wisejohn

I could see fisherman working deep out of Saugatuck, but we got a late start Sunday morning (10 am) so set lines at 45 FOW.  Picked up a small dark King within 10 minutes on a blue/green fly and spin doctor, 35 ft down on downrigger. Water was warm, 65 F, but we were marking a lot of bait and predators.  Soon learned that many of those "big fish" were sheephead, as we caught 2 of them!  ugh ...

With the heavy rain and strong winds this week I am hoping that salmon will be in shallows soon!

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.

In the past I have heard of salmon moving in and out, from shallow to deep, before going up-stream.  You think they all have gone up already?

After the good post on Thursday Sept 10 about kings near Saugatuck pier we tried Friday evening.  Fished from 20 - 60 FOW, both is clean and dirty water, scattered marks ... no takers.

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.

Matt, water temps I targeted were 58 - 62 F.  Mostly 60 foot and deeper while fishing 90 - 110 FOW.

Fished out of Saugatuck 1 - 4 pm on Aug 1, went 1 for 2. Afternoon not ideal, but cloud cover helped.  Found cold water at 75 FOW, but focused trolling north-south between 95 - 105 FOW, 2.1 - 2.4 mph at the ball.  Both releases came on downrigger, 60 ft down, green dolphin. Missed the first, but second was a hog of a king, 22 lb.  From reports I have been reading, it seems like the green dolphin has been a popular lure to get strikes.  

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.

well done.  Can you share the lures that were working?

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.

Fished more shallow than most ... 85-95 FOW ... south and north .... 3 kings around 10 lbs .. 7:30 - 10 am .. all on 200 ft copper .. 2 on mag blue dolphin .. 1 on green/blue ladder back .... 2.7 mph

several boats were out deep, maybe 150-200 FOW, not sure how they did

Fishing from 7 AM- noon on Sept 10, marking fish from 45 - 75 FOW but no takers.  water temp was 62ish.  trolled north and south, with spoons, flies and J-plugs on riggers, dipsies and copper, but no luck.

started fishing our of Saugatuck 7/27 at 7:30 AM, with limited marks from 95-120 FOW and 75 F on surface and 50s at 60 ft down on rigger.

winds gradually shifted to N-NE. No hits till around 10 AM when freight train took blue/green bubble fly with blue/green spin doctor on rigger 75 ft down (100 FOW).  Took most of the line out before wrapping in my copper line, and lost it.  Other rigger with mag blue dolphin released in 95 FOW (70 ft down) with a 7 lb steel head, out only catch for the day.

Started a bit late (7:30 AM) this morning in 80 FOW trolling south at 2.3 MPH at lost first king at net on 300 ft copper with blue/green fly and blue/green spin doctor. (water ranged from 52 - 57 F on probe 60 ft down) Picked up a 8 lb laker on same rig soon after. Turned north (90 FOW) at around 9 AM and quickly picked up 4 lb salmon on same fly/flasher from downrigger 50 ft down. Then lost one on 200 ft copper with flounder pounder. We weathered the storm, but seems like fish turned off? Fun day.