South Haven Trout

NumenOn the Water

Date:  5-1-15

Body of Water:  Lake Michigan, South Haven

Boat: Numenon

With: co-workers FS, LS

Target: Great Lakes Salmon and Trout

Time: 7 AM - 3 PM

Conditions: Bright and clear; northerly seas calming from 2 ft to <1; main lake 43 F but the extensive plume of river water created an expanse of stained water from 45 to 48 degrees F; 50 degrees F along shore.

Schedules and weather had conspired against getting out on the water with co-workers F and L for a couple of seasons.  We collectively resolved to just make it happen and we all penciled in Friday, May1.  Of course the weather got downgraded with a heavy blow from the NW on April 30, and L got over-scheduled for the AM, but F and I decided to go for it in lieu of playing it safe; and so by 7 AM we were leaving the South Haven launch.  We planned to check out sea conditions, fish for a bit, and then pick up L at the dock in the late morning; it was almost like running two trips in one.

F was in good spirits and seas looked quite fishable as we cleared the piers.  Main lake water temps were about 43, which I was OK with, but the stained water from the river to the south was even warmer, so we headed that way.  Spring has been late to arrive, there was precious little actual fishing information to work from, and boat traffic was sparse.  I deployed my best guess at a multi-species spread (two riggers and four boards) and we started fishing in about 32 feet of water, heading south with the wind and waves.

Within 15 minutes the shallow rigger (23 down, Green Bubble Stinger) jumped, and soon F had landed a nice 4-pound laker.  Within another 15 minutes, the 3-color lead with a favored multi-colored UV spoon started to slide back, and F soon had a nice (close-to) double digit laker in the box.  I made a couple of adjustments to the spread (a bit more green, a rigger always near bottom.)  The accustomed pace didn't quite hold up, but a couple of drive-bys on the deepest rigger kept us interested, and when for the second time I "called" the deepest rigger going off based on the Humminbird's readings, I decided we were actually fishing for Lake Trout.

F's laker limit fish came just before 10 AM in about 48 feet of water, about 5.5 miles south of the piers.  Again, an old-time green and silver spoon within a few feet of the bottom released, and this time the fish held bottom.  After a nice fight, a teenaged laker joined his cousins in the box.

A couple of really nice lakers for F.  The one on the left is clearly stocked; it's missing the left pectoral fin.  The larger laker appears to be a beautiful, wild fish.

We went back in, picked up L and we were at it again by 11.  Conditions were calming and warming.   I started a bit deeper and to the north this time, but this just eliminated water. When I found the discolored edge from the river, water temps jumped a couple of degrees; and the 5-color lead line (green, silver and black spoon) got hit in about 48 feet of water.  L brought in another (8-pound) laker; we'd still not encountered any other species.  An hour later, this same line got pulled back with obvious authority, and while L was fighting this fish, the deep rigger (41 down over 45 feet of water) jumped, too.  We quickly dispatched the smallest laker of the day (but still between 3 and 4 pounds or so) from the rigger; and in a few minutes, L landed the biggest fish of the day, a solid teenager and one of the biggest ever aboard Numenon.

Laker limits for F and L

Here I offered the options of picking up a few more lakers for a triple limit; searching elsewhere for some silvers; or hitting the shoreline and targeting brown trout.  F chose browns, and soon we were hitting the shoreline with perfect conditions (except, perhaps, a bit too much stain to the water.)  Our spread consisted of four body baits (F11, J9, S7 Rapalas and a red Thin Fin just in case any coho were present) and a couple of spoons (Green Bubble Stinger off the rigger, and a tiny mixed veggies stinger off one color of lead.)  We missed a couple of fish, but we also got 5 kings; these are, however, universally tiny (although legal to keep.)  All were released to grow, but they did extend our day, pad our numbers and provide the sense of having secured two Great Lakes Michigan Limits for my co-workers.

What do I have to say about this?
This was a long-postponed and overdue trip.  It was one of my Holiday Charity auction trips from 2012, and my inability to fit this one in had kept me from offering subsequent trips at work.  I think the wait was worth it, however; both F and L caught their biggest-ever lakers and went home with smiles. It was my best outing ever on Lake Michigan for lakers, and these fish could have helped me in many of my past tournaments.  The two largest fish were among the biggest lakers I've caught on Numenon, and despite having not fished on Lake Michigan all that much over the past couple of seasons, it all felt pretty natural.  I think I made the best adjustments for the day (I did not leave the ramp think about lakers, after all), and I haven't seen or heard of others really smoking them out there, yet. I left with the sense of having participated in an other Win-Win-Win situation; our Holiday Charities, my co-workers, and I all benefited from these efforts.  And, I made it home in plenty of time for a shower and the evening's high school performance of The Music Man!