wisejohn

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

Salmon lock-jaw out of Saugatuck 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.

Saugatuck 7/27 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.

Started trolling north of Saugatuck 7:30 AM in 100 FOW and probe said 57 F as we had one release on DR 75 down with moo-moo meat rig and white spin doctor. We kicked big rollers running south and ended up in 67 F water same probe depth? Decided to go out to 120 FOW and then back in, and all water was same. Then finally 200 ft copper with green specked Horde Jplug ripped with 12 lb steelhead. Got him. Then the same meat rig released again with 10 lb King. We quit early since one guess was feeding the fish.

After several skunks in the last month ..... started at 85 FOW Sat morning out of Saugatuck (little late 8 ), trolling south. 7 lb salmon came at 8:30 AM 50 ft on downrigger on moo moo meat rig with white spin doctor. Second was 3 lb lake trout on 300 ft copper with blue dolfin with spin doctor. We turned north in 100 FOW, and quickly had 2 hits, one on 200 copper - Monkeyshine green, and 300 copper Blue dolphin. Lost both. Then around 10 AM 200 copper screamed with a 6 lb steelhead, wow jumping and all, what fun! So glad we finally found fish ... I was beginning to think it was me????