Any Brown Experts Here?

[Moby Dick]

I've been toying with an idea of going out really early even before the sun is fully up and trolling for Browns. In my 37 years of fishing Lake Michigan, I've caught very few browns. I'm thinking of trolling within a 100 yards of shore with surface lines as I've heard they like warm water. I was planning on running 2 planing boards (walleye boards) and 1 surface line. I would think I would need some type of lure that will dive somewhat. I have many hot-n-tots and tadpollys. I also have been led to believe that the lines should be way back from the boat. Anyone here have much experience with catching browns?

[UBDSLO1]

I've caught a few, but not a whole lot. Early spring I like body baits, jointed raps, rouges, bombers long a's, etc. When the water starts to warm, I get most of them on smaller spoons, Super Slims, and standard size spoons such as MI Stinger, Warrior, Silver Streaks, etc. I like to run the spoons deep with them spaced close together, up a bit from the bottom. find some structure and you'll find the browns.

[Ace HI]

my best Browns have always been on mistakes LOL. but it is a consistant mistake. So it would work if you did it on purpose. Go around the pier heads early go slow make lots of turns and let the plugs lay on the bottom on turns. First when the plug hits if there is a brown close by he will come look at it when he looks at it and the boat straightens out it will jump off the bottom and likely will get hit. In late Aug I have taken big Browns in 70 to 85 fow on a 300 copper with a J Plug and always the same thing when I make a turn to come back thru a section I will leave the 300 out knowing it will lay on the bottom very often it will catch a nice brown. If it don't get a Brown right away it will lift up and take a laker.

[Paulywood]

Kevin (Far Beyond Driven) has been known to pull a few browns even when the water warms up. He might have a little advice. I thik working around the river plume might be a good idea, find where clear meets dirty and fish in and out of it.

[Killin' It]

If you catch them after may its pure luck

[Moby Dick]

Thanks for all the help. I'm surprised no one recommended the trolling close to shore. One of my co-workers caught many over the years casting from shore in waders in the very early morning hours.

[Reel Screwd]

I got a around 10 in Aug last yr 70 to 80 fow with swr just off bottom stinger lemon ice spoon..

[Paulywood]

In the spring guys catch them close to sure but it's hit or miss when the water warms up. Key would be bait and/or stained water.

[EdB]

The most consistent brown fishing is off the piers in Feb and March. We fish them with fresh steelie spawn. Skein or bags on the bottom. A fresh caught steelie skein wrap is the very best bait this time of year. When the water warms later, browns start hitting other lures.

You can get them the same time and into May with boats fishing off the beaches using stick baits and spoons, fishing the troughs in the sand bars by shore. I'm not a boat expert, I never get her out early enough. We fish the piers, beaches and rivers through early April. Boat guys do good around Ludington to Manistee into early May.

Things were early this year, we got these browns Feb 19, had a few days with good numbers and limits this spring from Feb to early March. Most years, the best pier fishing is a bit later than this. I'm just happy to get a pole in my hands and hit a couple fish after a long winter this time of year so I have low expectations when I go. You can have slow days too. Sunny days are usually good.

We get nice whitefish then too. Note the ice on the pier, the best fishing is when there is ice on the pier melting. Once the ice is gone and most guys start fishing, the best brown action is winding down until coho's show up on the southern piers.

We take ice creeper and saftey ropes, thank God we never needed the ropes. Note the glare ice on the pier in the background by the edge. You got to be careful on the pier when there is ice on it and we are. It sure is nice when the wind is down and the sunshine is shining on the pier in February.

This is nice one from a few years back.

Here is a nice one off the beach. Beach fishing is always best with some rollers coming in.1-3 footers are good.

[Moby Dick]

Wow! Them brown pictures were really cool. My biggest brown ever was 6 lbs. Did win a steelheader contest with a 3 1/2 brown.

[IRon]

I've spent a fair amount of time chasing browns. As mentioned most are caught early spring shallow trolling or obviously pier fishing. Later on they get harder to locate but you can still target them.

They're more warm water tolerant but you're probably not going to find them too far out of temp. preference. 55-65 or so. Like any other trout you're liable to find them anywhere (like mentioned,too)but I usually look (in summer) near some type of structure. Southern Lake Michigan doesn't have a lot, but there's a few rock piles and river plumes that'll work when the temp is right. Sometimes you'll get a turnover near shore and that'll bring fish in close.

Further north, say Ludington north, there's way more places to try. Some big ones get caught every year off the point in mid-summer. So yeah, when conditions are right an early troll up near structure/bottom would be a good idea and worth a try. Good luck!