Whoopee Tyee

That gets me into the mood for Spring!

East Bay is a little tough but there are Salmon there. Got one Saturday morning in front of Elk Rapids. Early morning bite is there but not much after.

Welcome to the site. I'm a short timer too but the advice is invaluable.

Went out with my wife at 5:00 pm to look for Salmon again in East Grand Traverse Bay. Went South for two miles and marked lots of fish but no bites. Not too many boats there as it's not the hottest port on Lake Michigan. Finally turned around and started our troll back at 7:30 and again no action. At 8:30 with darkness starting to gather we took a 5 pound Lake Trout on a Protroll Flasher and a fly on the deep rigger (105 feet down in 130 FOW). Around 9:15 we got another Laker on the other rigger and he rolled himself up good in the line. We had a mess in the net when we landed him and just as he came over the transom the starboard dipsey with a glow plug started singing. I had my wife fight the fish while I tried to untangle the mess in what was now getting to be very dim light. I finally cut the line to the fly and untangled the Laker and got him into the cooler just as the King was coming to the boat. We landed the 15 pound 4 oz King as darkness was just about complete. The hook on the Silver Horde plug was bend partially open on two of the trebles. First time I've seen that. It was a nice end to a slow evening. We're hoping that the fish become a little more plentiful as August progresses.

My boat is an 18.5 foot Lund Tyee. Yesterday is was practically dead calm on the lake. There were zero boats in the area I was in. That may change now that I've posted this. Good luck.

Left the dock at 6:09 and went North to about even with the tip of Old Mission. First fish was a Laker on the Downrigger with a Big Weenie glow large flasher & fly down 80 feet. Trolled North and picked up a 9 pound King on the 260 foot 45# copper with a blue dolphin spoon. After two more lakers on the riggers we got the pictured 20 lb 5 oz King off the rigger down 80 feet with a Big Weenie UV paddle flasher & fly. One more King, 12 lbs, on the wire dipsey at 2 setting back 180 ft with a similar Big Weenie UV flasher/fly setup. Got two more lakers to finish off at 11:30. It was our best day on the bay this season.

Went out at 6:00 from Elk Rapids with my wife (her in the photo) looking for Salmon North of the port. Only caught Lake Trout on Flashers & Flys on the riggers down 90 feet in 130 FOW. Finally gave up on the Salmon and finished up with our limit of lakers using cowbells and peanuts at the end. Back to port by noon.

Went out from 6:00 to 10:30 to look for Lake Trout and found them about five miles North in 40 -80 FOW. Went 8 for 11 with two under sized fish returned. Two were nice size and the other four were 20 -22 inches. Trolled at 2.5 mph +/1 with riggers, dipseys and lead core. Caught fish on everything but rigger with cowbells and peanut was best. UV spoons in yellows and blues also worked. Had most success with 30 to 45 foot depth of lures circling through the best spots. Thanks to Downtime for local advice on Grand Traverse Bay.

Great job with the video. Love that Lund!

I'm relatively new to fishing but I'm having fun getting started. Thursday morning my wife & I went out of Manistee at 6:00 and fishing was slow. At 8:30 got a 25 inch Lake Trout in 180 FOW down 35 ft on a rigger with a Big Weenie large paddle flasher & fly. Around 9:30 we picked up a 10 lb King on a similar Flasher Fly combo at 60 ft down in 150 FOW. Finshed catching at 10:30 with a 7 lb King on a 200ft cooper and a Mixed Veggie Spoon. It wasn't a great day but for our third time out we were happy.

Whoopee Tyee

Hi Brandon,

I just started fishing for Salmon and Lake Trout in the summer of 2011. I live in Bellaire during the summer and fished from Elk Rapids. I'm sure there must be more of us in the area.