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NumenOn the Water

Date:  9-2-15

Body of Water: Lake Michigan, Grand Haven

Boat: Dr. M's 37-footer

With: Dr. M, SB

Target: Salmon

Time: 6 PM - 9 PM

Conditions:  2-footers but calming; uniform warm temperatures (71 F +/-) on the surface and down to 80+ feet; lots of biting flies; hazy from humidity and western fires

This was our first time fishing together, and I was anticipating pretty tough conditions with the unseasonable heat, antsy 4-year old pre-spawn salmon and tons of warm water blocking their spawning journeys; and it’s reportedly been a pretty slow summer on Lake Michigan.  Salmon numbers are down, and a cold winter, delayed spring, cool summer and wind have all conspired against the development of steady, prime summer conditions.  I’ve spent my fishing time elsewhere, but I was pleased to hook up with Dr. M and S, if only to cement budding friendships and share a comfortable night on the water.

Dr. M’s intel indicated 120+ fow with plugs and large paddles.  As we cruised west, the few visible fishing boats were yet deeper, so we set a NW course while we set the lines.  The down-probe indicated about 57 degrees F at about 80 feet down, and so I knew we had our work cut out for us.  We lowered that probe and eventually found 42-44 F water at 115 down or so; and the theme of the night was to stay with that cold water.  We sent paddles and flies down on both riggers, and an assortment of plugs, flashers with flies, and spoons on the remaining lines.  My wire diver dipsey made its seasonal debut, and we flooded the boards with our deepest presentations to the extent possible with 300-400 foot copper lines; and scouted for strays or steelhead with spoons off shallower lines (half cores and shorter coppers.)

The cold water was down deep!

We moved the riggers and divers a bit while adjusting course and speed, but mostly searched west.  After an hour or so I removed the shallower rigger paddle and replaced it with a favored magnum green dolphin spoon.  Placed at 103 feet down, it didn’t take long for the rod to bounce, and we soon netted a beautifully bright coho.  At this point we were going generally south in about 225 fow and at a speed of about 2.7mph; By the next hour we were feeling good at 3 for 4 with a couple of kings to 12 pounds or so in the box, too.  These had eaten the same spoon and the blue/white spinnie with green fly on the wire diver that I had adjusted to 200 feet back to get into our “strike” zone.  I missed the other strike, which was a very sizable fish that buried the board on a 300-foot copper line.  We saw it jumping in the far distance as it threw the Moon-glow magnum spoon.  Oh well, a 75% landing rate is my long-term average, and perfection is only sought and never attained.  I would be reminded of these thoughts for the remainder of the trip by my two new “friends.”

Fish On!  Corner rigger, 103 down, magnum green dolphin spoon.

It turned out to be a bright coho salmon.  Watch that wire dispey in the background! 

The lines went quiet for a bit, but we did pick off another 8-pound king and a twin to our original coho.  Each of these came on the dark green spinnie with UV fly that replaced our other, deep paddle.  Working the gear was paying off, but it was now prime time.  The graph was lighting up with plankton, bait and arches; and we expected more good things as we continued to work 200-225 fow.

BOOM!  The wire diver went off and I was connected to a nice fish.  About half-way in, I could feel it shaking its head; and the fly dropped out.

We kept at it and it was now completely dark.  I saw the silhouette of the deep rigger rod starting to twitch, and I was on that fish before it knew it had eaten.  I wound down and felt some weight; and then felt the hook slip out.

At this point we were collectively 5 for 8; but my box score said 1 for 4.  Ouch!  On the other hand, 7 of the 8 bites were on my baits, per my adjustments, and I had endorsed the change to the bait that got hit on the copper.  So I was falling short, but I was also contributing, and we were all having fun.

What do I have to say about this?

You know you're in Grand Haven when you pass the World's Largest Musical Fountain!

We cleared lines and were in the harbor in time to glide past the Lighted Musical Fountain show.  The boat got cleaned, things got put away, I sacrificed a rod tip to the SUV door in the dark, and we went to go clean fish at the municipal dock.  That went well enough, but the night was sealed when a Chinook Pier captain came around to investigate our catch and share info.  Indeed, the charters were scratching out a few fish (2 or 3 per boat) with paddles and plugs in the recommended water; but they weren’t fishing spoons further out.

 Perhaps they are, now.