Lake Michigan Fishing tips By Capt. Jim Hirt

Fishing Milwaukee Downrigger Leaders How Long ?

By Capt. Jim Hirt

Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin The four year old Chinooks are staging and getting ready to come up the Milwaukee River. Look for exciting action on the biggest fish of the year in the warm water outside the break walls, in the harbor gaps and around the harbor. Don't try to finesse them because they are biting on reflex reaction. What I mean by this is rotators with flies, small spoons and slow trolling is definitely out! Go big go fast for best results. My first choice for tackle is the Vulcan magnum spoon. A close second and third choice are the Nestor Wobblers magnum size and size #4 J-plugs. When the water is clear go with all silver, silver/green, silver/blue. In low light or cloudy stained water, run the glow in the dark colors. Vulcan and Nestor Wobblers you can get from Badgertackle.com J-plugs you can get anywhere. Downriggers 15 to 30 down are the way to go.

If the two and three year old Chinooks are the way you want to go, look for the temp break to 50 degree water. The wind has been moving the fish around. A couple of days of west wind will move the warm water out and the fish will come in to 50 to 60 feet of water. When the wind blows east, go deep over 100 feet for fish. Reaper Spoons, J-Plugs and Rotators with blue or green flies are steady producers. I like to run a mix of rotators and spoons. The rotators will attract the fish to your downrigger presentation. As always check the water temperature as the first thing you do. Find the 50 degree water and you will most likely find fish. If you fish at first light, you may find fish in the warm water above the temperature break to 50 degrees. When the water is above 50 degrees from top to bottom, continue to deeper water in search of colder water for two and three year old salmon. Action has been steady and predictable. All presentations are working early in the day. Downriggers are better later in the morning or mid day. Try Slide Divers set to #2 with 65 feet of Power Pro line out or conventional mono divers with 80 to 100 feet of line out. Temperature is the key. Find the break and work above and below it for salmon. If it's clear and calm, you may have to run long leads of 50-100 feet on the Slide Divers and downriggers.

Downriggers are one of the oldest most used and most productive tools used for salmon and trout on the Great Lakes. Their potential for putting fish in the cooler is undisputed. As with any tool proper usage is the answer to success. A common question I receive from fellow fishermen is how long do you run your drop back leader? This is the length of line between your lure and the downrigger weight. This one item will make the difference of a few fish or steady action. The variables on the length of drop back leader are dictated by many factors. The four most important that I consider are type of lure, amount of light at the presentation, the color of the water and the mood of the fish. The main types of lures fall into three categories spoons, rotators (flashers, dodgers) and plugs. Each of these has its own qualities that come out when run with the proper leader length. Spoons are the most forgiving and will do their job on a leader as short as 10 feet although I seldom run them that short unless I am fishing in stained or very deep water. On average 30 feet is a good leader length depending on the other variables. Rotators are another animal. Each type has its own characteristics on average a 12 foot leader is best. If you run them too long they loose their action. The leader length on Plugs like spoons arent as critical. Twenty feet is a good place to start. The amount of light at the lure will also change your leader length. As a general rule the more light the longer the leader. On calm clear days with lots of sun 100-foot leaders will catch fish when a short leader presentation is dead. The exception to this rule is the rotators. Long leaders on rotators will usually not produce. Mood of fish is also to be considered. Short leaders produce a more erratic action and may turn fish on or off. When setting tackle try some short and some long to get a feel for the mood of the fish. When the bite slows down, change the leader length of the best producing lures to keep the rods dancing. Good Luck Captain Jim. 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 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

Fishing Charters Milwaukee For all Species Fishing, Spread The Tackle.

By Capt. Jim Hirt

Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin 8/19/2006. The four year old Chinooks or King Salmon are about as large as they are going to get. We are now getting Kings at about 20 pounds. Our best lure for them has been magnum spoons in silver/green, silver/blue or Glow in the dark. I like the Reapers or Vulcan magnums from badgertackle.com. Downriggers are the way to go. The wind has been moving the fish around A couple of days of west wind will move the warm water out and the fish come in to 50 to 60 feet of water. When the wind blows east go deep over 100 feet for fish. Rotators and blue or green flies are also working. I like to run a mix of rotators and spoons. The rotators will attract the fish to your downrigger presentation. As always check the water temperature as the first thing you do. Find the 50 degree water and you will most likely find fish. If you fish at first light you may find fish in the warm water above the temperature break to 50 degrees. When the water is above 50 degrees from top to bottom continue to deeper water in search of colder water for salmon. The boater's that don't care to run 6 to 8 miles off shore I would consider working the warm water for some great Brown Trout or Rainbow action. Look for them from 25 to 85 feet in the top 40 feet as they like the warm water. Action has been steady and predictable. All presentations are working early in the day and downriggers are better later in the morning or mid day. Try Slide Divers set to #2 with 65 feet of Power Pro line out or conventional mono divers with 80 to 100 feet of line out. Temperature is the key. Find the break and work above and below it for salmon. If it's clear and calm, you may have to run long leads of 50-100 feet on the Slide Divers and downriggers. Watch your speed! Kick up your speed to 2.4 to 2.7 for Rainbows and between 1.8 and 2.4 for Kings. The warm water Kings like a slower speed. Good Luck!!

The top fishermen know that when the action stops or never starts its time to spread the tackle and work all the different types of fish. If this sounds strange, you may not have considered that each species of fish likes different lures, presentations and temperatures. When I go out on any trip I start with what I believe is the hot set up based on the last trip. This works most of the time but when it doesn't I spread my tackle out to cover all the types of fish. I usually fish 100 feet of water or more because most days all five types of fish are there. This gives me the most possible opportunities to produce fish. Deep water on summer days holds temperature changes from top to bottom creating the correct conditions for all Lake Michigan game fish. There are also some fish that do not hold very often in less than 100 feet of water. When talking to other fishermen they tell me they have never caught a Rainbow or a Lake Trout. This is because they do not fish all potential depths in deep water. As a general rule Rainbows like the warm surface water and Lakers prefer the cold bottom in 100 feet or more.

When I spread tackle out, I run a mix of different lures doing what I call mini sets. This is what I might do in a summer presentation. I split up my rods into three mini sets. On the deepest lines in the coldest water I fish for Lake trout. All the deep lines are matched for speed, color and preference of the target. This is a good time to talk about color as it relates to the amount of light. You may or may not remember learning the colors of the rainbow in school. The colors are remembered by this acronym "ROY G BIV". These letters mean red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Most of the time I run lure colors of red, orange, or yellow when that lure is presented in the portion of the water column with the most light. The other end of the rainbow blue, indigo and violet are used in darker or low light situations. You may ask what about silver and white? I consider these as neutral or they will work in any type of light. All the other colors fall into either bright or dark. Bright lures are used in bright light conditions dark lures in low light. Now let's get back to setting our deep lines. Go with colors for low light that work well at a speed you intend to run and in the size of the baitfish. Medium to large spoons, rotators with flies, or spin-n-glows and lake trolls work most days. Look for temps below 48 degrees for Lake Trout. The next mini set will run in water above the deep lines. Fish the 48-58 degree water spreading the lines to run about every ten feet of depth. Here we are looking for Chinooks and Coho salmon. I like a mix of rotators and flies with a long lead spoon or two. The balance of my lines will run in 59 degrees or warmer water looking for rainbows and browns. Depending on how much warm water you have to work with you can cover it with long lines, diving planers and lead core. The mini set in the warmest water with plenty of light should have the lures with fastest action and brightest colors. When the fishing gets tough spread out your presentation and go deep. Good Luck Captain Jim. 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 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

By Capt. Jim Hirt

Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin 8/10/2006

. Fishing is still excellent the east wind continues to move the warm water into Milwaukee and the cold water moves out. For most of the day this is has brought the cold water fish down to below 70 feet in 100 to 200 feet of water. The Chinooks are between 12 and 20 pounds. Coho are running up to 8 pounds. We have had good numbers on Rainbows 8-14 pounds look for them in the top 40 feet as they like the warm water in depths over 100 feet. Action has been steady and predictable. At first light look for the big Chinooks, Coho and Brown Trout in the top 40 feet in closer to shore. I think this will dry up as this area becomes too warm. All presentations are working. Try Slide Divers set to #2 with 65 feet of Power Pro line out or conventional mono divers with 80 to 100 feet of line out. Most magnum spoons in silver/green, silver/blue or Glow in the dark are working. I like the Reapers or Vulcan magnums. Downriggers are also good with spoons or rotators and blue or green flies. Run half cores of lead early with spoons. Later in the morning about 730 am follow the fish down and out to deeper water. I set up in 45 feet at first light and when action slows down I move to over 100 feet for Rainbows up top and Salmon at the temp break to 50 degrees. Temperature is the key. Find the break and work above and below it. Then work north and south in that depth. If it's clear and calm, you may have to run long leads of 50-100 feet on the Slide Divers and downriggers. Watch your speed! Kick up your speed to 2.4 to 2.7 for Rainbows and between 1.8 and 2.4 for Kings. The warm water Kings like a slower speed. Fish on!!

Smart Fishing! Efficiency leads to success. This is true in all endeavors and fishing is no exception. I know when I was a rookie and even today I thought it would be great to charter or hire a guide in all parts of the world to see how they go about rigging tackle and setting up their boat. I know we all fish a little or a lot different from each other. Where the majority of the mechanics are probably the same, small differences in the way we go about fishing will make or break the day. Please allow me to tell you about some of the items I use on my boat that helps produce fish. As some of this article may sound like an infomercial, it will perhaps lend to some changes in your method of operation. I am constantly evolving year to year and in some cases day to day. A new tool I added this season that is helping keep fish on the line and is quicker to use is the rod holders and track system sold by Bert's Custom Tackle. Fishing just got easier with their adjustable Rod Holder with a Ratchet Gear System. Adjust the rod holder to the angle that you want. You have 5 positions or from vertical to horizontal to choose from. When you get a fish on the line you can easily pull the rod holder straight up with the Ratchet Gear System. Its easy to remove your rod and maintain pressure on the line in one motion! Their track system allows me to add as many rod holders, cup holders and a variety of other options.

Most everyone fishes salmon out of Milwaukee with downriggers. The way you attach the line to it has everything to do with how many fish you will put in the boat. I have tried most of the different styles of releases. I like the Blacks release with the clip to attach the weight as one unit. The Blacks releases are completely adjustable to set the hook when the fish bites and never tangle or wear the line. The alligator style clips and rubber bands never seem to work for me. Look for ways on your boat to use the time on the water more efficiently. Gota go another fish screamin line! 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 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

Charter Salmon Fishing Milwaukee Temperature and speed is key!
By Capt. Jim Hirt

Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The summer heat is on! Temperature gauge is the one tool you can't be without. The wind comes out of the west the warm water is pushed out of Milwaukee and the cold water replaces it. Wind out of the east warm water comes in and the fish move to deeper water. The fish are always following temperature and food. If you find temperature you will always catch some fish. When you are marking baitfish in the correct temps the action heats up. Most recently east wind has moved the action to 100 feet or more. Seventy feet down is the temp break to 50 degrees. This is a good place to start for Chinooks. All species are active with half the catch being Chinooks from 5-20 pounds. We have been catching a lot of Rainbows this year. These acrobats have been in the top fifty feet of water. Long lead spoons on downriggers, half cores of lead on Yellow Bird Big Birds are the best. Magnum Spoons by Michigan Stinger and Reapers by Badger Tackle have been doing the trick. Most of the silver with green, chartreuse or blue will keep the rods jumping. The best time for Rainbows is from 10 am to 5 pm in 80 to 150 feet of water. There has been a great first light bite on Chinooks in the warm water in 50 to 80 feet of depth 20 to 50 down on all presentations. This is by far the easiest time of the day to get into fish. As the sun rises they will move down and out follow them to continue producing. Glow spoons are a must. Most manufactures have them. The extended glow used by Badger Tackle and Michigan Stinger glow brighter longer. Charge them up with a flash and they will be good all morning. Later in morning the different types of rotators with green or blue flies are taking fish. Watch your speed! Kick up your speed to 2.4 to 2.7 for Rainbows and between 1.8 and 2.4 for Kings. Fish on!!

In this article let's address lure speed as it relates to fish species. The easy way to remember how fast to run your presentation for your target is to think of the temperature they prefer. Lake trout like below 50 degrees water and they require the slowest lure speed. I run between 1.0 and 2.0 M.P.H. for Lakers. Chinook lure speeds and temps are all over the map. The book tells us 52 degrees is what they like. There is considerable variation in the temp of water you will find them. Early in the morning and just before dark they may come into the warm water to feed. As a general rule 2.3 M.P.H. will produce these fish. Coho like slightly warmer water than the Chinooks. I look for water of 52 to 57 degrees for them at 2.4 M.P.H. When you are looking for Brown Trout, fish 60 degrees and above at 2.3 to 2.6 M.P.H. This leaves the Rainbows. To catch Rainbows fish 60 degree plus water at 2.7 to 3.5 M.P.H. I use the fish I am catching as an indicator to my boat speed. When I am catching Lakers I speed up to catch Chinooks. When catching Rainbows I slow down for Lakers. Catching fish every day is a constant evaluation of variables. No two days are the same. Your ability to evaluate the changes will lead to your success. To complete this article we must know what tool will give us the most reliable measurement of speed and temp. A product out in the market place for this purpose is the Depth Raider. This unit offers a probe that you connect to a special downrigger cable giving you speed and temp at the lure to depths of 200 feet. This information is sent to an easy to read display. I was very impressed with Curt Kell of Kell Laboratories the innovator of this product. His attention to quality and customer satisfaction sets him apart in the industry. The Depth Raider will set the standard for this type of product for years to come. To get information on this product call Curt at 262-534-2202. Good Luck Captain Jim. 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 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

Milwaukee Charter Fish Report & Small Details Big Rewards!

By Capt. Jim Hirt

Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rainbow trout, Chinooks and Coho have been active during the past week. The area and depth have been constant as the big pond settles into a summer pattern. The best water has been 80 to 150 feet with Rainbows coming on Slide Divers set to #3 with 80 feet of line out and 5 color lead core with small Vulcan #2 Silver Sky spoons. This is a midday bite between 10 am to 4 pm. This same tackle will take Coho early and Rainbows thru the day. You can also catch Chinook all thru the day but the best bite has been early and late in the day. Look for them in water below 50 degrees. The temp break to 50 degrees is at 70 feet. Fish for them from 70 to the bottom on downriggers. I find the best action about ten feet off the bottom. Magnum spoons like the #5 Monkey Puke and Fish n Chip Reapers along with most of the different types of rotators with green or blue flies are taking the big ones. Watch your speed, kick up your speed to 2.4 to 2.6 for Rainbows and between 1.8 and 2.4 for Kings. Have a blast!

I would like to point out several items over looked by most fishermen that should be a focus every time on the water. Attention to detail and organization is the key to success in most everything we do. This also holds true to any type of fishing. Motor trolling is a mix of the perfect bait presented in the most favorable way. If I were to pick just one of the two most important factors in trolling, it would be presentation. Most fish will reject the best lure at the wrong speed or depth. Those of you who do not have a budget of $500 for a speed and temp gauge must learn to read what I call blow back on the downrigger cables. As the weight with the lure behind it runs below the water, the force of the water pushing on the weight creates an angle as the wire enters the water. If the boat was stopped, the cable would hang straight down and your lure speed would be zero. As the boat speeds up the weight swings back this is blow back. This will tell you a whole lot of things about what is going on down there. Sometimes there are currents or you may be traveling up or down wind. Focus on this angle to regulate the amount of boat speed required. Experience is the best teacher here. Note the cable angle visually when you are producing fish to duplicate the speed. When you are not catching fish increase or decrease your speed. No two boats, days or lures produce well at the same speed.

The second detail I believe is neglected by some is lure size and color. Whenever fishing is slow it is always a good idea to try a variety of sizes of lures in the same color. Go with small, medium and magnum spoons in the same or similar colors. This will help you determine what the fish are looking for. Many times big fish will hit small lures due to their neutral or negative attitude and not have anything to do with medium or magnum lures. Another reason for a variety of sizes is fish come in all sizes and if you run all large spoons you may be missing a great bite on medium and small fish. The other obvious reason is to match the size of the baitfish. Over the years I have found this technique will keep the rods dancing on slow days. The message here is dont get locked into speed, size, color or location. Change is good when the action slows down work with the variables. Catch a bunch!! 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 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

Fish Report & Lets Play Favorites

By Capt. Jim Hirt

Fishing report for Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin. East wind and the normal warming of the water are setting up Lake Michigan into a summer pattern. The key any day on the water is temperature and baitfish. Find those two ingredients and your on fish. There are Coho at all depths on flashers, dodgers, rotators and flies. Most of the attractors are working. Watch your speed they are very speed sensitive. I have been running them between 1.8 and 2.4. The surface temperature is up to 62 degrees and the Rainbows are turning on. They are coming on half cores of lead with Vulcan #2 Green Dolphin spoons. Were taking a mixed bag of 50% Coho, 25% Chinooks and 25% Rainbows. We are getting our best action in 80 to 200 feet of water off of the filtration plant. Look for the huge schools of baitfish for the best action. There are also Chinooks around between 10 and 14 pounds. Big spoons are working for the big boys on downriggers presented from 25 feet to the bottom. The best spoon for us at first light is the Vulcan #3 Fire Tiger or Monkey Puke glow. Later in the day they go to Michigan Stinger's Stingrays in the glow puke color. Enjoy our great resource.

In previous articles we covered the LTLR now lets focus on three of my favorite lures. In this article I would like to help you with what lures to run for a typical July or August trip on Lake Michigan. This is a very difficult question. Where I can't possibly go into all species and all situations, perhaps I can define what I believe will catch fish 90 percent of the time. Please keep in mind that the best lure not properly presented will not catch fish. Milwaukee is known for excellent Chinook salmon fishing, so I will focus on salmon. If I were to run just one lure day in and day out and consistently catch fish, it would be a flasher and fly. Flashers come in dozens of colors, sizes and manufactures. The one I would select would be an 8-inch Pro Troll Hot Chip 8. E-Chip technology is blowing away the fish. Color, speed and the length of the leader from the flasher to the fly are critical to all attractors. The leader should be 22-25 inches. I measure from the end of the hook to the back of the flasher. This measurement may change day to day. The length of the leader will affect the speed of the fly. The bigger Chinooks may require a longer leader. Colors are all over the map. You can use combinations of white flashers with white flies deep and green with green flies above 60 feet. My number two choice would be two different spoons. For first light fishing I like the Badger tackle Vulcan or Reaper glow spoons in the size number two or three. This spoon has put more fish in the cooler than any other spoon I run. The other spoon to try is a Michigan Stinger. All of their colors work for different situations. Two of my favorites for kings are the SH77 Blue Dolphin and SH60 Kevorkian. Use these lures when fishing in over cast or sunny situations. Below fifty feet down the Kevorkian is best. Run spoons on your Slide Divers and flasher flies on your downriggers. A simple and very effective way to produce fish on calm days with clear skies is to run just two spoons. The lead from the spoon to the downrigger should be one hundred fifty feet. This presentation will not allow tight turns. When the morning bite stops, go long to continue catching fish. 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 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved

Fishing Report Milwaukee, Hot Locations For Salmon And Trout

By Capt. Jim Hirt

The wind and rain have been a problem lately. I have been out on most of the days when we have had good lake conditions. We are catching more cohos than any other species. Cloudy days bring better action on silver spoons and sunny days bright orange or red are working. Usually my spring coho come on flasher flies, not this year. On most days I start out with a mix of flasher flies and spoons in a variety of colors. As I start producing fish, changes to the most active lures are made. I am finding that at the current water temperatures of 44-50 degrees on cloudy days small spoons like the Vulcan #2 Silver Star, Silver Sky and Spring Green are out producing the flashers. The sunny days Michigan Stinger's Orange and Red Shanster, Orange and red Chip Shanster, have been best. Michigan Stingers with the needle sharp VMC hooks are almost 100% for fish on and fish in the cooler. The good news is the spoons are not as speed sensitive as the flashers. For those of you who do not do well with flashers try some small spoons. Downriggers down 15-30 feet, Slide Divers set on #4 with 40 feet of line out and Yellow Birds are the presentations I have been successful with. Action has been good where ever you find a temperature break. The harbor gaps and tight along the shoreline are all good places to try. The big kings are scattered. They like the bigger spoons such as the Titan #3 in most of the silver and glow color patterns. Some of the boats have been out in deeper water, but the water inside of 45 feet has worked for us. The boat speed of 2.2-2.4 on the Depth Raider gave the best results. The contents of the fishes stomachs showed they were eating well. There are some 2-inch Alewives in the fish we caught. We also snagged some big ones on our lures.

I would like to share with you some of my key locations to find fish and the hottest set ups for early summer presentation. The most important factor at this time of the year is water temperature. I recommend a must item for you is a surface temp gauge. Your gauge can be a simple hand held thermometer or a unit built into your fish locator.

Early summer is a great time for Coho and Chinooks. They prefer water temps in the mid fifties. Think about it, the temperature of Lake Michigan is in the 48-degree range. The most active fish are in the top twenty-five feet of water. Find the warmest temp you can. Sometimes I am fishing a temp break of only a degree or two. You will find these temp breaks at mouths of rivers, power plants and protected bays. The wind direction will be a major player in warm water location. The surface warms first and wind will move this water around. On Wisconsins shore a light east wind does wonders for improving action. The reason I used most of this article on temperature is because it is a key factor in finding fish. Temperature is almost more important than the type of lure you use.

Motor trolling is the method I use for most of my fishing, and I will explain one of my basic setups. If possible I would max out the number of rods, because more is better this time of year. I fish 50% of my lines on Yellow Bird planer boards. Find a brand you like and run all the same type. The balance of my lines are on Slide Divers and downriggers. For lures I like small #2 Vulcan spoons. On most days all of their colors will work. The water is too cold for flasher flies and they will be used when the water warms to over 52 degrees. When fishing early in the season, fish metabolism or body temp is very low and requires a slow presentation. I run my boat speed between 1.8 and 2.4 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 silver or glow lures. Hotter colors work best in cloudy water. You cant go wrong with chartreuse in both conditions. The new glow in the dark lures are an excellent option. The old rule of thumb applies, bright lures bright days, dark lures dark days. Good luck! 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 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Fishing Report Milwaukee and More Fish For Only $20.

By Capt. Jim Hirt

Early May fishing has been great. Were taking Chinooks 8-14 pounds, lots of Coho and some Brown Trout. The Brown's have been running mostly between 4-7 with a few over 10 pounds. There has been a good morning and evening bite on the big Kings and Browns. Mid day is when we are catching most of our Coho and smaller Browns. On the early and sunset bite bigger spoons and plugs have produced fish. The Vulcan Silver Reaper #3 or #2, J-plugs #3 silver and some fish on glow spoons in the larger sizes. Downriggers 14 -24 down and Slide Divers at 10 to 20 feet have been best. My planer boards have been slow at first and last light. I don't put them out until the mayhem of big kings slows down. This avoids the big kings ripping through the boards. About 8am we start to pound the coho. Their biting on Gobbly Wabbler Peanut flies in aqua or Kelly green 12-18 inches behind a 6 inch orange flasher or dodger. I present them on 50% of my rods with small spoons like the Vulcan #2 or Savant Jake 45 in silver or glow colors on the balance. Be sure to run planer boards like Yellow Birds because most of the Coho are in the top 10 feet. Anywhere you can find a temp break has been working. Try the harbor gaps along the shoreline to the north or south. I hear some of the boats have been out in deeper water but the water inside of 45 feet has worked for us. The boat speed of 2.2-2.5 G.P.S gave the best results. The contents of the fishes stomachs showed they were eating well, all different sizes of alewives were present.

Small changes in tackle and presentation will make a big difference in the number of fish in the cooler. It does not cost a lot of money to improve your technique. As a charter captain I am invited to fish with many other fishermen during the course of the season. I know everyone has a different way of doing things but I am always surprised to see how each of us approaches the fundamentals. I believe presentation is more important than any other factor when fishing any body of water. The best anglers catch more fish because they focus on getting as close to a natural presentation as possible. Every time you go fishing, whether it's for salmon or any other specie, think about how your bait is working. One of the biggest mistakes I have seen is the lack of a Fluorocarbon leader from your main line to the bait. Salt-water anglers have been using leaders to enhance the action of the lure, reduce the visibility of the line and create a more stealthy natural presentation for a long time. Its time to get on the wagon. A spool of 18 lb. Seaguar Fluoro Premier fluorocarbon leader for $9 will put more fish in the boat! Most anglers do not consider the terminal tackle that important. The last ten feet of your line is critical to producing. What do you use to attach your lures? Snaps are rated by pounds of pressure they will with stand. Use the correct size for your target species. You wouldn't use a deer rifle for rabbit hunting so, don't use a 150 lb snap for 30-pound fish. Try the smaller snaps. I use a 30 lb Cross Lock Ball Bearing snap on all of my lines except for the diving planers and flashers or dodgers. They take a lot of abuse and for them I use a 75 lb snap. Premium Ball Bearing snaps cost more but they're worth it. The smaller snaps won't last as long so replace them frequently or fatigue will cause them to fail. One last word on this subject is that good drags on your reels are necessary. Set the drag correctly and keep your thumb off the spool. The rod should fight the fish not the reel. 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 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Charter Fishing Report Milwaukee and Electronics For Salmon fishing!

By Capt. Jim Hirt

April fishing is very good. Most of our charter trips are catching limits. Clear skies with the wind out of the northeast at 5-10 mph have been the norm. The water flowing into Milwaukee harbor is 57 degrees. We have been fishing the temp breaks in front of the river mouth and harbor gaps marking fish at all depths. Our best presentations are Yellow Bird planer boards with 25 foot leads behind the boards and downriggers 8 to 15 feet down. The way I set up a planer board is with 20 lb. mono to a 1/4-ounce bead chain sinker. Use 8 feet of 18 lb. Seaguar Fluoro Premier fluorocarbon leader from the sinker to a size #1 Cross Lock snap and lure. The fish have not been too particular. Most small crankbaits, 3-4 inch spoons and J-Plugs are taking fish. Some of our best producers have been Vulcan Silver Sky #2, Fishlander Easter Egg and Koho Cracker #2 spoons. Depending on wind direction the north and south gaps are producing fish. Our bigger Chinooks have been caught at the north gap. The fish at the north gap came on small spoons. Silver blue spoons worked best for us running 60 feet behind the ball on downriggers 8-15 feet down. Our best boat speed was 2.4 mph. We ran dipsey divers but they did not produce a fish.

I often get the question of what tackle do I need to get started in motor trolling for salmon and trout. This series of articles will take you from bare essentials to no budget all inclusive fishing equipment. In the previous two articles we have covered plan "A" downriggers basic applications and stealth option plan "B". Electronics are a must have for any type of fishing. I will try to balance cost with productivity in this article.

It makes no difference whether you go plan basic or all out. Electronics are your eyes and ears. To try to fish with out them would be very difficult.

There are three key items of electronics for every salmon fisherman on the Great Lakes. First and foremost to safety and finding fish is a marine radio ($100). The information a radio can provide is well worth the investment. It is also your link to marine authorities and weather. Some radios have a built in scanner for all channels. This is not a bad idea for getting all the latest news when on the lake.

The price of a fish locator is all over the map. You can do just fine with most locators that are rated for depths of up to 600 feet ($119). A more costly option is to purchase a locator with speed and surface temperature ($300). For the salmon angler with cash to spend, include a G.P.S. in your locator for $600.

Most experienced fishermen that troll know that speed and temperature at the lure is the most important information they need to consistently catch all species of fish. There are many units out in the market place that will give you this information. I had an opportunity to run a Depth Raider ($429) on my boat in the 2005 season. This unit offers a probe that you connect to a special downrigger cable giving you speed and temp at the lure to depths of 200 feet. This information is sent to an easy to read display. Unlike other units of this type it gave steady and reliable info trip after trip. I was very impressed with Curt Kell of Kell Laboratories the innovator of this product. His attention to quality and customer satisfaction sets him apart in the industry. The Depth Raider will set the standard for this type of product for years to come. To get information on this product call Curt at 262-534-2202.

The skies the limit when it comes to electronics. Some will say you need more or less than my recommendation. I do believe the three items listed here will give you an edge when it comes to fishing the Great lakes. The next article is one you wont want to miss. How to put more fish in the cooler for only $20. 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 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.

Salmon Trolling What Do I Need? Plan "B"

By Capt. Jim Hirt

I often get the question of what tackle do I need to get started in motor trolling for salmon and trout. This series of articles will take you from bare essentials to no budget all inclusive fishing equipment. The last article covered Plan "A" downriggers basic applications. This article will introduce you to an all stealth option plan "B".

To tie this article together I will go back over rod and reel selection. Recent years the buzzword on the water is stealth. Clean presentations offered a good distance from the boat will take more and bigger fish. Too much tackle will often turn the fish off. Purchase two Okuma CGL-C-802M 8 foot medium action trolling rods. They will give you all the versatility and power you need. There are great quality fiberglass rods starting at $60 each. Line counter trolling reels are important to precision and don't cost much more than reels without line counters. Look for quality based on the amount of times you expect to use them. A two ball bearing reel like the Okuma Magda MA-30DX is affordable and will last a long time with good maintenance. A $45 reel that will hold 300 yards of 20 pound test will also hold a half core of lead and all of the mono or fluorocarbon set ups. Types of presentations are endless and the budget minded fisherman couldn't include all the options. The key here is where are the fish. You must be able to fish at all depths. More and more fishermen are going without downriggers. Stealth is the cutting edge and the savviest anglers use it in one form or another. Two $30 rod holders start this option. Here it gets interesting, due to the complex and simple choices. Slide Divers, leadcore, power rods and flat lines with all the individual variations of each will cover top water to the briny deep.

A must have would be the $15 size #1 Slide Diver with a set of diver rings and weights. A reel loaded with 300 yards of 65 pound Power Pro at $30 with the Slide Diver will reach to over 100 feet in depth. This is a simple and very productive way to go. You may want to set up both of your rods for Slide Divers, one for each side of the boat. The line counter reels will give you the capability of knowing where your lure is and repeating that depth after every fish.

Use this same rod, reel and line for your power rods. Remove the Slide Diver and tie on a three-way swivel. Use an Opti-Dodger snubber with a 9 foot Seaguar Fluoro Premier 28 lb fluorocarbon leader ($11) and a snap. By adding a variety of different size ball sinkers in 4 to 16 ounces to the last position on the three way, you will have total depth control. Power rods produce best when run off Big Bird Yellow Bird planer boards. In this application let out your line with weight and note the number of feet. Attach the Yellow Bird and let it go out to the side of the boat. Yellow Birds are manufactured to run left or right of the boat's path. They allow you to position your line in water undisturbed by boat noise.

Flat lines are as old as the hills. Many anglers are coming back to them as an answer to catching fish on or near the surface. The same Power Pro rod as used for dipsys and power rods will also work for flat lines. On the end of the Power Pro use a uni-knot to attach 15 feet of 18 pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader. I recommend using an Opti-Dodger 2 x 2 ball bearing swivel/double-Lok snap for attaching the lure. A 50 pound swivel is large enough. Too large of a swivel will dampen the action of the lure. Here is very important note about fishing with all no stretch lines like Power Pro. Do not go for big hook sets, in fact no hook set is the best way to go. When the rod starts to bounce, just reel the fish in. I'd suggest backing off the drag so that the line slips a bit on the hook set, that way, you shouldn't tear the hook out. I will go into electronics and lures in part three of this article. Have a great fishing season. Good Luck Captain Jim. 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 2006, James J. Hirt, All Rights Reserved.


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