Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 6/27/12
By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Bows a plenty in Milwaukee
This may sound like a broken record but nothing has changed. Surface temperature is up to 57 degrees and the fish are 30 feet to bottom. The weather has been perfect fishing has been consistent. Heavy coolers the last four days with mostly Chinooks, Rainbows (Bows) and Coho. Chinook to 18 pounds are screaming line and all are enjoying some great action. Fish from 60 to 125 feet of water anywhere east of Milwaukee. The hot bait for Rainbow Trout was the Magnum size Reaper Watermelon spoons made by http://www.badgertackle.com We also had action on orange flashers and flies for Coho.
How!
Our best presentations are 8 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 30 to 65 down or five feet off the bottom. Fish have been on regular and magnum spoons in a blue and silver or green and silver pattern. The Vulcan Magnum or Reaper Magnum spoons by Badger Tackle have caught most of our fish. Six inch orange dodgers and Johnnie Peanut Flies are also doing a good job on Coho. Our best boat speed is 2.0 to 2.1 mph on the Depth Raider. Slide Divers are producing very well set to #1.5 with 50 to 85 feet of line out with the ring.
Where!
Head north south or due east compass bearing and set up in 65 feet of water. Out in front of the water filtration plant is a good option for small boat anglers the fish seem to be closer to shore in that location. Boats are fishing the gaps but I haven’t fished it try this at first light. Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!! 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.
Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 6/13/12
By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim
Kings! Coho! Lakers! Browns! Snapping in Milwaukee
Surface temperature is up to 58 degrees and the fish are 30 feet to bottom. The weather has been full sun at times windy but the fishing has been consistent. Heavy coolers the last five days with and all species mix. Chinook to 18 pounds are screaming line and all are enjoying some great action. Fish from 60 to 125 feet of water anywhere east of Milwaukee. All alone we put together groups at $125 per person. The hot bait was the Magnum size Reaper Fish n Chip spoons made by http://www.badgertackle.com We also had action on orange flashers and flies.
How!
Our best presentations are 8 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 30 to 65 down or five feet off the bottom. Ran the SWR over the weekend at 45 feet and it produced very well. The fish have been on regular and magnum spoons in a blue and silver or green and silver pattern. The Vulcan Magnum or Reaper Magnum spoons by Badger Tackle have caught most of our fish. Six inch orange dodgers and Johnnie Peanut Flies are also doing a good job on Coho. Our best boat speed is 2.0 to 2.1 mph. Slide Divers are producing very well set to #1.5 with 50 to 85 feet of line out with the ring.
Where!
Head north south or due east compass bearing and set up in 65 feet of water. Out in front of the water filtration plant is a good option for small boat anglers the fish seem to be closer to shore in that location. Water color has cleared up so their should be some action in close to shore but I haven’t fished it try this at first light.
Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!! 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.
Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 5/29/12
By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Many Kings Over Fifteen Pounds In Milwaukee!
Surface temperature is up to 53 degrees and the fish are top to bottom. The weather has been full sun, rainy and at times windy but the fishing has been consistent. Heavy coolers the last five days with and all species mix. Chinook to 20 pounds are screaming line and all are enjoying some great action. Fish from 60 to 125 feet of water north of Milwaukee. All alone we put together groups at $125 per person. The hot bait was the Magnum size Reaper Fish n Chip spoons made by http://www.badgertackle.com We also had action on orange flashers and flies.
How!
Our best presentations are 8 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 40 to 75 down or five feet off the bottom. Ran the SWR over the weekend at 45 feet and it produced very well. The fish have been on regular and magnum spoons in a blue and silver or green and silver pattern. The Vulcan Magnum or Reaper Magnum spoons by Badger Tackle have caught most of our fish. Six inch orange dodgers and Johnnie Peanut Flies are also doing a good job on Coho. Our best boat speed is 1.7 to 2.0 mph. Slide Divers are producing very well set to #2 with 70 to 125 feet of line out with the ring.
Where!
Head northeast at 47 degrees compass bearing and set up in 65 feet of water. Out in front of the water filtration plant is a good option for small boat anglers the fish seem to be closer to shore in that location. Water color has cleared up so their should be some action in close to shore but I haven’t fished it try this at first light.
Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!! 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.
Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 4/21/22/12
By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Mixed Bag With some Nice Chinook!
We had two charter trips this weekend with good action both time periods. In the morning we had a few Coho, one twelve pound Lake Trout and two Chinooks in the teens. Afternoon was about the same with seven fish total. Mostly Coho both charters with a nice eleven pound Chinook in the afternoon. The hot bait was the regular size Reaper Peacock made by http://www.badgertackle.com We also had action on orange flashers and flies.
How!
April fishing remains average to good when you can get out. The weather has created some problems with presentation and access to the best fishing areas. Our best presentations are 2,3,4,and 5 color Cortland lead core and downriggers 12 to 45 feet down. The fish have been on regular and magnum spoons. The Reaper Magnum and regular Peacock Silver spoon by Badger Tackle have caught most of our fish. Six inch orange dodgers and Johnnie Peanut Flies are also doing a good job. Our best boat speed is 1.7 to 2.0 mph. Slide Divers are producing very well set to #2 with 30 feet of line out.
Where!
Head northeast out the north gap Milwaukee and fish north in 45 to 70 feet of water. Water color may be an issue if it is cloudy move in and out of the cloudy water for the best action. The color break is holding most of the fish.
Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!! 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.
Fishing Tackle Auction
Sponsored by the Great Lakes Sport Fisherman
Saturday, March 3rd 2012 at American Serb Hall Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Huge selection with bidding bargains on all types of fishing equipment.
Meat raffles, Art work and tons of other items!!
Bidding Starts at 10am sharp!!
Open to the Public at 9am – Auction Starts at 10am!
Auction will end at about 4pm
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.
More Fish Leadcore Presentation The Answer
By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Here are some ways to present lures in spring. This time of year look for most of your fish in the top 50 feet. Keep your eye on your locator and also work deeper marks when you see them. My experience this time of year is the deeper fish are less active and tend not to bite. Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at http://www.jimhirt.com
Wake up the Fish
Most often you will not mark well above 30 feet because those fish are out side the cone of your locator’s transducer. The primary presentations I use at this time of year are Church Tackle Walleye boards, Divers and leadcore. If your budget allows, I would recommend trying a leadcore line set up. This presentation will work when all others are dead.
Basics
The basics of leadcore are simple. The most expensive part is the reel. It must have enough line capacity to handle the leadcore line plus Seaguar fluorocarbon and Power Pro 50 pound for a total of anywhere from 300 half core to 600 yards two cores. I run my half cores or five colors on a reel that holds 300 yards of 20 pound test. This is the smallest reel a half core will fit on. Line counter reels are not necessary. Leadcore sinks at a rate of 4-5 feet per color. A half core will run about 24 feet deep.
Loading the reel
When loading this reel, start with 300 yards of Power Pro 50 pound then strip the lead out of the end of the leadcore and tie a Willis Knot to the leadcore. Finish with a Willis Knot and 30 feet of a 20-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon to a ball bearing cross lock snap. You will need a heavy action 8-foot rod to work with lead. You may run this with a Church Tackle Walleye planer board if you are going to use multiple set ups.
Presentation Tips
Snap on your favorite lure and let out all of the line to the Power Pro. Then install your board so it does not release. I usually run them 150 feet off each side of the boat. Very wide turns and low boat traffic are a must to avoid tangles and getting run over. I set my drags light. When the reel starts to scream, adjust the drag as necessary. Reel in the line until you can reach the board and hand release it. Now the line is clear to bring in the fish. I don’t fish lead early in the morning. I use it when the early bite is over. Some of my biggest fish are caught on this presentation.
Hot spoon for Leadcore
If you would like to try the hottest spoons for salmon and trout in 2011 go to http://www.badgertackle.com 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.
By Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
In many parts of the world Spring means cold water. As water cools presentation must change for you to be successful. Here are a few tips of mine to get these neutral or less active fish to bite. Should you have a question please e-mail me from my Website contact us page. Read all my articles and see video fish reports at http://www.jimhirt.com
Cold water…. Hot bite
In previous articles we covered general overview and the specifics of temperature breaks and their location. Now let’s continue with spring presentation and location. If your season starts early as we do at Blue Max Charters, you will be on Lake Michigan or your favorite water when the surface temperatures are below the preferred temp of your target species. Concentrations of fish on temp breaks can be great for action.
Breaks and how to fish them
I will cover late May and early June in this article. This time period provides great action on Browns and Rainbows. Browns, at this time of the year, will come on similar presentations, lures and locations as I described in previous articles. Look for temp breaks with bait fish and the warmest water. This time of year you won’t find water that is to warm for Browns. I like small Vulcan spoons with silver, green or white blades with green, orange or blue accent stripes. Work the top 25 feet of water.
Presentation for cold water
I set up 90% of my lines on Church planer boards working the top fifteen feet of water. The remaining 10% of my lines are on diving planers or downriggers for deeper fish. On all my rods in spring, I run a 20-25 pound test monofilament with a 12-pound leader. You need to go with a light leader to produce good action in clear water near the surface. Run the heavier test to a bead chain sinker or barrel swivel then an 8-foot leader with a cross lock snap. I don’t go nuts with Micro Filament or Super Braid lines because I think they are over kill for this application and add to expenses. Starting out this way I will have the rods loaded with the correct line for most presentations through out the season.
Speed part of the answer
I set my boat speed at 1 to 2 mph. Slow presentation is key in spring. The lures you run is all about the amount of light, baitfish size and the size of fish you are looking to catch. Mix it up! When one lure produces I would double up on that lure. For Coho I prefer 6 inch orange flashers and a variety of different colored flies instead of spoons. Adjust the length of the leader from the flasher to the fly to get the best results. The general rule is one and one half times the length of the flasher. My experience is the colder the water the longer the leader. Longer leaders slow down the action of the fly. There are times when I run up to three times the flasher length. Most Rainbows will also hit the flasher flies. When only looking for Rainbows, substitute bright color spoons for flasher flies. If you would like to try the hottest spoons for salmon and trout in 2011 go to http://www.badgertackle.com 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© 2012, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.
Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 9/27/11
By Milwaukee Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
East Gales May…. Change The Action !
Cold water and unsettled weather has turned on the fish. As of two days ago action was fantastic but this may all change on east gales. Eight to Twelve foot waves yesterday shut down any opportunity to get out and time will tell how the lake will respond after the blow. My guess is the fish won’t be affected significantly and will stay in the 55 to 100 feet of water. The big 20 pound Chinooks have been slow and may be done for this season. 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!
Try trolling the harbor with magnum glow spoons at first light. Magnum Reapers in silver or glow on 75 foot leads are my go to bait for shallow water trolling. Shore anglers, I recommend regular size Badger Tackle Vulcan spoons in the glow colors for the cloudy water of the harbor when working the browns. My top producer trolling the last trip out for all species was the Reaper and Vulcan magnum spoon on six and eight color leadcore. Down riggers 30 to 50 down with spoons also worked. Looking for Reapers and Vulcans made by http://www.badgertackle.com you may only order them online. Try them their shipping is cheap and they arrive fast. My lead cores and coppers all run behind a Church Walleye Board. When fishing deep braid divers no ring set to #3 with 65 feet line out are working. I use the Depth Raider to measure speed at the ball. The boat speed of 2.0 to 2.2 has been best.
Where!
The harbor is packed with 2-3 pound Brown Trout and you may find this an option for shore fishing. Boat anglers fish northeast out of Milwaukee north of the Filtration Plant 70 to 90 feet of water. Head out the Main gap Milwaukee 65 degrees for the best deep action. Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing! 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© 2011, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.
Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 9/22/11
By Milwaukee Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
West Is Best And The Fish Are In !
Warm water is out and cold water is in and the fish have followed. Feeding fish have moved to 70 feet and down 50 to the bottom. The big 20 pound Chinooks have been slow but this drop in temperature should cool the harbor and promote action in the inner harbor. Thomas Jones battled this trophy Chinook of 23 pounds 2 ounces! Glow spoons inside the break wall have been good at first light. Magnum Reapers in silver or glow on 75 foot leads my go to bait for shallow water. 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
My top producer the past two days for all species is Reaper and Vulcan magnum spoons on ten color leadcore rods also down riggers 55 to 70 down with spoons. Big Chinooks in close to shore are hitting Reaper Magnum Fish Fry Glow spoons 100 feet behind the ball off downriggers 20 feet down and #3 glow J-Plugs. Looking for Reapers and Vulcans made by http://www.badgertackle.com you may only order them online. Try them their shipping is cheap and they arrive fast. My lead cores and coppers all run behind a Church Walleye Board. When fishing in close braid divers no ring set to #4 with 40 feet line out are working. I use the Depth Raider to measure speed at the ball. The boat speed of 2.0 to 2.2 has been best.
Where!
Fish northeast out of Milwaukee north of the Filtration Plant 70 to 90 feet of water. Head out the Main gap Milwaukee 60 degrees for the best deep action. In close fish the harbor and harbor gaps at first light Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing! 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© 2011, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.
Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 9/13/11
By Milwaukee Wisconsin fishing charter Capt. Jim Hirt
Seven Days Of Northeast Wind Again!
Warm water on northeast wind has again driven the feeding fish out to 165 feet and down 80 to 150 down. The fish are there for anglers willing to travel out seven miles to get them. The big 20 pound Chinooks are coming in with some action from 55 feet to the inner harbor. Glow spoons inside the break wall have been good at first light. Derek Gresenz landed his trophy Chinook of 21 pounds 3 ounces! Magnum Reapers in silver or glow on 100 foot leads my go to bait for shallow water. 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
My top producer out deep for all species is Reaper and Vulcan magnum spoons on 300 and 225 copper rods also down riggers 80 to 150 down with spoons. Big Chinooks in close to shore are hitting Reaper Magnum Fish Fry Glow spoons 100 feet behind the ball off downriggers 20 feet down. Looking for Reapers and Vulcans made by http://www.badgertackle.com you may only order them online. Try them their shipping is cheap and they arrive fast. My lead cores and coppers all run behind a Church Walleye Board. When fishing in close braid divers no ring set to #4 with 40 feet line out are working. I use the Depth Raider to measure speed at the ball. The boat speed of 2.0 to 2.2 has been best.
Where!
Fish east out of Milwaukee north of the Filtration Plant 125 to 170 feet of water. Head out the Main gap Milwaukee 65 degrees for the best deep action. In close fish the harbor and harbor gaps at first light and move out to 40 to 55 feet when they turn up the lights. Have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing! 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© 2011, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.
June 27, 2012 5:06 am | 
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