Lake Michigan Salmon and Trout Fishing Terminology

B•C•L•O•W

Big Jon Downriggers:

Downriggers are used to get the lure down to the depth that the fish are at. They consist of a 2 - 4 foot arm with a reel of stainless steel cable, an eight pound weight, and a release to hold the fishing line. The fishing line is hooked into the release and the weight is lowered to the fishing depth. The rod is placed into a rod holder and there is tension between the tip of the rod and the release causing a bend in the rod. When the fish hits the lure, it pulls the line from the release and the tension is removed causing the rod to snap up. This "tip up" signals a fish has hit the lure. Downriggers allow you to catch fish that are in deep water without having to use heavy weights on the fishing line to get your lures down deep.

Downriggers consist of three major components, the weight, the cable and the spool. The fishing line is attached to the downrigger cable by means of a "line release." The weight is normally a mass of lead which is connected to the stainless steel cable. The spool is brought up either by a manual crank or via an electric motor.

Using a downrigger began in the early 1900’s in effort to pick up the productivity of catching fish in larger bodies of water. One of the more popular models of downriggers is called the Scotty set up. It was developed by two Canadian West Coast fishing innovators named Charlie White and Blayney Scott. They developed this model in the 1970s that used a ten pound weight. It was described as a good model for finding the right depth at which fish were feeding. Downriggers are used to troll at a certain depth and speed. People began using them in oceans and others later developed smaller downrigger systems, which are good for smaller bodies of water such as the great lakes. They are now used all over the world and catch a large variety of fish.

Big Jon Downriggers are an easy to use tip-up boom that makes setting lines easy and safe. It is built of High Strength Aircraft Grade Aluminum to last a lifetime!

The flexible boom reduces stress that can cause the cracking of fiberglass and metal fatigue in your boat's transom and gunwales!

Features:

2, 3 & 4 ft. sectional, "tip-up" boom
Powerful 12 volt sealed motor w/ adjustable disc clutch
4 in. x 4 in. mounting plate w/ four hold down knobs
Bright, protective anodized finish
Footage counter
200 ft. of stainless steel cable
Line release included

Brown Trout:
Brown Trout caught in Lake Michigan have an overall silvery color with “X” shaped marking on the back and upper half of their body, a squared tail, small and numerous spots on their head, the inside of their mouth white, and 12 or less rays in their anal fin. Spawning brown trout in September and October will have an overall tan to reddish brown color with distinctive black and red spots. Brown trout have adapted well and are now an important part of the Lake Michigan fish community. After being stocked into Lake Michigan, brown trout grow fast, feeding on the plentiful crayfish, insects, and small fish in the Milwaukee harbor area. At 2 to 4 years of age, the brown trout become mature and return to the stocking sites in the autumn to spawn. Silver King Charters find big brown trout for you in March and April around the Milwaukee harbor Call 414.460.1467 for Lake Michigan fishing charters from Milwaukee to Racine.

Chinook Salmon:
The Chinook salmon is silver in color with dark spots. The spots on the Chinook salmon will generally cover all the head, back, dorsal and adipose fin as well as the squared tail. The Chinook can be distinguished from other salmon is by its black mouth and gums. The similar looking Coho has a black mouth and white gums. They feed on land and aquatic insects, amphipods, and other crustaceans such as while young, and primarily on other fish when older. CALL Silver King Charters at 414.460.1467 for Lake Michigan fishing charters for Chinook Salmon fishing from Milwaukee to Racine and Sheboygan.

Coho Salmon:

Coho Salmon are also known as Silver Salmon. Adults are steel-blue to slightly green on the back, brilliant silver on the sides, and white on the belly. There are small black spots on the back, sides above the lateral line, base of the dorsal fin, and upper half of the caudal fin. Coho salmon differ from the Chinook and other salmonids of the Great Lakes by having the inside of their teeth set in white gums, their tail slightly forked with spots on the top half, and having 12-15 rays in their anal fin. CALL Silver King Charters at 414.460.1467 for Milwaukee Charter Fishing and Racine Charter fishing on Lake Michigan for Coho Salmon.

Lake Trout:
Lake Trout are distinguished by having a deeply forked tail, the inside of their mouth is white, and they have 10‐11 rays in their anal fin. The color of the lake trout varies from light green or grey to dark green or almost black with light spots and worm‐like markings on their back and sides. Stocking remains essential to sustain the lake trout population in Lake Michigan. For Milwaukee and Racine Lake Michigan Charter Fishing for lake trout CALL Silver King Charters at 414.460.1467.

Orange Dodgers:
Orange dodgers are excellent for early season Racine Charter fishing on Lake Michigan for Coho Salmon. Orange dodgers have dual spinners up front, and each has intense fluorescent (UV reactive) colors and extended glow beads, and glow eyes - all arranged for maximum contrast. Offset recurve nickel blade. Dual intensely fluorescent orange willow blades up front. Extended natural and orange glow beads in excellent contrast with highly fluorescent orange beads. Bright fluorescent orange pad demands attention. CALL Silver King Charters at 414.460.1467 and we will show you how to use orange dodgers for Lake Michigan salmon fishing!

White Flashers:
Early Coho Salmon Fishing on Lake Michigan is great with white flashers attached to orange dodgers or peanut flies. Attract salmon to your boat by putting out powerful vibrations in the water similar to the vibrations made by the tail of a charging salmon. These devices will pull salmon to your boat from up to thirty or forty yards away. Salmon detect the vibrations with their lateral line and are tricked into thinking your flasher is a feeding salmon. CALL Silver King Charters at 414.460.1467 and we will show you how to use white flasher for Lake Michigan salmon fishing!