spring than inland because of the massive amounts of cold water that they border. I was paddling my canoe at 6:00 and knew I should have been at it at 5:00 but I have to admit that yesterday’s adventure had me hurting a bit, nonstop paddling, you stop paddling and your 3 treble hooks are dragging bottom and picking up leaves etc. etc. and you are no longer fishing. If you don't check your lines, you’re not catching fish.
   I paddled by a lady that was shore fishing "breakwalls" and she told me she was not having any luck. Just like that a coho hit my right line and was jumping out of the water as they often do and she was able to witness the entire experience. That first fish came at 6:30. I squat on a milk crate with my knees on the floor of my rig. It kicks my hiney but this is the best method for leverage and keeps your body lower which is best for not dumping the canoe. Today there was probably 20 shore fishermen and like last night it was slow for them but they had the MGW Fishing Show to watch as did every charter and regular fishing boat as they either came back to the harbor or went out.
   I had a total of 7 strikes from 6 to noon and in the end I caught my limit of 5 cohos. I did not have a motor; I did not use electronics. I have a very nice fishing boat and when it comes to coho, I prefer the danger, simplicity and adventure of a canoe.
   I will be 65 in July, by the time I turn 90, I might not be able to fish with this method.


Live till you die!

   Sunset