Fishing Report, Whitney Charters

Hello,

On Lake Michigan, fishing is definitely slowing down but there are still plenty of fish out there waiting for you. Catches the last few days have ranged from 5 to 15 fish among the group of guys I talk to. The best fishing seems to be happening in three different depth ranges. 60 - 85 ft has been good early as schools of bait are fairly thick here. 120 - 140 is providing plenty of action and the 185 - 210 foot range continues to be a productive area as well. Lead core rigs from 5 to 12 colors have been effective in all ranges with Jager Bombs, Modified Blue and Green Dolphins and a newer bait from Fuzzy Bear called the Arctic Ice all working very well. The Arctic Ice is similar to a Blue Dolphin but with a clear crush tape on the face and the standard Fuzzy Bear glow tape on the back. It's been a killer for my neighbor and he's using it at all depths with good success throughout the morning. Paddles and flies are still taking fish but it seems to be a different pattern for everybody with a white paddle trailing your favorite fly holding a slight edge over other colors. The most active downrigger depths have been from 45 to 75 feet down and standard divers are taking fish from 120 - 170 feet behind the boat. Coppers have been good in the two deeper stretches with a lot of success on the 150' rig but the 225', 300' and 400' coppers are picking away as well. If this seems like a lot of area and depths it's because it is. The fish are starting to move into a late May pattern and are moving daily so run everything but the kitchen sink and if you don't find fish where you start, keep moving. If you hit a pocket of fish be sure to mark it on your gps and stick with them until things slow down. It will also pay to start running some stuff near surface as the steelhead should start showing up and they'll be around slicks chasing bugs soon.

For those of you fishing smaller waters, the bluegill fishing has really taken off this week. My son took a limit of very nice gills on his fly rod Wednesday afternoon in just over an hour on Stearns Bayou. Several others I've talked with have found similar success on some smaller lakes north of Muskegon as well as on the bayous of Spring Lake. Take a break every now and then and toss a floating Rapala around and twitch it on the surface near weed lines. You'll likely be rewarded with a big splash and a leaping bass for a change of pace. Remember though that bass have to be released until next weekend. Perch fishing has all but ended again on the lake but the mild cool front coming at the beginning of next week could change that again. Catfish continue to offer plenty of entertainment on the Grand with plenty of 5 - 8 lb channel cats eating whatever I was planning to have for lunch that my sons snuck out of the fridge. For the serious guys, chunks of fresh alewives are hard to beat. 

Regardless of your choice, get out and go fishing this weekend. The weather is going to be great and the odds of catching a tasty meal are on your side. Good Luck!

Matt