Storm Flat Warts are back!!!

I received an e-mail from Bass Pro Shops today. After opening it, I ran across the room and slid on my knees with my hands in the air looking at the heavens like I just scored a goal in World Cup.

It took ten years or so, but the shiny-shoe geniuses in the front office at Storm Lures finally reintroduced the Flat Wart. This was the flat sided version of the Wiggle Wart. Why am I so excited? Well, this bait was without a doubt the best crankbait ever for Lake Michigan Trout and Salmon. Hands down!!!

I don't know what made this so special, but it was. When all else failed, an RFW (Full name was the Rattlin' Flat Wart) would come through for us. All species, all season long, they came through. It had a dull rattle (one large bead), ran a perfect depth, worked well fast or slow, and it had the ability to "hunt". Hunt, meaning it would randomly take one or two wiggles right or left and then return straight. I really believe this triggered strikes. My father even caught his one-time World Record 8# line class Brown on an all yellow RFW

When Rapala bought out Storm they dropped the Flat Wart like a bad habit. I have survived on my stash and some that I would find on eBay from time to time. I repaired them, repainted then, re-hooked them, whatever it took to keep them in the line-up.

Here is the link to BPS and the Flat warts.

http://www.basspro.com/Storm-Rattling-Flat-Wart-Crankbait/product/10225288/-1788693

I'll try to get one and make sure it works like the old ones. If so, hoard them because it will only be a matter of time that some 23 year old marketing whiz that has never fish a day in his/her life decides that they aren't selling well enough and moth-balls the bait for another decade.

Tight lines and smooth drags,

Marc

Milwaukee Harbor Boating Requirements

We are still dealing with copious amounts of bait in the harbor making things tough for everyone. But things are looking up. There were at least a dozen boats out last Saturday. The ramps are open even thought the docks aren’t in. The only ice remaining is in the back corner of the McKinley docking area and that should soon be gone as well. Lets the games begin.

There is no secret about what a unique and outstanding fishery we have here in the Milwaukee harbor (I can still say that after having my confidence pole-axed buy the Trout this winter). It’s about 2500 acres of protected water that affords you to enjoy some of the greatest fishing in the Midwest without having to leave the confines of a protected harbor. Trout, Salmon, Lakers, Bass, Walleyes, Pike, Perch, and who knows, even Muskies. This all can be done with a typical inland boat and a little common sense.

When I say, it’s no secret, I really mean it. The fishery has now been featured on numerous national TV shows and is becoming a destination spot for anglers from not only all over the Midwest but from all over the country.

Being protected, this fishery now draws anglers who aren’t used to fishing on the Great Lakes. If the weather conditions are right, boats as small as a 14 foot v-hull can get in on this action. But not everyone is used to being on the Great Lakes and there are some special rules. The US Coast Guard- Station Milwaukee, patrols our harbor and they will check your boat either at the launch or on the water. So let’s go through the basics so everyone who wants to try this is safe and legal. Here are the minimum requirements and a few extras that are good ideas to keep you safe.

1. Life jackets that are the appropriate size for the fishermen on the boat. Children 12 and under have to WEAR the life jacket.
2. A throwable device. A life ring or USCG approved cushions are legal. The ring/cushion has to be immediately available. It can’t be stowed away in a compartment.
3. An air horn or whistle. The USCG prefers to see an air horn.
4. A day/night distress warning device. Three (3) flares or a flare gun. They have an expiration date. Check it before you buy them.
5. A class B-1 fire extinguisher. Make sure that the indicator us showing full and charged.
6. Navigation lights. A red/green forward light with a white aft light.
7. One(1) day and one (1) night non-pyro visual distress device. For daytime a flag (orange flag with black square above a black circle) is required. For night an electric distress light. This is usually a battery operated strobe. Here is one tip. If you carry three flares (item #4), you have this requirement covered.
8. An anchor with rope. The rope should be 5-7 times the depth that you plan on fishing. Even in the harbor, 100 feet would be a minimum. One hundred fifty is better.

Not required, but you will be the USCG’s friend if you have a bailing device and some way to call them if you are in trouble or see someone in trouble. Many of you don’t want to invest on a marine radio, but a cell phone will work too. Plug 414-747-7170 into your speed dials and that will get you directly to someone in command at the Milwaukee Station of the USCG.

The time to get in on this early season Brown and Laker action is coming soon. I will get more into the details but for starters, get the safety items that you need and get your boat ready.

Tight lines and smooth drags.
Marc

Winter Easing Its Grip... I Hope!

Things are finally starting to break loose…. Well the ice anyway. The harbor and inner-harbor shore fishing continues to be as slow as I can remember. I can say that it will go down in history as my worst winter since at least 1987 and maybe ever if I looked close enough to my records.

We can only speculate about why it has been so bad, but most fingers point to our little silver friend, the gizzard shad. The winter fishery lives and dies by the gizzard shad. Under most circumstances it is whether or not we can find the schools of shad. Generally if you can find the shad you can find some winter trout or walleye action. This year was an exception that I have never experienced before. It was a gizzard shad population boom like we have never seen before. There have been shad everywhere. Thick schools of shad from the upper reaches of the inner-harbor all the way out into the main harbor. The shad were so thick at times that you couldn’t cast without hooking them on crankbaits, spoons, or nearly any lure you’d toss out there.

Even the boats that have been able to get out into the main harbor and troll around or work the clean water discharge are reporting thick schools of shad. The seagulls have been living in seagull paradise this winter.

So what is the problem??? My guess is too much bait. All winter long there was absolutely no urgency for any game fish out there to look for food or chase anything. They literally had to swim with their mouth open. Another theory about the poor inner harbor fishery is also the case of too much bait. On normal years, the fish would push up into the inner harbor looking for food that could be found near the warm water areas influenced by the Valley Power discharge. This year the entire harbor was full of shad and there was no reason for them to migrate into the inner harbor. We have no scientific proof of anything but I do know that it was the worst winter I ever had and also the most shad I have ever seen in the harbor. The two have to be related.

The winter fishery lives by the shad and dies by the shad. This year we died. Luckily there are signs of spring out there.

Tight lines and smooth drags!
Marc