The majority of shore anglers use 4-8 lb monofilament. Monofilament is cheap, it floats (which is ideal for bobber fishing), and has enough stretch to soften some of the violent head shakes and rolls of the bigger fish you will be catching. Tying on a swivel and fluorocarbon leader can also be a good idea especially when the water is extremely clear. Along with your typical fishing gear, don’t forget your ice cleats, head-lamp, sunglasses, and a long-handled net. It can get bitterly cold and icy on the shore, so dress like you are going ice fishing.

Techniques

There are many different ways to catch fish on the shore, including bobber fishing, casting spoons, and bottom-rigging. You can pick a certain technique or try them all and see which one catches the most fish.

Bobber Fishing – Bobber fishing is one of the most common ways to catch salmon and steelhead from shore. Heavily weighted bobbers allow you to launch your fly out to where the fish are feeding. These bobbers come in 3-4 different sizes. You may have to buy a couple of different sizes to see what ones match up the best with your rod. Rigging for bobber fishing is fairly simple, just peg your casting bobber onto your line two to four feet from the end of your line and tie on a fly or looper bug. Just like trout fishing on a river, you need to be quick with your hooksets. Since these bobbers are bigger than a typical strike indicator, they don’t always drop completely below the water. If you notice any odd wobbles or erratic movement of your bobber, set the hook!

Looper Bugs are a great fly to use when fishing for coho salmon and Kamloops (looper) rainbow trout and steelhead on the North Shore of Lake Superior. You can buy them in many of the local shops, but they are also very easy to tie. All you need is a jig hook and a couple of different materials including marabou, flashabou, dubbing, and rubber legs. If you can tie a woolly bugger, you can tie a Looper Bug. They can be bought or tied in a variety of sizes and color combinations. I prefer darker colors including black, brown, and purple (especially in muddy or wavy water). Loopers and steelhead will often take a plain Looper Bug, but if you are trying to catch a coho it is best to tip your fly with some meat (like a waxworm or butterworm). Midwinter and muddy water conditions are the best times to bobber fish with Looper Bugs.

If you fly fish or tie your own flies you can use your standard trout flies to fish from shore as well. Stoneflies and nymphs, including the Prince Nymph and Pheasant Tail Nymph, are go-to flies in almost any body of water, including Lake Superior. These flies, tied anywhere from size 6-16 can produce fish. As spring starts warming the water, or if the water is fairly clear, you will want to tie on a fly instead of a Looper Bug. Casting Spoons The first fish I caught from shore was with a casting spoon. I love catching fish with spoons because you are able to feel the fish hit. Once you cast, count down a couple of seconds, then start to reel with a fairly quick and constant retrieve (one to two revolutions per second). Some of the most popular spoons are Kastmasters, Lil’ Cleos, and Krocodiles. Start with a few 1/4 to 3/4-ounce spoons in orange/gold or blue/silver. Spoons can be a great way to catch fish in the fall, winter, or spring. From my experience, you are most likely to catch lake trout and steelhead in the fall, coho in the winter, and loopers in the spring.