5 Things You Need To Know About Alewife!

Here are 5 things you need to know about alewife that will help you catch more fish!
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I was born and raised in Chicago, but after working 12 years in the financial Industry regulating the futures and options markets at the CME/CBOT I decided to pursue my passion fishing professional tournaments and left my full time corporate job. At that point, I moved to Junction City, WI with my wife Sara and two boys Hank and Duke. I've been fishing professionally since 2011 and full-time since 2015. I've qualified for seven MLF Championships and won over a half million in tournament winnings at the professional level.

[@e.cabanjr7511]

That was unusually insightful information. You’re the first fishing instructor that I know of to teach regarding alewife. It’s appreciated.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@crowe1974]

I'm a bank fisherman. Can u do 5 things to know about fishing from the bank or something else to help us bank fisherman?. Love the videos never miss 1. Sometimes I watch them again to make sure I remember everything. Keep up great work...

[@MattStefanFishing]

i did this one a while ago! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWnchniCm7mdhbs

[@law1831]

A lot of times night fishing and fishing early morning in the Chicago harbors, I would catch them on 50 and 60 sized rattle traps. They have a really cool iridescent green color to them. When I caught them I always thought they're mouths make them look like little tarpon. Cool fish

[@MattStefanFishing]

yes they do. ive allways called them mini tarpon haha

[@lucascarter2277]

Love this series! Your channel is one of the most informative on KZbin! Thanks, Matt!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Wow, thanks!

[@MidwestBassHunter]

Great video Matt, thanks.

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks

[@mgdwj]

I throughly enjoy your content Thank you for taking the time to make these videos for us.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad you like them!

[@gregorywhite6830]

Please continue with your "5 Things You Need To Know About Forage Species," it is very helpful and informative. Thank you.

[@MattStefanFishing]

will do! Ive done a bunch in the past you can watch as well

[@B.A.Bassangler]

Always love a 5 things video...If I thought in terms of 5 things about the forage and cover for the type of fishing I plan to do 'that' day...my kayak would be 10lbs lighter!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Right on!

[@craigpeters3165]

Just wanted to let you know that I got my personal lake breakdown from you guys today. Super excited to try your tips and location suggestions! I'll let you know how it works! Thanks Matt.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Awesome! good luck fishing!

[@shawn_r_schultzfishing4883]

I remember a many years ago when I was younger, there was a big die off in Lake Michigan and they were all over the beach. My Grandpa was a caretaker for some lake homes and I got to help rake and clean them up before the holiday weekend. The entire beach was nothing but dead alewife, and every wave would bring more. I don't know what caused it but my Grandpa said he remembered it happened a few times before.

[@MattStefanFishing]

sounds like a stinky situation

[@jimcatanzaro7808]

Tons of them in Boston harbor sometimes whales will go in and feed on a pod of them There also called pogies and you snag them with a weighted treble hook and used for bait for striped bass

[@MattStefanFishing]

Very cool

[@mikeantes9597]

Great content and teaching thank you Matt.

[@MattStefanFishing]

you bet!

[@jamesh7469]

Matt, if you haven’t yet, I highly recommend the book “The Life and Death of the Great Lakes” by Dan Egan. It’s an incredibly well told ecological history that details the waves of invasive species and human decisions that have impacted the lakes, and I think you’d really enjoy it. Has great insights into all kinds of gamefish behaviors and the state of the lakes as of ~2015. In particular it talks about the Alewife crash on Lake Huron and the data that shows Lake Michigan is headed the same route. Lots of great info and stories about the rise of lampreys, canals and lake management decisions, zebra/quagga/goby introductions, asian carp of course, and way more

[@MattStefanFishing]

awesome! ill check it out. thanks!

[@teresathompson393]

Hi, New sub here. Thankyou for this information. I know here in the state of Maine, alewife spawn here . Bradley, Maine at Chemo Pond. They make there way through black stream and run through the fish way into Chemo Pond. Usually the end of May, we ha e a big celebration and activities day for families and those that love to fish. This yr it is May 20th to June 2. I just learned about them, this was great Information. Please do more of these. Thankyou again. 😊

[@MattStefanFishing]

Awesome! thanks for the positive feedback!

[@aarongreenlee7867]

Matt, great video and what a funny name origin. I was definitely laughing. In NH we have them, but what I have been told were alewife were more like silver dollar sized and kind of narrow bodied and round. I think maybe I was given bad info. The small mouth around here wont bite when whatever it is are running thick!

[@MattStefanFishing]

nope they are definitely longer

[@johndynneson662]

Years ago I was fishing a lake western Minnesota. ((. The local bait store had their local maps of there best lakes in the area and one said had alwife )). Well at the time I never heard of that. Fishing this lake which is deep a clear at the time. I was fishing to shallow. I mistakenly caught an over 10lbs piking running my bait over 35-40 ft of water. I figured out on this lake That I had to fish that deep. Caught really nice ones. At that time there wasn’t nearly the information we have now. I had too go to Mpls library to learn and read this stuff. What forage species really does make a difference

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for sharing

[@ro-cl2do]

Very interesting. I love learning something new. Thanks

[@MattStefanFishing]

awesome!

[@adammitchell3462]

I appreciate you telling me about alewife...i happen to live beside of an alewife lake which is uncommon in Appalachia,just trying to figure my lake out

[@MattStefanFishing]

You can do it!

[@TWC6724]

Is it Watauga Lake?

[@adammitchell3462]

It's near watauga but it's a much smaller lake called "hungry mother" lol ,strange name

[@LowBrowFishing]

Ah...beer and fishing! My two favorite things!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Mine too!

[@Triple87]

Can confirm, lots of Ale wives up in Canada. 🤣 Seriously tho, lots of them up north. I always see them in the grand river.

[@MattStefanFishing]

haha!

[@MrJohnB-qs6dp]

Thanks for explaining those things to know!! Was very interesting!!! Stay Safew & God Bless!!!

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks!

[@kbone87]

I'm on the dock right now playing around with the reverse wacky rig and it looks absolutely killer. Thank you sir for always giving us the goods! Day 5 crib update comes tmrw

[@MattStefanFishing]

looking forward to the crib update!

[@kbone87]

@@MattStefanFishing charging the aquavu as I type this. Will have an update this evening!

[@scottsinclair9525]

I beleive the alewife decerase in Lake Michigan had soemthing to do with the zebra muscles... I also heard that they are contemplating taking the bounty off of goby's, because the salmon are eating them and getting bigger. Love your channel Matt! Thanks!

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for sharing

[@fishncoach8699]

Awesome! Exactly what I was talking about.. Good stuff!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Right on!

[@woefman9467]

love learning about forage ,thanks. do you think the waupaca chain has alewife? or Lake Geneva? I wrote the DNR and they gave me run around.

[@MattStefanFishing]

no alewife in either, but they do have cisco which are very similar

[@NeilGraham.I.M.F]

Before I get more than 20 seconds into this video. I just want to say I am glad to hear the subject. I am so sick of hearing people talk about Shad when I don't have them in my particular area lakes that I fish

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks!

[@alanwinge8775]

After alewife were stocked in some Nebraska reservoirs as forage some discovered that spinner baits could work well for walleye. The alewife would follow the bait but scatter when a predator took chase. It may be the vibration from the spinner bait that causes the alewife to follow.

[@MattStefanFishing]

nice!

[@smalliehound]

I was on Traverse Bay (east and west) in late June and there was a huge die off of Alewives. Didn't help the fishing much. It made it very easy for all species to gorge themselves for days. It messed up the ramps something horrible too. Nasty. It might have been the strange temperature fluctuations that occurred. But, nobody was exactly sure why it happened. But, it's nothing new. It happens every so often the locals say. It certainly helps the bird populations.

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for sharing!

[@fishingsince8824]

Caught a 7lb smallie this year on candlewood and a bunch of 5 pluses on the sane trip and everyone was spitting up alewife when the came in the boat. They also support a large brown trout population on that lake. And the Lakers, brown's, nd rainbows thrive on them in my local resivour here in Northern NJ. But like you said numbers are dropping quick and it's an issue.

[@MattStefanFishing]

they help grow big ones!

[@spintowinstradic6067]

Great video! Any opinion on the strength of the alewife population at Lake Ontario and St Lawrence?

[@MattStefanFishing]

its good

[@everythingoutdoors-vl9bl]

We call them sawbellys in new York we mostly use them for brown trout and lake trout , the bass love them too . For trout we troll them with a 1/2 oz weight barrel swivel to a 6 foot leader of light fluro hook the live alwive in the top of his head and troll slow at 15 to 22 fow over like 70 80 …. Big trout love them

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for sharing!

[@heinrichkellogg7563]

🍺. Matt I have always enjoyed the bait fish videos.👍If my waters were full of fat female tavern keepers I would recommend using a long stiff rod with either a deep diving crank or a 10” curly tail worm🤷‍♂️.

[@kevinbeaudean704]

Curly tail worm, get to the doctor

[@normanham6142]

🥴

[@MattStefanFishing]

haha

[@johndaniels2922]

Great video Matt

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks!

[@johndaniels2922]

Hey last week you said I won 2 reels was that really you or is there a scam going on

[@clintperry799]

Interesting information 🤔 Thanks !

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks!

[@bassman6211]

I fished the Milwaukee river early this summer near the first dam, the alewife were so thick I was bumping into them and occasionally snagging one every now and then. I tried but they were just too thick to get anything to bite. Lol

[@MattStefanFishing]

yeah to many can be a bad thing

[@kevinbeaudean704]

Thanks Matt, good info. Find the bait, the bass can't be far. Off subject but having trouble getting bit on shad color swim jigs. Black and blue or bluegill swim jigs work great. Can you throw me a bone? Did I ever tell you your my FAVORITE bass fisherman and quite a handsome guy. Just kidding but that shad swim jig thing I would appreciate.

[@MattStefanFishing]

sometimes its better to go against the theory of matching the hatch.

[@mgdwj]

Man we can set a clock to your video uploads. Everyday at 4pm

[@MattStefanFishing]

i schedule them for 4:00 PM central

[@mgdwj]

@@MattStefanFishing it works out perfect. My afternoon break starts at 4pm so it works out perfect.

[@bamadondon0495]

The alewife keep the other fish warm during the winter🤣🤣

[@MattStefanFishing]

haha

[@johnkohls9591]

Actually according to the WDNR, alewife populations have been increasing in Lake Michigan the last couple of years, that’s why the size of the chinook salmon have been averaging larger the last couple of years.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Sounds great

[@paulmiller676]

Laurel river lake in Kentucky has them

[@MattStefanFishing]

Awesome

[@stevencochran4274]

Great video more forage species

[@MattStefanFishing]

More to come!

[@Tide12NC]

We have them in Gulf Shores

[@MattStefanFishing]

Awesome!

[@douglasspickler4925]

Maybe I missed it in your video but do they die off in the winter?

[@MattStefanFishing]

they can but do quite well in really cold water

[@kevinwolfe4632]

Do more videos on bait. I like it.

[@MattStefanFishing]

ive done a bunch of them in the past. Here are a few! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4O2cp95q9aWsKc and kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZibmJirf9CChas

[@johnlantz7278]

Our big smallmouth like Kokanee a landlocked sockeye

[@MattStefanFishing]

yes they do!

[@terrytresemer2864]

It's not Germanic, must be English....old English! QUESTION, did you ever try purple power on your lucky sweatshirt? It really does works. Well Matt, I don't take in laundry. LOL

[@MattStefanFishing]

Not yet!

[@juleswinnfield826]

You say Alwife...... I say "Ghost". Thanks for the vid.

[@MattStefanFishing]

I like that

[@JS-oy6nn]

Yer face turned a bit red during the definition of “Alewife” 🤭

[@MattStefanFishing]

haha

[@curtisbeesmith]

So I'm confused, why does Michigan consider alewife as an invasive species???

[@MattStefanFishing]

Not natural to the area

[@chrisduffy2737]

In Chespapeake Bay country commercial fishermen call an alewife, an L-Y.

[@kevinbeaudean704]

That sounds right to me. Y R U saying that's wrong.

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for sharing

[@CA-sl2xw]

I’m almost positive my sister-in-law Becky is an Alewife. She’ll eat anything and pretty easy to catch on most days….

[@MattStefanFishing]

hahaha

[@johnrayner5599]

Fat female tavern keeper… I have met a few of those in my day!!! Great content on this one, even though I dont have them around me, if I do come up north or out east I will be aware!!!

[@MattStefanFishing]

haha

[@paulmiller676]

,60 to 80 ft deep in winter

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for sharing

[@TheDylanJoyce]

The Destination of this Train is: Alewife! …No smoking please

[@MattStefanFishing]

HAHA

[@bryanturner2494]

Winter months they stack . Looks like a chimney on your graph. And they have ruined my home lake. Unless you like wondering in a 100ft of water

[@brianpierson7708]

Something to think about but not speak about we are already about to go blasted for that one lil thing

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for watching

[@ronyewest]

Pollution in Lake Michigan probably kills a high majority of them

[@MattStefanFishing]

yep

[@ChristophercurtisChris]

Fast energy catfish Bass fresh please care fish too

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for watching

[@shannonkirby9295]

I think I dated an alewife once

[@MattStefanFishing]

haha

[@mikestephens4442]

Please

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for watching

[@wolverinex4243]

So does it mean thick and sexy property owners? They kinda look like shads? I thought I was going to get a lesson on the differences. I liked that lesson on spotted v. bass. What would be so cool bc it has never been done by an expert is, an unbiased breakdown of the top three bassy boat companies. I'm talking like Skeeter, Ranger, and....or Phoenix or Bass Cat or Nitro. That would be epic if they can explain all the strengths and cons of these boats. I mean I don't even think boat dealers can take on this task in detail. In the fishing industry, they always highlight the pros, never the cons. That's a shame that cons are considered "taboos," and I know it is not nice to list the cons or speak badly, but this is also how there's no progression and there's poor quality. Nobody wants to be right anymore. Everyone is lying just to get a meal ticket. That's bad for the industry, esp. the consumers and the ones who are in it to be the best. If you take a look at Tackle Tour of Wired2Fish, everything they review is towards the upside even though they claim to be testing sites. You have zero clue coming out after reading an article. You come out of it more stupid than before. It seems like they just wrote a bunch of bull for the sake of things. I get that there is a place for all things, but can't you be honest? Does anyone know anything? You should always rate things like lures based off of a standard you know as the best or an average product. If not this, they should put the products to an extensive test across the country for an extended period in the hardest places. You should not have to test it if you already know what to look for....but you do when you have everything, yet it still needs validation or sometimes it just performs better than it looks/swim. Anyways, that is why the game needs me. All these pros, although very skilled in their own rights, do not possess the full package.

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for watching

[@markvogus8063]

This looks a lot like a thread fin shad are they the same

[@MattStefanFishing]

nope. look similar but not the same

[@markvogus8063]

Do you think they act the same

[@tonyduran4764]

Pay Matt comment

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks!

[@mikeeller557]

The saltwater population is also in danger, Overfishing by purse seiners

[@MattStefanFishing]

bummer