Lake Michigan

[tunrevir]

I have been getting excellent reports of fish being caught nearshore on many of the popular landings on LM right now and the fish have been active for about three weeks right now. Kings, bows and coho are all in the mix. It is super early to head over but the fish are banging in alot of the usual spots. If you can find the time to get over there and fish I'd say go for it as the fish are biting. Got a report out of Keewaunee this past weekend that was unheard of for this time of year. Some really nice kings caught with a mix of coho and bows but they are getting them mid morning and throughout the day. Flashers and flies have taken most fish but a few have come on spoons and boards up high as well.

Tunrevir~

[JAR JAR]

I sure hope the July bite will be on with them doing so well over there now.

[tunrevir]

I'm with you Jar Jar, I have two consecutive weekends off but 'm tempted to run over for a quick drop and pluck just to see how things are going instead of walleye fishing next weekend.

Tunrevir~

[JAR JAR]

We ar going to be at Salmon Harbor July 12th thru the 15th this year

John

[IL Res]

What you have heard is true. Unbelievable spring king bite that I have never seen in 34 yrs charter fishing Lake Michigan. The only downside is that over half of the coho caught are still eating bugs [ black flys, butterflys, ladybugs ]. They have NO alewife in their stomachs and are considerably smaller than they should be at this time of year. This concerns me as there is ample baitfish around. At the IL/ WISC border, the majority of coho remain in deeper water [ 100+ ft ] and haven't visited the shallows yet this year, forcing charter boats to burn a lot more fuel. Water temperatures are around 53 F near shore which is usual for this time of year. Is this the new "normal"? Not quite sure...

[End of the Line]

I'm heading over there this Memorial weekend to fish Racine area, hoping the weather holds up a little better than the forecast.

[LoonASea]

I'm leaving for Kewaunee tomorrow ,,,hope the fish are still biting and the weather cooperates

[tunrevir]

I'm still getting excellent reports of salmon catches and bows on Lake Michigan. Seems to be primarily a flasher and fly bite off dypsies and riggers with spoons and meat rigs mixed in. I am itching to get over there and give it a run myself and as soon as I get a few free days I'm headed over!

Tunrevir~

[Borch]

Last week my dad hit keewaunnee with a couple freinds and did ok despite the rough weather. It was a spoon bite for them but others they talked to did well on flasher fly combos. Several salmon and bows caught. Seemed to do best in 150 - 17u0 fow in the top half of the water column.

[tunrevir]

I have been hearing the skinny water inside of 100 and a straight troll out is getting guys a few fish. Flashers and flies or spoons is really speed dependent but a good mixture will get you bit. Copper off boards and wire dypsie rigs are getting hit. Hot spoons seem to be the pearl yuk, purple pk, and some of the other darker colors. Don't lock into a presentation though and if your not getting bit then change it up and use everything that you have been bit with in the past. Funny how some spoons are hot one year and the next they won't even get hit. Wonderbread is decent, black and gold proking(MGD) is always good as well as the orange spoons up high for bows. Don't be afraid to move your downriggers around in the water. Sometimes it is a speed thing depending on the currents. There is alot of cold water in shallow and there are plenty of fish inside 100 right now. I have always been partial to a green dolphin down the chute on a fullcore when I am out there.

Tunrevir~

[Sutty]

I am looking forward to finally making it out myself. What a fantastic spring I have been missing over there....

[mabr]

Anyone been lately? Were heading out on sunday from Algona with Kinns and wondering if the reports have stayed the same.

[JAR JAR]

I heard a report from another HSOforum for Kinns and he was just pounding them the other day, so you should have a great outing, things are really hot there now.

[mabr]

Thats good to hear Jar and thanks for the report. It our first time ever fishing for salmon and although im not usually a charter kind of guy im really looking forward to it.

Again thanks

[tunrevir]

Kinns has been limiting out most mornings and had some serious catching this past week. Flashers and flies have been going well for them. You are gonna have a great trip Mabr!

Tunrevir~

[Jim Almquist]

End of The Line (Joel) is out there right now. I see he posted on FB a real nice King yesterday. Sounds like there having some decent luck.

[mabr]

I hope to have some good pictures to post on wed. Leaving in about an hour. Thanks for the reports its got me excited.

[Sutty]

I have heard the steelhead have really been going as well.

[DREZLER]

Just got back from Baileys yesterday.

Fishing was excellent as my brother and I both limited out our boats. (50 fish).

Fishing was good in 60-80 feet of water and they were biting from top to bottom.

3 and 4 colors off boards were good, riggers were good, dipsies were the best.

It was about half and half between flasher/flies and spoons. Actually we caught more on flashers but we had more flashers out.

Biggest was 20 pounds and a lot were 10-15 pounds. Few shakers. 1 laker.

Excellent weather to be fishing!!

[mabr]

Well we got back today as well. What a time. Had 2- 5 hour trips starting on Monday afternoon at noon.

Afternoon bite was really good for size with the majority in the what our captain said were 4 year olds, had a few bows in there as well. Ended up with 13, with twice that amount coming unhooked. Which based on what a lot of the other captains were saying over the radio was a common problem that afternoon.

This morning was unreal, started at 3:15 and had lines set by 3:35. First fish was about 5 min in and then it was nonstop for 1 solid hour. Had 4 on at a time numerous times. I’m sure our captain was grateful when it let up, he could finally get the nets untangled, lines back in and take a breather. The bite slowed after the sun got up, but we managed to take our limit of 30 fish for our group of 6 by 6:30. Final tally for the day was 25 kings, 4 steel heads and one nice laker that supposedly was a rare one because it had the real red fins.

Heres a few pics, and a recommendation to anyone wanting to try it DOOOO IT!!! It was a blast .

[JAR JAR]

Nice job Mabr, Now that you are hooked , how long before you get your big lake boat rigged up? Ha Ha . It's an addiction for sure

[mabr]

Thanks but we didnt do it, it was the captain, we just reeled them in. That was the only part i was disapointed about. But being a complete rookie I'll live with it. I'll be back for sure. Not in my bass boat though.

Hey the guys we went out with mentioned the fall bite in Algoma, is this something you could do with a smaller boat? It would be neat to catch them without all the weight they use to get to them this time of year. I could imagine it would be a real blast

[tunrevir]

The fall bite is alot of fun and you can get by with a smaller boat. Most of the trolling is right around the harbour mouths and just outside a ways. Folks run thin fins, mepps spinners, fast tracs, spoons, rattle raps. You name it, and we have even casted for fish and hooked up. There is a decent walleye bite on some of the nearshore reefs and the chance at some large browns, kings, coho and bows will still be available out deep as well.

Tunrevir~

[reinhard1]

these are some fall run salmon from the streams in the Racine area that my brother and his buds got. good luck.

[Crusty old Swede]

We fished Baileys Harbor Mon, Tues & Thursday last week. Mon & Tues it was a mixed spoon F/F plug bite they liked anything behind a rigger or dipsey. Thursday it was a spoon bite with the preference being Moonshine emminator or a plain blue glow spoon (both magnums) We fished 70 to 110' fow with 45 to 80' being the hot range. Wed we fished out of Ellison bay with only 1 king on an emminator spoon.