Lake Michigan fishing trip

scott44

5 year old buck +
We took our annual family fishing trip on Lake Michigan yeasterday. We didn't do quite as well as we have in years past but we did alright. 9 fish total, 5 steelhead and 4 lake trout all 6-12lbs

Great sunrise on the way out







My wife had ankle surgery awhile ago and still isn't getting around all that good but she went anyways, she could sit in the seat and fish so it worked out pretty good plus she ended up with the largest fish of the day this nice lake trout.



Mine on the other hand



The captian said the lake isn't as warm as it usually is, 8mi out and the water temp was 42deg he said this cold water is usually 20mi out so it was a little chilly even though it was 77deg on land. Great trip and some good fillets for a cookout.



 
I HEAR YA!!!! I'm headed to Lake Ontario in September for kings and lakers (I want a laker for my wall so bad I can't stand it)! Tried it in '08 but the weather was so windy we had to stay in the Niagara. Caught lots of steelhead but I want a laker! May try Lake Michigan next year.
 
Get a laker mounted, make sure the taxidermist you take it to really knows what he's doing. Especially an "oil can" laker from Lake MI....can't tell you how many I've seen that start "leaking" fat after a year or two.
Thats where as a taxidermist I scream REPRODUCTION! A repro. will last your lifetime and your grandkids grandkids lifetime.
 
Looks fun. Delicious on the grill!
 
Nice trip!
 
Thats where as a taxidermist I scream REPRODUCTION! A repro. will last your lifetime and your grandkids grandkids lifetime.

Heck, if I'm gonna do that, why even go catch one?
 
Heck, if I'm gonna do that, why even go catch one?
I am sure there are plenty of people who dont bother to catch one, just like all the fake antlers and horns that people hang in their homes. However, if you would like a momento of a special event that will last a lifetime and then some reproductions are the way to go. I guarantee if you hang a reproduction of your fish next next to a a skin mount of your real fish done by a quality taxidermist you would not be able to tell the difference ...... well at least not for the first 5 years or maybe 20, but at some point you will. I have never seen a skin mount fish, no matter who did the taxidermy work look perfect forever.
 
I'm having the same problem with cold water on Lake Oahe in South Dakota. I've been trying to get out there for a couple days salmon fishing. I booked mid-June and the guide called it off cause the water hadn't warmed up. Booked second week of July, same thing. 2014 seems like the summer that never was.

Are those lake trout and steelhead essentially the same as salmon as far as meat goes?
 
Thats where as a taxidermist I scream REPRODUCTION! A repro. will last your lifetime and your grandkids grandkids lifetime.
And if the fish is released the resource is preserved and another angler may share in the excitement of that same fish when he/she catches it in the future. I can't wait to pickup the walleye replica I'm having made.
 
My taxidermist says he uses a fake head and fins on laker and king mounts to combat the grease issue.
 
I've got a few from over the years. The oldest is an 8-lb rainbow I caught up in the hills above my house in '92. It still looks good.
 
Top