Trolling Lake Michigan for King Salmon. Frankfort, Leeland, and Glen Arbor are seeing increased numbers. Tips for maximizing success – including using electronics and finding optimal conditions.
Tag Archives: summer
Chad Dilts – Angling Buzz Fishing Report – Mid-July 2020
Captain Chad Dilts of Sport Fish Michigan – AnglingBuzzTV fishing report for mid-July. Warm weather is producing a great lake trout bite! Lake trout fishing tip – jigging or trolling, use electronics to find the thermocline.
Ben Wolfe – Angling Buzz Fishing Report – Early July 2020
The mayfly hatch is happening and Michigan’s Hexagenia – Hex – mayflies are bringing out walleye, perch, brown trout, rainbow trout, and smallmouth bass. Lure tips for imitating mayflies.
Ben Wolfe – Angling Buzz Fishing Report – Mid-Late June 2020
The mayfly hatch is just around the corner in Michigan. Current fishing opportunities include vertical jigging for lake trout, Lake Michigan salmon, Saginaw Bay walleye, and Muskie in the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair.
Ben Wolfe – Angling Buzz Fishing Report – mid-May 2020
Pre-spawn smallmouth fishing on inland lakes like Lake St. Claire and the Grand Traverse Bays. Night walleye bite, and big salmon in Lake Michigan.
Ben Wolfe – Angling Buzz TV Fishing Report – Mid/Early June 2019
When targeting spawning bass in waters with gobies, the importance of rapid release to allow bass to protect their beds. Summer boating safety and etiquette.
Chad Dilts – Coastal Angler Fishing Report – July 2018
By: Capt. Chad Dilts
We at Sport Fish Michigan have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of summer, and with July upon us, it is finally time for some consistently warm weather and great fishing opportunities.
With the warming weather trends in June we are seeing the start of a very defined thermocline in the Grand Traverse Bay’s, forcing the majority of the lake trout, cisco and other predatory species away from the shallow water flats and steep breaks where they have spent most of May and June.
This is an exciting time for anglers looking to vertical jig for a variety of species. Some of the best lake trout jigging in July will take place in depths ranging from 80-110 ft of water. Finding isolated humps and steep drop offs just adjacent to deep water is almost always the most productive place to concentrate your efforts. When utilizing your electronics to find active fish, don’t be afraid to set up over 1-3 individual fish marks, some times these can be the most aggressive fish to take advantage of. Jigging spoons such as Jonah Jiggs, PLine Jigs and Swedish Pimples in a 1-2 ounce size are a great option for this presentation.
With the southern end of Lake Michigan experiencing such great numbers of king and coho, July is setting up to be an incredible time to take advantage of some good salmon action in the northern Lake Michigan ports. Anglers looking to either troll or jig vertically for these hard fighting fish should definitely not miss out on the opportunity. Success will be found in areas with a define thermocline that periodically presents schools of bait fish. With the moderately cooler Lake Michigan water temperatures we have experienced in May and June, most of the active salmon will be found 60-120 ft down depending on the port and wind direction. We are very excited to see such great numbers of salmon with a very good average size. Anglers have been consistently reporting fish in mid to upper 20 lbs range. We hope all anglers have a safe and successful July, we hope to see you on the water!
Ben Wolfe – AnglingBuzzTV Fishing Report – Mid-July 2017
Captain Ben Wolfe of Sport Fish Michigan – AnglingBuzzTV fishing report for the second week of July 2017. Lake trout, salmon, and bass fishing tips and techniques to use when fishing in Michigan during mid-July.
Ben Wolfe – AnglingBuzzTV Fishing Report – Early July, 2017
Captain Ben Wolfe of Sport Fish Michigan – AnglingBuzzTV fishing report for the first week of July 2017. Vertical jigging for lake trout, and Michigan’s Mayfly hatch heating up fishing throughout the state.
SFM Fishing Report 06.30.17
Sport Fish Michigan and its customers could not have asked for more in the month of June: we were blessed with great weather and awesome fishing for all species. The smallmouth fishing in the Traverse City Area has been dynamite, and a lot of inland lakes have offered an excellent post-spawn bite pattern. Grand Traverse Bays have been also putting out consistently high catch numbers and great size. We are getting a good mix of both spawn and post-spawn fish to feed on a regular basis. As per usual, drop-shot techniques, tubes, and swim baits have been our most productive techniques. With this past weeks’ wind, the spinner bait bite has also been producing good numbers of fish. Water temperatures on the bays are maintaining in the low 60’s in most areas. We are expecting great fishing for the month of July!
Vertical jigging for lake trout, cisco, and even some salmon is really starting to heat up, as well. As the water temperatures warm, the thermocline is gradually finding its way to the 50 to 70ft range. This change is forcing most fish into deeper water, where they area congregating on pods of baitfish and bottom dwelling gobies. 1oz to 1.5oz jigging spoons have been working the best, and the most productive colors have been white, blue, and green. Finding areas of the bay that have steep breaks, inside turns, and isolated humps consisting of shallower water has been best. Utilizing your electronics when fishing deeper water is the most effective way to find active fish. Don’t be afraid to set up on just 1 or 2 good marks on the graph, the fish have been very active to jigging presentations.
Sport Fish Michigan’s Captains and Guides wish everyone a great 4th of July holiday! Good luck on the water!