ST. JOSEPH
"I know places like Ludington and Manistee have great fishing in the summer," Capt. Charlie Broadhurst said, "but I would have to say that St. Joe has some of the best fishing on the Great Lakes on a year-round basis."

Broadhurst bases his claim partly on the great spring fishing that St. Joseph offers. "We start fishing for browns and cohos in late March or early April," he said.

He said fishing in 6 to 8 feet of water from the St. Joe pierheads all the way to the Cook Nuclear Plant can be dynamite in the spring, and limits are normal. And you're not going to find better eating than brown trout and spring cohos. The spring salmonids jump all over body baits like Thin Finns, Storm ThunderSticks, Rapalas and spoons such as the Dreamweaver's Super Thin SS and Fuzzy Bear Educator. Try off the junk cars, chalets, Ad Building, Jean Clock Park and "the bluffs."

Mother's Day finds kings on the holiday menu at St. Joe.

"Spoons work best for the kings, along with the flashers and flies," claimed Broadhurst.

Expect plenty of feisty spring kings in the 5- to 15-pound class to take up residence right in the color line outside the pierheads out to 40 or 50 feet. In fact, Broadhurst said, a good tactic is to start shallow and then just point toward deeper water. A mixed bag of salmon, steelhead and lake trout is the usual result.

Broadhurst admitted that there is often a two- or three-week period in June when the fishing at St. Joseph can get tough, but it usually isn't long before the Skamania steelhead show up and jump-start the fishery. Broadhurst said the river temperature is the key to the steelhead fishing. If the river is cool, the rainbows immediately shoot upstream, but if the river is warm, the steelhead pile up outside the pierheads to provide spectacular sport. By July and August, schools of kings and lake trout can be found in good numbers in 70 to 150 feet straight out of the harbor.

For lures, fishing reports and charter information, contact The Fishin' Hole at (269) 989-FISH (3474), or online at BroafLows.com. For information on lodging and accommodations, contact the Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council at (269) 925-6301, or on their Web site at SWMichigan.com.

SOUTH HAVEN
You don't hear a lot about the port of South Haven. Located between St. Joseph and Saugatuck, South Haven doesn't get the fanfare that more popular Lake Michigan ports do. According to Capt. Dave Strong, you're missing some great fishing if you don't visit this port.