Racine Harbor - Racine, Wi, Racine County (all postings)

I know the browns are known to feed on gobies, but they are not being used as bait to my knowledge. Technically, its not legal to possess a goby unless you are transporting it to a DNR facility. Also due to the fact that gobies lack a swim bladder and are strictly bottom dwellers, they just won't look natural suspended under a float, and get a live one on the bottom and I guarantee its gonna look for a rock to hide under, which will obviously significantly increase your hook up rate....with rocks...lol.

Thanks Denesox. Great intell. I also just thought of another thing. I always seem to be able to catch Gobies along the rocks that buffet the South Pier. Would it be worth trying a hooked Gobie for live bait? I was just thinking the struggles of any small fish might be found to be attractive to a gamefish. Thanks again for the tips.

Shiners will work, the difficulty is often the water temp differences, due to the lake being cold water, make it difficult to keep bait bought from a store alive for long (which is why you generally see more bait shop minnows being used through the ice).

An alewife is without question the best live bait. You can also rig a 3 hook dropshot with plain (small) gold hooks....alewives eat 'em without hesitation. Instead of using a weight at the bottom of the rig, tie on a spoon ,like a 1/3oz silver cleo, remove the hooks and bounce it around. Alewives are attracted to the spoon, and when they get close, they will eat the bare gold hooks. Classic way to catch alewives. Be gentle with them after you catch them and keep them in a insulated minnow bucket and keep the water fresh (lake Michigan water, of course). Alewives are fragile baitfish and are greatly effected by even minor temp variances.

Question: The other day I happened to snag a 5" Alewife while casting a spoon. Rather than toss it back I placed it on a hook under a slip float and promptly had a violent takedown of my float. When I set the hook the leader popped.

I have something called a "Sabichi Rig" which is designed to catch Alewives/bait by mimicing a small school of tiny fish. I customized this rig from the original six hooks to the DNR-allowed three. I will attempt to use this to obtain Alewives in the near future, however, I am wondering what the best type of live minnow or shad to use is in the absence of Alewives, and where to you get them for fishing the Racine Harbor.

I am looking for size and type of minnow or shad. Thanks in advance for your suggestions. Feel free to PM me.

Fished yesterday, casting spoons for an hour before the lake breeze froze me off the pier. Nothing to report, except one passerby confirmed that anglers are still getting Cohos off Alewives fished on the bottom with a slip sinker.

Tight lines!

Kayak trolled around the harbor for ~ 6 miles during the day. Caught 3 Trout ~ 10 inches each. Marked masses of fish at the gap. Couldn't get them to bite anything !!! Trollers outside the harbor looked to be doing OK. It was a bit bumpy for me to kayak outside the harbor today. Rare fish inside the harbor and up to the bridge. Pulled the boat and went to Big Muskego wher I did just fine. Hope the big ones move soon.

Does anyone know if the gates are still unlocked to allow pier fishing?

Does anyone know if the fish cleaning stations (south pier or public launch) are open yet?

Late report. Got a chance to go down to the harbor for a couple hours Thursday April 4th. After trying two different spots I finally got a fish on a pink spawn sac under float in the small boat basin. Water was pretty murky but at least 1 fish found it. Good fishing to all. Geico & Son

Got back from vacation a few days early and went down to find very little ice and no where near safe enough to even think about going on it. Spent a few hours casting with some jerk baits and had no luck.

Went down after work for a couple hours on Thursday Mar. 28th and landed a nice 7-8 pd. Brown trout on a fathead minnow w/auto. and then lost a fish at the hole just before dark jigging a blade bait. Went down Good Friday morning with a small group of guys and only had one hit. It was like the dead sea but very nice weather. Good fishing! Geico & Son

By next weekend most of the Harbor Ice should be gone... As far as fishing it, I dont think it will be good until mid to late April due to the muddy water. North and South pier are decent right now for casting for Steelhead and some Browns.

Anybody have an ice out date? I want to cast!

I was out this morning about 7. I had a few good bites and lost a nice brown at the shore. I was on the dock across from cleaning station. I also met some good guys.

EF Outdoors, what do you think the ice out date is?

Ice fished the slip area this afternoon the centers still have ice but it is fading quickly. The shore lines, walls, and docks are pretty much all unsafe. Be extremely cautious if you decide to give it a try. Bring a spud bar and be sure to check before you step. Fishing was slow with no takers in three hours. Used spawn sacs 6" to a foot off the bottom.

Good Luck, Fred