Port Sheldon 9/22 a.m.

[Reel-y-hooked]

Thank you jolly time for yesterday’s report. We worked your intel into our spread. Set lines in 90 fow and trolled out to 150 fow and then back in to 90 fow being chased by rain on the radar. 
Starboard high diver back 200’ went 2 times. Port high diver back 140’ went 2 times. Port low diver back 130’ went once. Starboard down rigger at 90’ went once and that fish escaped. Port down rigger at 100’ went 2 times. Once on the slider and once on main line. Pulled lines at 9:00 so we wouldn’t get wet. 

Boated 4 steelhead and 3 kings. 1 king was a dark 4 yr old female. 

all spoons this morning. Mongolian beef, A-bomb, dancing anchovy, glow frog and green jeans. All spoons were SS and standard size. 
Boats at the launch had success with mag spoons too. Fish were hungry and swallowed the hooks this morning. 

[FBD]

Awfully small king for four years in the lake.

[Jolly Time]

Glad you had success! I so wanted to go out this morning. I love fishing in overcast crummy weather. 

There are definitely fish out there to be caught. Once you figure out troll angle with the weird currents, you are definitely in business. Based on the fact you were catching fish on both sides of the boat, you mastered the troll angle. Well done!

Thanks for the call out. I love helping with info. Without help it can be tough out there.

[Reel-y-hooked]

After a better look at that 4 yr old fish it was a coho. 

[FBD]

Coho spend a year and half in the hatchery and another year and a half in the big lakes.  Some run after one season in the lake (jacks) and rarely do you see one that stays out longer although Team Hammbone weighed in a 29# coho in Frankfort some years ago.

 

 

[Reel-y-hooked]

Very interesting. You have done your research. Thank you for that info. So what river will an adult coho run that is spending time in the holland/port Sheldon area ? I was under the impression that most coho migrate to the Platte River. 

[Jolly Time]

14 hours ago, Reel-y-hooked said:

After a better look at that 4 yr old fish it was a coho. 

What was the length? It may have made master angler?

[FBD]

Had to double check the fish stocking database but the Platte gets planted heavily as that’s where the brood stock come from / hatchery is, but the St Joe, Kalamazoo, Grand/Rogue, Muskegon, Big Sable, and Manistee all get plants too.  Didn’t realize they were that spread out I know the amount we get in Holland / Saugatuck has really gone up in the last few years spring and fall.

 

Those are some pretty steelhead I’m getting itchy seeing all the picture you guys are posting.

[FBD]

Took a bit to find this but if I caught a 29# coho I can promise you it’d be all over the web.

[Reel-y-hooked]

Thanks for all the coho info. I like the fact that they are increasing the planting down in our part of the state. The fish are fun to catch and they are tasty. 
I did measure the coho and she was 26 inches so we came up short on a master angler. 
wow a 29 lb coho is huge. That’s why we fish, even if reports are bad. You just never know. 
Based on conversations back at the boat launch yesterday, there are a lot of steelhead in the area. Everyone seemed to be using different color spoons from mags all the way down to super slims. They steelhead were hungry and feeding.  I’m assuming the amount of steelhead in the area is partially because of the large schools of bait fish ? Sonar was lit up with bait balls between 90 and 120 fow. The bait was mid depth to the bottom. 

[FBD]

Seems to be a trend about this time each year just load up 20-70’ down and drive around like a mad man from 100’ to however far you feel like going out and pick off steel.  If you do hit one clover leaf the area as they will school.

 

I’m waiting for them to get in closer but we went swimming in South Haven Saturday water was 74 degrees!  Might have to wait a while longer.

 

 

[Reel-y-hooked]

Swimming and steelhead fishing in September! Who has it better than us? No one ! 
thanks again for sharing your knowledge. The steely’s put on a great show. We plan on fishing those acrobats as weather permits 

[jdh]

Lake is trying to flip.  Might be one last flury of mature coho and kings at the pierhead tomorrow.