King fishing overall was probably a little slower than the previous year, but they seemed to be bigger.

“There weren’t a lot of big fish,” Kerridge said. “There were lots of 18-pounders, but we didn’t see any of the 22- to 24-pounders we saw just a few years ago.”

Kerridge said other species are plentiful off Grand Haven.

“The lake trout fishing was unbelievable,” he said. “They were definitely there if you wanted them. There were a few more cohos around and fair numbers of steelhead.”

Which direction you head when fishing out of Grand Haven depends on the wind and the time of year.

“Later in the season, you kind of follow the river current,” Kerridge said. “There’s a hole just south of the harbor that goes from 40 to 60 feet that’s very good in the spring and fall when the fish are close.”

Grand Haven is especially known for its lack of fish-holding structure.

“In the summer, we generally go north because that’s where the nets are. Nets are structure here, so you really need to learn how to fish the nets at Grand Haven,” Kerridge said.

A hodge-podge of lures work on Grand Haven’s salmonids. Spoons excel in the spring and early summer, while flashers, like Dreamweaver’s Spin Doctor, are preferred in late July and August. Plugs goad pre-spawn kings into lashing out as they key in on the Grand River outflow.

To sample Grand Haven’s brand of big-water angling, contact Captain Willis Kerridge at (616) 292-4113 or thunderducky@hotmail.com.

For more information on marinas, bait shops and lodging, contact the Grand Haven-Spring Lake Visitors Bureau at (800) 303-4092 or online at www.grandhavenchamber.org .

ST. JOSEPH
St. Joseph usually starts off the big-lake season like gangbusters, but last year that wasn’t the case.

“The fishing was really slow getting started,” said Captain Jerry Lee who fishes out of St. Joe in the spring before moving to Ludington in July and August. “The coho fishing wasn’t there like it normally is. They caught some fish early on the beach in April along with a few browns, but then they disappeared and it never did fire up at St. Joe. The cohos ended up moving out to deeper water to feed.”

Fortunately, there were plenty of kings around to keep spring anglers happy.

“The king fishing wasn’t as fast as it has been in the past, but there were enough fish around to keep people happy,” Lee said. “The majority of the kings were 8- to 15-pound scrappers, but they didn’t school near the pierheads in the stained water like they usually do. We found most of the spring kings in 80 to 150 feet of water. The surface water there starts out in the mid-40s, and by late May, it’s up to the mid-50s. The fish left about the time I did in the third week in May and didn’t show up again until later in June. Then they were out in 150 to 350 feet. That’s a long run and a lot of gas when you’re fishing out of St. Joe.

“It was almost all spoons early in the season. We caught a few fish on Rattlin’ Thin Fins and plugs, but for the most part it was spoons.”

He said steady producers were Silver Streaks in the Chilly Willy Mongoose and the SOG Froggie.

“It was a lot of green and chartreuse last year,” Lee said.

To sample St. Joe’s hot spring fishing, contact Captain Jerry Lee at (734) 421-8559. For information on marinas, bait shops and amenities in the St. Joe/Benton Harbor area, contact the Southwest Michigan Tourist Council at (269) 925-6301 or online at www.swmichigan.org .