August Door County Fishing
August can be an exciting month for fishing in Door County. You still have plenty of options for bass, walleye and northern pike fishing. Earlier in the month, expect to fish deeper water for all 3 species of fish, but you will be able to target these fish a little shallower at the end of the month. The closer you get to September, the better the fishing will get for bass, walleye and northern pike.
The salmon and trout fishing stays good throughout all of Door County for the month of August and you can expect to start seeing some fish come in shallower at the end of the month. Keep up with the fishing charters latest reports and you’ll have a good idea of what depths to troll for salmon and trout. Once the fish come in shallow, you’ll see a lot more recreational anglers get out to fish because they can stay close to shore where it is safer for their smaller boats.
For more information on visiting Door County, take a look at our tourism links.
- Door County, Wisconsin
- Door County Fishing Charters
- Door County Lodging
- Door County Bait Shops
- Door County Marinas
- Door County Boat Rentals
July Door County Fishing
July is the month for salmon and trout fishing in Door County. Anglers can still fish for northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass and perch, but the salmon & trout fishing is so good than many anglers prefer to tackle these fish instead.
Fishing charters are very busy during July as they troll for chinook salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout and lake trout. The salmon fishing can be incredible at times with limits occuring regularly.
July is also a good time to visit Door County because there is so much to in the area. Besides the recreational fishing, anglers can participate in the annual Kewaunee/Door County Salmon Tournament. Boating, swimming and golf are just a few of the other things you can experience in Door County.
For more information on visiting Door County, take a look at our tourism links.
- Door County, Wisconsin
- Door County Fishing Charters
- Door County Lodging
- Door County Bait Shops
- Door County Marinas
- Door County Boat Rentals
June Door County Fishing
June is the month to come to Door County if you want to experience the outstanding smallmouth bass fishing. Early June is when the smallmouth bass fishing typically hits its peak, although the weather changes will dictate how shallow or deep the fish are going to be when you are visiting the Door County area. The Mink River has some excellent smallmouth bass fishing during the first couple weeks of June as well as Sturgeon Bay. Sawyer Harbor, located within Sturgeon Bay is also a hot spot for catching these smallmouth bass in shallow water. Anglers flock to Sturgeon Bay to experience some of the finest shallow water smallmouth bass fishing anywhere. You will find the bass in shallower water along the rocky shorelines as they spawn and you can catch them with soft plastics, small jigs, minnow baits, crankbaits, spinners and live bait. If you find them, it’s not that difficult to get plenty of strikes. A skilled angler that times it right can experience a 20 to 50 bass day if they time it right. Other fish that are caught in Sturgeon Bay during the month of June are perch, lake trout, rainbow trout and chinook salmon.
Lake trout and chinook salmon are starting to show up throughout the county, which gets the trollers out on the water. This is the time when a lot of big lake trout are caught with some surpassing the 20 pound mark.
For more information on visiting Door County, take a look at our tourism links.
- Door County, Wisconsin
- Door County Fishing Charters
- Door County Lodging
- Door County Bait Shops
- Door County Marinas
- Door County Boat Rentals
May Door County Fishing
Once May rolls around, the fishing starts to heat up in the Door County region. As the water temperature heats up throughout the month of May, you can expect much better bass fishing along the Green Bay shoreline as well as all of the bays in the Door County area. Near the end of May, Sturgeon Bay starts to heat up and this really starts to draw anglers to the region. Sturgeon Bay is known for some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the county.
Some of the other well-known areas for catching smallmouth bass in May are anywhere along the rocky structured shoreline of Green Bay from Little Sturgeon north to the Peninsula State Park.
Northern pike, walleye, perch, lake trout, brown trout and brook trout are also available during the month of May. Some good northern pike spots are Rowleys Bay and the Mink River. Walleye can be found throughout Little Sturgeon and Sturgeon Bay. Perch can be found along the same rocky shorelines as the smallmouth bass from Little Sturgeon to the Peninsula State Park.
For more information on visiting Door County, take a look at our tourism links.
- Door County, Wisconsin
- Door County Fishing Charters
- Door County Lodging
- Door County Bait Shops
- Door County Marinas
- Door County Boat Rentals
Trolling Tips For More Fish In The Cooler - Milwaukee
- This article wraps up with more ideas and gives a summary of ways to boat more salmon and trout. All of these tips will work for all trolling applications. Some days you can do everything wrong and still end up with a decent number in the cooler. Aggressive fish hammer the lures and stick well. There are also days when most of the fish are off by the time you get to the rod. Several things I do will put more fish in the cooler for you.
- The number one most important change to make to keep the fish on the line is good quality hooks. This may sound obvious, although some anglers do not pay attention to this detail. I look for 1x, 2x, and 3x or in some cases 4 extra strong hooks. Strong sharp hooks are a simple answer with immediate results. Most manufactures of fishing lures cut costs by using a cheap hook. Your time and other expenses are large compared to replacement hooks. All hook manufactures offer standard and premium grade hooks. Look for the best extra strong extra sharp they have to offer.
- Correctly set reel drags are a close second. I always hear stories of the big one that got away. The line breaks, a snap opens or some other failure of the terminal tackle. Please allow me to explain how to correctly set and maintain your drag on your reels. The correct amount of drag is measured in pounds. You find the correct number by dividing the test weight of your line by four or 25% of the line breaking value. All line sold will have the line weight marked on the package. An example would be 20-pound test divided by four would have a drag setting of 5 pounds. To get this setting run the line through all the rod eyes as you normally would and connect the line to a spring scale. The other end of the scale should be connected to a fixed object. Pull on the line with the rod bent over and adjust the reel drag to allow it to slip as a 5-pound measurement is obtained on the scale. Where this may feel a little light to some anglers, it will allow the fish to be played without pulling the hook out of the fish. The rod should play the fish and not the reel. Do not crank up the drag to pull the fish in with the reel.
This will only lead to lost fish and disappointment. To me there is nothing more vital to my success on the lake and satisfaction of my customers than a high ratio of fish on to fish in. I am sure there are some that will disagree with a procedure I use. I pull my lines and stop
the boat on all of the fish over ten pounds or at least that’s my goal. Occasionally, in the heat of the battle, a larger fish will end up close to the boat before we can clear lines. Then I will take the boat down as slow as we can to avoid getting the fish around my other lines. The longer you drag the fish around the more time they have to get off. Over the years I have found that the harder you pull on the fish the harder they fight and more likely they will come off. This also allows me to run smaller terminal tackle and lighter lines both of which improve
presentation. - I will wrap this up with one more of many small details that help to put the fish in the cooler. How you play the fish is an art of which, when done correctly, will go a long way to your success. I am a firm believer in not pumping the rod to high or too fast. As you remove the rod from the rod holder it is your option to set the hook or not. I personally don’t do it. When you have twenty pounds of salmon tearing line off the reel and you pull to set the hook something has to give. Bend a hook, open a snap, break a line or rip the hook out of his mouth all of which are not good. Just maintain the bend in the rod and use a moderate pumping motion raising the rod to the one o’clock position and lowering it to the three o’clock position. On the down stroke reel in the line on the reel. When the fish is running there is nothing you can do just enjoy the fight. During this time reduce your boat speed and or pull lines to reduce the pressure on the tackle. Good Luck!!
Captain Jim Hirt
www.bluemaxcharters.com
Trophy Salmon and Trout Fishing Variables - Milwaukee
- Several factors determine the size and quantity of your catch. If you are a member of a fishing club, you probably noticed the same persons seem to place very well for the biggest fish every year. I believe there are many components that go into their success. Yes they pay their dues by being on the water more than most. This affords them an opportunity to try a variety of presentations in all seasons and weather. Unfortunately all of us cannot break away and get out on the water as often as we would like to.
- This starts a series of five articles that goes into some of the variables that will allow you to land a fish of a lifetime. Timing is undoubtedly the number one variable. By timing I mean to fish when the big ones are biting. This includes weather, time of day and time of the year. If I were a Musky angler, the window for this opportunity would be very small. The good news is salmon and trout fishing is much broader in scope, with greater chances to boat your trophy. You can boat a twenty plus pound Salmon, Brown, Rainbow or Lake Trout from the start of
the Lake Michigan season in April to late October. Let’s narrow that down by species and time of year. Chinook Salmon live four and a half years and it makes sense that they will be the biggest at the end of their life cycle. These monsters will be the most aggressive and
easiest to get in the months of late June thru September. Brown Trout love the warm water. To catch the biggest look for a heavy thermo cline with a radical shift in temp from sixty to fifty in just a few feet of water. This is definitely a mid summer pattern during the months of July and August. Huge Rainbows are most accessible in the month of June. The reason for this is as Lake Michigan or any large body of water warms up the temperature near shore warms first. As this warm water pushes out it meets the cold surface water. This is a magnet for big Rainbows. Fishing the surface temp breaks yields the big bows every season. Lake Trout are a real treat and trophies can be caught all season long. The best scenario is when the temperature breaks sharply from sixty to the forty-five degrees below one hundred feet of water. This concentrates the baitfish and the big Lakers are easy pickings.- This should help you with the best time of year, now shall we consider the time of day. You may find some surprises here because all species are not created equal. Most anglers know that the time period from one hour before sunrise to one hour after is key to hot action. This is also true for the last hour of the day. Your best numbers of fish can come early and late although usually not the trophies. My theory is in a hot bite the best tackle and presentations are not in the water. Specialized tackle and presentation is key when you are on a trophy hunt. Monster Kings or Chinooks are the least particular when it comes to time of the day. I will say I have boated some of my biggest fish year after year during the hours of eleven to one in the afternoon. Brown Trout are another story they definitely like low light. First light or last, heavy overcast and foggy days are killers for huge Browns. I wouldn’t even go after them mid day in sunny conditions. Rainbows love light and lots of it. Pound these tail walkers from ten in the morning to three in the afternoon. I will go into a great mid day presentation for non-stop action in a future article. Lake Trout in general are very seldom found near the
surface and the biggest ones are never there. They hang on the bottom in more than one hundred feet of water. Look for them well after the sun comes up on clear sunny days.Captain Jim Hirt
www.bluemaxcharters.com
- This should help you with the best time of year, now shall we consider the time of day. You may find some surprises here because all species are not created equal. Most anglers know that the time period from one hour before sunrise to one hour after is key to hot action. This is also true for the last hour of the day. Your best numbers of fish can come early and late although usually not the trophies. My theory is in a hot bite the best tackle and presentations are not in the water. Specialized tackle and presentation is key when you are on a trophy hunt. Monster Kings or Chinooks are the least particular when it comes to time of the day. I will say I have boated some of my biggest fish year after year during the hours of eleven to one in the afternoon. Brown Trout are another story they definitely like low light. First light or last, heavy overcast and foggy days are killers for huge Browns. I wouldn’t even go after them mid day in sunny conditions. Rainbows love light and lots of it. Pound these tail walkers from ten in the morning to three in the afternoon. I will go into a great mid day presentation for non-stop action in a future article. Lake Trout in general are very seldom found near the
Lure Speed by Species - Milwaukee
- In previous articles we covered my three most productive lures for July and August. I will give a quick recap for those who missed the last issue. My first choice is an 8-inch Luhr Jensen flasher green with silver and glow tape with a green fly. The length of the leader from the flasher to the fly should be give or take 25 inches. I measure from the end of the hook to the back of the flasher. This measurement may change day to day. The length of the leader will affect the speed of the fly movement. The bigger Chinooks may require a longer leader. My
number two and three choice would be two different spoons. For first light fishing I like a Fishlander ultra green glow in the easter egg color size number two. This spoon has put more fish in the cooler than any other spoon I run. The other spoon I like is a Northern King silver with blue and green accent and black dots. Use this lure when fishing in over cast situations or below fifty feet down. I hope this helps when you go shopping. - In this article let’s address lure speed as it relates to fish species. The easy way to remember how fast to run your presentation for your target is to think of the temperature they prefer. Lake trout like below 50 degrees water and they require the slowest lure speed. I run between 1.0 and 2.0 M.P.H. for Lakers. Chinook lure speed is all over the map. The book tells us 52 degrees is what they like. There is considerable variation in the temp of water you will find them. Early in the morning and just before dark they may come into the warm water to
feed. As a general rule 2.5 M.P.H. will produce these fish. Coho like slightly warmer water than the Chinooks. I look for water of 52 to 57 degrees for them at 2.7 M.P.H. When you are looking for Brown Trout fish 60 degrees and above at 2.5 to 2.7 M.P.H. This leaves the Rainbows. To catch Rainbows fish 60 degree plus water at 2.7 to 3.5 M.P.H. I use the fish I am catching as an indicator to my boat speed. When I am catching Lakers, I speed up to catch Chinooks. When catching Rainbows I slow down for Lakers. Catching fish every day
is a constant evaluation of variables. No two days are the same. Your ability to evaluate the changes will lead to your success. To complete this article we must know what tool will give us the most reliable measurement of speed and temp. A new product out in the market place for this purpose is the Depth Raider. This unit offers a probe that you connect to a special downrigger cable giving you speed and temp at the lure to depths of 200 feet. This information is sent to an easy to read display. I was very impressed with Curt Kell of Kell Laboratories the innovator of this product. His attention to quality and customer satisfaction sets him apart in the industry. The Depth Raider will set the standard for this type of product for years to come.
Captain Jim Hirt
www.bluemaxcharters.com
Lake Michigan Seasonal Fishing Patterns - Milwaukee
- Five species of fish are waiting to give you the battle of your life. The best tackle and equipment are furnished that both the novice and experienced fisherman can appreciate.
In the months of April and May, you will find almost nonstop action on Coho Salmon in the 3-5 pound class. Most recently, some new strains of Brown Trout have been planted. This new strain of Brown Trout is now yielding fish up to 28 pounds. The months of April and early May are when this fish is most active. It is very common to catch Rainbow Trout in spring. The cold water brings this species close to shore where they are most accessible. The Rainbows range in size from 5 to more than 20 pounds. This fish is especially exciting to catch due to its strength and jumping ability. Some Chinooks and Lake Trout are also caught in the spring depending on their location relative to the other species.
During June, July and August all five types of Lake Michigan fish are in their prime. Brown and Rainbow Trout are active in all sizes. Locally, a state record trout was caught just a few years ago. Lake Trout are plentiful with an average size of about 12 pounds. All these fish are exciting, but the largest fish in Lake Michigan is the Chinook or King Salmon. This powerful fighter grows to sizes in excess of 40 pounds. The King is known for his forceful runs and brute strength.
September and October are known for large fish. The Kings, Cohos, Browns and Rainbows make their runs up the rivers. Milwaukee is fortunate to have a large harbor where these fish congregate before they make their runs. This makes the fish most accessible to the fishermen.
Captain Jim Hirt
www.bluemaxcharters.com
