EARLY SPRING TROLLING FOR COHO & BROWNS

Skinny Water Coho & Browns: How I Run Mini Boards in Early Spring

Guide Capt. Bryan Buist Explains How He Uses Aggressive Spreads and Stealthy Presentations for a Better Fight and Early Season Success

There’s nothing better than getting back on the water for early spring coho and brown trout on Lake Michigan. Early season comes with generally light fishing pressure, high catch rates and some of the best table fare you’ll find all season.

But it’s important to note that these fish will be shallow and they will be boat-shy. If you run the same setup you do in the summer you won’t make the most of the opportunity. The good news is the adjustments needed aren’t complicated or difficult. To consistently produce in the early season, you need to understand when to fish, where to set up, and how to spread your lines away from the boat.

When & Where to Fish

Early spring coho and browns push shallow in search of warmer water and baitfish. The prime water temperature is right around 40 degrees.

Start South, Move North

Begin in southern Michigan ports and work your way north as temperatures rise. The same pattern holds true on the Wisconsin side.

What to Look For

Water temps near 40°F
Warming trends (especially after 2–3 warm days)
Warm south winds
Mud lines or stained water
River mouths
Baitfish on your electronics

PRO TIP: One of the most productive structural features is the trough between sandbars—the contours created by wave action. I zig-zag these troughs rather than trolling straight lines. If you’re marking bait, fish the area thoroughly.

Why the TX-12 Mini Planer Board Shines in Spring

The TX-12 Mini Planer Board from Church Tackle is ideal this time of year for several reasons:

No need to fight a bigger board because I’m running smaller baits
Faster, more visible bite detection
Doesn’t overpower the fight of the fish
Minis clear easier than full size boards when reeling in fish

One real-world advantage: spring coho are feisty. When they surge next to the boat, they’ll often dive and pull the board underwater. With a smaller board like the TX-12, anglers can still fight and land the fish efficiently.

A larger board creates more drag, which increases the chance of slack line and pulled hooks during the fight. The TX-12 keeps the fight balanced—especially important when fish are hot and close to the boat.

PRO TIP: Adding mini lock jaw clips helps prevent line slip when those surges happen.

Tackle & Setup for Skinny Water

In early spring, fish are typically holding from the surface down to about 15 feet. They’re also extremely boat-shy. That means two things:

Get your baits away from the boat.
Keep them running high in the water column.

Be Aggressive With Your Spread

When I say I run an aggressive planer board spread, I mean:

Run up to five boards per side
Spread lines as far as possible— 200-250 feet from the boat
Run your shallowest bait on the outside board
Position deeper lines progressively closer to the boat
I space boards 50–75 feet apart

Early season fish are cautious. The farther your shallow baits are from the boat, the better your odds.

Lead Core & Copper Setups

Lead Core: 2–5 colors 
Copper: 50’–150’ 
Main Line: 20 lb test 
Leader: 30’ fluorocarbon, 20 lb test

Compared to mid-summer trolling—when longer copper and deeper presentations dominate—spring calls for shorter, lighter setups because fish are shallow and baitfish are small.

These shorter lead cores and coppers allow:

Better control in skinny water
Cleaner presentation
Less drag when fighting smaller coho and browns

Best Presentations for March–April

Spring forage is small. Match it.

Top Bait Styles:

Brad’s Thin Fins
Storm Thin Fins
Jointed Rapalas
Scatter Rap Shad
Small spoons (any brand)

Size: Around 2¾ inches

Action: Tighter, more subtle wobble (smaller baits naturally create less action)

Best Colors: Orange, Copper, Gold, Red

Bright finishes excel in stained water. Chrome and metallic finishes often shine when the sun pops out.

Trolling Speed: My ideal speed range is 1.8–2.5 mph

A Proven Starting Spread

Here’s a confidence-building setup I use to start most mornings. It systematically cover the top 15 feet of the water column:

Outside Board (Shallowest)

50’ copper or 2-color lead core
Orange Scatter Rap Shad or 2-3/4” Thin Fin

4th Board

75’ copper or 3-color lead
Gold or orange small spoon

3rd Board

100’ copper or 4-color lead
Jointed Rapala or Storm Thin Fin

2nd Board

125’ copper or 4-color lead
Small orange/copper spoon

Inside Board (Deepest)

150’ copper or 5-color lead
Shallow-diving stick bait

Surface lines typically run spoons. Inner lines tend to run stick baits with shallow-diving bills.

I always start with a mix of colors and bait styles and narrow it down as fish show a preference. Let them tell you what they want.

Why Early Spring Is Worth It

Surface water near 40 degrees, aggressive fish feeding on bait, light fishing pressure, and high catch rates—it’s one of the most productive windows of the year.

If you’ve been waiting all winter to get back on Lake Michigan, this is your opportunity. Run your baits high, spread your boards wide, and let the fish tell you what they want.

Capt. Bryan Buist
2 B Caught Charters
616-293-0256
2bcaught@gmail.com