Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 6/25/2013

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 6/25/2013

By Milwaukee Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Fishing has been on again off again but improving the last three days. To get my fish reports and how to videos first go to http://www.jimhirt.com By subscribing you will keep ahead of the other anglers. When I post you will get it fast!

How Coho
Coho are coming up high on small size spoons and dodger flies. Reapers and Vulcans made by http://www.badgertackle.com have been working for us. The small silver Vulcan has been working on the lead cores. Six inch flashers or dodgers with green or blue Howies peanut flies must be part of your presentation for Coho. Coho are in the top 35 feet. Some action on Slide Divers set to #3 no ring and 35 feet of line out. Tie your flies 14.5 inches on 6 inch dodgers, 24 inches for 6 inch flashers. All orange dodgers and flashers. I hope this helps.

How Chinooks
Chinook are taking magnum spoons. Run 2,3,4,and 5 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 12 to 48 feet down. I use the Depth Raider to measure speed at the ball. The boat speed of 1.9 to 2.2 has been best.

Where!
No change…. fish are scattered from 70 feet and all the way out north or south of Milwaukee to 140 feet. Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!
Note I have openings on the schedule. I am the only charter offering an extra hour for $35 when added to any five hour charter. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 6/7/13

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 6/7/13

By Milwaukee Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Coho Salmon predictable with good numbers and some huge Chinooks. To get my fish reports and how to videos first go to http://www.jimhirt.com By subscribing you will keep ahead of the other anglers. When I post you will get it fast!

How Coho
Coho are coming on small size spoons and dodger flies. Reapers and Vulcans made by http://www.badgertackle.com have been working for us. The small silver Vulcan has been hot on the lead cores. Six inch flashers or dodgers with green or blue Howies peanut flies must be part of your presentation for Coho. Coho are in the top 35 feet. Steady action on Slide Divers set to #3 no ring and 35 feet of line out. Tie your flies 14.5 inches on 6 inch dodgers, 24 inches for 6 inch flashers. All orange dodgers and flashers. I hope this helps.

How Chinooks
Chinook are taking magnum spoons. Run 2,3,4,and 5 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 12 to 48 feet down. I use the Depth Raider to measure speed at the ball. The boat speed of 1.9 to 2.2 has been best.

Where!
No change…. fish are scattered from the break wall and all the way out north or south of Milwaukee to 140 feet. It can be a zoo in close with all the traffic and it may be better to head out the north gap Milwaukee 70 degrees and fish northeast out to 70 to 140 feet of water. Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!
Note I have openings on the schedule. I am the only charter offering an extra hour for $35 when added to any five hour charter. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 5/31/13

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 5/31/13

By Milwaukee Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Coho and Chins are in! Great Action Milwaukee!
Coho Salmon a plenty and some huge Chinooks. To get my fish reports and how to videos first go to http://www.jimhirt.com By subscribing you will keep ahead of the other anglers. When I post you will get it fast! Photo of the biggest king of this year 21 pound 5oz Chinook caught by a Matthew Larsgaard yesterday.

How Coho
Coho are coming on small size spoons and dodger flies. Reapers and Vulcans made by http://www.badgertackle.com have been working for us. The small silver Vulcan has been hot on the lead cores. Six inch flashers or dodgers with green or blue Howies peanut flies must be part of your presentation for Coho. Coho are in the top 35 feet. Steady action on Slide Divers set to #3 no ring and 35 feet of line out. Tie your flies 14.5 inches on 6 inch dodgers, 24 inches for 6 inch flashers. All orange dodgers and flashers. I hope this helps.

How Chinooks
Chinook are taking magnum spoons. Run 2,3,4,and 5 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 12 to 48 feet down. I use the Depth Raider to measure speed at the ball. The boat speed of 1.9 to 2.2 has been best.

Where!
Fish are scattered from the break wall and all the way out north of Milwaukee to 140 feet. It can be a zoo in close with all the traffic and it may be better to head out the north gap Milwaukee 70 degrees and fish northeast out to 70 to 140 feet of water. Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing! Note All alone we put together groups at $125 per person. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 5/23/13

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 5/23/13

By Milwaukee Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Coho and Lake Trout Action Milwaukee!
Coho Salmon and Lake Trout predicable but not a given. To get my fish reports and how to videos first go to http://www.jimhirt.com By subscribing you will keep ahead of the other anglers. When I post you will get it fast! Kip and Rip Lilja had a great charter with this 11 pound 2oz Lake Trout and a limit of Coho.

How
Coho are coming on small size spoons and dodger flies. Reapers and Vulcans made by http://www.badgertackle.com have been working for us. The small silver Vulcan has been hot on the lead cores. Six inch flashers or dodgers with green or blue Howies peanut flies must be part of your presentation for Coho. Coho are in the top 35 feet. Steady action on Slide Divers set to #3 no ring and 35 feet of line out. Tie your flies 14.5 inches on 6 inch dodgers, 24 inches for 6 inch flashers. All orange dodgers and flashers. I hope this helps.

Lake Trout are taking magnum spoons. Run 2,3,4,and 5 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 12 to 48 feet down.

Chinooks are slow with a few on magnum spoons 30 to 45 down. Speed has been very critical with the 46 degree water. I use the Depth Raider to measure speed at the ball. The big Chinook are hitting on Reaper Magnum Glow spoons at first light. The boat speed of 1.9 to 2.2 has been best.

Where!
Fish are scattered from the break wall and all the way out north of Milwaukee to 140 feet. It can be a zoo in close with all the traffic and it may be better to head out the north gap Milwaukee 70 degrees and fish northeast out to 70 to 140 feet of water. Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing! Note All alone we put together groups at $125 per person. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Fish,report,salmon,lake,michigan,milwaukee

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 5/17/13

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 5/17/13

By Milwaukee Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Coho Fever Epidemic in Milwaukee!
Had fantastic action on Coho Salmon. To get my fish reports and how to videos first go to http://www.jimhirt.com By subscribing you will keep ahead of the other anglers. When I post you will get it fast!

How
Coho are coming on all size spoons. Reapers and Vulcans made by http://www.badgertackle.com have been working for us. The small silver Vulcan has been hot on the lead cores. Six inch flashers or dodgers with green or blue Howies peanut flies must be part of your presentation for Coho. A hot presentation for us was a size O orange dodger with a 21.5 inch lead to a medium size blue fly. Coho are in the top 35 feet and Chinooks are 30 to 45 down. Steady action on Slide Divers set to #3 no ring and 35 feet of line out. Run 2,3,4,and 5 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 12 to 48 feet down. Speed has been very critical with the 46 degree water. I use the Depth Raider to measure speed at the ball. For spoons use the regular size Silver Vulcan. The big Chinook are hitting on Reaper Magnum Glow spoons. The boat speed of 1.9 to 2.2 has been best. Tie your flies 14.5 inches on 6 inch dodgers, 24 inches for 6 inch flashers. All orange dodgers and flashers. I hope this helps.

Where!
Fish are sucked up to the break wall and all the way out north of Milwaukee to 100 feet. It can be a zoo in close with all the traffic and it may be better to head out the north gap Milwaukee 70 degrees and fish northeast out to 70 to 100 feet of water. Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing! Note All alone we put together groups at $125 per person. Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Leaping Rainbow Trout Fishing Milwaukee

Leaping Rainbow Trout Fishing Milwaukee

By Lake Michigan fishing Charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Activity and habits of fish are dictated by many variables. A rather basic approach will put you on fish and keep you there. I will cover how to find the most productive zones by species Now let’s look at Rainbow Trout as it applies to Lake Michigan and other ecosystems.

Questions
Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Blue Max website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at http://www.jimhirt.com

Zones By Species
Last year was an above average year for Rainbow Trout on Lake Michigan Milwaukee. Wisconsin Lake Michigan holds the state record of over 27 pounds for this species. We boated many between fifteen and twenty pounds. This fish can be elusive to some anglers; however, armed with the information in this article you will be on your way to many great outings of this tail-walking acrobat. Allow me to offer environmental preferences for this fish. Breaking each fish down by their preferences is the best way to find steady consistent action on any fish.

Rainbow Trout Zone By Temperature
Rainbows offer great action. Nothing matches the excitement of being on the rod with ten pounds plus of leaping muscle on the line. Once again the answer to putting them in the box is temperature. A thermal break is the way to find them. Thermal break is a point where water changes temperature. Look for them in temperatures between 43 and 58 degrees. This is a wide range and offers some challenges. My article will provide information on how to locate them as the water goes from 40 to 75 degrees through out the season. The trick to success is mobility and presentation.

Forage big part of the equation
The principal types of forage for most fish in Lake Michigan are the Alewife and Goby. You will find at times the contents of their gut contain these bait fish. My experience with rainbows may change your mind on bait and presentation. The spring and early summer is the answer to easy pickings on the big pond. The reason for easy rainbow fishing at this time is the abundance of insects. Following the bugs may seem like a crazy way to catch any fish but it is key for rainbows. Any warm spring day will provide an excellent hatch of the diet of all size Rainbow Trout. The location on the water with the most bugs will have the best concentration of fish.

Where to start looking
When I am on a rainbow hunt, off shore is the place to be. It is smart to start trolling in about 50 feet of water and head out deeper. As action picks up you should note GPS, depth and temp info. This info will be your key to staying on fish. With the water in the forties don’t be surprised to find some huge fish in this cold water. When the bite slows troll back to your best GPS numbers. I have found that in deeper water fishing the surface is always better for monster bows all season long.

The best months
April, May and June. Work the temp breaks and bugs for hot action. The top 25 feet where warm water has accumulated is the answer to your best numbers. Early May run your baits in the top twenty-five feet and progress to deeper in the water column as the water warms up. Anytime of day is a good time for them. I call them fish with banker’s hours 9 to 5 is the time to get them.

What baits are best?
Water temperature will dictate your best bait. I will break this down by temperature. All season long use crankbaits; minnow type lures and small spoons like the regular size Vulcan in silver or bright colors sold by Badger Tackle. Eight-inch flashers and dodgers with flies or squids are a staple as the water warms up to 60 and above. The distance between the attractor and the fly or squid will vary with the temp of the water. Try two to three times the length of the flasher or about sixteen up to twenty-four inches. Longer lead on the fly seems to work better in colder water.

Presentation advice
You may catch some fish on downriggers but they are not my first choice for presentation. Church Tackle Walleye Boards and leadcore are the way to go. I run three or more on each side of the boat working an area over three hundred feet wide. You should set up for rainbows with a 1,2,3,4,5 color leadcore. This will give you coverage from 5 to 25 feet. The Church Planer Board will run well off to the side of the boat out of your travel path.

Hot Lures Define The Day
Let’s wrap this up with my favorite lures. For spring crankbaits, minnow type lures and small spoons like the regular size Vulcan or 8-inch flashers and dodgers with flies or squids. My best spoon color is chartreuse/silver/green. Magnum Reaper spoons did very well for us in July and August on Bows in recent years. Baitfish size should be considered when selecting your spoon size. Vulcan and Reaper spoons are both sold by http://www.badgertackle.com I will continue with Zones for Lake Trout in the next article. Good Luck! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

King Salmon Rule In Milwaukee

King Salmon Rule In Milwaukee

By Lake Michigan fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Chinooks are big mean and a rush to catch. This fish is the most exciting fish in Lake Michigan. Location and presentation are the keys to success. Let me talk you through the details. They are not predictable and at times difficult to figure out. Now let’s look at Chinook Salmon as it applies to Lake Michigan and other big water ecosystems.

Questions
Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Blue Max website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at http://www.jimhirt.com

Getting Started
Let me explain how to be more productive by following some basic rules and using basic tools. Activity and habits of fish are dictated by many variables. A rather basic approach will put you on fish and keep you there. I will cover how to find the most productive zone for Chinook.

What Is A Zone
I define a zone as a location where greater concentrations of the target species are found. You may use, as I do, this system for any type of fishing or in fact hunting. The basics are simple. What does your target want? Focus on what you know and do research to find out more.

Zone Rules
Pick the type of quarry you are after and make a list of the known environmental preferences for that species. Armed with that information you will have the guidelines or rules to become more successful. Breaking the rules will put you in water with less of the target fish

Environmental Preferences
The top of the most important list and what I look for is food and temperature. When you are in a zone with the correct temperature and good forage you will increase your chances. Other important factors are cover, habitat, maturity of fish, light intensity, water depth, weather, current flow, current intensity, oxygen level and fishing pressure. Your ability to measure, monitor and locate the ideal set of fishing preferences for your target is key.

Chinook Salmon by temperature
Big Chinook Salmon are a cold water species, so look for them in temperatures below 50 degrees. The exception is when they come into spawn. At this point in their life temperature is not important. Keep your baits in 45 to 52 degree temperature and you will increase your odds on big fish. When I am catching small fish, I know the water is too warm for a trophy. It is time to adjust the tackle to colder water. I have caught them in water as shallow as 10 feet and out to 300 feet fishing near the bottom. There is no limitation on the depth they like. Key in on temp for success. A temperature gauge is a tool a salmon fisherman cannot be without.

Forage part of the picture
The principal forage for these bruisers is the Alewife. Look for pods of forage for consistent action. The baitfish will hold Chinook in any area. Keep your fish locator cranked up on the gain to show baitfish along the bottom.

Reason for Stealth Presentations
Clear water and sunny conditions are the enemy. This scenario will turn off most fish. However, some fish can be had when certain presentations are used. A stealthy approach is necessary for the biggest fish. In definition stealth is a presentation that avoids being notice. Several are used for salmon trolling.

Stealth Presentations
Downriggers are a popular method to run tackle with many variations possible. In sunny conditions increase your downrigger leads to 100 feet or more. By running long leads you work water undisturbed by noise and turbulence of the boat.

Leadcore is another good choice. A weighted line with a Seaguar fluorocarbon leader is attached to a Church Walleye Planer board. The planer board is run well off to the side of the boat out of the travel path. Leadcore is graduated to allow five feet of depth for every color. Five colors will run lures approximately 25 feet down 10 colors fifty feet and so on. This allows you to fish any depth you want and is a killer for huge kings.

Best Months of the year
Chinook live four and a half years and it makes sense that they will be the biggest at the end of their life cycle. These monsters will be the most aggressive and easiest to get in the months of June thru September. I have produced Kings over twenty pounds in April, although this is the exception to the rule.

Weather Variables
Weather is as big of a factor as any and when the conditions are favorable you can expect huge fish. Weather fronts, sky conditions, barometer and sea state all play a role in turning on the fish that dreams are made of. I always look for barometer movement. A steady barometer may offer a great chance to get a suntan but it is not conducive to trophy fishing.

Hot Tickets
Let’s wrap this up with my favorite lures. Magnum spoons are my first choice. Big lures big fish with a consideration to the size of the baitfish and amount of light in the time period you are fishing. When fishing in very bright conditions or with the presence of small baitfish go to regular or small lures. My magnum spoons are about five inches long, regular four inches and small three inches. The two most productive spoons for me during the 2012 season was the Vulcan magnum and Reaper Magnum both sold by http://www.badgertackle.com For a slow 2.0 M.P.H. or slower presentation I use the Reaper. Above 2.0 speeds the Vulcan is best, it mixes well with most big plugs and flasher flies.

I will continue with Zones for Rainbow Trout in the next article. Good Luck! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Coho Salmon Crazy In Milwaukee

Coho Salmon Crazy In Milwaukee

By Lake Michigan fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
From Brown Trout we go to Coho Salmon. This article will point out and explain what has worked for me over 25 years of fishing. In my opinion Coho are the most predictable of all salmon species. Activity and habits of fish are dictated by many variables. Get on board and allow me to share some tricks for Coho with you. Now let’s look at Coho Salmon as it applies to Lake Michigan and other big water ecosystems. Get caught up by reading article number one titled Busting Spring Brown Trout Milwaukee. This information you may find necessary to understand the following article.

Questions
Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Blue Max website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at http://www.jimhirt.com

Zones By Species
Lake Michigan Milwaukee is an outstanding fishery with many options for anglers. The most popular targets of anglers here are Chinook salmon, Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Lake Trout. Allow me to offer environmental preferences for each of these. Breaking each fish down by their preferences is the best way to find steady consistent action on any fish.

Coho Salmon Zone By Temperature
Coho offer great action with the reward of some of the best eating of all Lake Michigan fish. Once again the answer to putting them in the box is temperature. Look for them in temperatures above 50 degrees up to 57 degrees. Exceptions to this temp zone are possible but not the norm. As they come in to spawn they will be less sensitive to temperature. They will tolerate colder water and temperatures below 50, however they are less active.

Location And Forage
The principal types of forage for all game fish in Lake Michigan are the Alewife and Goby. Look for pods of forage for consistent action. I have caught Coho at all depths all season long. Don’t make the mistake of not running tackle for them, but they do require a different approach.

May and June on fire for Coho
Most consistent action is in the spring months of May and June. The reason for this is the water is very cold and the top water is the best habitat for them. The shallow water, or the top 25 feet where warm water has accumulated, is the answer to your best numbers. Early May run your baits in the top five feet and progress to deeper in the water column as the water warms up. The reason for outstanding spring fishing for Coho is that the cold water of Lake Michigan concentrates them.

Fish the break
Finding a temperature break is the key to finding fish. A break is defined as a major or minor change in water temperature. At times a small change of a degree or two will hold fish, but I have found the greater the change the better the concentration of fish. In spring the Coho that have wintered on the southern end of Lake Michigan will migrate north. You will find some action near shore and this is a good starting spot. My experience is deep water can be very productive. I fish out to ten miles off shore in 250 feet of water for fantastic action and limits on this exciting spring fish.

Presentations For Limits On Coho Salmon
Anytime of day is a good time for this quarry. I categorize them as day feeders with angling success all day. Water temperature will dictate your best bait. I will break this down by temperature. Below 50 degrees use small crankbaits, minnow type lures and small spoons like the regular size Vulcan in silver or bright colors sold by Badger Tackle. Above 50 degrees the cold water baits will produce but not as well as six inch orange flashers or dodgers with flies or squids. The distance between the attractor and the fly or squid will vary with the temp of the water. Try one and a half times the length of the flasher or about nine inches up to eighteen inches. Longer lead on the fly seems to work better in colder water. You may catch some fish on downriggers but they are not my first choice for presentation. Church Tackle Walleye Boards are the way to go. I run four or more on each side of the boat working an area over three hundred feet wide. Set up for Coho with a six foot 15 pound leader tied to a 3/8-ounce keel sinker attached to the 20-pound main line to your reel. Baits are attached with a ball bearing snap and ran 10 to 25 feet behind the planner board. The planer board will run well off to the side of the boat out of your travel path.

Hot Lures Define The Day
Let’s wrap this up with my favorite lures. For Spring crank baits, minnow type lures and small spoons like the regular size Vulcan. I have selected four of my top Coho spoons and assembled them in a Coho Trophy pack at Badger Tackle. Later use six inch orange flashers and dodgers with flies or squids. As the Coho put on weight later in the season go to larger 8 inch dodgers and flies along with all size spoons in silver green. Magnum Reaper spoons did very well for us later in the season on Coho in recent years. Baitfish size should be considered when selecting your spoon size. Vulcan and Reaper spoons are both sold by http://www.badgertackle.com I will continue with Zones for Rainbow Trout in the next article. Good Luck! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

Fishing Tackle Auction

Fishing Tackle Auction
Sponsored by the Great Lakes Sport Fisherman

Saturday, March 2nd 2013 at American Serb Hall Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Huge selection with bidding bargains on all types of fishing equipment.

Meat raffles and tons of other items!!

Doors open at 9am Bidding Starts at 10am sharp!!

Open to the Public at 9am – Auction Starts at 10am!
Auction will end at about 3:30pm

5101 W. Oklahoma Avenue Milwaukee Wisconsin
Directions: Serb Hall is located at the corner of South 51st Street and West Oklahoma Avenue. We are just minutes from nearly any location in the greater Milwaukee area. Just exit eastbound or westbound I-894 at 60th Street and head north 2.5 miles to Oklahoma Ave. Turn right and head east on Oklahoma to 51st St. Or from the north, exit I-894/45 at Oklahoma Avenue, head east about 3.2 miles to Serb Hall.

I will be there enjoying the fun. Come on over and say hello Jim Hirt at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com

Busting Spring Brown Trout Milwaukee

Busting Spring Brown Trout Milwaukee

By Lake Michigan fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Spring is definitely the season for coolers full of Brown Trout. Let me explain how to be more productive by following some basic rules and using basic tools. Activity and habits of fish are dictated by many variables. A rather basic approach will put you on fish and keep you there. I will cover how to find the most productive zones by species in the next several articles. Now let’s look at Brown Trout as it applies to Lake Michigan and other big water ecosystems.

Questions
Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Blue Max website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at http://www.jimhirt.com

Zones By Species
Lake Michigan Milwaukee is an outstanding fishery with many options for anglers. The most popular targets of anglers here are Chinook salmon, Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Lake Trout. Allow me to offer environmental preferences for each of these. Breaking each fish down by their preferences is the best way to find steady consistent action on any fish.

Environmental Preferences
The top of the most important list and what I look for is food and temperature. When you are in a zone with the correct temperature and good forage you will increase your chances. Other important factors are cover, habitat, maturity of fish, light intensity, water depth, weather, current flow, current intensity, oxygen level and fishing pressure. Your ability to measure, monitor and locate the ideal set of fishing preferences for your target is key.

Brown Trout Zone By Temperature
Big browns are common in the estuary created in the Milwaukee area by three rivers. Brown Trout are a warm water species, so look for them in temperatures above 55 degrees. They will tolerate colder water and temperatures above 65 however my biggest browns over twenty pounds have come at near 55 degrees. Keep your baits in 55-degree temperature and you will increase your odds on big fish. When I am catching small fish, I know the water is too warm for a trophy. It is time to adjust the tackle to colder water. A temperature gauge is a tool a trout fisherman cannot be without.

Location And Forage
The principal types of forage for trophy fish in Lake Michigan are the Alewife and Goby. Look for pods of forage for consistent action. I have caught browns in water as shallow as 5 feet and out to 100 feet. Most consistent action however is in shallow water or the top 25 feet where warm water has accumulated. Early spring in the months of March April And May we find are consistently the best for browns. Over the years 90% of this species are caught when the water is below their preferred temperature. The reason for outstanding spring fishing for this fish is the cold water of Lake Michigan concentrates the fish. The Lake temp is in the mid to high thirties and this causes the fish to stay near the warmer water of the river mouths and harbor gaps. Later in the season the browns disperse along the shoreline. Finding a temperature break is the key to finding fish. A break is defined as a major or minor change in water temperature. At times a small change of a degree or two will hold fish but I have found the greater the change the better the concentration of fish.

Presentations For Lunker Browns
First light of the day is the best time to catch this quarry. They seem to be more sensitive to light than other types of fish. Light up a Vulcan or Reaper Magnum Glow spoon sold by Badger Tackle before first light for fish in the box ahead of the rest of the pack of anglers. A stealthy approach is necessary for the biggest fish. In definition stealth is a presentation that avoids being notice. Several are used for trolling.

I would skip the downriggers as a presentation for browns. I have found this to be the least productive of presentations I have tried. The most successful for me is Cortland leadcore. A weighted line with a Seaguar fluorocarbon leader is attached to a Church Walleye Planer board. The planer board is run well off to the side of the boat out of the travel path. Leadcore is graduated to allow five feet of depth for every color. Five colors will run lures approximately 25 feet down 10 colors fifty feet and so on. This allows you to fish any depth you want.

Hot Lures Define The Day
Let’s wrap this up with my favorite lures. Magnum spoons are my first choice. Use Glow in dark for before first light and in heavy overcast. When fishing in very bright conditions or with the presence of small baitfish go to regular or small lures. My magnum spoons are about five inches long, regular four inches and small three inches. The two most productive spoons for me during the 2012 season was the Vulcan magnum and Reaper Magnum both sold by http://www.badgertackle.com For a slow 2.0 M.P.H. or slower presentation I use the Reaper. Above 2.0 speeds the Vulcan is best, it mixes well with most big plugs and flasher flies.

I will continue with Zones for Coho Salmon in the next article. Good Luck! Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com Copyright© 2013, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved