We finally had some bait show up in our area just after the 4th of July, and it brought us some nice size kings. If the trend continues, August should be a good month. They are here to stay until they run up the river at the end of August or September after a full moon or the lake turning over. Our kings are bigger than they have been in the last two years. How good will August be is the question.
I know that most of the kings in Lake Michigan were on the Wisconsin side for the first half of the summer because they had food for them. Bump up your leaders mainlines to at least 25-pound test, retie your leaders and knots on your wire divers and get prepared to hang on when a king over 20 pounds grabs your bait in August. I have heard of several anglers getting broke off by big fish lately. I suspect this is from last years worn out line.
Our top producers have been spin doctors and meat rigs fished near the thermocline, and then spoons after the bite slow down. Plugs will become important as the water continues to warm up and kings stage in the warmer water. Plug season throws a wrench in our July program because we are used to targeting kings by running our probes down to find their preferred living temperatures of 42-46 and working that and the area just above that. In August adult kings can stage in 60 or more degree water and normally are only active at first and last light. Good luck in August and remember how lucky we are to have kings returning to our port.
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