Jared Houston’s Column: Tradition of Lusching on the St. Louis River to Fishing Now – Duluth News Tribune

Last week we saw scorching temperatures that made us look for ways to stay cool. On our guided excursions, we got out early, drank plenty of water, and had a cool shower after the day was done.

And along with the high temperatures, the fishing was also very hot. Believe me, I wasn’t overly optimistic given the blue skies and warm temperatures, but we did find plenty of fish to keep us occupied. The wind kept the surface crunchy, which certainly helped the fishing succeed. The key was to find the steady wind of clouds and catch fish in them. Live baits and crankbaits were equal producers, but overall, live bait rigs performed slightly better in numbers while stick baits caught bigger fish.

One thing is for sure: the cold weather and the rain are making me very welcome as I write this column today. The upcoming cold temperatures will be great for fishing from now on. I think I speak for most of us when I say I hope we’re out of this hot weather until next summer.

Well, let’s dive into this week’s fishing reports:

Lake Superior continues to produce coho salmon, king, some lake trout, and occasionally walleye. We want to congratulate our dear friends at Lift Bridge Charters on some historic large coho salmon cuts, one of which broke a new Minnesota record.

Many big salmon have been munching this summer and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of new records being broken as we continue through September.

Most anglers still get fish using spoons and stripper fly sets. As always, choosing a color is always a tough bet and it can change day to day. Now that we have a different weather drift upon us, I really think the color and bait size choices are going to change going forward. Not just for Gitch, but for other fisheries as well. Target depths are still in the 100 to 150 feet of water, but some are just starting to go a little deeper.

On the south shore, a few walleyes appear using longline trolling and lead core with stick baits for deep diving. The violets did well, but also the dark blues and chromes. This bite should be kept for a little longer.

Anglers in the St. Louis estuary have found a mix of walleye, catfish, a few crappie and the occasional sturgeon. It’s very cool to see how much sturgeon is on our electronic devices. They are among the more active fish swimming in an estuary, and it is not uncommon to see some emerging vertically from the water.

For walleyes, finding active pods from the fish was important. They seem to go around two, three, or six at a time in the smaller schools. As mentioned earlier, stronger winds equal better fishing. But fishing deeper can turn some fish around, too.

We are still looking for any kind of structure. At this time of year, fish are highly attracted to structure. We also notice that large amounts of polishing are starting to occur. It also means we’re about to get caught up in fall fishing patterns.

Last week, we targeted Crappie and Smallmouth as they ambushed these schools of baitfish. Nothing has been hit more than soft plastic that mimics glitter, or live minnows.

It’s not much different for inland lakes where large groups of minnows are starting to form and move across the deep divides. We’re constantly reminding hunters to trust your electronics, and there’s good reason for that, especially this time of year.

Overall hunting continues to find success by looking towards deeper grassy areas. Not all lakes are the same, but if you have a large area of ​​vegetation, this would definitely be a good place to find active panfish. Of course, you’ll find some good bass and pike near that weed, too.

If you’re targeting bucketfish or looking for pike, it’s really hard to beat salad cutters – simple spinnerbaits – so close to the weeds. They are fun to use as you can control the speed and action on the retrieve.

We still look forward to the early morning and late afternoon for the best catch. However, this will start to change as we move into September. See you on the water.

Jared Houston of the South Range is a fishing guide (houstonsguideservice.com) in the inland waters of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the St. Louis River and, in winter, on Lake Superior.