# Art's idea worked this morning...



## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

First off, I have always believed that fishing techniques that work in fresh water...often also work in salt water. Fish are fish...

Some years ago a Northern Wisconsin Muskie guide by the name of Art Anderson told me that a high percentage of his fish were caught by dragging a lure behind the boat. 

Motor trolling is NOT allowed on the lakes where Art fishes. He meant that while he and his clients drifted and cast their lures...Art always had a big; floating; jointed or wobbling lure hanging behind the boat. 

Since I drift fish most of the time..lately I've been following Art's advice. This morning it paid off. I had a big, double-jointed "Pikie Minnow" dragging behind my skiff. I was casting out front of the boat for muskies. 

A 4 lb. largemouth bass decided that the lure dragging behind looked like a good meal. She was the biggest bass that I've caught this year. Also she was the second largest LM bass that I've ever caught in that lake. Four lbs isn't much in Texas or Florida terms..but.... it is a great catch up here in Southern Wisconsin. 

There is no earthly reason why a floating, jointed lure...., slowly dragged behind a yak or any boat..wouldn't work just as well on specks or reds. 

regards, Rich


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

That technique worked well offshore also, when drifting the weedlines for dolphin.
The biggest ugliest plug we had was tossed far upwind
and ignored in a rodholder while we cast bucktails at the schoolies.
Usually resulted in the biggest bull/cow of the day being landed.


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

i've picked up many a straggler by  dragging bait behind the boat   unless of course i'm in a real shallow and narrow creek   then i'm constantly snagged   congrats on that 4 lber, hows the smallmouth up that way ?


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

Smallies are in the same lake, but not in very large numbers. My PB was a 3 or 4 lbr on a rattletrap four years ago. 

She pulled a LOT harder than any LM I've ever caught....but no where near as well as a red or a bone.

regards, Rich


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Where are you at in WI...I am at Horicon this week.


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

We have a place on the Illinois/Wisc border for the Summer. I live in IL; and fish and golf in Wisc. The skiff is at Silver Lake in Kenosha County. 
Come on by!

Horicon is a great place...near Baraboo, I believe. I have a grown son who is a big birder in TX. He's been there, too. Rich


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

with the right set up no doubt a 4-5 lb smallie will put up just as great of challange as the 8lb reds we catch  it's all good


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Silver Lake...aren't you harborring a fugative over there? 

Will be at Lake Geneva thursday and maybe try for some skamania on the Root this weekend.


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

Yes, I think a fugitive did take off into the woods near Silver Lake a week or so ago. Better lock up my boat. But, he cant get very far on that little pond.

Skamania/Root I knew about the Root, but have never fished it. Skamania salmon was a new one on me. Let me know how you do, please. 

I've fished the Pike emptying out near the Kenosha harbor
( saw lots of big salmon jumping up the tiny river in September) ..but..I haven't made it up to the Root yet. 

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated. regards, Rich


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Change of plans...the big storms last night turned the river to mud.

Go north on Green Bay road and turn right on Northwestern. As soon as you turn right there will be a bridge that goes over the Root. Keep going on Northwestern and there will be a park (Quarry Park I believe is its name). Park in there and the river is at the end of the parking lot. You can walk anywhere in the park that you want as well as along the river. Downstream the river cuts through the country club and you will not be permitted to causally stroll just anywhere, however you can walk along the riverbank with no issues.

The river is small and for the most part is an easy wade - there is no way for a boat - wading only. There are two areas that you need to be careful of: right off from the parking lot there is a set of rapids and the back side is over 6' deep and downstream under the cart bridge the water is at least 8'. The rest of the river is basically less than knee deep. Sight fishing for 40 lb fish at its finest.

I would suggest with your proximity to go visit it and get a handle on what you are dealing with. I remember you mentioning that you are not a spring chicken any more. My father and I fished it a few years ago after he had a stroke and he was 76. EEZY Peezy.

I have some flies that work well for the steelhead and salmon so if you would like them let me know and when I get home I will mail them to you and then you can make your own from there.

It is a very enjoyable area to fish and there is also an area in Milwaukee that gets less pressure but is slightly more difficult to fish...you want that info just let me know.

The best time to sight fish is after a period of little rain as it will turn the river to a raging mud slide making it very difficult to wade and fish. The DNR used to have a fish counter on a lower part of the river that would tell you how many fish went upstream...don't know if they still do. The Quarry Park is ideal because of the gravel bottom and the dam that is just 100 yrds upstream of Northwesten road...fish can't go any further.

Don't forget your trout stamp...very heavily patrolled.


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

Duck...thank you for sharing all of that with me. I have my salmon stamp, my inland trout stamp and of course, my non-resident fishing license. I will take a ride there in the next week or so. We have a family affair coming up over the weekend, so my schedule is not as free as it normally might be. 

Keep me posted on your Wisconsin adventures. Sounds like you are a cheese-head????? given how much you know about this really neat fishing area. Rich


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Cheese-head...nope.

I lived in downtown Chicago and this was a great way to get away to clear my head.

Got a float tube and interested in catching 4lb+ brookies?


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

If I had a good chance of catching 4 lb anything...I could have a float tube in 45 minutes or so. Both Gander and Bass-Pro are close.

What did you have in mind?

Turns out that I have tomorrow free. I was thinking about taking a drive to the Root to check it out. Of course, I'll bring a couple of rods. I don't have a decent salmon sized fly rod here with me. I left my 8 weight back home, but I do have a 5/6 wt. 

For the muskies and bass, I've been bait-casting mostly. Caught a 22 and an 18 Northern this morning..not much fight for the size, as you well know.

We lived in the Chicago and Schaumburg areas for the first 40 years or so.....

regards, Rich
p.s. do you want my phone # or email address?


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Rich, I confirmed the steelhead station is at Lincoln Park in racine off of Spring St. (as of today it was not in operation just yet). I would postpone the trip because of the high/muddy water. Give it about a week or so.

The float tube thing is a road trip to the western U.P. A beaver pond that trapped native brookies from the blue ribbon trout stream Cook Run. Which btw the minumum size on trout is being contemplated to be raised to 20". If interested let me know as I will be up that direction in the next couple months.

Shoot me a PM with your address and I will mail you some of my secret flies for the root.

The summer run skamania will taper off around the end of Sep and the salmon will move in around the 2nd week of Oct. Then the steelhead will move in after the salmon and sramin there until mid Apr.


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

PM sent and thank you. Rich


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Rich - no PM recieved

I'll try sending you one.


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## richg99 (Nov 28, 2009)

I re-sent the PM. I did receive the one from you. I have no idea what happened to the first one, which I sent late this afternoon, right after I read your posting here. Please let me know if you did ( or did not ) receive it. thanks, 
Rich


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/lakemich/rootriver.htm


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