Waukegan Salmon Report

[Captain Ken]

Headed out of Waukegan at 7:00 AM. Northernly wind, got stronger and more north around 11:30 AM. Water a bit milky all day.
Set up in 25 FOW and headed in. 12 hooked, 9 in the box at the end of the day. Clients I was guiding lost 2 that should have been in box. 12-20 FOW was magic number. Greens, white, silver on flys and red 00 dodgers. Speed on gps was 1.9-2.1 and that corresponded to paddlewheel going north. Speed coming south was 2.9 on GPS which corresponded to about 2.0-2.1 on paddlewheel. Trolled from the can to pile of rocks N of stacks. No downriggers. Only Birds and dipseys. Both produced. Dragged body baits and only got one fish on an orange tadpolly. Dipsey's only out 15-20 feet on the line counter. Flat line with body bait produced 0. Headed in at 12:30 PM. Don't be afraid to fish for these guys in 12-15 FOW.

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Captain Ken Kessler
www.captainken.com
www.muskieschool.com
Guiding in Illinois and North East Minnesota
847-970-9108 Illinois
218-742-4680 Minnesota

[Captain Ken]

Headed out of Waukegan at 9:00 AM May 8, 2004. Southeast wind. Good size swells. Almost all the boats seemed to be straight out and to the South of the can. I decided I would go to the stacks. Fishing alone so set the poles up by the can and headed N. Mudline in front of the stacks was out in about 20 FOW. All my fish came from in the muddier water about 16-18 feet. Not in the warmest water (56 degrees) but not in the ambient (44 degrees) either. Greens, white, silver on flys and red 00 dodgers. Speed on gps was 1.9-2.1. Total fish caught = 5 - 4 on the bird and 1 on the dipsey. Rig was 20 feet behind the bird. Smaller sized dipsey was about 20-25 down on the counter with power pro. No downriggers. Got my limit and went in by 11:30. Word at the ramp was that lots of guys came in with not too many. Not sure what they were doing different, but I did notice by where I was fishing quite a few boats were truckin’ along and I did not see them catching much.

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Captain Ken Kessler
www.captainken.com
www.muskieschool.com
Guiding in Illinois and North East Minnesota
847-970-9108 Illinois
218-742-4680 Minnesota