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As much as a love trolling, you can't beat the thrill of hooking salmon and steelies while standing on solid ground. I had my eye on the temps and wind all day at work yesterday and was pretty pumped to get out and give it a shot this morning. I got to the pier about 4:30 and started chucking spoons into the dark, praying the lighting out over the lake would stay away. A=It took about an hour of casting and a couple location and lure changes to get my first bump, just a slight tap on the spoon my hook set felt heavy and there was deffinitely life on the other end, but it was over just like that. I checked the hook on my 3/4oz KO and noticed the "flapper" deal was hung up in the bit of gap on my single siwash hook. I readjusted and made about 4 or 5 more casts. I checked again as I charged the lure with my flashlight and saw the same hang up. I'm not messing around with this spoon, I got 3 others just like. But another spoon called my name. It was a 3/4oz Cleo that I had doctored up with tape, a purple fish net pattern with a black edge and a pearl glow edge. The sun was not showing yet, but the sky was starting to lighten up. With renewed faith I took a cast and let my lure sink all the way down to the bottom. I picked it up rolled three or four cranks and then let it fall on a tight line feeling the wobble down to the bottom. This is my most effective spoon retrieve for kings. On the third drop, I felt a tap as the spoon began to flutter down. Zing, hook set, head shakes, peeling drag, and a big boil on the surface. Five minutes later my first shore king of 2016. Nice femalle, little dusky color, 10lbs or so, clipped. I lent to put a little charge on my spoon and the custom tape was all tore up. Switch lures after you just caught a fish? I didn't even hesitate. I have heard a lot of guys in WI taking fish on flukes off the piers in the fall, but never tried it. I knew I had cold water and bait fish in the area I could see with my head lamp. So I pulled out my lighter rod and tied on a 4 inch fluke and glow darter head. First cast let it sink all the way to the bottom. Twitch twitch twitch and reel the slack. I could feel the weight of the bait as it sank to the bottom. Twitch, twitch, tick, hook set head shakes, couldn't believe it, first cast the fluke hooks up. This fish was smaller, maybe 5lb coho. Lost it at the net, but still pretty happy. About 45 minutes later sun is full up and I'm still twitching the fluke. I got another similar tap, but this fish was only on for about 10 seconds before it came un buttoned. I confused working that spot fo about another hour without a hit. I was walking back to the car when I saw another fisherman landing a nice steelies on a bobber. I stopped to talk and his buddy said he had just landed a coho. I said what the hell how about a few more casts. Decided an orange wee wart had coho written on it and snapped in on. Bam first cast about a 6 or 7lb male Ho just engulfed my crank. It started racing pretty good about that time. I fished another 20minutes or so before I decided I had enough a finished the walk back to the car. Final tally 2/4 with another drive by. It was sure nice to a hook up with a pier King, I know I didn't get a single one last fall and I put in some time. Hopefully the weather doesn't screw things up too bad.

Thanks for the report.

Awesome I'm running into the city tomorrow morning might do some shore casting from 63rd pier

Cool. What port were you fishing from?

I was fishing MC.

Nice work!

Good deal. Might have to get out there one of these days.

Great detailed story. I felt like I was there holding the rod lol!

I had been thinking about you and wondering when I was going to see another post from you. Good job!

Great report! Run is already looking better than last year.

One of our seasonal employees had the morning off and he caught a 10 lb king on a green glow KO off the pier this morning