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Posts tagged: lake

Milwaukee Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon Report 6/27/12

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.

Lures For Spring Salmon And Trout

Keys For More Action
The start of the 2011 Lake Michigan Season will be here before you know it and now is the time to think about early location and tackle. In this article, I would like to share with you some of my keys to finding fish and the hottest set ups for very early presentation. I have been a charter captain for over twenty years and these techniques have produced year after year. I am confident that you will achieve success applying these classic tips.
Tools You Will Need
I start my season in early April and the most important factor at this time is temperature. I recommend a must item for you is a temp gauge for the surface and a notebook. Your gauge can be a simple hand held thermometer or a unit built into your fish locator. The notebook is all about what’s working and what’s not. I find if I can avoid duplicating non-productive techniques, I will improve my catches and enjoyment. Keeping record of your bad and good days is key to moving to the top of the list as an above average in your sport. I write down the date, time of day, conditions, cloudy, clear, calm, rough, port or lake G.P.S. numbers if you have them. Record this on every fish or at least at the end of the day. On a hot bite, I usually get caught up on my notes as soon as I can to avoid lost detail.
Temperature Temperature Temperature
Spring action can be hot. Think about it, the temperature of the water is in the 40 degree range, and with a few exceptions, the fish we will find the most active are on the top five to ten feet.
Resources
Well lets get started. It’s always a good idea to check local phone hot lines for up to date information on what’s biting. I also check at local tackle stores and Internet reports. You may also call me at 414-828-1094 and check http://www.jimhirt.com for my fish reports. If these resources were not available, I would then start with temperature. This holds true if you are in a boat or on shore. Find the warmest temp you can. Sometimes I am fishing a temp break of only a degree or two. Don’t rush this process. Haste to get your lines in non-productive water is just a waste of time. You will find these temp breaks at mouths of rivers, power plants and protected bays.
Wind Direction
The wind direction will be a major player in warm water location. The surface warms first and wind will move this water around. On Wisconsin’s shore, a light east wind does wonders to improving spring action. The reason I used most of this article on temp is it helps eliminate a lot of slow fishing time. Temperature is almost more important than the type of lure you use.
Set Ups
Motor trolling is the method I use for most of my fishing, and I will explain one of my basic spring setups. If possible I would max out the number of rods, because more is better this time of year. I fish all my lines on planer boards. Find one you like and run all the same type. For lures I like spoons crank baits, and jointed minnow type lures. These will cover most fish. The water is too cold for flasher flies and they will be used when the water warms to over fifty degrees.
Speed & Color
When fishing early in the season, fish metabolism or body temp is very low so a slow presentation is required. I run my boat speed between 1.5 and 2.0 miles per hour. The color of the lure is dictated by the amount of light and water color. On most days, in clear water I use white and black or silver lures. Hotter colors work best in cloudy water. You can’t go wrong with chartreuse in both conditions. The glow in the dark Vulcan or Reaper spoons sold at http://www.badgertackle.com in regular size are an excellent option. The old rule of thumb applies; bright lures bright days, dark lures dark days. I cannot cover all the bases in this limited space so I will go into more detail in future posts. Good luck Captain Jim. 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.

Badger Tackle - www.badgertackle.com Blue Max Charter Fishing - Milwaukee WI - www.bluemaxcharters.com