Beiträge von LenHarris

  • Video Project I Am Helping With

    Coulter is the brains of the project.
    I carry equipment. I do some filming.
    We did a suspended cable shot over a small stream.
    I helped with cable and crawled in tree to hook up cable.


    My main job is finding trout for him to film and to acquire
    permission from the landowners for numerous trips and filming.

  • My Spin Fishing Boxes

    Small Stream Trout Fishing 101


    Written by : Len Harris
    Photos by: Len Harris



    It is mid January and Wisconsin small stream trout fishing has been closed since September 30th.
    Season has been closed for almost 4 months. You are feeling the need to have a large Southwestern
    Wisconsin trout on the end of your line. Because season is closed, the only things you can do is read
    about trout fishing and clean your gear and stock up for the upcoming season.


    New line is a must for the beginning of the season. My favorites are 6 and 8 pound test Trilene in clear.
    My favorite superline is Fireline in smoke color in 6 and 8 pound test (use mono backing for Fireline). A close
    examination of your rod eyes and your bail guide are a must when using Fireline. Fireline may cut grooves
    in your ceramic guides. Many reel and rod companies have metal guides that work perfectly. Don't cut
    tags too short with Fireline or you might lose your lure on a hard set.


    I separate my boxes. One is the stick bait box and the other is the spinners and other box. The below
    tackle boxes are exactly what I have in my boxes and are tried and true for (BIG) trout in small streams
    in Wisconsin.





    ( Must have snap swivels on stick baits.) You lose lots of the action if you tie
    directly to the line)



    Stick Bait Box:


    Rapalas:
    a. Countdowns in size 5 and 7and 9 in gold or silver or blue or brown trout
    b. Floaters in size 5 and 7 in silver or gold or shiner or brown trout
    c. Husky Jerks in size 7 in silver or gold or blue


    ALL Rapalas should be fished with varied retrieves. Start and stop sometimes. The stop and twitch
    is a effective also.


    Yo-Zuri
    1. Suspended Crystal Minnow in size 3 5/8s inches in gold/black or blue/silver


    Simple retrieve with with a pause now and then.



    ....................................................................................................................................................................................



    Inline spinners do not need swivels. Change lures or sharpen hooks often.



    Mepps Products:
    1. Deep Runner Plain Treble in size 1 in ALL colors.
    Heavy lures (use in deep water)


    2. XD Plain Treble:
    a. size 2s in silver-silver and gold-red-platinum (brown trout)
    b. size 1 in gold-hot-orange and silver-hot-pink (brook trout)


    3. Mr. Twister (owned by Mepps)
    Mr. Minno in the 3 smallest sizes in ALL colors
    (place on varied sizes of jig heads and aggressively jigged)


    Other:


    Bitzer Creek
    1. Zip Lure in smallest Size in gold or silver.


    This lure NEEDS a swivel. It throbs when fished properly. A deep water Big Trout slayer.


    Little Cleos
    1. smallest size spoon in silver or gold
    2. second smallest spoon in sliver or gold or silver-blue


    A swivel is a must. You can jig these spoons or retrieve in varied manners.




    Panther Martin has a huge selection of spinners on its website. Many can not be found in typical stores.



    Panther Martin
    a. Regular silver or gold undressed treble in size 6 (browns and brooks)
    b. Deluxe in size 6 or 9 a variety of colors in gold or silver or silver-blue-red (brown trout)
    c. PMF gold in gold-orange dressed in size 4 and 2 (brook trout)
    d. PMAS in All silver undressed treble in size 4 and 6 (browns and brooks)
    e. PMBRT Brown trout undressed treble in size 6 (browns)
    f. PMRFL Florescent undressed treble in size 2 or 4 (brook trout)


    Both Mepps and Panther Martin have significant price reductions on lures bought in quantity.
    http://www.mepps.com and http://www.panthermartin.com are their internet sites.


    All spinners should have their retrieves alternated. A slow twitch and pause works well. Lots of hits are
    on the first crank of the handle. Remember in cold weather to slow down that retrieve and target deep wintering holes with little current. Do not give up on casts. Bring to your feet and slow up even more as the lure comes from deep to shallow. ALL lures in this article run slowly in cold water. There are many other lures that I use during regular season when the trout are more aggressive.


    Wisconsin season opens the first weekend of March. Make sure your waders have no leaks and you wear long underwear and
    wool socks under your waders. A good cap with ear flaps and fingerless gloves are are a MUST this time of year.
    A new product I use in ALL the time in climate weather is called Hot Hands. I put a couple in each pants pocket and one in each of my gloves on the back side of the hand. When fishing really cold conditions I put a couple in my cap and one inside of my long underwear on each side at the top of my wading boots http://www.heatmax.com Stay warm and dry. Catch lots of trout.

  • Dredging Structure


    Photo modified with photo bucket.


    I usually don't fish down stream. There are exemptions to every rule. This trout was caught fishing downstream under all that CRAZY cover. What would you use and how would you battle the trout?

  • Find Elmo


    After this photo.....
    I stepped forward and spooked a HUGE brown out of the run.


    I checked the camera and there it was right under my nose.
    Do you see it?

  • PG13 *Spider Bite*

    5 opening day of season ago......


    I took my waders out of the garage. They had been hanging there all winter.
    I always wash my gear at the end of the season so my stuff is ready to jump right in
    to opening morning of the coming year.


    Put my wool socks on and 2 pair of long underwear. It gets pretty cold wading in
    10 degree temps in March here in Wisconsin. I put my waders on and laced up my
    wading boots.


    6am and I am in my truck putting on my safety belt.. I feel a little pain in my groin. I ignore it.
    Off I go to my favorite stream.


    I get 10 minutes out of town and my groin is starting to trobe and get really warm. I get out of the truck and drop trousers/waders. Under my 2 pair of long johns is a dead spider in my fly area of my inner layer.


    A little closer look/examination revealed a emerging problem. I decided fishing going to have to wait. I went straight home. I am allergic to most insect bites and bee stings. I gave a little extra gas because my problem was growing.


    I kicked my wife out of bed. She is a Registered Nurse. I showed her my problem. She stared in disbelief. The right side of my entire unit along with its accessories were about three times the regular size. Wife said a trip to the Emergency Room was in order.
    Just before we left she looked at me and asked if we could use it once before we went. I just rolled my eyes at her and off we went to the ER.


    The ER doctor was awoken from a evening nap. He was one of my fishin buds. He examined the problem. The first thing he asked was if I had been sleeping around. My wife answered before I could. She said absolutely NOT. I had saved the spider and showed it to him. He told me he had to go look up something he would be right back.
    He returned with 6 other male staff members from the hospital to see the THING. I got a little pissed at him. He had a polaroid camera with him. He wanted to take a photo of it. I asked him why he needed a photo? Was it for diagnosing it? He just laughed and said NO. I told him no photos. After 8 epinephrine shots and calming down ....I was ready to go fishing again.


    Moral to this story.


    Check your waders Opening Morning!!!!