By: Capt. Sean McDonald
Katch Me Charters
(231) 510-2072
June is the month for mixed bag fishing. It’s a time to start heading offshore in search of surface temperature breaks. At the beginning of the month, look for warm nearshore water hitting the cold water of the main lake (inside 5 miles out). As the month goes on, the surface breaks will become further and further out: up to 20 miles or more. Look for Kings in the warmer water, closer to shore. And steelhead at the break or outside the break. I have found the perfect surface temperature for steelhead feeding on or near the surface is 52 degrees. Pull up the satellite image and look for pockets of colder water offshore. Drive out toward the cold pocket until the water starts to cool down into the mid-50s, shut down and troll toward the cold pocket. Set a couple of downriggers with spin doctors and meat rigs for the kings or lake trout down around 80-100 feet. Maybe the same meat rigs on your low divers 125-200 feet back. Set a variety of orange spoons near the surface from no weight to a five color leadcore line. Using slide divers with green spoons are a great way to target multiple species offshore as well. Keep them back around 50 feet and set the diver. Start by letting out around 30 feet and keep bumping it back every 15 minutes, until you get to around 120 feet out. Then bring it in and try a different spoon or lure on it. Speed helps in locating offshore fish. Trolling around 2.9 speed over ground keeps you in the game. Direction can make or break your day! Keep adjusting your course around 5 degrees until things start popping and roll with it until you stop getting bites. Good luck with the mixed bag offshore fishing in June. We have a good amount of kings, coho and BAIT around now and let’s hope they stay in our area this summer.