Great weekend at the brule!

[Renneberg]

I got pics, but I have yet to use the hole role of film yet.
The CO took pics of me with the fish. I don't know why. I would of asked why but I wasn't thinking to straight at the time so I didn't ask why.

I'm headed back this weekend to try again. I'll have those pics sometime next week.

[Coleman]

That's great Renneberg!!! I hope my next trip out there is as productive. I can't wait to see some pics of those fish!!! See ya.

[Sarge]

Sweet! That sounds like a blast. I hope I can find me some similar action Oct.6,7, and 8th when I head up that way.(not that far north though)

Couple questions, if you would. Where you fishing near the mouth of the river? Lures?

[Renneberg]

Well I had a unreal weekend. Friday I caught average size lake run browns. 18-22 inches was the size range I caught. Seen many more follow and hit, but the hook came out.
On saturday I found some kings and cohos. I would of had two kings if I would of had a net or someone there to grab them. I hooked 3 kings in the morning, but as the canoers started to come down they left and so did I. I went to town and got a cheap net and a new line, because my line was starting to peal like string cheese from those runs they made when hooked.
With new line and a net I set back out.
It didn't take long and I had another one on. He ran upstream and under a log, and as I'm trying to pick the line out I could see him on top. Then he turned back down stream and broke my line before I could get the line out. After that I went back to where they were and seen one coho.
It wasn't long then I had him on. She ran upstream and jumped clean out of the water 4 times. Then I was able to turn her and she came back down. She shot by me as I tryed to net her, but after that she stayed on top and I was able to catch up to her. I got her in the net but as I lifted the net out of the water she fliped out and of corse the hook got caught in the net and came out.

It wasn't long till I seen another king. When I hooked him he made a big run upstream, but I turned him and he went down the run below me. I went after him and was able to get about 6 feet from him, then he ran on to a shallow run about ankle deep and wasn't able to move very fast. I netted him and this time I made sure that I didn't lose him. He turned out to be 19 lbs.
I later talked to a CO that partrolles the river and he said that that was the biggest king he ever seen caught out of the brule.

[Jim W]

Photos????

[Renneberg]

No, I wasn't fishing near the mouth.
I caught those browns on size 11 raps. in colors yellow and orange. They bite best when its raining or when it looked like it was going to rain.
For the salmon I used a #4 mepps spinner. Colors were rainbow trout, lime green, orange and one with a blue blade. I lost all of the except for the orange one to fish.

Sarge I don't know if you know, but I was fishing the Brule river just out side of Duluth. I'm not talking about Minnesotas Brule river. That one has good fishing too from what I hear, but its way to far for me.

[Sarge]

Thanks Renneberg! And good fishing!!

[Guest]

oh baby.. I"m going up the weekend of the 6th as well...

oh baby.

I'm getting anxious

[Guest]

yeah... I was joking about the 40 incher, although that'd be nice... so.. pray for me

I'm gonna take my dad up there... we'd like to catch steelies of course, but since he's old school alaskan, he'd probably like some salmon too....

are they just pretty much wherever?

Where you fishing a lot of deep holes or slow pockets? or mostly faster rifs?

or did you just cast anywhere

I'm anxious.... I need to go this weekend.... how can I get out of work... hmmmm

[Renneberg]

I seen the salmon in real shallow water. A little less then knee deep. Some of the cohos were hanging behind the kings, but I also watched many come up and I think they kept going.
As far as steelhead go some places are better then others, but overall you can catch them anywhere.
I've heard of many people catching big steelhead just down stream of the hwy 2 bridge.
Oh something you should see is that pic of a guy and a his huge steelhead. That steely had to be 40 inches or better or very very close to 40 inches. Its huge!
That pic is at the Brule River Classic. That place is a must stop if you want to know where catching them and what there bitting on. They have everything a fly fishermen needs.

Luke do you have a e-mail address? I got something you may like to see.

The coho and I think the browns peak next weekend. I know the browns peak in oct but I not sure when.

I heard the cold is going around . You sound like you may have it.

[Guest]

yes.. email me!

[email protected]

I wanna see it!

I got the cold... sniff sniff... cough cough.

[Renneberg]

Luke if your lookin for steelhead fish around hwy FF or take Lenroot road ( just off FF ) to the parking lot. Walk the road to the power line. Go down the hill and you'll find some great steelhead water there.

I seen on the Brules web page that your lookin for a 40+ inch steelhead. I don't think they get that big in the Brule. A 30 incher is more likly.
Just so you know the steelhead don't start entering the river in big numbers till oct.
90% of the steelhead that spawn in the Brule enter the river in the fall and spend the winter in the river.

[Renneberg]

Went to the Brule again this weekend for one last time. The fishing was unreal! Saturday I seen and caught browns between 16 to 31 inches! I think I may of had one even bigger but it could of been a small late running king. It hit the lure just about 7 feet from my rod tip. It was HUGE if it was a brown.
Most of the fish were around 24 inches or better.
The weather was perfect. A steady all day rain. Saddly I had to leave my camera behind because of the rain. I'm going to have to get a good water proof camera before I go back next year.
I went to go see if I could catch another king and I found them, but they were spawning so I left the alone.
I'll have those pics of the king and a 22 inch brown by no later then thursday. I can't wait to see them.

[Renneberg]

I don't know why its not working, but here's the link.
pics

[Coleman]

Great looking pics. That's a heck of a King. WoW!!!!

[Renneberg]

Pics are in!

[Guest]

Renneberg,
Nice pics!
I'm headin up to the Brule this weekend. Any tips on where to hook up with some kings or cohos? If ya got some ideas e-mail me @ [email protected]. Thanks.

[Jim W]

Renn,

Thanks for putting th photos up!! NIce fish indeed. Maybe you would like to explain the difference for folks between the river run and lake run browns?

Keep the rods bendin'!!!

Jim W

[Guest]

the coho's are pretty good now..

the steelies though.. oh man.... oh man.... oh man.

nothing like a 26 plus steelie rocketing towards the bank of the river and then jump after jump.

I'm going back...

soon.

[Renneberg]

Actually Jim W its quite easy. Lake run browns have no red spots where as resident browns have red spots. It may be hard to tell in the pics, but when you see one first hand theres no dout about it.
Another way to tell the difference is lake runs tend to be anywhere from as dark as the one I have a pic of too as silver as a fresh salmon. I caught one this year in July with Tjhunter and it was very silver plus its tail was a blueish color.
They tend to get darker the longer they are in the river.
If you have never hooked a lake run brown then your missing out on some real fun. They fight much much much harder then the resident browns we catch here in minnesota, plus the average size lake run is 22 inches.

Sorry Zesty. You'll have to find the kings by yourself, but I think that if you found them you'd leave them alone because there almost ready to die, if they aren't already dead. The kings run all but stop come oct. Minnesota kings have yet to start running.
Cohos can be found anywhere on the river. They have just peaked.