Milwaukee Trophy Salmon And Trout Fishing Variables.
By Capt. Jim Hirt
Several factors determine the size and quantity of your catch. If you are a member of a fishing club, you probably noticed the same persons seem to place very well for the biggest fish every year. I believe there are many components that go into their success. Yes they pay their dues by being on the water more than most. This affords them an opportunity to try a variety of presentations in all seasons and weather. Unfortunately all of us cannot break away and get out on the water as often as we would like to. This starts a series of five articles that goes into some of the variables that will allow you to land a fish of a lifetime.
Timing is undoubtedly the number one variable. By timing I mean to fish when the big ones are biting. This includes weather, time of day and time of the year. If I were a Musky angler, the window for this opportunity would be very small. The good news is salmon and trout fishing is much broader in scope, with greater chances to boat your trophy. You can boat a twenty plus pound Salmon, Brown, Rainbow or Lake Trout from the start of the Lake Michigan season in April to late October. Let’s narrow that down by species and time of year.
Chinook Salmon live four and a half years and it makes sense that they will be the biggest at the end of their life cycle. These monsters will be the most aggressive and easiest to get in the months of late June thru September.
Brown Trout love the warm water. To catch the biggest look for a heavy thermo cline with a radical shift in temp from sixty to fifty in just a few feet of water. This is definitely a mid summer pattern during the months of July and August.
Huge Rainbows are most accessible in the month of June. The reason for this is as Lake Michigan or any large body of water warms up the temperature near shore warms first. As this warm water pushes out it meets the cold surface water. This is a magnet for big Rainbows. Fishing the surface temp breaks yields the big bows every season.
Lake Trout are a real treat and trophies can be caught all season long. The best scenario is when the temperature breaks sharply from sixty to the forty-five degrees below one hundred feet of water. This concentrates the baitfish and the big Lakers are easy pickings.
This should help you with the best time of year, now shall we consider the time of day. You may find some surprises here because all species are not created equal. Most anglers know that the time period from one hour before sunrise to one hour after is key to hot action. This is also true for the last hour of the day. Your best numbers of fish can come early and late although usually not the trophies. My theory is in a hot bite the best tackle and presentations are not in the water. Specialized tackle and presentation is key when you are on a trophy hunt.
Monster Kings or Chinooks are the least particular when it comes to time of the day. I will say I have boated some of my biggest fish year after year during the hours of eleven to one in the afternoon.
Brown Trout are another story they definitely like low light. First light or last, heavy overcast and foggy days are killers for huge Browns. I wouldn’t even go after them mid day in sunny conditions.
Rainbows love light and lots of it. Pound these tail walkers from ten in the morning to three in the afternoon. I will go into a great mid day presentation for non-stop action in a future article.
Lake Trout in general are very seldom found near the surface and the biggest ones are never there. They hang on the bottom in more than one hundred feet of water. Look for them well after the sun comes up on clear sunny days.
In the next article I will explain how weather can help you boat the big ones and the most productive presentations, lures and locations for your wall hanger Chinooks. 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