Don't put your boats away yet!

Some of the best fishing of the year is upon us, as every Fall. (The problem is the weather is bad also) The Salmon and Trout have come to their Winter sanctuary in deep water (130 feet to 180 feet). From now until the Lake starts freezing, the Spring Cohos and next years Kings are schooling and can be taken on the surface with Spring patterns (Cohos on small red dodgers and tiny flies,...) . The huge spawner Lakers are also readily available along with Browns ( in 46 to 60 feet of water). There are alot of Kings out there hitting spoons down 30-60 feet.

Following the "Yellow-brick-road"

The Kings are knocking at my back door every morning here in the harbor. The fish have arrived at the harbors in search of the river they were promised by mother nature only to be disappointed. They are waiting for the rains to swell the river so they can make their final journey upstream to spawn. The fact there is no river will become reality eventually, right before they die. Nice Kings and Cohos as well as Steelhead are being taken during the early mornings and at sunset on a variety of baits from spoons to body baits to spawn, even minnows are working because the bait is tiny (small perch)

Awesome Action!

The Salmon and Trout ( Not Lakers) are working the shallow bait pods, which are moving into skinnier water every day. These off-shore winds (40 M.P.H.) today are changing the water temperature drastically. An upwelling is taking place resulting in the shore temps being in the high fifties by tonight, or even colder. The salmon are gathering around the harbor mouths looking for the "river" to run up after the rains bring the water level up. The larger "spawners are coming into very predictable areas (outside all the harbor mouths), which makes for great fun.

Lucky King!

The off-shore winds have pulled the cold water and bait up against the ridges (46- 51 feet) and the salmon followed. The sun is dropping quickly in the sky and goes down earlier and earlier every day. This indicates to the spawning fish that it is time to gather for the "river run up-stream". Spoons trolled up and down the outside edge is producing great catches! Going fast allows for covering more water and gets the aggression bite from the angry Kings.

Pirates?

This morning we went back to where the bait was yesterday, but it had moved shallower. WE started taking fish in 51 feet of water and trolled out with a following sea to 115 feet taking nice Salmon and Steelhead the whole way. No best depth for catching fish because the sun drove the fish out away from the shallow bait pods.

Chicago Browns

All the action Saturday was deeper most of the day (65 feet to 75 feet of water). All the boats went back to that location this morning, but the sun was obscured by a haze and this kept the fish shallow with the bait all day. I noticed a huge school of bait in 51 feet of water that was half a mile long and couldn't see myself going out deeper where no fish were caught up to that point in the morning out deep. We set lines and aggressively went back and forth from 51 feet to 56 feet of water using tiny spoons that were the size of the forage base there. WE had our limit within a few hours!

Never seen anything like this morning!!!!!

We left at 6am with my group and went out to 60 feet of water where we started to observe surface feeding fish all around us. The conditions were perfect: cold surface temperature, fog, and a tremendous bug hatch. There were fish gobbling up bugs everywhere! We were running 5 and 6 core lead lines with small spoons because there are huge amounts of last years spawn of Perch down 20 feet all over. Riggers down 40 feet popped every 5 minutes with Small spoons along with everything else. Action was hot all the way to 100 feet where we turned around and slayed them some more. Straight East of Montrose. We were trolling real fast( 3.6 knots SOG)

Limit Catches!

This morning began with rain and calm waters, the perfect combination for great fishing. We began trolling in 55 feet of water and immediately started taking fish. Spoons down 30 to 40 feet were working best, but everything was taking Salmon and Steel head, from Dipsy-Divers, lead core (7 colors to 13 colors out) , copper lines. We trolled out to 125 feet and back to 60 feet taking fish the whole time. Lakers were best in 90 feet of water on the bottom with big dodgers and flies. Spin-and-glow rigs also took Lakers.

The Perch are hitting hard outside of the harbor on anything you present to them.

"Just in time for our Weekend BBQ"

The fish are still relatively shallow for end of July and still hitting the usual patterns, anywhere from 46 feet to 130 feet of water. Find your school and work them. The larger fish are in 55 feet to 65 feet and also way out in 130 feet. Small Salmon are in the middle. Riggers with spoons down 50 to 60 were working the best.

We saw an incredible sunrise this morning, but by the time I got my camera it was over. There is nothing like watching the sunrise reflecting off the city as it rises. Green and orange colors slowly walk down the buildings as the sun gets higher in the sky.

"Silver Fish"

Our Salmon(Kings and Cohos) and Trout (Browns and Steelhead) are still working the current scoured ridges between 56 and 66 feet of water. When it's calm like today, these humps and ridges become evident by the flat looking water between the ripples, that contains water being pushed to the surface by the underwater currents. This temperature change also is holding insects and bait in areas that appear to look like "slicks". Weeds and "Lake Michigan Jellyfish" (plastic bags) are gathered in these areas, along with other garbage. It's sort of like an eddy in a river that garbage and weeds collect. The fish are much further South than just a few days ago because the lake temperature in Michigan City is 50 on the beach, and they are looking for that edge.

"Skamania Mania"

We have been running into pods of Summer run Steelhead a few times a week and the results are very large (spawned out) fish in the boat. They made their spawning run in Indiana/ Michigan streams in the Southern end of Lake Michigan in Late May (this run is usually in late June to early July) and are feeding voraciously on orange spoons. The Salmon are still in shallow water like in the past few weeks and trolling parallel to the shore along the ridge line presents your baits to more fish than trolling through them. Spoons are taking most of the fish.

Is it July or September?

We just had an upwhelling yesterday (water temperature by shore dropped 13 degrees overnight) All the West and South winds blew our warm surface water to Michigan and sucked in cold water and the SALMON! There are fish where they were in April and May. Great catches of all species is the norm. In 46 feet of water, down 30 feet, the water temperature is 52 degrees.

GOT TROUT?

We decided to attempt catching all five species: Steelhead, King Salmon, Coho Salmon, Brown Trout, so the fishing began deep (100-120 feet) using large dodgers and green flies right on the bottom. Within a half an hour there was a "deer in the headlight look" on deck. " (six fish weighed total of 120 Pounds) I changed everything to spoons and pulled my lines up from 40 feet down to 60 feet and moved at 3.0 knots S.O.G. Instantly we had a double that was Lake Trout! Crazy fish were not acting like Trout. From 75 feet of water to 70 we had both ten core leads screaming out and two down-riggers. In less than half an hour we had 8 real nice Steelhead! We trolled into shallow water (55- 46 feet) trying for Cohos, Kings, and a Brown. Lost several large Kings before time and cooler space were gone.

"Speed Kills"

The silver fish are still outside of the first ridge (shallowest part 46 feet, where the weeds are) I troll next to the drop off up to 60 feet by watching my fish finder and GPS to not slam the bottom with my rigs. Riggers down 40- 45 feet are working just outside of the ridge and as you get a bit deeper drop your riggers down up to 55 feet. Spoons trolled up to 3.4 knots SOG are the key to catching these shallow fish.

Speed Really Matters

There are two separate schools of fish that we are targeting, the Salmon and Lake Trout. First decide which species you want to go after and then fish for them specifically. There are silver fish in real shallow water (40 to 60 feet) and Lake Trout out deeper (80 to 120 feet). Spoons are working best for the silver fish, but make sure your speed is appropriate for their needs (around 3 knots S.O.G.) Riggers down 40 feet are taking the majority of Salmon, while the Lakers are preffering big dodgers with a green fly of "Blue-boy" on the bottom. SLOW is the key for them, hit the bottom with your ball and pull it up a foot. Make sure it is all the way down for maximum bites. Speed should be 1.8 knots S.O.G. to 2.1 knots. Slower the better! There are Salmon out deep, but make sure you chose your species and watch your speed. When fishing for the Lakers I run only 3 riggers and 2 copper lines only. Triple headers are more common than not. We had 4 triples and had our Trout limit! Then pull lines and "rip spoons" for Kings in the shallows for the rest of our limit..

Perch are hitting real well at the harbor mouths on soft-shells and minnows.

Nice Rack

The fish are moving around following the bait fish so don't spend too much time fishing where they were yesterday or the day before. The schools have been shallower than usual on account of the cloud cover. They normally feed shallow during the night and as the sun pops up they find shelter in the deeper water. The bait is hanging where it normally is in the 46 to 56 foot range (where you see the bottom rising and falling quickly) Most of the lake bottom is sand, but there are ridges made of clay and rock that holds weeds, small aquatic critters, gobies, and the alewives, so this is a good place to explore during low-light conditions.

The perch have been slow since the North winds came in, but today we have South. This should result in a good afternoon bite (not biting right now, it's 10 am and nothing so far this morning)

"Pick Your Species"

It's a great time to be able to pick which species of fish you would like to target. Perch are hitting like mad in and out of the harbors, so catch them before the waters become too warm and they move offshore. I do Perch charters B.T.W. (season closes for July) The King Salmon, Coho Salmon, Browns, and Steelhead, are in shallow water (46 to 58 feet) and are hitting spoons and flies down 20 feet to the bottom. The shallow, Spring patterns are not worth running anymore because the surface temperatures have risen, so put out your lead lines (3 colors to 10 colors out behind the birds)

The Lake Trout are outside of 90 feet, but best is about 110 feet to 120 feet. Big chrome dodgers with a green fly 20 feet behind the ball (on the bottom) has been working best recently. As the waters warm the Salmon and Trout will be all in the same area and the Perch will be on some of the off-shore reefs that are miles from shore.

Get Them While They are Hot!

30 fish charters have been the norm for 6 guys! There are fish scattered all the way from 50 feet of water to 130 feet, but the best action has been outside of 90 feet. The silver fish are down 50 -60 feet and prefer a faster troll than usual (near 3 mph) Spoons have been taking the larger fish, but tiny flies are still producing well on the surface.

Perch have been feeding heavily and are hitting everything from shiners to jigs and softshells. I caught my limit of JUMBO PERCH today during the rain on a "paddle-bug" with a small split-shot 3 feet above.

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

The salmon are anywhere from 50 feet of water to 115 feet down about 50 to 60 feet. My surface Spring patterns(Small dodger and tiny flies) are still taking cohos and some steelhead. Lakers are outside of 80 feet on the bottom, even though we got a few down 50 feet on a rigger and spoon and also on my 10 core with a spoon. If you want salmon and steelhead go fast ( near 3 mph ) Look for the bait pods and work them.

Anyone hungry for a fish fry?

You need to keep traversing the dept gradient until the schools are located. We started fishing in 60 feet of water and continued deeper with dipsy divers set real shallow (30 - 70 feet on counter ) Yellow- birds with small flies and small dodgers are taking most of the cohos ( 3/8 oz. weights ) Lead lines ( 10 colors out ) using spoons are VERY effective and take many of the larger fish.

PERCH are in the harbors and will continue bitting while the South and West winds continue.

"Catch them High and Low"

Fish are spread out from 60 feet to 116 feet of water. Cohos are still hitting tiny flies and small dodgers right on the surface. Kings on spoons down near the bottom and Lakers are right on the bottom hitting big dodgers with large flies such as "Green-crinkle" and the old stand-by "Spin-n- glow". I am still seeing the salmon and Steelheads feeding on the surface in the early mornings. Perch are starting to bite again after that North wind messed it all up.

Great Spring Fishing!

The salmon are feeding on the alewives in the low light hours and running miles back to deeper sanctuary during the day. Spoons down near the bottom and surface patterns(yellow-birds...) with small weights (5/8 oz. and smaller) with small dodgers and tiny flies are taking the Steelhead and Cohos. Lake Trout are plentiful outside of 80 feet of water, down near the bottom with larger dodgers and "green crinkle" flies. Early mornings there are cohos and browns near the shore, even saw a bunch of cohos in the harbor while perch fishing. BTW the perch are in the harbors and just outside, hitting minnows. I catch them on a "paddle-bug" jig with a small split shot above it.

Nice Cohos!

The cohos are real nice sized for spring. Surface baits (yellow-birds) small dodgers with tiny flies are taking most of the cohos. Spoons down 20 feet on the riggers are taking brown trout and nice kings. Orange was working well when the sun was out. Limit catches has been the norm !

Spring Fishing in Chicago or Alaska?

So here they are. Close to shore. Kings on spoons down deep near bottom. Cohos are on surface with small flies.

The Cohos have arrived in Chicago!

The salmon and trout are thick along the Chicago shoreline. Limit catches are being taken on all the usual...crank-baits, spoons, dodgers and flies. Shore action is also good using alewives, crawlers, body-baits, spoons.