millwakee harbor trout

[PLfisherman]

I wasnt sure where to put this topic but i hope someone can help me. I want to try to go to millwakee harbor to go catch those huge brown trout through the ice. has anyone gone and done this and can it be done on my own? and if anyone has any tips. i keep seeing it on tv and it looks like it wouldnt be that hard to do if i knew where to go.

[Jospeh]

I saw that episode as well, Just crushing big Steels and Browns. Good Luck!

[leech~~]

I wasnt sure where to put this topic but i hope someone can help me. I want to try to go to millwakee harbor to go catch those huge brown trout through the ice. has anyone gone and done this and can it be done on my own? and if anyone has any tips. i keep seeing it on tv and it looks like it wouldnt be that hard to do if i knew where to go.

I had seen a few different shows on fishing there. The thing that I just could not understand was how there was not any one else around but the people making the show? If this was in MN it would have been elbow to elbow! So, I was wondering if maybe the person that was guiding had some kind of permission or paid some kind of fee to have it all to themselves?

[JBMasterAngler]

I've seen several of those shows, and it sure looks fun! I also recently seen them ice fishing a small stream in the sheboygan area, and were catching big browns and steelhead. I wonder if that could be done on the lester or knife rivers?

[Scudly]

I've always wanted to try. Found this on Great Lakes Angler's blog.

**Please read forum policy before posting again. Thanks."

Milwaukee Harbor is apparently well known for producing giant browns. Search YouTube and you will find many exciting videos to watch, make you wish you were there.

[traveler]

in a word...no. Our rivers don't have the flows in the winter to attract/support big fish. Nor do we have the #'s of fish. The WI Brule being an exception...and I suppose the lower knife (on paper) could hold a few fish, but I've never seen/heard of it.

[Ebiz]

I've seen those shows as well and have always wanted to try it. We're in Milwaukee for Christmas every year but always seem to run out of time and never any room for my gear in the car.

[HNTNBUX]

I have been watching those videos for the last week and thought about posting your exact question. It is definitely on my list of trips to make soon.

[SkunkedAgain]

SE Wisconsin is quite different than the rest of Wisconsin, and I say that having grown up there. My grandfather fished but I didn't know one person besides him that fished, owned a cabin, went camping, etc.... Milwaukee is a little more like Chicago when it comes to the outdoors than the Twin Cities.

I took my boat down over Thanksgiving to fish the harbor for browns. I had to really search to find somewhere to buy a license in town, and couldn't find any live bait so I decided to go with plastics.

I've never iced fished the harbor. Maybe I'll take my portable down in a few weeks.

[leech~~]

I have been watching those videos for the last week and thought about posting your exact question. It is definitely on my list of trips to make soon.

I would be up for trying it someday if someone want to go, but I'm sure it would have to be late in the season as it seems like the ice takes a while to get thick there like it does up at the French on Sp.

[Lunker]

They are fishing the harbors already, at least some of them. Have read a lot of reports, not been seeing a lot of positive stuff reported though. I know they get hit pretty hard, so i am not sure if the shows were filmed on private access areas or what. definitley on my list of things to do though.

[leech~~]

They are fishing the harbors already, at least some of them. Have read a lot of reports, not been seeing a lot of positive stuff reported though. I know they get hit pretty hard, so i am not sure if the shows were filmed on private access areas or what. definitley on my list of things to do though.

That was my thinking in a earler post that they may have been in private areas because they would be elbow to elbow with people fishing if it was here in MN!

[Far-I]

Those longer rods they have are nice. I wonder if they sell them around the great lakes areas, I'd like to know some different brands and models. They are like the TB professional series.

Also, does anyone know what the bobber-thing is that hangs in between two of the guides, about half way up the rod in alot of these vids on the great lakes for trout fishing?

[mbruzek]

Those longer rods they have are nice. I wonder if they sell them around the great lakes areas, I'd like to know some different brands and models. They are like the TB professional series.

Also, does anyone know what the bobber-thing is that hangs in between two of the guides, about half way up the rod in alot of these vids on the great lakes for trout fishing?

Here is the DL on Milwaukee as I know it. The harbors dont get too much pressure out there, atleast not by MN standards. A lot of folks go out of McKinley harbor and fish the rip rap wall and piers. There are big browns and steelies that do hang around there. PPl also fish up some of the rivers as well but be careful in all the areas as current and waves from the lake can disturb the ice, even as you are fishing it through out the day.

As far as the rods, many use the frabill series in 38-42" with a med action. Lengthe and action are very important, I have used rods too small on browns and more than once i have literally seen the tip touch the butt and the dragg just screams out line and there is nothing you can do. the bobbers hanging are part of the system used while using the automatic fisherman. Basically it is a mini down rigger that sets the hook when the bobber asting as a weight so the fish can take some line trips the trigger and the rod snaps up and sets the hook.some also use "slammers" aswell Both of these devices should be able to be found with a quick google search.

Spawn sacks are one of the main baits of choice they can be found locally at Bobs bait in Milwaukee. Tip ups can be productive but what i have found out is that when any resistance is felt the browns tend to drop the sack that is why autos and slammers work well.

[swampbuck]

I have not done it myself, (I will someday) have had several friends do it both through ice and in boat, they caught a lot of big fish, but it was work, and definatly not in the nicest area of town! as far as going on your own, I would recommend paying the $ to hire a guide #1 is Eric Hataja (Sp??) He is the man there for sure

[IceIceBaby]

The last two posts have been right on the money. I fished with Eric last year around January 27th, as part of a 30 man class he had. He, along with many other of his guides taught us how to do it for one day, after a night class on it. The automatic ice fisherman, that sets the hook, was the primary tech.....using spawn sacs or minnows. However, many fish were caught on jigs, as well.

The rods used by designed by Eric, specifically for this kind of fishing are Frabil Ice Hunters, 38 inch, medium action. They are easily found (at least early in the season) at most of the larger ice fishing stores. We fished about a block off of downtown Milwaukee and, while there were quite a few fishermen, the amount of fishing pressure was pretty much non existant. You could find plenty of space for yourself.

[IceIceBaby]

You can also buy the Frabil Ice Hunters online from Frabil. They come with a nice reel for about $40 or by themselves. I have 4 of them.

[IceIceBaby]

I'm far from an expert on it, but at least I do now have the rudimentary information on how to do it. I didn't catch anything, and I only fished one day, but I did see some nice fish caught by our group. I blame my skunk on my locator battery dying. lol.

It wasn't hot and heavy action that day, but I'd take one! The brown trout and the steeheads put up quite the fight. I've wanted to get back there this winter, but haven't managed to pull it off yet.

[Barbelboy]

[reinhard1]

those are some awesome fish. good luck.

[Barbelboy]

Those pictures are from last weekend in Milwaukee. It sure was fun. It took us two full days (23 hours of fishing) to catch 4 trout. But you can't catch anything like that in MN!

I was going to fuzz up the back ground of the smallest one and say I caught it on grindstone, but I was too lazy.

[OnAFly]

Haha, the wonders of photoshop

Great fish, looks like it was 23 hours well spent.

[reinhard1]

well it is true that grindstone certainly does not have the numbers of large browns as you have cought in milwakee. i have watched the shows on tv of the huge browns that are cought there as well. my brother keeps bugging me to go fish the rivers that are arround racine that he goes to spring and fall. i think his freind has gotten a 17 pound brown in one of those rivers. i have on an old vcr home tape of a guy and his wife with a large brown i took at the landing at the grind. and i have a picture of a 8 pound brown my brothers best friend got at the grind. and my personal best there is a 5 pounder i got ice fishing on a tip up. i beilieve that there is another state record brown in the grind. i knew carl lovegren who had the previous state record brown from the grind and saw the picture of it the day he got it. those trout you got are truly trophys and i hope to go there myself this year in the rivers by racine this spring and fall with my brother and his buddies. good luck.

[monstermoose78]

Wow awesome fish! I dont think I can dream of the fight them babys give. I caught a 23 inch brown and I thought that was a battle. Great Job!

[JBMasterAngler]

How many fishable harbors are in the milwaukee area? How thick is the ice? Is the ice a sure bet, or can it come and go depending on the wind? I definitely need to get me a WI license and spend my winters over there