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Great Lakes Salmon Fishing Article
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Michigan Salmon Fishing Tips
from: Maxx Sports GuidesAny discussion about Michigan salmon fishing should include specific tips for fishing on the Michigan side of the Great Lakes. These amazingly huge bodies of water are often treacherous to fish, but also some of the best locations to land trophy sized fish or simply spend a day doing an activity you love.
Lake Michigan salmon fishing opportunities are plentiful in the waters of the sixth largest lake in the world, with Chinook and Coho salmon, plus Steelhead, Rainbow trout, Brown trout and Lake trout.
Fishing regulations do vary on the number of fish and salmon you can catch, so you should know which state's waterway you're fishing. For Michigan, the limits for Lake Michigan salmon fishing are available on the Michigan Department of Natural Resources website, as are the states of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, which also border on the Great Lake.
Fishing on Lake Michigan Tips
Lake Michigan salmon fishing is unique from many other lakes, so here are some tips and techniques recommended by professional anglers and guides to enhance your fishing experience.
* Always use as sharp a hook as possible: This may seem obvious, but many fishermen don't pay much attention to the condition of their hook, but with larger Michigan salmon fishing varieties, the difference between a sharp and dull hook is often the number of fish in the boat at the end of the day. To sharpen a hook, use either a small, under 4 1/2 inch for size 4 and under hooks or a large, 5 1/2 inch for number 5 and up hooks hook file.
Use the abrasive surface of the file to sharpen the hook barbs and points and move the file from the thickest station of the point or barb towards the thinnest in an even motion. Sharpening hooks before and after each use will keep your tackle box in excellent condition.
* Use colorful lures: Fish that feed in the daytime, such as the salmon varieties, are more sensitive to the colors in the water and are more likely to bite on colorful and eye-catching lures or bait. Lake Michigan salmon fishing lure colors include blues, greens, oranges, yellows and reds for dawn and daylight fishing and then darker, more contrasting colors such as silvers, browns, natural bait colors as the sunlight decreases and the water becomes darker.
Baits and scents will attract salmon to the area of the lure, but it's largely the color of the lure that will cause the salmon to actually bite at the lure.
* During the spawn, use salmon or trout loose eggs or skein: Skein are natural pouches or sections of eggs ideal for attracting salmon in the spawning season. Many of the Michigan salmon fishing varieties will simple ignore all other lures and bait during the spawn, but will very actively bite and hit on naturally occurring bait such as eggs.
Online maps, fishing books and guides are great resources for providing practical and simple Michigan salmon fishing tips and strategies.
Great Lakes Salmon Fishing News