Water Warms Up in Saugatuck

[westrate]

Sept. 18, 2006

What a strange fall. The fall run has not yet started since the water temperature is warming up every day. This past week we started fishing in 110 foot of water (40 to 70 feet down) with the temperature 49 degrees 60 foot down, and by Sunday we had to go 130 foot down to get 58 degrees with 68 degrees from the surface down to 125 foot. Again, there are a few salmon in front the piers, however most are still out in the deeper water (some are in the warm water) however most are found at the temperature break along with the bait fish. The fishing is still very good with creel numbers that ranged from 8 to 22 fish per trip. We caught mainly salmon, 2 and 3 year olds with few 4 year olds, and numerous lake trout (a third of which where under the 20 in minimum and had to be returned).

By the end of the week we fished mainly downriggers 120 and 130 foot down and wire dipsy divers at 300 foot and 200 foot. Copper wire on the planner boards were not productive. The only thing we pulled on the wire and downriggers where flashers and flies. The following are the combinations that worked well:

Silver/green Pro Chip flasher with Rapture green hypnotist fly (never comes off), Green/glow Hot Chip flasher with Rapture Last Supper fly (never comes off), Silver/blue Spin Doctor flasher with Rapture Oceana fly (never comes off), Silver/green Spin Doctor flasher with Rapture Sour Apple fly, Silver Spin Doctor flasher with Rapture Oceana fly, Blue Bubble Smart Fish flasher with Blue Bubble Rapture fly, White/glow and White Mountain Dew Smart Fish flasher with Rapture Mirage fly, and White/silver Hot Chip flasher with Rapture Mirage fly. I would suggest you check out the Rapture Trolling flies and I think you will find that they are very well made and will not loose the tinsel and the tinsel does not "rap up" like many of the other flies do. I am sure that once we get cool water, we will again start catching fish on spoons on the copper wire, however they are not getting down to the fish at this time.

Check back and keep track of the fishing in Saugatuck. You can also feel free to contact me at any time by email at: [email protected].