Pier Fishermen's Thread

For all you shorefishermen/pierfishermen and women, this threads for you! Feel free to share different techinques that have worked for you over the years from shore and/or on the piers. Whether its how you get bait, how you hook your bait to how you cook your catch. Pictures are welcome.

M.P.-I'm guessing any more than three[3>hooks and you happen into a DNR official...it's going to get expensive FAST! Hey-not telling you how to fish BTW.....Just get-out there w/a #50 CO2 vestibule & go nutz!

You only have one line "your powerline" that has ten hooks hanging down off of it. The weight is attached to the rubber band and the rubber band to your powerline leader. Your hooks are attached to the leader. Here is an illustration that might help explain. Ignore the trolley rig. We use that to catch smelt. However the smelt population is so depleated in Lake Michigan its almost a lost art form. Only a few guys using trolleys these days.

EDIT: Nevermind, I got it. That is really interesting. Wisconsin has a 3-hook limit, though, so not sure how well it would work.

Your weight is what is way out there. After launching, the rubber band stretches so you can retrieve your cast while your weight remains stationary. You reel in with your reel and connect your "powerline leader". The rubber band pulls your leader back out as far as you need it. My powerline leader has 10 hooks about 5' apart with a large float before and after the hooks. This keeps them close to the top of the water where hopefully the cohos are feeding. You attach your PL leader to your rig and listen for the bell. Ding ding, you have a fish. We also catch trout on them as well. You only cast once. When you catch something you pull in the line by hand, take off the fish, re-bait and feed it back into the water as the rubber band pulls it back out. Complicated but simple after you get the hang of it.

I had never heard of powerlining... That is fascinating! I would think fighting a king from 300' out would be pretty tough!

Here is my blog. It's an aggregator for powerlining information. You can see the launch, which is awesome, and landing techniques. It baffles me that other anglers dont use this style of fishing outside chicago. It's a very effective method of fishing. Especially for those of us who live by large lakes. powerlining.com

As a self proclaimed "city redneck" Im intreseted in anything I can fire 300 feet, and if it catches fish it would make it that much better! LOL! Imagine all the people at mckinley firing shots 300 feet out!

Wow the way you make it sound it sure has changed! You should make a video and post it to youtube would be cool to see!

Hey luv2hunt&fish. Its alive and well in Chicago. In some of the harbors there is a powerliner every 20feet. At this point we are only using the big salmon rigs. Guys are starting to throw out small perch rigs but the coho are still here. The regulations regarding "throw lines" are different depending on the body of water. I bet powerlining has changed since the 70. Now we shoot the weight out into the lake about 200' to 300' using modified co2 fire extinguishers. Its big fun and big fish.

Wow using a powerline haven't heard of that since the early 70's when my grandpa use to take me with him perch fishing on lake michigan when the hook and line were plenty back then.I don't know the regulations in chicago but does the 3 hooks apply to how many is on the powerline?That is so cool that you fish with a powerline that kind of fishing has long since been forgotten good luck and tight lines to you!

I fish in Chicago along Lake Michigan using a powerline. My question is this. Does anyone use or know someone who use powerlining techniques outside the Chicago area? It's a highly effective method of fishing. However, I only discovered it after moving to Chicago and haven't found anyone using it outside the city. Thanks

luv2hunt&fish, No problem! Make sure you look back several pages too, there is at least 4 different threads and each one has good info on it. Mushy's Dad out Keep your hook in the water!

Mushy Dad they have a article with videos on lake michigan anglers page along with his cut plugs for sale thanks for the info just might give it a try.

Here's a idea for all the pier fisherman out there from a boat guy. I have fished the Port pier and harbor as a kid, it was always fun! That was before they cemented the rocks together. Anyways..... Has anyone tryed the brads cut bait plug as a casting rig?? Now before you get all crazy, here me out. The plug when packed with tuna and garlic is just deadly on the salmon and trout. The plug by itself is almost no weight so you will need to add a keel weight ahead of it(or something like it) to get the distance. The bait plug has a nice roll to it at very low speed retrieve all the way up to a high speed retrieve. Just so long as you can keep the line from tangleing up onto the weight when casting, I think you will be really happy with the results. The BCBP make the fish that is in a negative feeding pattern go nuts! Here is where I got the idea. When I was 12 or so I lived on the Milwaukee river and I would cast trolling spoons and small jplugs and yes I caught some nice northerns with them. Northerns would just smash a jplug with its fat wobble at low speed. Read up on the Brads plugs and give it a try. There are some details you may not want to pass up, look back in the forum. PM me if you try it! I would like to know how well it works. Mushy's Dad out I listen to the voices in my tackle box!

mckinley is the place to be in summer, but you'll want to watch the water temps otherwise you'll just be wasting gas. Last summer was terrible, only a couple of decent days between may and september.