Sunday, June 7, 2015

06/07/15 BIG BIRD CHARTERS FISHING BLOG - LAKE MICHIGAN SALMON FISHING REPORT & NEWS


Welcome to this week's blog posting from BIG BIRD CHARTERS.  Fishing in Southwest MI. in Saint Joseph, MI. has had it's great days and challenging days.  Whether the fishing is exceptionally great, or our skills are put to the test....we always fish hard to have the best day possible.  The weather has been very inconsistent, which reflects on the fishing.  Regardless, we always have a great time on the water with the fine folks that join us!


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YESTERDAY'S FISHING PROVED TO BE A GREAT ONE! - BIG BIRD CHARTERS


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FISH WERE DEFINITELY ON! -  BIG BIRD CHARTERS

The deck got very fishy on this trip.  Steelhead (Rainbow Trout), Coho Salmon, and Lake Trout have been prevalent in their spring feeding.  The highly revered King Salmon of Lake Michigan have been scattered out and not present in great numbers.  This is due partly to the decrease in the hatchery of King Salmon because of a
freshwater fishing, salmon charters, saint joseph mi, pure michigan
THANKS FELLAS! - BIG BIRD CHARTERS
low population in Alewife, which are the preferred diet of our mighty King Salmon.  This is a balancing act of the food chain from predator to prey.  Not to worry, as the DNR balances the King Salmon fishery, our other salmon and trout fish species keep the allure of Lake Michigan Sport Fishing alive and thriving.

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JUST ANOTHER DAY OF WORK - BIG BIRD CHARTERS

As we return from our fishing trips, this is just one of many things we see coming in.  The mighty MISSISSAGI is offloading salt as many boaters make their way around "her".  It is quite impressive how these massive cargo ships navigate the narrow St. Joseph River. 


river fishing, penn reels, okuma, sportfishing, salmon charters, king salmon, coho salmon
THANKS TO TERRY, STEPHANIE, & THE BOYS!

We had a great time with our IL. crew.  It was a calm, beautiful, smooth day on the water.  This day presented it's challenges, but we came out on top.  7 caught, 4 to 5 other that didn't stick on the hook, and all while dealing with massive cottonwood build up on our fising lines. 

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HAD A BLAST WITH DAN AND CREW.



Great trip with Dan and the wrecking crew!  We had fast action in the morning and then it slowed down by late morning.  We had 15 or so bites with 9 fish landed.  Coho Salmon and Steelhead came primarily in the top 20 foot of the water column in 280 foot of water.  Lake Trout are still all over the water column biting from the surface to the bottom.  You guys were great and thanks for the comraderie fellas!

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DUELING KINGS

 

We are catching alot of 1-2 year old fish as we typically do this time of the season.  Altough they are smaller fish, they supply fast action and are the best eating, especially the Coho Salmon.  To the left are 2 King Salmon, also known as Chinook Salmon.  Kings put on a show and are the most challenging to fight and land in the boat.  We are starting to notice bigger Coho and Steelhead as we move along in our season.  Soon, big Steelhead and Skamani will be peeling our lines.  For those that have not experienced our sky-rocketing Steelhead, your missing out!  June is always a great month for these fighters.  For those interested, reserve your charter now to get in on the action!

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FISH GRINNIN!

 

This last picture was taken a few days ago from an afternoon trip.  2 Lake Trout, 1 King, and 3 Coho Salmon had these boys grinnin' from ear to ear.  We love having children aboard because for most, these are the biggest fish they have ever caught and their excitement is more than words can explain.  It's always great when the fishing is non-stop and we can get everyone's limit, but that just doesn't happen every day.  With 6 in the box and stories of the fish that got away, this was a successfull day with the Mimnito Family.  Good times and memories down the road!

 

 

At Big Bird Charters, we would be happy to hear from any and all of you about questions you may have about our fishery and what we do here.  For those that would just like to talk fishing and share any fish tales, just drop us a line in our blog box!

Thanks to all that follow us and support what we do.  Till next week, Bird's The Word.

-CAPTAIN ERIC 





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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

05/26/15 BIG BIRD CHARTERS FISHING BLOG - LAKE MICHIGAN SALMON FISHING REPORT & NEWS.







salmon, family fun fishing, lake trout, big bird charters, lake michigan fishing
SUNRISE IN ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN - BIG BIRD CHARTERS


Welcome to another week of fishing talk & news from BIG BIRD CHARTERS.  First and foremost we hope everyone had a great and safe MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.  Much love and thanks to those that have served, continue to serve and defend our country’s freedom.

 



Two days ago , Ian and Noah battled these King Salmon with perseverance.  Kings are notorious for their powerful fight and line peeling force.  At one point, there was 400 foot of line out with one of these beauty’s on the other end.  Ian and Noah kept their lines tight and did a great job working their fish.







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2 BOAT SALMON CREW - BIG BIRD CHARTERS

The weather is finally warming up and the summer fun in the sun is right around the corner.  The 2015 salmon and trout fishing season is revving up to be a good one.  The fishing has been great on most days.  The floppy weather, storms, and heavy winds tend to work against us fisherman in the spring months, but regardless, it is our job to get out there and find them after the storms pass. 

 


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WATERHOUSE BROTHERS
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HOT BAIT FOR KINGS

Most of our fishing last week took place between 80 fow(foot of water) to 130 fow with the exception of yesterday, where we ended up 10 miles out from the shoreline in 240 fow.  On left, The Waterhouse bros bask in their salmon glory.  The trolling spoon on the right, made by "Warrior"  has been one "hot ticket" this week for the bigger King Salmon.  We ran this spoon about 80 foot down in the water column and tapped into the almighty Kings.


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KING STYLE
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GAGE & HIS LAKE TROUT

We take great pleasure in introducing Lake Michigan Salmon and Trout fishing to the younger generation.  The more we can engage them in a different and exciting fishing experience, hopefully it will be a stepping stone towards their love for fishing.  These guys were great and fun to have on board.  Lake conditions were perfect this weekend.  A slight chop to keep our baits swaying in the water, a cool breeze, and weather in the high 60's and low 70's.  Summer here we come!



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THE WATERHOUSE CREW - BIG BIRD CHARTERS

Fishing gear summary:  We are still using our surface leadcore rigs that cover the top 30' of the water column where we are catching Coho Salmon, Steelhead, and Lake Trout.  As the season progresses and we get into mid-summer, the Lake Trout rest more towards the sea bottom.  Below the top 30' we are targeting the bigger King Salmon, Coho, and more Lake Trout with our downriggers, dipsy divers, and copper line rod/reel combos.  

 

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 FAMILY STYLE - BIG BIRD CHARTERS

Stay tuned for next week's fishing news and updates from Big Bird Charters, as every week has it's changes, challenges, and rewards.


Captain Eric - BIG BIRD CHARTERS














Sunday, May 17, 2015

Lake Michigan Salmon Fishing News from Big Bird Charters: 05/17/15 BIG BIRD CHARTERS FISHING BLOG - LAKE MIC...

Lake Michigan Salmon Fishing News from Big Bird Charters: 05/17/15 BIG BIRD CHARTERS FISHING BLOG - LAKE MIC...: WWW.BIGBIRDCHARTERS.COM VERY SUCCESSFUL 2 BOAT FISHING TRIP.  ALWAYS FUN WITH THIS CREW! - BIG BIRD CHARTERS Welco...

05/17/15 BIG BIRD CHARTERS FISHING BLOG - LAKE MICHIGAN SALMON FISHING REPORT & NEWS.


king salmon, lake trout, coho salmon, steelhead, michigan fishing
VERY SUCCESSFUL 2 BOAT FISHING TRIP.  ALWAYS FUN WITH THIS CREW! - BIG BIRD CHARTERS

Welcome to BIG BIRD CHARTERSBLOG & DISCUSSION.  Fishing this week has been great and we have had a lot of fun with our group's on the water.  Right now we are finding our fish in deeper water and all throughout the water column from the surface to the bottom as there is not much change in water temperature from top to bottom.


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AWESOME CATCH KIDDO!
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FISHIN' & GRINNIN'!
We love having kids out on the water to experience Salmon Fishing on Lake Michigan.  This fishing is much different to other styles and types of fishing and we take pride in teaching and educating people of all ages about this fishery.  To the left, this King Salmon fought hard and Carson never gave up and refused the help of other's to land this beauty in the boat.  To the right, is Connor and his Lake Trout.  Lake Trout are indeginous to Lake Michigan and right now they are very active and prevalant in our daily catch.  Many prefer to "smoke" their trout, but is also delicious baked in a marinade or even just lemon and butter. 

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TIM & HIS KING SALMON
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KERNIGHAN FAMILY FISHING
 Our fishing gear is designed to cover the entire water column range.  Right now, most of our smaller fish are caught from the surface to 30 feet down even though we may be in 200 foot of water.  We use a variety of rod/reel combos consisting of leadcore line, trolling spoons, and body baits. Our deeper running rigs include downriggers, dipsy diver rod/reel combos, and rods/reels that are equipped with different lengths of copper line to achieve varying depths.  Although our 300' copper rigs are not a high producer yet, they will be soon!



  
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Spring fishing is really shaping up nicely and we are always eager to see what each day of fishing will reveal.  If any of you have questions or comments about Lake Michigan Salmon Fishing, please feel free to drop us a line for discussion.  For inquiries on setting up a fishing excursion with us at Big Bird Charters, please contact us at the info below.  Thanks for viewing our blog and good fishing to all!


Captain Eric




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Sunday, May 10, 2015

05/10/15 BIG BIRD CHARTERS FISHING BLOG - LAKE MICHIGAN SALMON FISHING REPORT AND NEWS



 

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Gary and his 18 lb. mammoth Lake Trout - BIG BIRD CHARTERS


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Before........

Welcome once again to BIG BIRD CHARTERS FISHING salmon fishing & news.  For those that follow weekly, we regret not posting a report for last week.  With various tasks and fishing at hand, we have been busy none the less....not too busy to hit the water and drop some lines!  The last two weeks of fishing have produced a lot of meat in the box.  Just this week alone we have had trips everyday with over 114 fish caught and taken home!  Though, fishing is fishing and some days are better than others, the month of May salmon and trout fishing is shaping up greatly.  More and more numbers of fish are caught every day and the spring King Salmon are making their presence known.  

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and after....- BIG BIRD CHARTERS


Bob and Kevin are great to have on board "Big Bird" and we always love finding the fish for them.  Today we caught 4 King Salmon, 4 Coho Salmon, 4 Steelhead, and 1 Lake Trout. 


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Slammin' the King Salmon! - BIG BIRD CHARTERS

 

 

Our own Danville, IL. native Dr. Conn showing off his beautiful King Salmon.  Big fish are biting!

 

  

Hungry? - BIG BIRD CHARTERS

Great times with Gary Martin and crew.  A mixture of King Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, and Steelhead bit the line and hit the ice.  A great crew and awesome fishing had by the whole crew!

 

 

 

Stay tuned for more fishing news and updates,

Captain Eric - BIG BIRD CHARTERS

Dates available: Captain Jim - 269 470 4149

                           Captain Eric - 615 426 2179

 

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







king salmon, coho salmon, lake trout, brown trout, steelhead, rainbow trout, michigan fishing charters
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