This was the 4th and last time (for tomorrow) trying to hit the lake this year.

Weather strikes again. Up to 13 footers today, 8 footers tomorrow where you might start finding fish.

I called the captain this morning saying there looks like a decent window for tomorrow morning, waves 1 to 2 feet. He said there might be a tiny window, but there are no fish in that range from shore that the forecast is based on. You need to look at the off shore forecast, that one you are looking at only goes to 5 nautical miles out. You start seeing limited fish at about 12 nautical miles off shore, and they are few and far between.

He explained that the lake turned over the other day and resulted in a DO depletion closer to shore (meaning within 12 miles or so) and there are just no fish to be found. The water is way too clear and they can see the black cannon balls (downrigger weights) to 40 feet or so. What would a secchi disc read out there?

A couple boats were out earlier this week and only picked up one or two small steelhead out that far and had to really work for them. Close in, everyone is getting skunked.

Another problem is lack of fish. At the weir at Pere Marquette, there are usually about 5000 Chinook that pass thru by this time of year. As of this morning, only about a hundred or so have buzzed up. Very few fish in the river systems as well. Should be able to go out, wet a line, and fish on, but not now.

Invasive species are altering the food chain and dominating the resources that the feeder fish rely on, so the predator fish can thrive.

It kinda sucks!!!

they are cutting back on the stocking numbers too over the last few years.

they are saying the lower average size of fish are a result of less food. they are going to stock less for a few years and see how it goes.

What's the number of invasive species up to now in the Great Lakes Phil? I lost count. I see Asian tapeworms are in the Great Lakes now!

I have not been keeping track of that Cecil, but I'm sure it could be more than it is when the Bloody Red Shrimp were noticed in Muskegon a while back.

Big problem seems to be the mussels (filter feeders) that dominate the low end of the food chain.

I don't want this thread to go ballistic, but would appreciate more insight and corrective thinking based on true realities.

Captain said we can go out for a boat ride tomorrow, but in reality, we won't catch anything.

I appreciate his Knowledge, Honesty and Integrity. Probably why he is the top ranked Captain in these parts.

I think esshup has something to do with the weather tho. I recently mentioned this last trip to him...

First it's the Texas rain this Spring, now it's the charter in Lake Michigan.

That's OK. Al said I'd be worth a lot of $$ if I came to Texas in late summer and I brought rain. I haven't tested it out tho.

I would test it.

You know I'm just kidding tho?

Well, at least you can maybe do some inlet stream fishing for some Steelhead when it gets a bit colder.

Going to Leland next weekend. Kings should be in the little itty bitty inlet river next to the hotel. Never had a bad fishing trip out on the Manitous, Kings can't seem to help but bite there.

You mean Fish Town?


It's a pretty cool place.

I've had to open the dam up and close it to calibrate it and pissed off every one fishing there. The Dam authority said it would happen, so don't pay attention to them. Yep, they all whipped me the bird!!!

If you close the dam during legal winter levels, which would be now, you would not believe how many fish are in the pool under the dam. The dam was built in such a way that not many fish could ever make their way over the dam to Lake Leelanau. The vast majority of fish are Coho, and I have never heard of Kings in that short stretch. Not that they never have been tho, but it is a very short distance to Lake Michigan from the dam so not something like a river where they travel for miles on end to spawn.

The nice thing about the dam is it provides an oxygen rich pool below the dam for fish to spawn. When you close the dam and stop the water flow, it's like wall to wall fish down there. I have never seen someone actually catch a fish during the fall. I was going to try Stubby Steves Hemi Orange next time, but I don't think they are interested in food at this point.

Pretty cool place tho, but it's like a mini museum.

That's the next plan Sunil.

Matt, the guide that Jim and I went with when Fatih and Keith were up here is suppose to call me when the Steelhead are going good.

Strictly fly fishing, so that will be a new experience with Steelhead.

It was 35°F this morning in Grand Haven - on shore. It would have been really cold out on the lake.