Wisconsin and Lake Michigan trip

[EdE]

I had some specific species that I wanted to target when I went home for vacation. But I have always been frustrated with deep trolling from a kayak. For this trip I wanted to catch a Walleye, salmon, brown trout and lake trout.

I was able to get the walleye early in the trip using standard bottom bouncers and worm harnesses. I had trouble initially on lake michigan because I couldn't consistently stay at depth.

I hired a kayak fishing guide out of Milwaukee and he really showed me a neat technique using a torpedo diver. They are a small weight that allowed me to fish easy down to 50 to 70 feet trolling. They are made in Canada and come in four sizes. The drag was very low and didn't limit the fight. That day caught two nice brown trout and one tiny salmon.

I went out again today and had great luck catching two salmon this time keeper size. Paddled about 4 miles out and trolled in and out. Caught them on a trolling spoon 50 feet down in 65 feet of water.
Next is to try for Lake trout in an inland lake. Amazing how you don't know how great a fishery you have in your home town until you leave.

[Pinch]

thats awesome!!!! bet the salmon was a good fight

[EdE]

It really was, had a couple of good runs.

[esmd]

Sounds like enjoyable fishing and good table fare.

I have yet to reach the point where I can look at a salmon pic and tell if it is a coho or chinook.

I assume the big fish is one of those 2 species.

I was reading recently that scattered populations of pink salmon also in exist some of the great lakes.

[EdE]

They are both chinook, I have to look in mouth color of gums to be sure. Spots on tails is easiest for quick look for me. Chinook has spots all over and coho only has spots on top half

[ictalurus]

Wow, nice fish. That pic of you in front of the skyline is pretty cool, too.

[EdE]

That one was the Brown trout, we were catching them in the harbor even before we went throught the break wall. That pic is about 500 ft from the lauch area. The fishing is amazing was really suprised.

[jffoley]

Awesome fish! Looks like a great fishery to go home to. Congrats.

That Torpedo Diver accessory is very interesting. Might be worth trying it on the bay. Thanks for mentioning it.

[surfdog]

wow nice fish, learn something new every day, those torpedo divers must have done the trick. caught some salmon on lake ontario coho i think but the guide was dropping cannon balls down to get deep while trolling. late may on the new york border is still real cold