Fishing Report

A week of inconsistent fishing (Jul-12-2015)

July 12, 2015 Fishing Report

This past week was a strange week for fishing on Lake Michigan, with a catch of 12 fish on the beginning of the week and then 3 fish the next couple of trips and then 9 and 10 fish by the end of the week. The lake did cool off with 43 degree water in front of the piers and 47 degree water on the surface and 41 degree water on the bottom in 70 foot of water. We did fish in front of the piers for part of two days and caught some nice salmon and steelhead, however, most of our time was spent in 70 to 90 foot of water. This past week we caught steelhead over 11 pounds, Chinook salmon 19 pounds and lake trout over 12 pounds.

When we fished in front of the piers, we caught salmon and steelhead on small orange and orange and green stingers behind 3 color and 30 and 75 foot of copper line. Off shore we fished the same way we have been the last week with metal dodgers and spin n glos on the bottom for the lake trout. The salmon and steelhead were caught on 3 color lead core, 100 foot of copper, 150 foot of copper with small orange crush and orange and green stingers. We also caught salmon on the high diver at 100 foot with blue bubble flashers and white glow flashers with different Rapture mirage flies with green beads. The low divers are on the bottom with either metal dodgers or silver flashers and Rapture mirage flies with yellow beads.

The perch fishing reports were also inconsistent with limit catches reported one day and then 0 fish the next in the same place. The fishermen on the lake side of the piers were catching nice stringers of steelhead during the mid week with shrimp below a slip bobber or alewife below a bobber. The fishermen on the channel side of the piers had stringers full of sheephead and catfish.

For more information or for a charter reservation feel free to email me at captron@chartermichigan.com.

Cold water moves salmon to the piers. (Jul-05-2015)

July 5, 2015 Fishing Report

This was a week of change with some strong north winds for two days blowing in cold water. The water temperature changed from 63 degrees one day to 47 degrees the next and as a result some of the salmon and steelhead moved in front the piers where the bait schooled. During the July 4^th weekend you could fish in 90 foot of water and catch lake trout and some salmon or you could fish in 20 foot of water and catch some salmon and steelhead. Either place produced creel numbers of 10 to 15 fish per trip. By Sunday, the bite in side slowed and most boats moved off shore.

The fishing in the deeper water is producing with the same lures and combinations that I listed in the last couple of reports.

In front the piers the fish were hitting small orange and orange combination stingers on 2, 3 and 5 color leadcore. In addition the dipsy divers at 40 and 60 foot with Stingray lures produced some nice salmon.

There are some good reports on the perch with 20 to 40 per boat reported. With the cold water, the best bet was on the edge of the river water in 30 to 40 foot. There were also some nice catches in 50 to 60 foot of water off the ball.

For more information or to make arrangements for a fishing charter email me at captron@chartermichigan.com.

12 pound Chinook Salmon starting to show up in Saugatuck (Jun-29-2015)

Another good week of fishing, however a little slower than the past few weeks with our creel numbers ranged from 8 to 14 with salmon increasing in appearance each week. We have had two to four salmon on each of the trips this past week and they are weighing in about 12 pounds. We are fishing in 90 to 100 foot of water; however there have been good catches out to 125 foot of water. Our creel is still dominated by lake trout, however, we are seeing more alewife in the stomach of the lake trout (instead of gobies) and this should bring in more Chinook salmon.

The method is still metal dodgers and spin n glos on the bottom for the lake trout. The best color combinations are tin can Gold Star dodgers and silver green and green and chartreuse spin n glos. And white glow Gold Star dodgers and white glow spin n glos.

The Chinook salmon are coming on Pro Troll UV mixed veggie flasher and wild fern flies on 200 and 300 copper. The high dipsy divers with flashers and meat have also been producing nice salmon at 180 and 200 foot out.

We are once again seeing some success with the perch fishing in the
Saugatuck area. There were reports this week of catches of 20 to 30 fish in 40 to 50 foot of water. Sunday produced some cold 53 degree water locked along the shoreline, the perch were caught in the mix river water.

If you are interested in a fishing charter or just want information about the fishing in the Saugatuck area, email me at captron@chartermichigan.com.

Lake Trout and a few Salmon (Jun-22-2015)

June 24 Fishing Report

The creel this past week consisted of 99% lake trout and an occasional salmon or steelhead. The best fishing early in the week was 70 to 80 foot of water, however, by the weekend the best depth was the 90 to 100 foot depth. The fishing is still very good with morning charter creel numbers in the teens and afternoon charters producing numbers of 6 to 10 fish.

The best method continues to be metal dodgers and spin n glos on the bottom for the lake trout and meat rigs 50 to 70 foot down for the salmon. We have been running the outdowns and low divers on the bottom and the middle rigger and the high divers 50 to 70 foot down. There has been very little action with the copper, although we are running 200, 300 and 400 foot of copper every time out.

Perch fishing this past week was poor with reports of 6 to 20 fish but many boats failed to catch any perch but all the golbies you would want. Pier fishing was very good for cat fish and sheephead with many fishermen showing us full stingers.

For more information or to make a charter reservation, email me at captron@chartermichigan.com.

Salmon and Lake Trout in the Creel (Jun-15-2015)

June 15 Fishing Report

This past week produced some very good fishing with a mixed catch of lake trout and a few salmon in the creel. 90 to 100 foot of water produced lake trout on the bottom and salmon (up to 12 pounds) 40 to 60 foot down.

The lake trout continues to be caught on metal Gold Star dodgers with silver/green, green/chartreuse Spin n Glos. The salmon were hitting Rapture fly meat rigs on the high divers at 180 and 200 foot. Also we did catch slamon on 200 and 300 foot of copper with Pro Troll silver/mountain dew and mixed veggie UV flashers with green hypnotist and wild fern Rapture flies.

Sunday I saw the first good catch of perch. The fishermen had about 40 perch and a couple looked like walleye and exceeded 12 in. The fish were caught in 45 to 50 foot of water and this was the best perch catch I have seen in a couple of years. I hope this continues.

For more information or to book a fishing charter, email me at captron@chartermichigan.com.