Salmon Season is Underway
If you’re like me, you have been watching the forecast since July hoping for some signs of salmon to hit the rivers. It started out with super coldwater near shore all summer long. Then when the fish were suppose to start trickling up the river, the lake flipped back over and there was a 3-5 mile wall of 70 degree warm water across Lake Michigan meaning no fish were thinking of running up the river. I was lucky enough to tangle with one on the 19th hour of fishing the week before Labor Day but it was horrible fishing.
Laborday was basically a repeat of the week before on the river.
I did get to fish on my buddies boat in Pentwater on Lake Michigan and found a pocket of cold water after an hour of searching before the sun came up. Sure enough, we found fish schooled up. Ended up landing 5 kings and 3 cohos and had another 10 bites. We did circles around our numbers all morning and had the best day of the year on the boat bite wise.
Laborday I went back to the river and worked a 3-5 miles of the river and managed to find a hole that had some fish in it. After that hole died, I moved on and only managed one more bite farther down river.
Since then I have not been up north. However, I have been talking to my buddies who have been fishing. The rivers up north are starting to heat up slowly. Due to the DNR cutting our plants majorly the last 8 years, we are seeing a lot fewer fish. However, if you’re willing to move a lot, you are going to find fish whether it's on a boat or in the river. The holes that are usually loaded are filling up everyday. Thundersticks have been best from the reports I have received but all my bites have came on skein this year.
With that being said, I have passed my DNR test and will be guiding fishing trips as soon as my license shows up and my permits are paid for. I hope to be up there as much as I can this fall and will try to up date you guys on how the fishing is in the NW. I am actually heading up Tuesday for 8 days and will have another report when I get home.
Good Luck to everyone and especially the youth next weekend. I cannot wait to get into the woods with my bow in hand.
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