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

This past week produced consistent fishing in the 65 to 90 foot depth with limit or near limit catches of Lake Trout and Chinook Salmon and Steelhead. We did spend Friday in front the piers and caught 14 steelhead out of about 30 hits. Saturday the water had warmed up 15 degrees and after a hour in front and catching sheephead and white bass, we moved off shore and caught 11 lake trout and 2 salmon.

The program continues to be Gold Star dodgers (white glow, yellow and silver) with green spin n glows and Repture wild fern flies on the bottom for lake trout. The salmon and steelhead came on the high divers at 180 ft. and on the 150, 200 and 300 coppers. The best combinations on the divers were the Davey Jones, UV Mountain Dew and UV green E chip flashers with Rapture no see um flies with green and yellow beads. The copper with orange crush stinger and the mixed veggie stingray were the most consistent.

The perch fishing has slowed after the Wed. blow and the influx of the cold water, however there are some decent numbers being caught out of Holland, however they were small in size. I did not get any reports on the perch to the south of Saugatuck.

With all the bait there is out in the lake, our salmon should be showing up in higher numbers that what we are seeing. I am a little concerned that we might be seeing the effect of the stocking cuts for the last few years and there just are not as many as we might expect. Regardless, the salmon that we are catching are large and we have taken many over 20 pounds and have had a few that busted off the equipment with their hits and runs. For more information or for charter reservations, email me at captron@chartermichigan.com .

Capt. Drew Morris, of Margie J Sport Fishing Charters out of Muskegon, reports:

The fishing has slowed a bit in Muskegon since Wednesday’s hard north winds but continues to be good. Most of the fish have been taken in 50-65 feet of water slightly north of the channel. Run your baits from 15-35 feet down with riggers, boards, and dipseys, all are productive. The best spoons have been Bloody Nose (Stingray size), Tequila Sun Rise, O.J. Stinger, Double Glow Moonshine, Blue Machine Stinger, and a modified Coyote (Stingray size). The best flashers have been Mountain Dew flasher/ slick tape and a Mountain Dew Hypnotist fly, emerald green flasher/cracked ice tape with a green Hypnotist fly, chrome/white flasher/cracked ice with a Frosted Fern fly, and the hottest has been a NBK Stinger flasher with a green Hypnotist fly. We had a monster king that headed for Milwaukee and never stopped and later it took a 22 pound king that did not get away.

Since the hard north blow Wednesday, there has been a strong current running NNW to SSE. Without our bags our south troll was 4.2 sog and on the north troll would slow down to 1.8 so watch your speed. Our best speed with bags has been 2.8 sog on the north troll and 3.3 on the south.

There is a lot of bait between the arms but only a few kings have found it. If we would have had more rain with the wind, we would have had a nice run of 4 year olds up the river. However, don’t be surprised if you see a bunch of boats trolling in the arms.

The lake should settle down and set up nicely for the weekend so expect great fishing. Make sure you check your gear. There are some big kings out there that you don’t want to get away due to a knick in your line.

Have fun and Take a Kid Fishing ….. Capt. Drew

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

Fishing has been very good this week.
We are fishing from 75 ft. out to 120 ft. of water.
We are fishing from 30 ft. down to 60 ft.

Assorted spoons have been working very well for us: Among those are oranges, blues, orange crush, blue dolphin, green dolphin, and mixed veggies.

This week spinnies and flies have started to turn the fish on.
We are using blue spinnies w/blue flies, green spinnies w/green flies, and white paddles w/white flies.

Coast Guard festival continues this week and Grand Haven is a very busy place to be.
If you are interested in booking with us, please contact us at: www.dannmariecharters.com or dannmarie2@aol.com.

Capt. Frank Piku From Captain Franks Fishing Charters reports from Lake St. Clair

MUSKIE FISHING TRIP

It started out with thunder and lighting in the morning so we waited and by 10 am we ventured out into Lake St. Clair

Boogied over to the south shore of the lake near the Red Barnon the Canadian side. Once we set up we had strikes and our results were 4 for 8 . That means we boated and released 4 Muskies and lost 4 . It was a tie score we even landed a big Walleye and a Smallmouth Bass on Muskie lures. These fish were hungry. Than just before pulling lines a gigantic Buzz !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! went off. The reel just kept smoking till there was no line left on the reel. This was the big Giant Muskie that rules the lake. WE didn’t get to see him as he was long gone, like a home run. He is still out there and may be the worlds record Muskie.

You too can fish for him and lots more Muskies, Walleyes, Bass and big Jumbo Perch too. just call me for a date Captain Frank 305 509 1547

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

We found out this past week that we are not use to fighting salmon after
weeks of lake trout fights. Getting 6 to 10 salmon and steelhead hits on
a trip resulted in1 to 4 silver fish in the creel with copper breaking
or fish just being lost because of the drag being to tight or too much
slack in the line. We have gotten lazy fighting the trout. The catch
was still good with 10 to 20 fish per trip, however the lake trout
numbers still dominated the catch.

The silver fish are coming on the 150, 200 and 300 copper with orange
crush, green dolphin and sunburst stingrays. They are also hitting the
high divers at 150 and 180 foot with white slick glow E chip, silver UV
mountain dew E chip and davey jones E chip with a rapture no see um fly
with yellow beads. The lake trout continue to come on gold star dodgers
(silver and yellow) with white, yellow and green spin n glows and
rapture green hypnotist flies.

Perch fishing has been fair to excellent, depending on your location.
Limit catches are being reported from 10 miles south of the Saugatuck
piers to just south of the Douglas Point in 25 to 40 foot of water.
Decent catches of perch were also reported from the Holland piers to
south of Castle Park in 30 to 40 foot of water. I saw one catch today
(from south of the point) that consisted of over 100 perch with the
smallest being 9 in and the largest pushing 14 in.

For move fishing information or for charter reservations, email me at
captron@chartermichigan.com.

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

Lake Trout fishing is on the slow side right now with the storms that have gone through but should pick back up. Try straight out and North of the harbor using the dodgers with spin and glows close to the bottom. Use clean spoons off the downriggers. Fish 60 foot down to the bottom for best results. Start fishing in 90 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. Fish around the weed beds for best results.

A few Salmon are still being taken straight out and North of the harbor fishing 60 to100 foot of water areas. Work deeper as the sun comes up. Clean spoons off the lead lines, dipseys, and downriggers are all working. Fish 15 to 60 feet down.

Steelhead fishing is fair, fish the color lines for best results. Keep your lines up high. Put out some 2,3, and 5 color lead lines on the boards, bright colors of spoons small, regular and magnum sizes for best results, fishing straight out and North of the harbor, start in 70 feet of water and work out as the sun comes up to 120 to 160 feet of water.

Try for perch South by the cemetery or by Wagner Park using minnows.

Walleye fishing is getting better as