Salmon Fishing Report – Lake Michigan Milwaukee WI

When an angler thinks about booking a charter to go salmon fishing on Lake Michigan, most do not think of going out of Milwaukee. I’m not sure why that is the case but after fishing out of many other Lake Michigan fishing destinations (Two Harbors, Sturgeon Bay, Muskegon, Racine, Algoma, Port Washington and Luddington, MI) I can honestly say that Milwaukee is one of my favorites. Thanks to another fellow IDO member that I reached out to, I was recommended to Captain Jason Woda who owns and operates one of Wisconsin’s premier fishing charters named Reel Sensation Charters !

It didn’t take me long to find out why Jason was so popular with his clients and other anglers. First off, his fishing boat named “Trophy Hunter” is a beautiful 1998 33 foot Wellcraft Coastal and is 9 years newer than any other fishing charter in the Milw. Harbor! It has a tremendous amount of deck space and the twin 454 Mercs put out 660HP which makes this boat really fast – which means Jason can get out to his fishing spots right away and get lines in the water! The “Trophy Hunter” is rigged with the finest in “Raymarine” electronics including: Radar, GPS Chartplotter, Autopilot, Fish Finder, and a Marine Radio. Jason exclusively uses Shimano fishing rods with Okuma reels along with Cannon downriggers and Rupp outriggers. Jason also has two other available boats and he’s Milwaukee’s only multi-boat fishing charter operation. Jason guides full time and this profession is his livelihood.

Joining me on this trip was my wife Tina, our good friend Lane and his 10 year old son Michael. We started the day early (met at 4am at the McKinley Harbor) and Jason accommodated us because we could only fish for a few hours in the morning. After a few handshakes and introductions, we were off to our fishing location – a short 2-3 mile trip! As soon as we motored down we instantly marked fish on the sonar! It didn’t take long and Michael was reeling in his very first salmon! What a thrill to see the smile on his face (along with his Dad’s). From there the day was full of non-stop action. We ended up the morning going 16 for 21 with 15 kings and 1 laker. Lane and I each reeled in 1 king and we let Tina and Michael catch all the rest – we wouldn’t want it any other way! Most fish were caught on flasher/fly combos (howie glitter double aqua and little boy blue) in 90 FOW anywhere from 35-65 feet down. Riggers, divers and leadcore/planer boards all caught fish. We also caught a couple on spoons.

Not only the fishing was great, but the weather was perfect too with pure blue skies and a light 5mph wind. The sunrise was also one to remember! At one time early in the morning, I asked Jason if he cared if we grabbed the fishing rod if we see it go off. He calmly looked at me, smiled and said, “I don’t care what you do – it’s your fishing charter!” That pretty much speaks for itself! Jason has a way with people and that is so important for running a fishing charter. He’s also very knowledgeable about his gear and the fishery since he fishes it almost every day. All those ingredients add up to success and shared memories that will last forever amongst friends. I will let the pictures speak for themselves!

What a great day on the water and I truly want to thank Jason for making it wonderful experience for everyone. If you are looking to book a charter to go salmon fishing, I highly recommend going out of Milwaukee and booking a trip with Captain Jason Woda and Reel Sensation Charters. Odds are you will have a memorable day like ours!

Reel Sensation Charters
McKinley Marina

1750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414-384-8096
[email protected]