Reel Addiction Charters

     Our last trip of the year was run on Saturday night.  After a couple weeks of warm water and few fish, I was really surprise to find feeding salmon in 90-120 fow.  The group landed 10 fish in our 3 hour trip, all coming on flasher flies from 6 to 8pm.  It was a nice way to end an inconsistent season.  Check out their photo below.
     The following morning I made a personal run with a friend to try to put a few more salmon in our freezer for the winter.  The fish were not there like the night before.  We landed only a few in our 3 hour trip but it was better than nothing.  After cleaning fish, I pulled the boat for the season and spent the rest of the day cleaning it. 
    In a few weeks I will send out my fall newsletter with a season recap.  You can also find it on the website under the newsletter link.  Have a great fall everyone.  Thanks for a great season!

     Well the final weekend of the season for me is off to a fitting start...a cancellation due to thunderstorms.  Bad weather has been the story of the summer.  I do have a couple more trips this weekend.  Then, on Sunday I am pulling the boat, washing and winterizing it.  School starts for my wife and me on Aug. 30...where did summer go?
     I was out of town for the last 2 days so yesterday I made a trip out by myself from 3 to 6:30 and the fishing was slow.  I was doing more scouting than fishing, trying to find bait and fish but there wasn't much out there.  The warm water has moved back in to the area with 60 degrees at 120 feet.  I guess we are paying for the great May and June weather earlier this year.   

     After having to postpone or cancel yesterday's trips due to high winds, we finally made it back out this morning.  Cold water has upwelled thanks to the wind and the warm water has left the area.  Surface temps are back down in the low 60's.  There was bait around this morning but not many fish yet.  We landed 4 for 5 kings, 2 coming on a 50 foot Savant spoon and 2 on a deep fly.  We are back out tonight but the wind has picked up again...in for another bumpy ride, but I am getting use to it.

     The last few days I have been at family gatherings so I haven't been fishing much.  It is the first little vacation I have had since the 4th of July!  This morning I made it out with a few friends but water conditions haven't changed...yet...  We only had 2 releases and landed one 10lb king in about 3 hours of fishing. 
     A strong west wind has picked up and is suppose to continue for the rest of today and tomorrow with small craft advisories being issued until tomorrow night and 4-6 foot waves expected.  This may finally change the waters off of Rowleys Bay for the better as warm water gets pushed out into the lake and cold bottom water upwells.  I am suppose to have  2 trips tomorrow and one on Tuesday morning depending on the weather, so we will see what the weather brings.

      In the last 2 days the waters off of Rowleys Bay have warmed dramatically and the fish have all gone missing.  Surface temps are near 80 and bottom temps aren't much colder with 65 at 80 feet.  I have been fishing in 100+ fow, looking for 60 degrees and below and trying everything in the tacklebox with poor results.
     Yesterday morning a 4 hour trip turned to a 3 hour trip as thunderstorms approached.  The family from Minnesota ended with 6 kings.  Yesterday evening we trolled for almost 3 1/2 hours without a fish.  The last half hour of daylight we landed 2 kings and lost 3 others.  This morning another family from Minnesota landed 4 kings in the first hour but not even a bite the last 2 hours of their 3 hour trip.
     I hope something changes here shortly or the last two weeks of the season are really going to be frustrating and tough.

      Yesterday morning a family from Marthasville, MO fished Michigan for their first time.  They had a great morning landing 10 nice kings.  Although the young ladies were a bit tired from the 5am departure time, they did a great job handling the rods and landed some hard fighting fish.  Check out their picture below
    This morning another group of fishermen from Hipke Electric and Calmes Construction drove up from Kaukauna, WI.  This was their 2nd "aboard" meeting this year as they had to tie up some loose ends and finalize some deals discussed during previous meeting last week.  They landed 7 for 12 or so fish on what was one of the calmest and warmest mornings on the water this year.  You can see their catch on out photos page.  Thanks for the great trips Dwayne!  I had a blast fishing with your crew.

     The last 24 hours have been pretty tough for fishing.  Wind and storms have been a persistent problem all summer.  Yesterday on both the morning and evening trips we were pounded by wind and waves out to the south.  We landed 5 or 7 in the morning and 4 for 6 in the evening before being forced from the lake at 7:30pm by thunderstorms.  This morning's trip also had to be cancelled due to thunderstorms.  Luckily we were able to reschedule this morning's group for an evening trip tonight.  The wind has finally died down and we should be in for, dare I say it... a calm evening run.

     Yesterday was by far the best day of the season for both numbers and size.  We found nice 3 and 4 year old fish on both the morning and evening trips and landed a total of 23 fish for the day.  As the water continues to warm, its now 65 at 70 feet, fish have moved deep.  All fish came from water 120-150 deep using downriggers 80 feet and below. 
      The morning group from Iowa landed 11, including a tricky triple.  You can see their rack on our photos page.  Here is a picture a group from De Pere, WI, with the evening catch.  The big fish were in the mid teens.
     This morning the fish bit early and quit by 6:30.  We also were once again pounded by 3-4 foot seas and strong SE winds until about 7am.  That made it tough to fish.  This morning's group ended the morning with 5 kings.

     Last night and tonight fishing in the evenings remained tough.  Both nights we came in with 4 fish and had 3 or 4 others on that got away.  Warm water and lack of bait fish are an ongoing problem off of Rowleys Bay. 
     This morning we had a late run, leaving the dock at 9am with a wedding party on more of a boat ride than a fishing trip.  We floated around out in the lake enjoying the great weather and water.  After fishing for about 2 hours we did land 3 salmon.  The groom landed a nice 14lb king that really made his day.  Good luck to the bride and groom as they will be tying the knot on Friday!

     Last night and tonight we had to battle 4+ foot waves off of Rowleys Bay.  The darn weather forecasts and wave reports have been so far off it isn't even funny!  Tonight we were suppose to have 1-2 foot waves and 5-10kt winds.  It was more like 3-5 foot waves with 15-20kt winds!  Last night we stayed out but tonight we headed for harbor early.  
     This morning we did pretty well landing 11 for 15 fish and releasing one little one.  Although the Lake Michigan flu caught 2 of the passengers this morning they did a great job landing the fish.  Sticking with this summer theme of inconsistency, almost all fish this morning came on flasher flies.  Yesterday most came on spoons.  Here is a pic of their catch.