With the state’s unusually cool weather this summer (got to love global warming) salmon fisherman are using a tactic usually reserved later during the fall. The dog days of summer usually mean fishing deeper water for Lake Michigan’s salmon and trout populations. This year reports are coming in of fish being taken in water as shallow as 25 foot.
Fishing this shallow is unusual because it is normally a fall trend, when salmon are staging to make their runs into the rivers on state’s west coast to spawn. To take advantage of this bite, anglers are breaking out their Penn’s and Daiwa’s spooled with lead core. Lead core differs from normal mono and braids in that it is a uniformally weighted line.
Broken up by differing colors every ten yards, a linecounter reel is not neccessary to guage how far back your line is running. Without the use of Dipsey Divers and downriggers, anglers can get their lures down deeper, without the risk of spooking fish in the shallower water. Favorite rigs to use with lead core include running J-plugs and baits like Bombers, Rapalas and Flatfish.
The lead core allows the baits to be run further back from the boat, but near as far as using say 20 to 30 lb monofilament. From the lure to the brightly colored line use a length of flourocarbon line, usually 20 or 30 yeards in length. Spool your reel first with a pass or two of mono for backing, then commonly used is 30 lb Power Pro before attaching the lead core. A commonly used weight for the line is #27.
Take advantage of this shallow bite while you can. August is just around the corner, and hotter days ahead could drive the fish down deeper. For further information consult local shops on Lake Michigan in towns like Ludington and Muskegon, or stop into Cabela’s in Dundee. You can send me an email, and I’ll be glad to give you some names of reliable people who work there and will be of the most help.