This report is going to be vague as far as detailed hits and locations. The reason is no Captains I spoke with really "Hot" baits or spots that remained consistent, for more than one trip that is. I started taking some notes to try to help you guys out, but as the run of trips progressed I realized my attempts would be in vain.
It started off good on Thursday morning as we had a decent bite going down around 42° 27`N in 90` and we had 8 fish in the box by 9:30 which is when the wind shifted to the North (getting rid of the flies) but also shutting off the bite. I ran everything including birds, lead, `riggers and dipseys. The only thing short of dynamite that I didn`t run was the copper. We had a mixed bag coming in with a couple of `bos, Kings and Coho.
For the afternoon I took it North into Wisconsin after hearing of some decent action in the morning. The other Charter out (That fished the area in the morning) said it was a completely different Lake from the one he fished a couple of hours prior. Once again it wasn`t "Loc-n-Load" by any means and I fished from 50`-90` from the line to a few miles North. We came in with a mixed bag with Coho, Kings and Lakers. The North breeze made it quite comfortable, and the absence of flies was OK with me.
On Friday morning after not seeing any reason to head North we were back in Illinois. Once again it was a hit here and there with no pattern to speak of. The fish were still somewhat cooperative and we managed to come in with 4 coho and 4 kings the biggest of which was this 18# 4 yr. old. making th highlight reel.
For the afternoon I was the only boat out and heard I ended up pretty good for the morning after talking to other Captains who also fished Illinois. I felt good about heading back North to give it another try in Wisconsin and it paid off. I fished in the 70`-110` range from 2-4 miles North of the line. I finally have a "Hot" set-up to mention, the magnum "Silver Streak Smurf" was a stud. The first one that took a hit on a `rigger down 55`, after a brief encounter bit off. I replace it and it brought in a nice 17# King. After that I put one out on a full core of lead and it too had a nice fish on only to once again get off. The next big fish was screaming drag on a dipsey that bit off a green fly behind a white dodger 150` back on a #1 setting. Not long after the 55` Smurf took another hit and we had on another big King. Unfortunately it wrapped itself up in one of my birds, we managed to get it to about 50` behind the boat and now it was spinning and taking out line. All we could do is tighten the drags on both reels and hope for the best, lady luck wasn`t on our side and both lines broke. This was the most productive trip out of the 9 I ran taking just under 20 hits, loosing 4 big kings and coming in with 11 fish.
On Saturday morning the winds that started blowing pretty strong from the East during the night had set up a decent chop. I started in Illinois right on the line in 40` and marked some decent fish and bait, unfortunately nothing would go. After speaking with a few Captains that had been out since 5, it appeared the bite was better North of the line. We took it into Wisconsin and had a couple of quick hits as I passed thru the mid 50`s. As before this wasn`t the same Lake I`d left the afternoon prior. We zig-zagged our way from the 50`s-90`s tow miles North with nothing to write home about. I spoke with others fishing deeper and further North, some had the same results or a few more that they had picked up earlier in their trip. We came in with 3 coho and a brown for our efforts.
For the Afternoon I stayed in Illinois and was part of a 2 boat trip, we took two quick hits on the Illinois side in the 130`s and landed one coho. After that I felt like I covered every foot of water from the line to Waukegan with tons of marks of bait and nothing I could do to entice a strike. After a couple of hours a board went and we took a laker in 100`. Another hour or so of changing baits and we had a nice fish on a green fly behind a white dodger, it was initially set at 150` on a#1 setting and when the initial run stopped it was out 450` on the counter. After loosing a big King in my birds the afternoon prior I learned my lesson and brought them in. It was worth the extra effort as we landed my biggest king of the year, tipping the scales at 19#`s. That was the last hit we would take other than the first perch I ever caught trolling that took a stinger green dolphin on the lead. I needed that to match the 4 fish the other boat came in with.
On Sunday Morning we stayed in Illinois within a couple miles of the line between 60`-110` marking tons of bait and fish. The problem once again was finding active ones. This was the my least productive trip coming in with two Kings, one just under 16#`s and the other at 10. They hit a Pro King Double Crush Glow and Stinger Kevorkian on the `riggers down 50`.
For the afternoon I stayed in Illinois, right on the line taking two hits while I was setting lines in the 80`-90` range taking a coho. We poked around still marking clouds of bait and fish with only a few hits. I took it South to 42° 28`N and we had a King rip a 150` #1 dipsey with a Lil` boy blue behind smoke dodger out to 480` on the counter. I retrieved the lead and after a 10 minute fight we now had a 15# king in the box. There were 3 Charters out and one just over the line told us he was seeing action in the 70`-90` range. The two of us in Illinois headed up when drag on the lead with a Stinger Tangerine started screaming. Once again learning my lesson the other lead came in. After a decent battle which also included a last ditch effort to escape by running thru my `riggers and dipseys the young lady on board landed another 4 yr. old, this one weighing in at 16#`s.
We also found some action on our side of the line and ended up with 6 bringing in the two 4 yr. olds and a smaller king, three Coho and a Laker.
On Monday Morning it was dead calm, and that meant flies! There was another Charter working just over the line, so I took it a couple of miles North. The marks were decent and we saw plenty of bait. It wasn`t until I was four mles up and we hit 110` where we finally had some action. The Green white dodger on a #1 dipsey 150` out ripped line and before I could bring in my lead it looked as if we had a tangle. As quickly as the board was pulled back, the fish was in the middle and it appeared he worked his way free. After a few minutes we had a nice 14# King in the box. I went to bring my lead in to make sure there was no damage when I realized there was a fish on it all the time, it was never tangled. While that fish was coming in the lead on the other side appeared to have something on it as well. I decided not to say a word as I didn`t want two fish coming in together from 300` out. It was another 4 yr. old the same size as the one we just landed taking a Silver Streak Black Fin Tuna. I now went for the other lead and we brought in a Steelie that hit a Stinger Green Dolphin. After basically taking a double with 4 yr olds and the steelie I worked the area for over an hour coming in from every angle without seeing another hit. I took it out towards the wreck, a dipsey took a short hit that wasn`t even strong enough to trip it. A few minutes later the same one took a coho and then another hit that was off in about 5 seconds. We ended up 4/6 with out even a `rigger hit.
I never saw a pattern nor did any of the other Captains I work with. It`s just a matter of being in the right spot at the right time, with the right presentation. It seemed that at one point one boat would be the "Hammer" and then he was average or at the bottom on the next trip. I went from as many as 11 fish on one outing to two.
On a good note I did manage to find quite a few 4 yr. olds, some of the biggest of which were caught by kids on board, and they appear to be healthy. Perhaps with the size of the coho we`ve seen in the spring, the Kings have fed well and we`ll see some high 20 pounders or perhaps a 30 this summer.
Good Luck to all, hang in there! I know it`s a big transition from limits to just a handful of hits (Believe me I know). As soon as this brief spell passes, we`ll be respooling and double checking our gear for the Summer King run
"Wet Nets"
Captain Jim
North Point 6/21-6/25
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