Home > Outdoors > Many anticipate open water trout fishing season
Many anticipate open water trout fishing season
BY BILL LANDMARK
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
ISSUE: 78/23
TYLER SWEENEY / STATESMAN
A rainbow trout being displayed, soon after being caught.
Spring is here—well, almost. The chilly grip that Mother Nature has tightened on Northern Minnesota with for the last few months has started to weaken. Each year, during this changing of the guards, a mysterious urge overcomes area anglers as they flock to the shores and tributaries of Lake Superior in search of steelhead and kamloops rainbow trout. Kamloops, or ’loopers, and steelhead can be differentiated by a clipped adipose fin, the farthest fin on the back of a trout. Kamloops lack adipose fins and are legal to harvest, whereas the steelhead possess adipose fins and must be released.
Since they are genetically different as well as physically different, they are managed differently in fisheries. “The kamloops fishery is a put, grow and take fishery,” said Matt Ward, a DNR fisheries specialist with Lake Superior area fisheries. “One of its purposes is to provide anglers with an opportunity to catch a fish and take it home to eat.” Some anglers will jump on that opportunity. “In 2007, anglers harvested approximately 1,200 kamloops,” said Ward. “The steelhead are managed as a catch and release fishery in an attempt to both maintain and hopefully increase the number of steelhead on the Minnesota shore of Lake Superior.”
TYLER SWEENEY / STATESMAN
Being revived before being let go, a
rainbow trout gets used to being
back in the water.
What’s the allure of catching these fish? “When you fish ’loopers, you get awesome scenery,” said senior Chris Holst. “You have fish swimming at your feet and jumping the waterfalls. The fish also fight awesome, especially when they get into the current and head down the waterfalls.” If the thrill of the chase and the scenery doesn’t excite you, maybe the average size of a kamloops will. Ward says an average ’looper “runs 22-25 inches, or four to six pounds.” “The biggest one I have caught is 30 [inches],” said Holst. “About 10 pounds.”
Interested? Basic fishing gear can be used to catch these feisty fighters. According to trout-fishing enthusiast, Adam Olson, all you really need is a good 7’6” medium spinning rod or a 9’ 8” weight fly rod with four to six pound test. Some people use “shore casting” outfits, 10’ to 14’ long rods, to reach kamloops when they are congregating at the river mouths. Shore casting rods propel small bait out to where the fish will find it. Drifting yarn, Mepps spinners and artificial spawn sacks are great tactics for catching a ’looper. “My secret weapon is putting a colored mini marshmallow on a hook,” said Olson. “When [it has] drifted for awhile, it will become soft and amorphous; trout can’t resist.”
The good news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune on gas to catch a ’looper. Streams all over the North Shore have kamloops and steelhead, but there are certain places to go that will maximize your success. “The kamloops fishery is in the area between the French River and Duluth, and the French and Lester Rivers are the best,” said Ward. “Steelhead can be found all the way up the North Shore, but the Lester, Knife, Stewart, Split Rock and Devil Track Rivers are the best.”
