Pike Chain near Iron River WI
JKahler
Posted 6/23/2007 11:36 AM (#262017)
Subject: Pike Chain near Iron River WI




Posts: 1287


Location: WI
Is this big fish water, numbers, or both? I fished it 2 weeks ago and saw nothing.
I'm not used to fishing clear water and only have a few natural colored baits.

Any info on these lakes? I don't expect anyone's secrets, just a little general info about the lakes.
kjgmh
Posted 6/23/2007 12:38 PM (#262020 - in reply to #262017)
Subject: RE: Pike Chain near Iron River WI





Posts: 1088


Location: Hayward, WI
I have never fished it, but from what I hear it is kind of neither. It has mostly smaller fish, but not great numbers.
James Vee
Posted 6/24/2007 5:59 PM (#262119 - in reply to #262020)
Subject: RE: Pike Chain near Iron River WI




Posts: 14


Most stubborn fish I've seen. Always get follows, but rare to get one to hook up. Don't be fooled, there are a few decent fish there to be caught. But the majority are 40" and under.
JKahler
Posted 6/25/2007 1:01 AM (#262155 - in reply to #262017)
Subject: Re: Pike Chain near Iron River WI




Posts: 1287


Location: WI
Thanks for the replies. Do you think they're stubburn due to the clear water?
James Vee
Posted 6/25/2007 7:24 AM (#262166 - in reply to #262155)
Subject: Re: Pike Chain near Iron River WI




Posts: 14


I don't even believe it is due to the clear water. I also don't believe it is the pressure, because it's not often I see other boats throwin'. The fish I have caught on the chain are not caught on figure 8's. They will hit well before they get within sight of the boat. I live in Iron River, so the fishing the pike chain for me is a matter of convenience rather than preference.
JKH431
Posted 6/27/2007 4:05 PM (#262641 - in reply to #262017)
Subject: Re: Pike Chain near Iron River WI




Posts: 26


Location: Bayfield, Wisconsin
Like others have stated.. Most fish are 40 and under, and the lake is low density. So it makes it a tough racket. Some very nice fish can be found, just few and far between. Have seen a few photos of some nice tigers, never personally have seen one on the chain though..

Spring and fall seem the best time for me.. Different structure in the different lakes makes it fun to fish at time though...
Kyle Brickson
Posted 7/2/2007 10:40 AM (#263321 - in reply to #262017)
Subject: RE: Pike Chain near Iron River WI


One of those tigers (47") was caught by my son last summer. I grew up on the chain. I personally have caught many upper forties and a lost one at boat side than easily would have gone 52". The majority are high thirties to low forties. Tough bite at times but when you figure it out, there's more fish in there than one might think. Most the fish I catch are over deep water and not directly on structure.
Kyle Brickson
Posted 7/2/2007 11:06 AM (#263330 - in reply to #263321)
Subject: RE: Pike Chain near Iron River WI




Location: Carlton, MN
I'll post picture. My 5 year old son's first! ( Fish was released)

Edited by Kyle Brickson 7/2/2007 11:27 AM



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swordfish
Posted 8/3/2007 10:49 PM (#268564 - in reply to #262017)
Subject: RE: Pike Chain near Iron River WI


I was flyfishing there with a couple of clients from the twin cites last June. They wanted to fish Chequamagon Bay for smallmouth bass with their flyrods but it was really rough that day, so we went over to the Pike Chain to try for some smallmouth with the flyrod. It's a pretty good place for smallmouth. Anyway we were on twin bear lake and one of the guys hooks a smallmouth on the flyrod and was bringing it to the boat when a huge musky came to eat it. She was probably 50 inches but the thing I remember most about her was she was really fat, I think she was over 35 pounds maybe even close to 40. It was the biggest one I ever seen but I havent seen too many big muskies. Anyway he pulled the bass away from the musky and the other angler threw a big fly to her that we had set up with a wire tippet on a 12 weight flyrod just in case we saw a musky. Well the musky didnt want anything to do with the fly, she kept trying to eat the bass next to the boat. Anyway she just swam away real slow off the rock flat and that was that. I have a couple of friends who tell me they like to fish for muskies there in the fall.