A week of limit catches out of Saugatuck

[westrate]

What a week we had over the 4th. In the 37 years I have been chartering, I do not remember a period around the 4th of July like we had last week. Boats reported creel numbers form 14 to 28 fish per trip with Chinook salmon approaching 20 pounds and steelhead pushing 15 pounds and coho salmon up to 10 pounds. We started fishing in 75 foot of water in the morning and moved out to about 125 foot of water as the day progressed. 200, 300 and 400 foot of copper, wire divers at 225 foot and 100 foot of line and down riggers from 60 to 120 foot down all produced fish.

The high divers at 225 foot of wire were the most consistent and we ran the same rig on both divers--white/mountain dew pro chip flasher and a rapture green no see um fly. The low divers produced with a blue wiggle 8 in pro chip flasher and blue bubble fly and a mixed veggie pro chip flasher and rapture green no see um fly. The coppers produced well with Stingray lures (mixed veggie, modified blue dolphin, orange crush, lemon ice) early in the week and then white flashers (slick, mountain dew) with green hypnotist flies latter in the week on the deep coppers. The downriggers were the least productive but did produce with 11 in white slick pro chip and green/glow hypnotist fly and a UV mixed veggie pro chip prototype and hypnotist fly.

Once again there were some good reports on the perch with some good catches south of the Douglas point in 50 foot of water and in 65 foot of water just south of the ball. The perch appear to be there, however with the exceptional salmon fishing, most boats are trolling.

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