wisejohn

Was able to get out Monday morning, chop not to bad. Problem was the water temp was 65 F top to bottom, shore to 120 ft. Very few marks, but plenty of bait fish. Did finally get a steelhead on, but he threw the hook on his 3rd jump out of the water. Oh well.

Fished Friday 5 - 7 pm out of saugatuck. Morning reports said fish were caught 60+ FOW, so we fished 80-115 (trolling mostly north and south) thinking fish moved out. Used mostly spoons and paddles and marked a lot of fish 40-70 down, and few few up high. Finally got a strike on DR Green ladder-back and green flasher at 6:30. I'm sure fishing improved as the sun went down, but we went in for other obligations. Have fun!

Mostly 4 year olds, but one we think 2 year old.

Beautiful morning on the lake. Winds began out of the SE and shifted later to SW, but only mild wave action. Trolled from 90 to 120 FOW and consistently marked fish 50-60 down as well as 10-30 down near to surface. First 2 strikes came at 8 am on 300 ft copper and DR 60 down, both on green/blue ladder-back spoons with green flashers, SW troll. 30 min later one again on same 300 ft Copper. One last strike on same DR at around 10 am. No strikes on j-plugs or flies + spin doctor. Salmon were a little dark, suggesting they are beginning to stage for the run.

Had four strikes between 85-90 FOW, but unfortunately none ended up in the boat. Three on DR 60 ft down with green pickle seed spoon, one on 300 ft copper green/black/white ladder back spoon. Will try again on Saturday.

Fished 5 - 8 pm out of Saugatuck, from 75 to 150 fow. marked a few fish at 100 and 150, but no takers. With little talk about salmon, most of my spread targeted steelhead. Hope to try again next weekend.

Went on afternoon fishing trip Saturday Aug 15. Started at 85 -90 FOW, marked many fish , but water temps in 60s, no bites. Moved out to 110-115 FOW, similar conditions but finally a release off 200 ft copper with mag blue dolphin. Good fighting skamania steelhead was eventually landed. Later got a small laker trolling each through 90 FOW on downrigger, 80 down with white SD and green fly.

Got a late start Saturday morning (boat troubles). Settled in the 100-130 FOW level with many other boats, even though water temps were a little high (60 F near bottom). Marked fish but no releases. From the Holland 8/7 report I think I should have gone out to 190+ FOW to find the right water. Lesson learned.

Fished 5 - 8 pm out of Saugatuck on Tuesday July 21. Trolled west from 70 FOW to 100 FOW, water 65-75 F from top to bottom. Then shortly after 100 FOW found thermo ... with 58-62 F water 65 down to bottom. Turned north to stay in the zone and got a release on downrigger, 80 down on blue/green bubble fly and pearl white spin doctor, 2-2.5 mpg at ball. Feisty 15 lb king landed after trouble in planer board. Welcome the success.

Fished out of Saugatuck Aug 1, started 7:30 am at 70 FOW and trolled 2.3 mph out to 130 FOW. Marked some lakers on bottom and I suspect a few steelhead near top, but no hookups until 9 am. Took a 13 lb lake trout on 300 ft copper with a ice blue glow spoon. That was it for the morning.

Fished 9 -11:30 am on July 4 out of Saugatuck. Found good water temps (50-55 F) at 120-140 FOW, 45-60 ft down. Caught 7 lb steelhead on green dolphin (45 ft downrigger), 5 lb coho on blue dolphin (45 ft downrinner) and 5 lb laker on blue dolphin (200 ft copper). flies were bad, but fishing good.

Fished out of Saugatuck on Memorial day, fished S-N troll at 75-80 FOW, 2.5 mph, went 3 for 6. Two 10 lb Kings and 1 4 lb Coho. All bites came in lower profile, 60 ft and down, mostly on variations of Dolfin lure, blue dolphin, green dolphin, gold dolphin, and once on metallic flounder pounder. Beautiful morning on lake Michigan.

fished mid-morning our of Saugatuck on Mother's Day (yep 2 moms in the boat), started at 55 FOW on south troll and 2.3 MPH at ball. 1st hit after ten minutes on DR 35 depth gold dolphin, but lost the 20lb-ish king near boat. Lost 2 more on lead core (double orange crush) and 200 ft copper (NBK) over next 30 min, ranging from 50 to 60 FOW. Turned back to north troll and finally netted a 20 lb king on DR 30 ft down with NBK spoon. Big healthy kings!!!!

Fished out of Saugatuck Sunday morning (9/16) . started at 80 FOW and trolled west to 130 FOW ... plenty of 45-50 degree water deep in the profile, and fish marking, but not much action. Finally caught a 6 lb laker on downrigger 75 ft down at 120 FOW on a metallic flounder pounder with a big coyote flasher .... same rig went again 30 min later ... larger fish and got off. My conclusion is that salmon not yet here?

late start ... fished 8 - noon out of Saugatuck. Water was 70 F from top to bottom out till about 115 FOW, then thermocline with cold water (50-60F) began to appear in deeper water. Consistently marked fish from 120 - 140 FOW, mostly at greater depths, but occasionally 40-50 deep. Trolled with a wide range of lures, green spinny meat rig, white fly and spin doctor, mixed veggies, blue dolphin, green ladder-back jpug, pounder flounder, but could not get a single hit. Hmm .... like they had lock-jaw? Made me wonder if when mature salmon stage in deep water, do they stop feeding preceding the run, but are not yet likely to strike like they do at the pier heads?

sorry for the late report. fished 7:30 - 11:30 out of Saugatuck on July 14. fished west from 70 - 85 FOW, then turned south and immediately had a 9 lb steelhead on downrigger (45 ft down), on multicolor flounder pounder. Fish another 30 min, nothing. Put a big coyote flasher on same rig, and within 5 min got a 8 lb laker. turned north-west to 100 FOW and picked up a 8 lb steelie on 200 ft copper mag blue dolphin. Wow fun.

Marked big fish and bait 80-90 FOW, but no takers ... then marked nothing till we reached 110-120 and started marking again. Big steelhead screamed line out of my 200 ft copper with blue dolphin ... jumped 2 times and shook the hook. I expect could have had a few more tries if didn't have to leave early.

Fished out of Saugatuck this morning. Picked up five med size lakers between 90 - 110 FOW, best when trolling S-SE. 2.2 - 2.5 MPH 2 came of DR with green bubble fly and green/blue spin doctor 75 down. 3 came on 300 ft copper with a green multi-color ladder back spoon and glow flounder pounder. Had a bite on mixed veggies on leadcore (30 ft down) from a big stealhead, jump out of the water and then headed straight to my boat, he won ... I lost.