Strange Catch.

[Knot Tellin]

How common is it to catch herring while trolling for salmon. We were fishing the LCATT Lake Charlevoix Area Trout Tournament last weekend and caught a herring 40' down on a gold spoon w/black spots. It inhailed it, with all three hook in its mouth. It was about 16" long. When we were reeling it in I though it might be a steelie, cause the color is so close. They were in feeding on Hex flys aka mayflys. We seen some surface for them.

What are some none target fish you have caught while trolling?

[Paulywood]

I caught a 15" Rock Bass trolling for brown's on Higgins Lake. Hit a J-12 Rapala and pulled the inline board back. Had the treble buried in it's mouth.

[GLF]

I caught a 2 1/2lb smallmouth while fishing Lake Michigan out of Muskegon a couple of years ago on an 11" flasher and fly.

[1mainiac]

Fishing the mud in Muskegon I have caught perch, bass, walleye, sheephead, gobies and whitefish trolling out front over the years have caught pike and catfish trolling the sand docks. Herring are not a big surprize up north but would be in the southern ports.

[Knot Tellin]

A girl I used date years ago, her dad caught a comorant 70' down on a all chrome spoon once. We get a major migration through this area. So I don't think he was pulling my leg.

[Paulywood]

Catfishhoge caught a big catfish on a full core with a J-plug last year out of Muskegon in 100' of water.

[mayvillemark]

wow 70 foot down thats hard to believe!!

[LongLine]

Don't know about herring...that's a big herring! But over my fishing career, I've caught garbage bags, a fishing rod, a christmas tree, a wallet and snagged a couple carp all with silver bullets. Had a two banger once - 20 Lb salmon on cheeter and a 4 Lb smallmouth on the main line deep in 120 FOW.

[pikeman8]

Anybody get any Asian Carp yet?

[pikeman8]

On a more serious note though when I lived in the UP I got a couple Herring a year trolling. Not common but not shocking either. Now if I got one in southern Lake Michigan then id be very suprised.

[Priority1]

I posted a 20 fish box a few weeks ago, including a 4 # King taken on bottom bouncer and crawler harness.

[JWheeler]

I posted a 20 fish box a few weeks ago, including a 4 # King taken on bottom bouncer and crawler harness.

Didn't you also tangle with a steelie out in those waters??? On another harness?

[Priority1]

Didn't you also tangle with a steelie out in those waters??? On another harness?

You are so right. Last week we had one on for three spectacular leaps. It seems we take a couple of Steelies every year on harnesses.

[Chummer]

Birds while using shrimp for sea trout in Florida. They dive and get shrimp before it sinks.

[Knot Tellin]

Here is a picture of the herring. I have caught a bunch of 15" walleye over the years and I have gotten good at judging size. It was bigger than them and I was being conservative.

http://www.greatlakesfisherman.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=127&pictureid=283

Don't know about herring...that's a big herring! But over my fishing career, I've caught garbage bags, a fishing rod, a christmas tree, a wallet and snagged a couple carp all with silver bullets. Had a two banger once - 20 Lb salmon on cheeter and a 4 Lb smallmouth on the main line deep in 120 FOW.

[Paulywood]

That is a giant herring!

[LongLine]

As said, I don't know much about herring, however in Great lakes, adult skipjack is typically 11-16" & per WISC seagrant site and the world record is 3Lb12oz per IFG. If I were you, I verify ID on Wisc ID site then have the biggest one entered. You may have something there.

[Knot Tellin]

It was not a skipjack it was a Herring. The current state record for Lake Herring is 5lb-6oz. They have to be 16" or 2lb-8oz for a master angler. Which I could care less about. But if it was a state record I would have entered it.