Capt. Ron Westrate of First Call 2 Charters reports from Saugatuck:

Another good week of fishing in Saugatuck. Catches of 15 to 30 fish per
trip was very common last week. What really determined how many fish you
caught was what they hit that day. If they hit more copper at 300 and
450 foot, it took longer to land the fish and when you slowed down to
fight the fish, you really “stopped fishing” until you got your speed
back. If the majority of the fish hit the downriggers and dipsy divers,
you spent less time fishing the fish and got the lures back in action
faster. The creel consisted of 2, 3 and 4 year old chinook salmon, coho
salmon, lake trout, steelhead with an occasional brown trout.

Although some boats reported some success with stingray lures, the best
method for us were flashers and flies which were run on copper, dipsy
divers and downriggers. 200 foot, 300 foot and 450 foot copper with
flashers and rapture flies produced very well. The dipsy divers at 200
and 300 foot and downriggers at 80, 90 and 100 foot produced very well.
We had very good success with Singer E chip flashers (mixed veggie,
chrome UV, super frog, white UV/glow, silver UV green) and Rapture flies
(no see um with green beads, no see um with yellow beads, sour apple,
green hypnotist and green dude). On certain days we had very good
success with the 11 in echip (white glow UV, silver mountain dew and
white double glow) on the downriggers, however they might work one day
and not the next.

Next week might prove to be interesting. With strong winds and high
waves the next two days, we may find cold water moving in and with that
the salmon should move into the river. Yesterday when we ran a mid day
charter, we marked what looked like salmon in 55 foot of water and saw a
couple of salmon jump in front of the boat. For fishing information or
charter reservations, email me at captron@chartermichigan.com.

Capt. Ken Deaton of J-Lyn Charters reports from Harbor Beach:

Steelhead fishing has slowed with the fronts and rough water. When it calms down try straight out or North of the harbor, fish the color lines for best results. Be there early for a good bite. Put out some long lines on the boards, bright colors of spoons, small, and regular sizes for best results. Start in 70 feet of water and work out to as far as 160 to 200 feet of water as the sun comes up. Fish the top 60 feet of water first thing, then as the sun comes up, fish the top 40 feet of water.

A few Salmon are still being taken but it has also been on the slow side. Try straight out, South and North of the harbor fishing the 70 to 190 foot of water areas. Working deeper as the sun comes up, using clean spoons off the lead lines, dipseys, and downriggers, fish the top 50 to 80 feet of water using bright colors for best results.

Lake Trout fishing is slow to fair. Try straight out, South and North of the harbor using the dodgers with spin and glows or flys close to the bottom or 100 feet down in the deeper areas. Try clean spoons off the downriggers. Fishing 50 feet down to the bottom for best results. Start fishing in 70 feet of water and work your way out to the deeper water till you find them.

Walleye fishing is still very slow, try North of the harbor and North of Port Hope working in close to shore, 25 to 60 feet of water. They will be scattered so keep looking. Clean small spoons, hot n tots, and crawler harnesses will be your best chance.

Try for perch inside the harbor along the channel or South by the cemetery using minnows.

Keep those lines tight!
Captains Ken & Janice Deaton
J-Lyn Charters

Capt. Ken Deaton of J-Lyn Charters reports from Harbor Beach:

Steelhead fishing is still fair to good straight out, fish the color lines for best results. Be there early for a good bite. Put out some long lines on the boards, bright colors of spoons, small, and regular sizes for best results, fishing straight out, South and North of the harbor, start in 70 feet of water and work out to as far as 190 feet of water as the sun comes up. Fish the top 60 feet of water first thing, then as the sun comes up, fish the top 40 feet of water.

A few Salmon are still being taken straight out, South and North of the harbor fishing the 70 to 190 foot of water areas. Working deeper as the sun comes up, using clean spoons off the lead lines, dipseys, and downriggers, fish the top 50 to 80 feet of water using bright colors for best results.

Lake Trout fishing is still fair. Try straight out, South and North of the harbor using the dodgers with spin and glows or flys close to the bottom or 100 feet down in the deeper areas. Try clean spoons off the downriggers. Fishing 50 feet down to the bottom for best results. Start fishing in 70 feet of water and work your way out to the deeper water till you find them.

Bass and Pike are still being taken casting or trolling spoons and body baits in close to shore or inside the harbor. Fishing around the weed beds is still giving the best results.

Walleye fishing is still very slow, try North of the harbor and North of Port Hope working in close to shore, 25 to 60 feet of water. Clean small spoons, hot n tots, and crawler harnesses will be your best chance.

Try for perch South by the cemetery using minnows.

Have a safe holiday week end.

Every Saturday Harbor Beach Light

Capt. Dan Tebo, of D’Ann Marie Charters in Grand Haven, reports:

Fishing here in Grand Haven continues to be excellent! We are seeing some very full boxes of fish come into our dock – several fish in the 25 – 30 lb. range this last week. We are catching Kings and Coho Salmon.

Some fish are taken right near the pier, but we are typically fishing from 80 ft. out
to 120 ft.
We are fishing from 50 ft. down to 70 ft.

We are using paddles and flies on our riggers and spinnies & flies on coppers and lead cores.
Using 10 color lead cores, 225 coppers, & 300 coppers.

Our best colors have been: UV Paddles with UV flies, White Paddles with white flies.
Dark Green spinnies with green flies and Blue Spinnies with blue flies.

This has been a very good August for Grand Haven fishermen and we anticipate it to continue for several more weeks.

Captain Ed Stowe of Stowaway Charters reports from Ludington:

Fishing is as good as it gets in Ludington right now. From the project up to the three bears the bite is on. We are catching salmon in from 30′ of water out to 200 ft of water. The meat rigs that were so hot a week ago are giving way to J-plugs and Ace high plugs in the different Splatterback patterns. Dreamweaver Spindoctors with Blue Bubble flies and Green Crinkle flies are working well right now. On the point the water temp is 68 on the surface and 45 degrees down 50 ft. The secret weapon with a plug is doing very well right now. The offshore fishery has slowed down in the last few days The pierheads are best from early morning and then again just before dark at night. PM lake is doing very good with some nice catches on J-plugs. The Pere Marquette River has salmon in it all the way up to Baldwin. Best times to fish the river are early AM and just before dark at night. Flatfish, Ping a Ts, and Storm Fire Tigers are top producers in the river.

Good Fishin…..Capt Ed

Capt. Ken Deaton of J-Lyn Charters reports from Harbor Beach:

A few Salmon are being taken straight out, South and North of the harbor fishing the 70 to 110 foot of water areas. Work deeper as the sun comes up. Clean spoons off the lead lines, dipseys, and downriggers are all still working. Fish the top 50 to 80 feet of water for best results.

Steelhead fishing is still good straight out, fish the color lines for best results. Be there early for a good bite. Put out some long lines on the boards, bright colors of spoons, small, and regular sizes for best results, fishing straight out, South and North of the harbor, start in 70 feet of water and work out to 110 feet of water as the sun comes up.

Lake Trout fishing is still fair. Try straight out, South and North of the harbor using the dodgers with spin and glows or flys close to the bottom. Try clean spoons off the downriggers. Fish 50 feet down to the bottom for best results. Start fishing in 70 feet of water and work your way out to the deeper water till you find them.

Bass and Pike are still being taken casting or trolling spoons and body baits in close to shore or inside the harbor. Fishing around the weed beds is still giving the best results.

Walleye fishing has slowed down, try North of the harbor and North of Port Hope working in close to shore, 25 to 60 feet of water. Clean small spoons, hot n tots, and crawler harnesses will be best.

Try for perch South by the cemetery