Jim Hirt


Go Slow For Spring Brown Trout

By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt

Spring can be Brown Trout a plenty with the right presentation. Allow me to break it down and offer some suggestions for tons of Browns wherever you fish. Let's discuss presentation, lures and location to jump start your spring. Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at

http://www.jimhirt.com

Smaller Is Better

The last several articles we covered some options for spring presentation with a focus on temperature, planer boards, lines, terminal tackle and lure selection. 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.

Check The Temperature

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. Most Browns will be found in the top 20 feet of water where bright lures should be best.

Watch The Speed

I slow my boat speed to below 1.5 mph. The small lures become very effective and run well at this speed. Does your boat troll at 1.0 to 4.5 mph? If it doesn't, you will find it difficult to produce all the types of fish in all types of conditions. Most boats have trouble trolling slowly. When I purchased my new boat, the Blue Max with two 454 engines, trolling slowly was a problem for me. I then added a drift sock to slow down my presentation. Without this tool you will not be successful every trip out.

Caution Too Slow May Be Bad

If you adjust the idle down too low on your motor, you will most likely have spark plug fouling or lubrication issues. Slow trolling is the way to go in spring or any time the water temperature is below the temp range of the fish you are after. In spring keep it slow, small and bright to increase your catch.

Hot spoons for spring

I keep talking about Vulcan spoons and more anglers are finding out that this spoon will out produce most spoons in their tackle box. Reasonably priced and nearly indestructible they just keep on producing. The regular size is a good bet for spring. Vulcan spoons are sold by

http://www.badgertackle.com

Next Up

Note don't forget to sharpen those hooks. In the next article I will go into hook types, sharpening techniques and the pros and cons of trebles vs. singles. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or web site at

http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright 2012 James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Jim Hirt

About The Author: Captain Jim Hirt

Company: Blue Max Charters

Area Reporting: Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Bio: Please allow Captain Jim and his wife Anita, to entertain you and your guests with exciting Lake Michigan fishing or a relaxing cruise. We have over twenty years on the water experience and we will make every effort to provide a safe and enjoyable trip. Let us know if you require special accomodations so we can provide the services you need. We enjoy hearing your feedback. Please contact us via phone or email with your comments, questions or concerns. The captain is Coast Guard and state of Wisconsin licensed and insured.

414-828-1094
Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Captain Jim Hirt