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I was asked about this in an email so thought it would be good timing to post the recipe’ again for the dry brine that I used last year for smoking salmon.
Salmon University Dry Brine Recipe’
This was fairly easy to follow and make sure you do not mix the brine in an aluminum or stainless steel container. It hasn’t happened to me yet, but when you talk to others, this is very important, it messes with the taste of finished product.
Walleye fishing has come alive again in the southeast regions and it is hot in several other locations statewide as well. Before heading to your fishing destination, visit www.AAATraffic.com for the latest traffic, construction, weather and road conditions that may affect your route.
L’Anse anglers are doing very well for Lake trout. Bobbers are working well in 180-250 feet of water. The fish are plentiful and very nice size. Trolling for salmon is so-so. Inland lakes in L’Anse and the surrounding area are doing quite well on bass including Prickett, Otter and Vermillac lakes.
Little Bay De Noc in Escanaba has slowed a bit for walleye but the bass action is good. In the harbor near Kipling the pike action is good. Salmon are hitting on Moonshine spoons and flashers in the Big Cedar River and off of Escanaba and Fairport.
Rain today has slowed some anglers from going out, but those getting out are finding good fishing. Indian Lake is giving up a few walleye on leeches, night crawler harnesses and Rapalas. Lake Michigan is producing good salmon catches about 15-miles out with anglers getting results on silver or Moonshine spoons. Many anglers are pre-fishing in preparation for the 24th Annual Manistique Area Salmon and Trout Derby next weekend. Call 1-800-342-4282 or 906-341-5241 for information.
Good fishing for anglers around the Sault Ste. Marie area, despite some heavy downpours this morning. Whitefish and Atlantic salmon continue to hit behind the Power House. The St. Mary’s River is giving up walleye on crawler harnesses. Raber Bay has some herring action taking place.
Drummond Island anglers are doing well on whitefish and herring on the Cisco Chain of Lakes near Pigeon Cove and Burnt Island using teardrops and wax worms. Perch and bass activity in the area is slow. Crawler harnesses are still working on walleye on Scott’s Bay. Atlantic and King salmon activity is slow but trout action is good near the lighthouse.
Information Providers: Johnson’s Sports-Drummond Island; Wilderness Treasurers-Munuscong Bay; Bay View Bait & Tackle-Escanaba; Top O’ Lake Sport-Manistique; Hank’s Sporting-Sault Ste. Marie; ACE Hardware-St. Ignace and Indian Country Sports-L’Anse.
Alanson area anglers are finding decent pan fish activity on Crooked Lake with crank baits and perch minnows. It’s a slow go on Burt Lake this week.
Traverse City fishing is a little behind schedule due to cool water temperatures. Bass are in a pre-spawn mode on the Bay’s and anglers need to just fish day by day, the fish seem to be scattered all over the Bay’s. Inland lakes the blue gill can be found in 9-feet of water due to cool water, typically the fish should be in 17-feet of water by this time. Long Lake in Leelanau is producing walleye with best results on grasshoppers, body baits and leeches.
Frankfort anglers are doing well on Crystal Lake for Rock bass, perch, Lake trout and whitefish. The whitefish are in deeper waters and are small in size. Big Platte is giving up bass and walleye in decent numbers but anglers are working hard for some perch. Night crawlers, spinners and Hex flies continue to work well on the river systems for Brown trout in the evening hours and Rainbow trout during the daytime hours. Lake Michigan is producing good numbers of bass and walleye. Salmon action is good two miles out, charter boats are doing very well and the fish typically are over 15-pounds and very good quality. Salmon are anticipated to be in closer in the next few weeks.
Cadillac anglers are finding plenty of action for blue gill and sun fish on Mitchell and Cadillac lakes despite some windy conditions as of late. Many anglers are fishing in the evening hours when the wind dies down. Some blue gill moving to deeper water but a majority of sun fish and blue gill are bedding. Large mouth bass are hitting in good numbers in the shallow waters. Pike action is very hot on white spinner baits. And over on the Manistee River salmon are just starting to appear.
Fantastic fishing is taking place in Gaylord where the Brown and Brook trout are biting on the Au Sable and Manistee rivers especially during the day using BWO’s, grasshoppers, and several different types of terrestrials. During the evening hours good fishing is available on the lower Pigeon, Sturgeon and Jordan rivers. Lake fishing is good trolling Rapalas for walleye and pike.
Kalkaska anglers are doing well for bass on Skegemog Lake, trout on the Boardman and walleye activity is good on Manistee. Spinners, Hula Poppers and Rapalas are all working well.
Information providers: Backcast Fly Shop-Frankfort; Alphorn-Gaylord; Jack’s Sports-Kalkaska; Pilgrim’s Village-Cadillac and Young’s Bait Shop-Alanson and Gander Mountain-Traverse City.
Ludington anglers need to be flexible with the salmon fishing, the break wall is good until the winds switch around and then the salmon fishing is good in 200-feet of water. Perch fishing off the break wall is rated fair at best. Just off shore of the harbor anglers are trolling with decent results. Popular baits include spoons, Dodgers and flies. Hamlin Lake is producing good numbers of blue gill on worms and a few walleye on crawler harnesses.
Muskegon Lake is rated good to excellent for fishing. Walleye are hitting in 12-20 feet of water near the break line on bottom bouncers, spoons and crawlers and Husky Jerks. Bass and catfish are excellent using cut bait, night crawlers and leeches. Perch fishing on Lake Michigan is hit or miss north of the pier in 20-50 feet of water and the salmon action is spotty.
Wonderful fishing available for anglers headed to Chippewa Lake. Excellent numbers of walleye, bass and blue gill are hitting on minnows and wax worms.
Grand Haven anglers are doing well for perch in 70-80 feet of water and using minnows.
Grand Rapids anglers are doing well for small mouth bass just above the Sixth Street Dam as well as all along the shoreline. The Grand River is very good with tons of catfish hitting on chicken livers and small fish. South of Grand Rapids, Dunkin Lake is hot for crappie action.
Information providers: East Bay General Store-Chippewa Lake; Shoreline Bait & Tackle-Muskegon; P.M. Sports-Ludington and Gander Mountain-Grand Rapids.
Benton Harbor anglers are finding fantastic perch fishing north and south of the harbor in 20-25 feet of water. Off of the piers Skamania steelhead are biting in 80-100 feet of water. Salmon fishing is poor.
Straight out of New Buffalo the perch action is very good in 24-30 feet of water around the Pumping Station and Red Roof on minnows.
Overall fishing is decent in Three Rivers for all types of species but anglers seem to be doing the best for good catches of blue gill. Minnows, butter worms, wax worms and Red wigglers are doing the trick.
Information providers: Captain Cook’s-New Buffalo; Fisherman’s Luck-Three Rivers and Tackle Haven-Benton Harbor.
Good action in Alpena on Long Lake for perch and bass on minnows. The walleye fishing on Lake Huron is slowing down but anglers are getting a few during the evening hours using bottom bouncers. Thunder Bay River is hot for catfish, sheephead and bass.
Cooke and Foote Dam Ponds in Oscoda are providing plenty of fish for anglers. Foote Dam Pond is great for Rock bass, small mouth bass, perch and pike. Crawlers are working well and leaf worms are working great on Rock bass which are biting like crazy and are a very nice size. Good fishing for bass and walleye on Cooke Dam Pond with anglers using crawdads and a variety of minnows. The Au Sable River is producing a few walleye.
The Manistee River and Au Sable River near Grayling are producing nice numbers of trout on Hex flies. Lake Margrethe has some nice small mouth bass fishing available and pike are scattered on the lake in 25 feet of water while walleye continue to bite in good numbers in 18-feet of water. Bradford Lake has some nice perch action and blue gill are hitting on Section 1 Lake. Otsego Lake is producing walleye.
Higgins Lake is producing perch, Lake trout and Rock bass in pretty good numbers. A variety of baits are working including Rapalas, crawlers, leeches and minnows.
Houghton Lake is hot for walleye on Hot-n-Tots and Beetle Spins and leeches. A few perch are being caught and crappie hitting on leaf worms.
Information providers: Skips-Grayling; Sports Barn-Higgins Lake; The Dam Store-Oscoda; Lyman’s-Houghton Lake and Clems-Alpena.
Off of Standish walleye are biting on crawler harnesses and spoons. Preferred colors include bright yellow and purple, chartreuse and pink combinations. Bay City anglers are pulling in some perch near Buoy’s 1 and 2 off the channel on crawler harnesses and worms. In the same location walleye are hitting on bottom bouncers, popular colors include chartreuse, pink or purple and south of the Spark Plug anglers are obtaining limits. Saginaw Bay is giving up limits of walleye on the west side of Callahan Reef in 9-12 feet of water. Crawler harnesses 10-20 feet back with quarter ounce in-lines running 1.3-1.5 seems to be working well with purple, pink, red and chartreuse bead combo’s with various #6 Colorado blades, gold or copper backed. Bay Port anglers are finding good fishing despite windy conditions and rough water. Walleye are in deeper waters past North Island and taking a little longer to get limits. Perch are hitting on minnows and closer in. The Sebewaing area is on fire for walleye.
Port Sanilac is crazy with catfish especially during the evening hours. Night crawlers are working on the bottom and egg sinkers on a three foot lead. Perch action is spotty in Port Sanilac and Lexington. Hot walleye activity in Port Huron where anglers are drifting with blades and crawlers. Popular colors seem to be a variety of greens and chartreuse. Shore anglers are doing very well all up and down the Boardwalk, near Thomas Edison and Pine Grove Park. The mouth of the Black River is mass producing Silver bass and the fish are huge and anglers can expect to find large quantities of Silver bass around Marine City as well. Minnows are running and the walleye are following. Twisters, Rapalas and spinner baits are working well during the evening hours. All up and down the Black River anglers are reeling in good numbers of bass, pike and catfish.
Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish; Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; WalleyeKid.com and Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101.
Red Cedar River in Lansing is producing large size small mouth bass in the 18-19 inch range. The entire river is giving up nice numbers on curly tail minnows, grubs and lead head jigs. Moore’s River Dam is producing catfish and big blue gill and up stream near the Waverly Bridge big walleye are being caught with some averaging 30-inches. The North Lansing Dam is good for walleye, pike and catfish. Sessions and Morrison lakes have some nice pan fish and crappie fishing taking place using Butter worms. In Ionia good fishing is taking place near the Portland Dam for walleye and catfish. The Grand River at the Lyons Dam is also good for walleye and catfish. Lake Ovid near DeWitt has some really nice fishing for catfish, blue and crappie though fish are smaller in size and on the other side of the coin, Tiger Musky are quite large averaging 40-inches with anglers using 9-inch or larger size lures.
In and around the Brooklyn area, Devils Lake, Wamplers and Sand lakes are producing plenty of bass, pike and blue gill. Anglers are using mostly live baits with crickets are quite popular. The center chain of lakes near Jackson is also a hot spot for some great fishing.
Information providers: Knutson’s Live Bait-Brooklyn and Grand River Bait and Tackle-Lansing.
Good walleye action for Fair Haven anglers fishing in the north shipping channels, near Grass Island and near Decker’s. Crawler harnesses are the bait of choice for walleye. Perch action is good near Buoy 27 and the shipping channels on minnows.
Lots of anglers are out just off of Harrison where the musky and walleye fishing is hot on crawler harnesses in 19 feet of water. Musky are measuring in 40-51 inches. Perch are also active in 14-19 feet of water. Small mouth bass are biting around Nine Mile on brownish colored tubes.
St. Clair Shores anglers are having good luck fishing for walleye on the Detroit River near the sand piles, near the Ambassador Bridge towards the Canadian side, in front of Windsor Casino and off of Joe Louis arena. The evening hours seem to be best. Lake St. Clair the bass are biting all over.
The Detroit River is alive with walleye once again and anglers are just killing them around Belanger Park near River Rouge on Wyandotte worms and lead head. Actually all up and down the Detroit River the walleye fishing is good on both the Canadian and U.S. sides and hand liners are doing very well near the salt mines and all the way down to the Trenton Channel, around Celeron and Horse Islands. The evening hours seem to be better. Rapalas, Stubbies or fat pencil plugs, Vampire and Bleeding Copper Flash are working well. Walleye are averaging 15-inches. Bass action is good around Celeron Island using tubes, center and gulp baits. Carp Tournament July 18th and Huroc Park in Flat Rock, call 313-388-3474 for details.
In Rock Wood the Lake Erie Metro Park Boat Launch near the south end has some good fishing taking place. The Huron River is loaded with catfish. Perch, large and small mouth bass are active near the mouth of Lake Erie and around sandy spots.
Off of the Monroe area, the walleye are hitting in 19-20 feet of water near the Fermi Stacks on spoons. Popular colors are purple and chartreuse, purple and gold, pink, Hot Lobster and Blueberry Muffin. Walleye are hitting pretty much all over Lake Erie, but especially near the E-Buoy, Dumping Grounds and Luna Pier on Hot-n-Tots and Wiggle Warts. Walleye are moving in closer towards Stoney Point, near the Toledo Light and around all of the Islands. Perch action is good near the C-Can, Luna Pier, Sputnik Buoy, Turn-Around Buoy and the edge of the shipping channel. Pointe Mouille, anglers are catching a bit of everything including bass and catfish.
Belleville Lake has some good fishing for crappie and walleye during the evening hours and in deeper water. Pike and blue gill activity is also good, but the bass seems to be off. All types of baits seem to be working well with baby crawlers and a variety of green colored crawlers quite popular.
Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale and Gander Mountain-Taylor.
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