Outdoor Guide
Page 30
September-October 2021
Lake Michigan is yielding great fish
Photo and Text By JERRY PABST Ten years ago, it looked like the Lake Michigan fishery was on the verge of collapse. Today, it is quite clear that reports of its death were premature. Let me explain that I am not easily impressed by meat photos of the big lake’s trout and salmon. I began fishing Lake Michigan in 1971, 50 years ago, and I spent 25 of those years as a charter boat captain.
During that span of time, I have seen it all, and it takes something special to get my attention. And, believe me, this is something special. From nearly day one I have been a member of an Illinois Lake Michigan fishing club, Trollers Unlimited, which requires each of its 45 members to report the results of every fishing trip they make on the big lake. With today’s technology the reports are made via email, and photos are often attached. The membership
includes some of the best private anglers in Illinois waters and a handful of charter fishermen. GETTING BETTER All in all, I am reading numerous fishing reports on nearly a daily basis, and for the past five years, the catches of both sportsmen and charter captains have been increasing in both quality and quantity each season. Lake trout, once considered a bonus catch, are now abundant, with many running
Relax!
between 10 and 20 pounds. Rainbow trout are taken regularly. Brown trout are no longer a rarity. Coho salmon are plentiful, and Chinook – the king of salmon – continue to thrill anglers with their line-stripping runs. But let’s depart from the printed word, and take a look at one of the trophy Lake Michigan fish caught this year. May 31 – Memorial Day – will surely be a day angler Atul Mallik (pictured) will remember. While fishing on the charter boat, Massive
Confusion, out of Chicago’s Montrose Harbor, he won his battle with a 39.2 lb. lake trout, which set a new Illinois state record. Captain Greg was the boat’s skipper. BUCKET LIST ITEM From all the reports I have seen, fishing along the Illinois shoreline is the best on the entire lake. It is truly world class. It is an experience that should be on your bucket list. But don’t wait too long, because, as another old adage goes, “nothing lasts forever.”
Young angler Atul Mallik landed this 39-pound lake trout in Lake Michigan on Memorial Day.
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