Monday, April 27, 2015
Lake Michigan Salmon Fishing News from Big Bird Charters: 04/27/15 BIG BIRD CHARTERS FISHING BLOG - FISHING ...
Lake Michigan Salmon Fishing News from Big Bird Charters: 04/27/15 BIG BIRD CHARTERS FISHING BLOG - FISHING ...: www.bigbirdcharters.com Just A Little View From The Marina - Big Bird Charters Welcome to Big Bird Charters Fishing ...
04/27/15 BIG BIRD CHARTERS FISHING BLOG - FISHING REPORT AND NEWS
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| Just A Little View From The Marina - Big Bird Charters |
Welcome to Big Bird Charters Fishing Blog and Discussion. This week will be short and sweet as we are preparing to kick off our heavy month of May fishing. Lake Michigan fishing is picking up and our gear is more than ready for the tasty Coho Salmon, Spring Kings, and Trout.
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| BIG BIRD READY TO GO! |
The fishing report for this week is not a strong one, but it does show promise for how things will shape up. The main factor of the "hot & cold" fishing is all of our April storms and heavy winds. There have been many fish caught already, but as soon as the good fishing starts to set up...the heavy weather scatters the fish which resets the tracking of the fish. This is common for this time of the year, just increases the challenge of fishing. Baits commonly used for this time of the season are crank baits, dodgers and fly's, and smaller trolling spoons consisting of blue, green, red, and orange color schemes. We are highly anticipating May fishing and are ready to rock n' roll!
New for "BIG BIRD" in the 2015 season is the use of a Go Pro action camera. We will catch plenty of reel time action so we can deliver the real feel of what salmon fishing is like on Lake Michigan. Stay tuned for all the "live action" and see what the Lake Michigan Salmon Fishing buzz is all about!!
Until next week...If the fishing ain't easy, fish harder!
Captain Eric – Big Bird Charters
Sunday, April 19, 2015
04/19/15 BIG BIRD CHARTERS FISHING BLOG - SALMON FISHING REPORT
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| Heading back in from the "SHAKE DOWN". St. Joseph River - St. Joseph, MI. |
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| DNR inspection, All IS GOOD. |
Well the winter ice is gone
and the fishing is picking up. "BIGBIRD" is in the water and we are very close to having all of our
pre-season projects completed so that we can focus 100% on FISHING! Fishing gear is ready, boat is purring like a
champ, just a few loose ends to tie up and we will be getting after it!
We had to go through our DNR
inspection this year as we do every two years, passed with flying colors. They ensure all operations of boat are safe
and sound and that all restrictions are met for passenger safety. One of the Conservation Officers even joined
us for a picture!
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| One of our many projects. |
One project among many that
are taken care of in pre-season preparations is the complete refinishing of our
Teak wood trim on the exterior of the boat.
Although not done every year, this is a lengthy process that I am eager
to see FINISHED!
Yesterday, “Big Bird” and I
ran the boat for the first time of the season on Lake Michigan, she’s running clean and
strong. We always do a “shake down”
before our first trip just to make sure everything’s running like they
should. All is good, even caught a few
Coho just messing around. One more week
and we will kick off yet another fishing season…and we are almost ready for it! A few little tweaks and we’ll be good to go!
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| Just a normal day, you know. |
So for the random picture of
the week, here we have Mike and his 21 year old parrot named Beegee hanging out
in Tackle Haven just passing time. Two
peas in a pod and both characters all in their own.
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| Steelhead action on Jawbreaker! |
If the fishin’ ain’t easy, fish
hard!
www.bigbirdcharters.com
Sunday, April 5, 2015
04/05/15 Big Bird Charters Fishing Blog - Saint Joseph/Benton Harbor, MI. Places To Stay & Bait/Tackle.
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| "Big Bird" Saint Joseph, MI. |
Welcome to this weeks blog
article/discussion brought to you by Captain Eric of Big Bird Charters. Well we are one week closer to kicking off our
2015 fishing season .We uncovered
“Big Bird” from her winter hibernation and are making all the preparations for
operation. There is still ice floating
around on Lake Michigan, but with warming temps and rain…. the Lake will be wide open for fishing soon.
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| Stop in and see us! |
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| Tackle Haven Welcoming Crew, Just Don't Be On The Wrong Side Of Their Bark! |
can always find out the newest up to date fishing reports and different ways to fish. Tackle Haven caters to all species of fishing, but has heavy focus on Lake Michigan Salmon and Trout fishing and trolling. If you are not local, Tackle Haven offers an extensive inventory list in their on-line services. Whether you need a fishing license, tackle, hunting gear, or are rigging a boat from scratch...Tackle Haven may just have what you’re looking for! I work here part time around our charter fishing schedule and have had much pleasure in meeting all the fisherman in the area, sharing stories of fish caught, and the ones that got away!
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| Dune Lake Campgrounds & RV |
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| Benton Harbor, MI. |
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| A few of our favorite baits! |
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| Tackle Haven - Moonshine Lures |
Til next week be safe and fish hard - Capt. Eric
www.bigbirdcharters.com
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Sunday, March 29, 2015
03/29/15 Big Bird Charters Fishing Blog - Saint Joseph/Benton Harbor, MI. Tourism and Region Insight.
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| Lake MI. Iceburgs - Big Bird Charters |
Welcome to this weeks blog posting by Big Bird Charters. We are slowly escaping "Old Man Winters" grasp and it won't be long until we launch our 2015 salmon fishing season. Only a few weeks until we are in full swing fishing operation!
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| Downtown St. Joseph, MI. Map - Big Bird Charters |
Saint Joseph, MI. not only attracts fishing enthusiasts, but also offers a unique vacationing experience for all that visit. Whether it's just a daily get-away or a week's vacation, there are diverse activities that entice all who visit. From the family vacation to the guys/gals weekend retreat, St. Joe has got you covered on entertainment!
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| Sweet Sassy, Our loyal mascott! |
Within a few blocks is the bluff in which you can catch a vast view of Lake Michigan and beautiful sunrises/sunsets. Just down the bluff is the Whirlpool Compass Fountain, Curious Kids Museum, Silver Beach Carousel, Silver Beach Pizza, and beautiful Silver Beach County Park where everyone can soak up some rays and play in the sand. The south pier is easily accessible from the beach where people like to walk and for many, fish. Whether it's King Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead/Skamania, White Fish, or Lake Trout...the pier sure packs in with eager fisherman.
For the golfing enthusiasts, you can get your swing on at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores that was designed by Jack Nicklaus and has held 2 Senior PGA Championships. A wide range of Saint Joseph, MI area events including festivals, fairs, parades, and music concerts take place in and around the streets and waterfront from May through October. For the adult side, wine tasting venues and breweries can easily be found. Czars, located in downtown St. Joseph is a popular music venue that attracts many that want to party and cut loose!
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| South Pier Spring Coho Fishing, Lake MI - Big Bird Charters |
fishermen. Few fish caught at the Berrien Springs Dam. Coho Salmon are biting at the piers and in the river, but nothing fast and furious. Just a matter of time before the Coho bite is on! We just need warmer weather to make the water temp just right. Release your grip, cold temp!
Next week I will continue with Things To Do and Where To Stay in the Saint Joseph/Benton Harbor area. Until then....All anglers be safe, keep your hooks sharp, and fish hard!
* Just 100 miles @ 2 hours driving from Chicago, Illinois or 50 miles via Lake Michigan
35 miles @ 45 minutes driving from South Bend Airport, Indiana
188 miles @ 3 hours driving from Toledo, Ohio
188 miles @ 3 hours driving from Detroit, Michigan
218 miles @ 3.5 hours driving from Indianapolis International Airport, Indiana
365 miles @ 6 hours driving from St. Louis, Missouri
Sunday, March 22, 2015
3/22/15 Michigan Salmon Fishing Report – BIG BIRD CHARTERS
Welcome to Big Bird Charters Salmon Fishing Blog. With another week
behind us, fishing is picking up here in the St. Joseph, MI. region.
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| St. Joseph, MI. Piers 3 weeks ago - Big Bird Charters |
Although the piers are still
ice covered, it does not stop the hardcore anglers from dropping their
lines. Coho Salmon fishing is picking
up, but still a slow catch rate. The
pier fisherman are also catching Steelhead, Brown Trout, and White Fish. Yesterday, a five foot long Sturgeon found
itself hooked on an anglers line, what a catch!
It was caught and released, as Sturgeon are not legal to keep at this
time. The basic baits used are spawn
bags and chunks of skein. The rig consists
of a slip sinker ahead of a barrel swivel on the primary line(usually a 1.5 oz.
to 2.5 oz. pyramid sinker). A 3 to 4
foot floro-carbon leader is then tied to the barrel swivel with the hook at the
end. An egg loop knot is used when tying
to the hook for using skein. The loop
harnesses the bait in place, otherwise much time will be spent on just changing
out bait.
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| Winter Steelhead Shoreline Fishing - Big Bird Charters |
Another gathering spot for
fisherman is the Berrien Springs Dam. This
dam is at the top of the St. Joseph River and separates the river from Lake Chapin. Many of the big game fish that have made it
this far upriver congregate and also navigate through the fish ladder of the
dam. When the fishing is ON, the
shoreline is packed with anglers. To
avoid tangles, they systematically cast their drift lines in rhythm with each
other. When the rhythm is off, everyone
knows it because the tangles and tempers flare up. Many anglers use corkys, wobble glos, flys,
skein chunks, and spawn bags. They
basically have a drop sinker ahead of their leader and bait, cast upstream and
let their bait drift downstream….and repeat until someone yells FISH ON!
For those fishing by boat in
the river, fishing is still a slow catch.
The best steelhead river fishing is taking place up by the dam. They use the skein and spawn bag rigs as well
as trolling plugs like hot n’ tots, flat fish, and mag lips.
Ice cover on Lake MI.
is still very prevalent, but it won’t be long until we are back out on the big
lake! I will cover more Lake Michigan Salmon Fishing trolling techniques as we get into our season. To all anglers….be safe, keep your hooks
sharp, and fish hard!
CAPT. ERIC – BIG BIRD CHARTER FISHING
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| Saint Joseph, Michigan Summer Early Evening - Big Bird Charters |
Sunday, March 15, 2015
03/15/15 Big Bird Charters - Spring King & Coho Salmon Fishing www.bigbirdcharters.com
www.bigbirdcharters.com
In one regard, fish are very
similar to people as the warming temperatures emerge from the frozen land of
the Midwest.
People are more upbeat and excited to take advantage of the outdoors and
more comfortable weather. The spring
months that build our anticipation of fishing are creeping upon us as the fish
rise from “hibernation”.
As the river and lake thaws
and water temperatures rise, this spikes the beginning of our fishing
season. The Spring Coho Salmon gather
around the southern tip of Lake Michigan(Portage,
IN., Michigan City,
IN. area) due to warmer water temps because of shallow water close to
shore. Imagine how we notice a 10 degree
difference in temp, fish are exponentially more sensitive to temperature change. All fish have a temperature range in which
their bodies function with peak performance.
Coho Salmon – 40 to 52 degrees water temp. These Coho start to migrate north following
the bait
fish and desired water temperature which leads them straight to us in Saint Joseph, MI.
The Spring Kings follow a
similar pattern as Coho. Although these
juvenile salmon don’t necessarily congregate in the southern shores like Coho,
they are attracted to the warming waters of southern Lake
Michigan. They are most
lively in 40-48 degree water temps. They
typically start their spring run just behind the Coho. Needless to say, the fishing season starts
off with a bang and provides plenty of fishing action and savory table fare.
As top producing baits and
colors change year to year, some baits have held a top producing reputation for
years on end. One “go-to” bait for spring
Coho is the “Brad’s Thinfish” crankbait.
The red body with black squiggles (presented to the right) is a
coho-killer and can be found in most tackle boxes upon Lake Michigan. Next up would be
the 6” Luhr Jensen red/orange dodger(image on left) paired with what many call a peanut fly or
Coho Candy. Blue and green color schemes
are the most common for Coho fishing.
Last year(2014) prevailed
some fast and furious Spring King Salmon fishing. Our top producing rigs involved our dipsy
diver rods in combination with an 8” flasher(Dream Weaver Spin Doctor - right image) and fly
known as a Blue Dolphin color scheme.
The “Electric Perch”(image to left) colored trolling spoon made by “Warrior” held it’s
own as well. Year to year the desired
colors can change, so we shall see what recipe our salmon prefer this season!
Welcome to Big Bird Charters Sport Fishing Blog. With the temps rising and the snow melting, the spring fishing is soon upon us!
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| Saint Joseph, MI. North Pier. Fishing is right around the corner! - Big Bird Charters |
The Craze For Spring Kings & Coho
Salmon
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| Spring Kings & Coho Salmon |
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| Healthy Spring King Salmon |
fish and desired water temperature which leads them straight to us in Saint Joseph, MI.
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| Dipsy Divers |
“BIG BIRD BLING” Lake Michigan Tackle & Baits
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| Effective crankbait |
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| Planer Boards |
Our Spring gear includes
Shimano Ugly Stik rods (7’ and 9’) paired up with Abu Garcia Ambassador 7000
high speed reels and Okuma Convector reels.
The shallow water fishing gear include reels spooled with 20 pound test
mono-filament line combined with leadcore line, which allows for covering
different depth ranges. Our normal
fishing setup starts with downriggers(baits closest to boat), dipsy divers(sends baits
down and away from the boat), then our planer board lines which allows more
baits in the water by taking the lines out and away from the boat. We cover the water column range which often
makes for steady action!
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| Coho Killers |
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| Coho dodger & fly |
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| Flasher & Fly |
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| Electric Perch |
Thanks for dropping in and
checking us out! For those interested in
experiencing our Spring King & Coho Salmon fishing….dates are available!
www.bigbirdcharters.com
(269) 470 - 4149
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