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For those
fishermen who can’t get enough trout action, the late fall and winter months
are a special time. At the end of the year, cold water species including brown
trout, lake trout and steelhead converge on flowing water. Some of these fish
are heading to rivers to spawn and others are heading upstream to feed on the
eggs of other fish.
Either way the
stage is set for some amazing fishing opportunities focused squarely on the
major rivers of the Great Lakes basin. In the Great Lakes we are blessed to
have countless river systems that produce great trout fishing. Just a few of
the noteworthy rivers every angler should be thinking about fishing include the
Salmon and Niagara Rivers in New York, the Conneaut River in Ohio, the Big
Manistee, Muskegon, St. Joe and the AuSable rivers in Michigan.
The above
mentioned rivers are great destinations, but they represent just the tip of the
iceberg. There are dozens of other streams that offer up equally noteworthy
fishing action.
The one thing
that these rivers have in common is during late fall and well into the winter
months one particular lure type tends to be lights out for steelhead, brown
trout and also lakers. High action wobbling plugs do an amazing job of triggering
strikes from all three of these fish.
Sometimes
classified as “banana plugs” most of the lures in this group have that classic
curved shape of a banana. Legendary baits like the Yakima Flat Fish got the
plug bite started decades ago. Since then many other noteworthy lures have hit
the market including the Yakima Mag Lip, Luhr Jensen Kwik Fish, Heddon Tadpoly,
and Lindy River Rocker.
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| River browns are not shy about pounding wobbling plugs like this Mag Lip. Customizing baits by removing the belly hook and using larger tail hooks is common practice among river guides who are always searching for ways to put more fish in the boat. |
It’s the wide
“side to side” wobble of these plugs that sets them apart from other crankbait
designs. A few of these plugs go a step further and generate an unique
“wandering” action.
Yakima Bait
coined the term “skip beat action” to describe the Mag Lip family of
crankbaits. “The Mag Lip wobbles, then unexpectedly darts to the side,” says
lure designer Buzz Ramsey. “This darting or “skip beat” action does an amazing
job of triggering strikes from fish that might otherwise not bite.”
The skip beat
action of the Mag Lip is accentuated when fishing in flowing water. Variances
in current flow allow the Mag Lip to enjoy a more pronounced wandering action
and this is precisely why so many anglers are using Mag Lip.
Available in
2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 sizes, the Mag Lip family of crankbaits is
ideally sized for a wealth of fishing applications. River anglers tend to favor
the 3.0 and 3.5 sizes for steelhead and browns. The larger 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0
sizes are popular among lake trout fishermen.
Banana plugs are
fished in rivers a couple of different ways. In shallow water these baits are
generally fished “drop back” style from an anchored boat or from a drift boat.
When the boat is held steady in the current, these plugs dive and wobble their
way towards bottom.
In deeper rivers
plugs can also be deadly, but they are generally fished on a three way swivel
rig with 1 to 2 ounces of weight added to keep these lures in contact with the
bottom. When fishing three way rigs
anglers can drift fish or use an electric motor to slowly troll downstream. For
upstream trolling chores a small gasoline kicker motor is required.
One of the
reasons plugs work so well in rivers is because flowing water tends to carry
sediment creating off color water. Plugs fish best in the stained water
conditions so commonly found in rivers across the Great Lakes basin.
Wobbling banana
style plugs are hands down the choice of serious river guides all across the
Great Lakes region. Most of these guides like to “customize” their plugs by
replacing factory hooks with premium after market hardware. Others add a touch
of color on the lip or flanks of the bait using a permanent marker.
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| Every angler who enjoys trout fishing should make a visit to the Niagara River in the winter time. Plug fishing is the primary way guides put fish like this awesome steelhead in the boat. Legendary Ice Fisherman Dave Genz caught this beautiful rainbow while enjoying a day of fun fishing with the Fishing 411 crew and river guide Frank Campbell. |
Gel style scents
like Pro Cure are wildly popular among trout fishermen because these scent
products stick to the bait and don’t wash off immediately like other scent
products. Pro Cure scents are made using a host of natural forage species
including smelt, gizzard shad, alewives, ciscoes, crayfish and many other bait
fish.
In the winter
months when many anglers are zeroing in on ice fishing opportunities, there are
lots of river fisheries that remain open and viable all winter long. Our advice
is to dress warm and carry a tackle box full of wobbling plugs.
