After a lengthy cold spell, it looks like spring may finally be here as the warm weather in mid-April should have things shaping up pretty well for May. Expect fair numbers of kings to show up in Grand Haven by Mother’s Day. The best fishing at the beginning of the month tends to take place near the river mouth and in the stained river water that extends out into the lake. The best baits the last couple of years have been the Hog Wild, Jager Bomb, Smash Mouth, Fireball, Mixed Veggie and Jaw Breaker patterns on standard sized Stinger spoons and both Super Slim and standard sized Dreamweaver spoons. Gold perch or brown trout patterned spoons work well in the spring as well as young browns and perch tend to be on the menu for the larger fish at this time of year.
Aside from spoons, you’ll want to have at least one pearl and black dot Tomic in the water and a couple of your favorite paddle/fly combinations on deck if things are slow. An 11” white paddle with an Oceana fly behind it will take fish in this area all season. As Memorial Day gets closer, you’ll typically have to wander to deeper water to find your fish, but the location will all depend on current, winds and where the bait is. If a cold front goes through you’ll often find that a number of fish will move back to the warmer river water for a day or two so start shallow after these weather events and point west until you find what you’re searching for. Steelhead will also start showing up near slicks that will be forming as the surface temps begin to go up. Make sure to have at least a couple of bright orange baits up near the surface and at least one high diver set no further back than 75’.
The hunt for kings may be even tougher than last season so mix up your spread a bit, and you’ll increase your odds of putting fish in the cooler. With the warmer water and more than a few steelhead in the area, trolling speeds can be increased up to 3.5 mph while searching for fish. Active kings won’t have any problem with a faster troll and steelhead prefer it. If you’re marking fish 40’ down or more and not hitting, be sure to start playing with your speed as kings will sometimes prefer a 2.2 – 2.6 mph troll, especially when they’re not feeling overly aggressive. Spring has finally sprung, get out on the water and enjoy it!
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