Salmon Trip Noob

Wife and I want to do a salmon trip this summer. Never done it before so this is completely new to us. Thinking a July time frame and are leaning on Lake Michigan vs Superior. Willing to flex that a few weeks for a better bite. Does Lake Michigan have a better fishery for salmon and big lakers vs Superior ? We will be driving from Rochester and was thinking Algoma or Sturgeon bay area. I realize there is some BIG precautions to take with fishing big waters and some additional gear needed flare gun ect.. Am I nuts for taking an older 03 Crestliner 18 footer out there or just watch the wind ? Kicker motor and main run like top and use it often so not terribly concerned about reliability but poop happens !

I assume Ill need some line counters to pull dipseys with some heavier braid, and some minor spoons and squids along with some heavier rods. I have 4 Okuma cold waters right now spooled with 20 lb braid but that seems light , along with 2 leadcore rods on Okuma coldwaters. Im not afraid to buy some gear and have dipsey experience but also dont want to spend 1000 bucks on stuff to never use it again . Any tackle/line recommendations ? Think like Flicker shad 7 Firetiger for walleye – I need that of the salmon world

Finally anything else to do around the area if the wind blows ? Touristy poop or parks are a plus . Wife friendly locations.. They dont call them wet liners for no reason, and frankly being worrying that your going to be the next edmund fitz really takes the fun out of fishing for me.

Thank you for any help , PMs are welcome as well.

Michigan greater than superior for salmon. Usually picks up beginning of June and runs through July. At least traditional lake fishing. Big derby out there is end of June.
You will want heavier leadcore than typical walleye leadcore with several hundred feet of backing.
Look on marketplace for used gear.
Spoons and flasher fly combo is what is typically most effective that time of year.
Lots of things to do in door county.
Sturgeon bay more so than Algoma but every port there is good food and beer.

I will warn you I started doing this in my own about 7 years ago and it’s addicting and not cheap.

Your boat will be fine but you will be limited on how many days you can get out.
Without down riggers and two people you will want to run a dipsey on each side and two lead core or copper line per side.

We have a summer place in Sturgeon Bay and are there May through early Oct. For Salmon in Sturgeon Bay Algoma figure mid June till mid Aug. Earlier iffy, and later the big ones start to turn color by late Aug.
Alot of 18′ boats out depending on weather. The bite can be early in that area. A lot go out 3:30 or so and in by noon. Water is calmer then also. Action can be fast and furious at daybreak. You’re about 5 to 6 mi out and if SBay, and launch in town there is two, mile long no wake streches and one mile long strech inbetween you can run to get to the lake. Algoma you can be fishing alot quicker, no, no wake.
If you don’t have downriggers, dipseys and planer boards will get fish. I use 50# powerpro, 40 might do. 20-25# leaders. Leadcore 27# 4 to 7 color or just 5 and 6. Copper I like 220′
Sturgeon Bay can get very crowded on weekends on the shelf and test your patience. The fish get bigger as the year goes on. Typical 20-30 minute fight for 20# plus kings.
Sturgeon bay launch is really nice and roomy parking lot. Lodging in Sturgeon bay area can be expensive and tough on short notice.
Think south further also if its just for fishing.
It can be real addicting when the big kings hit and pull drag to the point you wonder if you hsve enough line on. Twice last Aug I was out bymyself and had limits within 2 1/2 hr of setting up and thst was with 3 rods out. It’s really tough bringing in 20+# kings by yourself.
Wind direction is vital. West you don’t have to go out so far, east/ne you are out further.

Attachments:

1. 

   m1dKJsZo-109021080.jpeg
   

2. 

   20230813_120638.jpg
   

Not sure where you are located,I started at Kenosha fishing walleye style the first week of May in an 18 foot Crestliner T182. Planer boards with plugs, inline weights with orange dodger and peanut fly and a couple dipseys. Usually morning bite with limit of cohos in a couple hours. Occasional King, rainbow, laker or brown depending on trip. That time of year you can troll the shore or go out to the “third hill” depending on the weather. It is addicting. You can watch the reports as the coho move up the western shore, and time your trip. Usually first week of May in that area. 6 hour drive from central Iowa. Milwaukee has a large totally enclosed harbor you can troll inside,with borderline weather. Port Washington has deep water fairly close to shore.
Good luck!

.

Attachments:

1. 

   69708375_2897978026897527_7236997199152807936_n.jpg
   

You can always cut your teeth in late may early June on superior then head to LKMI late june july. But if you could only do one make it LKMI.

We have a good top water bite for lakers and some smaller salmon mixed during spring around Superior WI. A WI lic would cover both lakes when in WI waters.

I have done the trip out to Lake Mi a few times from the Twin Cities. I have done DYI and guided. For me it is a no brainer to just do a couple a half day trips with a guide. They fish everyday and have network of other captains to stay on the fish, something I cannot do in a weekend. If i was was to recommend one I would say Nicky Boy Charters and ask to fish with Red. They are out of Port Washington. The wife will definitely appreciate the bigger boat and Port Washington is nice little town.

Thank you for the recommendations.. looks like I’ll have to respool a few rods to some higher test .. Any recommendations on spoon brands and color ? Flasher flys I’ve always heard blue and greens .

Moonshine spoons are popular. The hot color is always changing.

What’s up with all the reports I read to be out on the water at 3:30 am ? Primarily a morning bite or is that to beat the weather ?

Low light bite yes. Mornings are usually best but have had good evening bites.
This year the bite died at about 8 am when were there.

Just curious ripjiggen what was your success like your first couple of trips ? Obviously there’s a learning curve . Is it one of those things a guy should hire a guide a half day or can a guy with some walleye and dipsey experience figure it out ? I do enjoy the feeling of figuring it out on your own but also don’t want to blank for 4 days straight ha.

Might be a dumb question as well but do you guys do any high speed graphing with 2D to find the fish or how do you know what area to target ? Rather featureless fishing that deep water isn’t it ?

Those early mornings and late nights can be brutal, we typically fish 3:30-10 then again 5-10 at night. Sleep and eat when you can, it’s tough but worth it, not something I could do every day though. Lightning at night will really mess up the morning bite if a storm comes through.

Sure a guide could help the learning curve but it is mostly about water temp below the surface and fish are always moving. We had been going for several years prior with someone who fishes it every weekend. We kind of knew what we were doing but still have to find them and then trigger them to bite.
Just know you will not be able to replicate what the charters do for numbers as they have way more lines out than you will.
If you go four days your chances of getting out all four days is slim.
Most guys start trolling out in front of the harbor that they launch at until they hit their desired depth and then go north or south from their.

When I said 3:30, that’s when they usually head out. Hot bite is usually hour before to hour to two hrs after daybreak. The water up by Sturgeon bay is very clear, as you get Algoma south, the water gets more cloudy. When I fish Racine, the time of day doesn’t seem to matter as much.
Just because most go out early it doesn’t mean that I do. I get out enough, and get enough fish, that we usually don’t go out till 7 or so. Still plenty of fish to catch depending on wind direction and water temp.

If you do go to Sturgeon bay and venture out on your own there’s a couple things I would suggest.

First, don’t go your very first trip in the dark of night. We usually get to Sturgeon bay after lunch that first day. Then you can get all the bugs worked out when its light out instead of dark. Also there’s a few buoys and as meintioned already now wake zones to get familiar with. That evening bite can be just as good.

Second, it took me a few years to learn this one, there is a trolling pattern on the bank reef. When going North you can hug the break line and when you get to the top of the reef and turn around you should be on the outside in deeper water.

Third, if its foggy the big boats use a clown horn to signal that they’re near. They have radar for this situation.

As far as timing the bite you really do need to be flexible. I watch the wind/wave forecasts and the weekly fishing report on WDOR radio website. Lance at Howies tackle does a great job. Doesn’t really matter what they’re biting on but more importantly how many fish are coming in. Lance really is a great bait shop owner and will help you catch fish, one trip the bank reef was slow and he called one of his charter buddies up in Baileys Harbor and got us on a great steelhead bite, saved our trip. We try to stay at the Cherryland motel, which is attached to Howies.

I really enjoy going out on the big water and getting things dialed in without hiring a charter. Usually takes an afternoon or morning to get on a pattern. I do find some satisfaction coming into Sawyer harbor cleaning station with a couple limits of Kings in a boat with IA license on the side!!