Charter Salmon Fishing Milwaukee Temperature and

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

Thanks for the reports. They are helpful for those of us who can only get out once or twice a week, and give us a starting strategy. Will have some friends out on the early bite Saturday morning….may see you out there. What’s your boat name?

Dear Captain Hirt,

What happens to the salmon after 10 am in the morning? Do they swim offshore or do simply stop feeding?

Thanks