Hiked out to the pier end at mid day, a dozen guys were there, most had caught some Lake Trout. Ice had blocked off most of the deep channel side of the pier but room was still available out here near the end. Nothing happening for an hour using Cleo type spoons, then after 15 minutes with the 3/4 ounce KO Wobbler, some Lake Trout moved in and I quickly got 3 on the 3/4 ounce Gold-Orange stripe KO Wobbler. Another slow spell with only a few fish caught and most people left. Later I got the others, 5 in 2 hot streaks on a 1/2 ounce Hammered Chrome KO Wobbler. Fish were also caught on Chrome & Chome-Bue Stripe Red Eye Spoons, Diving Plugs and Rattle Trap type lures. They also will hit 4 inch paddle tail jigs, any dressed jig or a Chatter Bait as well.
The first fish hit in very close next to the rip rap slope. Once up on the pier, she spit out a 5 inch shad. Other 2 inch shad were on the pier. These fish are moving around to hunt shad and are very aggressive. They would hit about anything that could be fished about 8 feet down, including fly cast Flashy Streamers. Today was crowded and difficult wind conditions for fly fishing, plus this is a difficult pier for that. It is up about 9 feet above water level. Standing down on the exposed rip rap the high pier and hand railing behind you would make casting difficult. A heavy, short, medium to high density shooting head along with some flashy, fast sinking bead head streamer could be cast from up on the pier. It should fish very much like a cast lure and be effective.
The small steam outlet has this pier with a dredged channel beside it which should be attractive to Smallmouth, pre and post spawn or just for feeding. Whenever you might want to fish here you will need a long handled net. Today was difficult because the rip rap was covered in ice.
I thought the third Lake Trout thought was bigger.
The first fish to take the smaller 1/2 ounce Silver KO Wobbler hit it while it was falling on the count down. Another one also took this smaller spoon on the slack line count down. They both held onto it and swam far enough for me to figure out what was happening.
I had been ticking big rocks on bottom and picking up Zebra Mussels with the KO wobblers until I lost both of them. While I was hitting bottom often, the fish hit the retrieves when I didn't hit bottom. The KO wobbler is very heavy and cast far if needed. It doesn't spin but wobbles and works deeper than other spoons on a slow steady retrieve. Cast Masters, Dare Devils, and Crocodiles are other good wobbling spoons listed in order of deepest to shallowest in what depths they track at. The Little Cleo is a hugely popular spoon but it only spins for me, I once tried this similar spinning spoon and it caught fish for me though.
- 1) Tried this Little Cleo today without a hit.
- 2) Imitation Cleo also got no hits.
- 3) Prism Tape Cleo copy caught some Coho on a Wisconsin Pier.
- 4) These double Eagle Claw Siwash hooks worked well on the 3/4 oz KO Wobbler, they also rattle a bit on a wobbling spoon.
- 5) A small KO Wobbler, ugly but effective little wobbler.
- 6) KastMaster Spoon wobbles well
- 7) 3/4 ounce Crocodile swims shallow for such a big spoon
- 8) Les Davis spoon wobbles very shallow like a 1/2 oz Crocodile