Lake Michigan fishing charters can put you on the Trout, Salmon, Walleye, Pike, and every other fresh water fish in the massive lake with over 1,600 miles of shoreline.
The two primary species that Charter services go for is Salmon and Trout.
The preferred method to catch these Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Brown Trout is trolling.
Trolling (driving the boat for miles with lures trailing behind) is the most efficient way to catch these trophies and the local guides have it down to a science.
Anglers who can master such a big and deep lake are true masters of their trade.
Watching these master fisherman pulling fish out of the middle of a massive lake and in a couple hundred feet of water is magical.
Chicago fishing charters that fish Lake Michigan usually go from April through the end of October.
Snow starts to fall around November and the hard core fisherman in Northern Illinois and Wisconsin start getting their ice fishing tackle ready.
Here's some tips for finding the most experienced guide for your upcoming Lake Michigan Salmon and Trout fishing charters.
Questions to ask your potential fishing guide: 1.
How many hours is the trip? Guide services have different ways of clock counting.
Many guides start the timer when your in the bait shop filling out the fishing license paperwork.
Other outfits begin the timer when the boat leaves shore.
Find a guide that spends the entire time on the clock in the water fishing.
Time used registering licenses and cleaning the fish shouldn't be on the Chicago fishing charters time (or wherever your Lake Michigan boat launch is).
2.
Is the Lake Michigan charter fishing Captain a full time fisherman or part time? If the professional guide is full time this means they fish all season from April to October as their main job.
There are some excellent charter services who have 9-5 jobs and just guide part time.
Full time guides who fish everyday and do this for a living are very in tune with the lake and it's inhabitants.
They are on the water everyday and know precisely where the schools of Salmon and Trout are and what they are "hitting on.
" Ask the Lake Michigan fishing charters if they are a full or part time guide.
3.
Does the guide offer a guarantee to catch fish policy? Pay attention to the Lake Michigan Salmon Trout Fishing Charters catching policy.
Most likely you'll find this guarantee on the charter's website or brochure.
A good guarantee is if you catch nothing, then your next trip is for free.
Rarely do fishing guides at that technical level "get skunked" (catch nothing), but weather conditions do turn fish off and that's beyond a guides control.
Professional guides who are on the same lake everyday seem to evolve into a fish and think like a Trout or Salmon.
These guides know exactly what lures to use, depth to set the down riggers, boat speed, and where the schools of big Lake Michigan Trout feed.
4.
What kind of boat is the guide using? The foundation to a good fishing boat is the condition and size.
An experienced Captain is essential, but the size of a boat matters for seaworthiness, safety, comfort, and space to battle big game.
Thirty three to thirty five foot class fishing boats are a good choice for space, ride, safety, and comfort in Lake Michigan.
Heavier boats have better nautical displacement resulting into a better and smoother ride which is key for trolling.
Use Lake Michigan fishing guides that have a large sport fishing rig and not a pleasure boat altered for fishing.
Safety is king in Lake Michigan.
5.
How much does the Lake Michigan charter fishing trip cost? The price depends a lot on how much time you want to go out for.
Six hour guide services are typical.
The busiest guides are the most expensive because they are good and popular.
Choosing the least expensive charter could work against you.
Charters that cost more usually have state of the art tackle and a really nice boat.
Fishing charters stay busy from referrals.
This is a word of mouth type business and if some guides are getting "a lot of action" and making clients happy then they'll be booked.
If a guide is more expensive and busy it's because they consistently catch and their clients are having a blast.
Don't judge a charter service only based on a cheap rate.