So here is that Brown Trout from yesterday!!

The afternoon was much different than the morning... flat lake with high sun. The fish were outside of 80 feet and the shallowest down-rigger was at 75 feet! Low light(early and late) allowed the lead core lines to produce and shallow riggers. Magnum D/W spoons down near the bottom was the hottest bait(including the big brown).

"What are we going to do with all these fish?"

There are so many large fish in 75-85 feet of water that you don't need to go deeper, but 115 feet of water also has a huge population also. Magnum spoons are working well, down 50 to the bottom. This morning we took a 24# brown trout down 80 feet in 85 foot of water. Use purple spoons in low light conditions, including sunrise and sunset.

Find The Bait and Fish Outside Of Them During the Day

THe fishing has moved offshore during the day, but early and late(no sun in sky) are times you can save gas and fish where the bait is...55-65 feet. Use glow spoons and black and purple only! Run them 30 to 45 feet down and go fast. Kings like fast.
During the day dodgers and flies down 55 to 75 feet work best @2.5 knots(S.O.G.) and a large red dodger with prism tape on one side with a green crinkle fly (22 inches from the bottom of the hook to the top of the loop, 50 lb. line!!!!!! and 50 feet back)

This is Chicago or did I take a wrong turn and wind up in Alaska...

The fishing is beyond good! There are coho salmon out deep(100 feet to 140), but the KINGS are where the bait is and that is how they get to be so big. Anywhere on the ridges you will find them feeding (40-65 feet) and spoons seem to be working the best. A fast troll also needs to be experimented with to figure out how they want it that day.

Kings, Kings, and Big Big Kings....

So if you have been waiting for the big "kings" to show up, it is time! They are stacked up with the bait balls is 45 to 55 feet of water. During high sun they move out to 80-90, but follow the action. When the bites stop, turn around. Best action on the magnum lemon ice spoon down 20-30feet and caramel spoon down 40-45 in the early and late periods or cloudy conditions{kavorkian is also a good option). The green plastic dodger and green crinkle down near the bottom.

This Is What We have Been Waiting For

The strong west winds have created a situation called an "upwelling". All the warm surface water has been pushed onto the beaches in Michigan(60 miles across the lake)and the cold water from down deep has been coming in close to the shore to fill in the vacancy. The ridges at about 45 feet stops the inflow and concentrates all the fish right on that break. The fishing is almost as good as it can get and about to get even better!

Talking About Being Unpredictable...

So as unpredictable as fishing is, the salmon are back in the 45 feet to 65 feet range. They just were in 100 feet a few days ago,the catching is really good! All the usual patterns are working.

Very Unpredictable Perch!

The perch are one of the most unpredictable fish that swims in our great lake. Huge schools of the large female have been hanging around the harbors(on the lake side) feeding on crayfish. They are on the move competing with the sheephead to gain access to the ever decreasing amount of crayfish. On a wreck off of Evanston in 32 feet of water there were amount of large of crayfish(more than ever before recently) and in 80 feet of water on the wreck "Staits of Mackinaw" there were perch coils(that is how their eggs look) all over. On a reef that comes up to 76 feet of water out of 142 feet also has perch spawning all over. They also spawn in the harbors...go figure.

Fantastic Summer Fishing!

The weather has concentrated our salmon in predictable areas which adds up to my baits remaining in the "line of sight" for the fish. The more fish that have an opportunity to see my presentations the better because more get to come home with us. Fishing is great and the catching even better!

I just had my Saturday afternoon reschedule.
The noon to 5:30 is available, 6 people for $650.

For The Bluegill Fisherman...

The perch are still out deep, 50 feet of water, good thing they are out of season for the month.
The bluegills are doing their pre-spawn thing...schooling up and feeding.
I use a wax worm with a tiny gold hook with no weight, drop it down where there are weeds or shade, watch, if they don't grab it just keep looking.
They are small, but very delicious, and great practice for someone learning how to use an electric fillet knife. If you mess you mess up, just catch more.

Lock and Load

The Coho Salmon are being concentrated by the winds and have become very easily caght.
Last week was tough, but it is all "Lock-and-load" from now on.
The fish are mostly in 100 feet of water and deeper, down 30 to the bottom. Everything is working that should be at this time of the year... big flies, spoons...