Fishing Report

Cold water changes fishing conditions (Aug-13-2012)

Compared to the last few weeks, this past weeks fishing was definately slower. Creel numbers went from 12 to 30 fish per trip to 6 to 15 fish per trip with a mixed bag of chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead and lake trout. Then we got hit with the strong winds and storms on Friday and Saturday and the water temperature went from 76 degrees to 45 degrees and the fish scattered. On Sunday there were fish caught from the pier head out to 200 foot, however the bite was slow. Today we caught 19 fish from 90 foot of water out to 190 foot with the best fishing in 180 to 190 foot. The best bait combinations continues to be flashers and flies and some plugs. On the downriggers, dipsy divers and 300 copper we are pulling white fish scale 11 in Pro Troll with a Rapture Illusion fly, the super frog with a hypnotist fly, white blue bubble with a Rapture blue bubble fly, green wiggle with illusion fly, mixed veggie with wild fern fly. On the 100 copper and on the 200 copper we are running Ace Hi plugs (silver red head, green glow UV, wonderbread, and green splatter back). For fishing information and charter reservations email me at captron@chartermichigan.com.

A week of limit catches in Saugatuck (Aug-05-2012)

Last week the fish spread out a little however the result remains the same with limit catches almost every day. Early in the week we were fishing in 100 to 115 foot of water and during the week we moved out to 120 foot and then out to 150 foot and on Saturday we caught fish out to 180 foot of water. Every day we would start fishing in 95 foot of water and move out until we either marked or started catching fish. We would start fishing 60 to 90 foot down and as the day progressed we would lower the baits to 90 to 150 foot down. The creels continued to consist of 75% chinook salmon with the remaining being a mixture of coho, lake trout and steelhead. The best combination continues to be flashers and flies on the downrigger, dipsy divers and 300 and 450 copper with spoons and plugs on the 200 copper and on 150 copper. The following are the combinations that worked best for us last week: 1. 11 in. Pro Troll white/glow with a Rapture hypnotist or illusion fly on the deep downrigger. 2. 11 in Pro Troll double UV white blade with a Rapture second wish fly on the deep divers 3. 8 in. Chrome silver blade fish scale with hypnotist fly. 4. 8 in Super Frog with hypnotist fly 5. 8 in white blade Pro Troll with double glow and a hypnotist fly 6. 8 in green blade Pro Troll with double glow and UV second wish fly 7. UV mixed veggie Pro Troll with purple no see um 8. UV on UV Pro Troll flasher with UV illusion fly 9. White green wiggle flasher with UV illusion fly In the last half of the week we have been running more and more UV flies and when we tested UV on one side of the boat to identical non UV flies on the other, the UV out fished the regular flies. Very little perch fishing this past week since 1. the salmon fishing is so good, most boats are fishing for them and 2. the perch are spread out in different depths. For more information and/or charter reservations, email me at captron@chartermichigan.com.

Another Fantastic Week of Fishing (Jul-29-2012)

The chinook and coho salmon fishing continues to be excellent with catches of 14 to 30 fish per trip. Last week the fishing was in 110 to 130 foot of water and this week the fishing was best in 130 to 150 foot of water and even out to 170 foot of water. The chinook salmon again are pushing 20 pounds with steelhead over 12 pounds and coho up to 10 pounds. The best lures continue to be Pro Troll white bladed flashers with Rapture hypnotist flies. To find out all the combinations that are working check out last weeks fishing report since the combo have not changed but the depth we are runnig them and has in increased with downriggers being run down to 150 foot and the dipsy divers being run out 300 foot. For fishing information and/or charter reservations email me at captron@chartermichigan.com.

Another Week of Fantastic Fishing in Saugatuck (Jul-22-2012)

We have had the 4th week in a row of limit or near limit catches of chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead and lake trout. This is not the "normal" fishing result for July but it more resembles our August fishing. The fish are found anywhere from 60 foot to 150 foot of water, however the best depth for us has been the 90 to 115 foot range. The chinook salmon are running from 12 to 20 pounds with steelhead and lake trout weighing in from 6 to 14 pounds. We are also getting a mix of coho in the creel from 4 to 8 pounds. The best methods continue to be the dipsy divers at 200 foot and 100 foot out with flashers and flies. Once again, on the high divers we have the Pro Troll white glow mountain dew on one side and a blue bubble on the other and white fish scale on one low diver and a UV mixed veggie on the other. On all the flashers we are pulling either the glow hypnotist or green no see um flies. Down riggers are run at 85 foot 50 foot and 60 foot down with flashers and flies on all of them. The best combination was the 11 in Pro Troll white blade glow with a hypnotist fly on the middle downrigger and the white double glow with the hypnotist on the 50 foot rigger. The copper varied from day to day with 150 foot of copper with a stingray glow back mixed veggie and a green splatter back Silver Horde plug and the 200 foot and 300 foot copper with a variety of flashers (silver and white blades and green flies. Perch fishing has been slow the first part of the week,however there were some good reports in 30 to 40 foot of water 10 miles south of Saugatuck. One boat reported 80 to 100 perch on Friday and another caught 30 by 10 AM on Sunday and they were running 10 to 13 in. For more information and/or charter reservations, email me at captron@chartermichigan.com.

12 salmon in one hour (Jul-15-2012)

Spectacular fishing (12 in the first hour on Sunday): This past week we have been fishing in 65-115 FOW, 25-85 feet down depending on water temps. Early in the week, after the water cooled down, there was some very good fishing in front of the piers with chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead and lake trout being caught. After the water warmed the fishing continued out in the 65 to 115 foot depth. Best lures continued to be stingrays on the 100, 150, 200 and 300 foot copper lines - mixed veggie, mixed veggie w/ glow back, tangerine, modified green dolphin, double orange crush, magic man. This past week we also saw our first bite on plugs with the green splatterback on 100 and 150 foot of copper. .On the wire divers and downrigger we ran Pro Troll flashers and Rapture flies. Below are the combinations that we ran: White double glow with hypnotist fly Mixed Veggie with purple no see um Super frog with yellow fern Blue Wiggle with oceana Chrome mountain dew with hit man no see um White mountain dew with green no see um Chartreuse double glow with hypnotist 11 in white glow with 1st wish (on the center downrigger every day all day) Perch fishing has been very slow since the cold water moved in but as the lake continues to warm we should see this fishing pick up. For fishing information or for charter reservations email me at captron@chartermichigan.com.