Tonight is the night Ive waited for all year

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MultispeciesTamer

Piranha
MFK Member
Nov 13, 2008
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Michigan
Well I have been keeping a watch on lake MI temperatures for the past few weeks looking for the perfect temperature at the local Pier (low 60s high 50s). I llok at the temp readings tonight and its 70 at the pier but not even a half mile out and working its way this way 55 degree water. I am so happy right now I just hope it makes it there very soon cuz when it does I am gone. Cold water equals salmon and this early in the year/run there is not very many people. Omg I am like freacking out I cant wait. :drool::drool::drool::drool: Maybe Ill get my 20 pounder or my first lake trout :naughty:
 
Dang it Iam on the east side the lake and we have a southeast wind which is blowing up warm wind from the south so It pushed the cold water north. I still have hope as cool 65 degree water has poped up at the bottom of the lake so I will keep and eye open and come check the temps every hour, I am keeping my fingers crossed.
 
I live in NW Indiana and go through the same stuff your going through every single year. Last few years around here the salmon didn't run until the first week of October! All the fish were already dirty by the time they arrived. We have also had poor returns here. Indiana doesn't stock very many fish anymore. You still have 20 pounders where you fish? Our average here is 6-7lbs and 14 lbs is a large fish. We haven't had alot of 20s here in several years. Too bad this fishery will continue to decline since alewive populations are drastically reduced. These are my favorite fish to target.
 
Schneider;3373048; said:
I live in NW Indiana and go through the same stuff your going through every single year. Last few years around here the salmon didn't run until the first week of October! All the fish were already dirty by the time they arrived. We have also had poor returns here. Indiana doesn't stock very many fish anymore. You still have 20 pounders where you fish? Our average here is 6-7lbs and 14 lbs is a large fish. We haven't had alot of 20s here in several years. Too bad this fishery will continue to decline since alewive populations are drastically reduced. These are my favorite fish to target.
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Yes we still have 20 pounders. My first king that I ever caught was last year and that was an 18 pound hen. The river I fish is the St.joe I dont think we stock kings anymore but we stock the hell out of coho and steelhead. We have an amazing coho run last year. depending on the weather our runs start towards the end of August. Last year the last weekend of August I was catching kings in the river already. So that would mean that the had been in the river for at least a week so they should be starting.

I really dont mind the declining salmon population as now we have a booming smallmouth and walleye population. Not to mention the comeback of the two giant natives the lake sturgeon and the Lake trout. I think the Great lakes are changing for the better and I wouldnt be surprised if they cut all salmon stocking in the next 10-20 years. I think they will keep stocking steelhead and browns and I would love to see them start stocking another MI native that has disapeared from the area, the spotted musky.
 
thorzep;3374124; said:
cool man..you usually fish the river or the pier?
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I spend most my time at the river cuz its more sheltered from the wind then the pier, plus at the river the fish are brought closer together where they can be spread all over out in the big lake. There are certain times when the pier offers greater fishing then the river. After the kings get sone running and the steelhead are just starting and the walleye bite is slow I go to the pier to fish whitefish which unlike salmon and trout fishing is better on windy days and a 10 mile hour wind from the west is good. In the spring when the spring run steelhead are just starting there run and walleye bite is slow in the river the coho, kings and most of all brown trout are easy to catch from Lake MI as soon as the ice is gone. After the spring steelhead fishing I then return to the pier after monster post spawn walleye.
 
i was up at silver beach this weekend and the water was cool but not cold ... but i didnt go out .. one of the guys i work with was out fishing this weekend so i will ask him out the lake was and where he was fishing at ...
 
Iffrat;3374265; said:
i was up at silver beach this weekend and the water was cool but not cold ... but i didnt go out .. one of the guys i work with was out fishing this weekend so i will ask him out the lake was and where he was fishing at ...
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yeah thats my pier the silver beach pier aka "south pier". last time I went swimming the surface temp was near 76 degrees but the farther you go out the colder it gets near the bottom I noticed a big difference in chest high water.
 
well once again tonight we have cold water near the pier if not at the pier(cloud cover is blocking the temps right next to the pier) right outside the black cloud line is 61- 59 degree water I am torn on if I should head out right this min. I think I wll head out at 3:00 am maybe 4 at the latest unless like last night it changes but I dont feel thats the case tonight. well I got to get a little rest you'll hear back if I head out.
 
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