What makes a fishing trip outstanding? Is it the number of fish you catch? Is it the species of fish that you catch? Is it the fight that the fish gives? Is it the weather? How about the scenery? Is it calm seas and a blue bird sky day? Is it the family and friends that share in your adventure? Some would say it could be anyone or all these together.
Sport fishing on Lake Michigan is an adventure that should not be limited by the goal of getting a limit or a personal best fish or a achieving a Great Lakes slam. These goals are always considered and if Lake Michigan is willing to allow us to reach one of these goals it can be an outstanding day. However, somedays we try our best to get everyone to catch fish and we hope it is their biggest, or a 1st for that species, or there are fish after fish on the line. Then there are days when we are limited to where we can fish due to wind, waves and weather and we must grind it out. We will set the best spread of gear and lures and target the areas we can. These days are when the conversation and stories of catching lunker lake trout and reel screaming steelhead and king salmon keep us all entertained until the line of the planer board starts pulling drag. The clicker on the reel starts to pick up and all on deck are excited to what has taken the bait. Will the fish stay hooked up? Or when we are getting to the end of the trip and a teenager hoping to get the chance to fight a mighty king salmon after a couple bites that didn’t produce a fish is taking the high road and stating how much fun it was to be on the water with family and friends not to mention the nap he took because he woke up so earlier. The captain tells the young lad to not give up we never know when Lake Michigan will let one of her personal best fish bite the line and let the fight of a lifetime begin. There are times when the first mate is pulling lines and there is only one line left to pull before we have to head back to the harbor and when everyone least expects it the downrigger releases and the line peeling off the reel faster than anything else we had seen on the trip. This is when that teenager jumps up and gets to feel the power of the largest fish he has ever had on the line. One that runs from the boat then to the boat and away all within a few moments. The whole crew is jumping with excitement and encouragement to finally see the massive fish that made this a day personal best for more than just the young teenager. The adventures on Lake Michigan charter fishing are determined by getting out on the lake and experiencing the excitement.