T he 2015 fishing season is almost in the books. For the second year in a row the cool temps kept the fish on the move and made for some challenging fishing conditions. Overall our kings ran on the small side averaging around 14 pounds but we did catch a pair of 25-pound fish towards the end of the season including the one in the photo with this article. As for what’s on the horizon, those fisherman that are willing to wait and take advantage of the nicer days this fall should have some very good fishing. Decent schools of alewives and other young baitfish have made themselves at home in this area over the last few weeks and young salmon, steelhead and lake trout are starting to move in to fatten up on them before winter arrives.
The cool summer we’ve had should keep the better fishing within a couple miles of shore and hungry fish in the top 50 or 60’ of water. Keep plenty of spoons with orange on them on your shorter coppers and lead cores and troll around 3 mph to trigger these young fish to strike. Baits to stock up on include Dreamweaver Super Slims and Stinger spoons in Mixed Veggie, silver and gold Orange Crush, Fireball, Jäger Bomb, Jaw Breaker and Smash-mouth patterns in standard and UV versions. If we get a dose of warm weather send your Michigan Dolphin and Hello Darlin patterned spoons down a little deeper for success. If this summer was any indication there will be plenty of large steelhead ready to put on an aerial show rivaling anything Sea World has to offer! If you’re looking for some trout for the smoker, send a Trash Can Dodger and yellow Spin’n’glo down to the bottom and slow down a touch to around 2 – 2.5 mph. Late September and October offer the best lake trout fishing of the season in this area of the lake.
If you can pull yourself away from the football and hunting, take a trip or two out this fall and put some delicious fish in your freezer to help you remember the feeling of fishing on open water as you’re staring out the window at all the white stuff piling up in your driveway!