Kamloop fishing

[Timber]

I know this is the "wrong" fish for this board, but if you could help me I'd very much appreciate it. I've always wanted to try kamloop fishing along Lake Superior north of Duluth, but know nothing about it. Some questions are: how it's done?, equipment?, what do you use for bait?, when's the best time of the day, or year to fish? Where to fish? Anything you can offer would be much appreciated. Just retired and am looking for another "hobby"!

Thanks!

[Gumbo]

Out west we fish for them using big boards trolling big flies 200' back. Here's a link to the flies we troll...
http://www.friskyjennyflies.com/fishing-flies.html

Here's a couple pics of me with western loopers...
http://www.climbing-guides.com/fish/kamloop.jpg
http://www.climbing-guides.com/fish/kamloop2.jpg

[bbakes]

Timber,
I can at least point you in the right direction. I often fish from shore on the French river. Lester can be good also. Most of the time you want to make long casts. For this I prefer a 9-12 foot bobber rod. The most common bait is called a looper jig, usually tipped with a wax worm. If you stop by Gander Mountain or Marine General in Duluth and ask about looper fishing, they will show you what looper jigs look like. There is also some specialty bobbers that most guys use. They are fairly heavy and carry your offering a long ways out. A tip that I can offer is to take a magic marker and color the entire bobber black. It sounds contradictory to good visibility, but it works great. With all the glare of the big lake, a black bobber sticks out a lot better then a bright bobber. The other advice I can offer is to keep slack out of your line and set the hook as quickly as you can. The other thing I would suggest is to just head down to the French on any given Saturday. You will see first hand the techniques I have described, and most looper guys will be glad to help you out. As far as time of year, I just wait till I hear guys are starting to do well. Anytime really between now and spring. I have always done well getting a spot 15-30 minutes before sunrize and fishing until mid-morning. It can be a lot of fun, because often times somebody is fighting a fish.

[The Great Guide]

I'm more of a casual looper fisherman. I keep my rod in my truck during the winter and spring months and fish when I can or hear that a good bite is on. I'll tell you what I know.

During the winter months the Kamloops move to the rivermouths along the northwest shoreline of Lake Superior. Kamloops fishing is basically bank fishing, although some people troll for them. There are two usual presentations from shore: (1.) Casting a weighted bobber and suspending the bait with a fly called a looper bug. I tip my bugs with wax worms. (2.) Using a bottom slip sinker rig with floating jig heads. Some guys just air up a crawler. As one would expect to get an edge, looper fisherman use any number of configuations of the baits, but they all use the same basic presentations.

Rods should be capable of casting a weighted bobber 100' feet or so. I use an 8 foot glass medium action rod that cost me $50 bucks. However, there are lots of fisherman who have hundreds $$$ tied up in rods.

Weather can be bone chilling, wet and icy. Bring all the warm clothing you own and be sure to bring your rain suit. Sometimes the waves kick up some spray. Waders are also a plus.

The French River (about 5 miles from Duluth's eastern border) is the most popular spot along the northshore. There are other rivers that have some fishing. Expect crowds on the weekends.

Last year I fished about 10 times for a total of 35 to 40 hours and bagged 5 loopers. 3 in one two hour peroid. Fish were caught by others almost everytime I fished.

Contact Russ at Marine General in Duluth. (218-724-8833) Russ will have the latest information and can fix you up with some basic tackle. He's a good guy and will not give you any BS.

I hope this helps you out.

TGG