Anglers can easily find 500 feet of water within five miles of shore off Big Point Sable, and a good tactic is to take advantage of the hot first-light bite and then head west. Besides the edgy adult salmon, the offshore waters are home to pods of foraging juvenile kings, migrating cohos and bonus steelhead that can be relied on to provide midday action.

"A good tactic for me last year was to run past the point and the net there, and fish between there and Manistee," said Capt. Pat LaPorte. "Most guys don't run that far."

LaPorte used his 27-foot charter boat Heckler to make big catches of kings with the fishing fleet in the distance. Putting a little distance between himself and the pack of boats allowed LaPorte to run his full compliment of lead-core line, which is a deadly weapon for Ludington kings. Spin Doctor flashers in white, green and blue trailing pearl, blue, green or chartreuse Action or KRW flies account for the undoing of many a Ludington king.

While the point is a major attraction, it's not the only place to find kings at Ludington. On a prime August weekend a few summers ago I watched the stream of running lights headed north as I approached the pierheads. On a hunch, I turned the bow of the Equalizer south toward the Consumer's Energy Project. By 9 a.m., a dozen kings resided in our cooler and there wasn't another boat in sight. Anglers would be wise to head south or straight out when fishing pressure is intense at Ludington, which is most of the time after the Fourth of July.

Ludington boasts one of the largest charter fleets on the Great Lakes. To get more information on booking a charter out of Ludington, contact the Ludington Area Charter Boat Association at 1-800-927-3470. For information on amenities and things to do, contact the Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-542-4600 or online at www.ludingtoncvb.com.

MANISTEE
Even though Manistee is only a short boat ride from Ludington, the fishing can be quite different.

"The bottom really drops off straight out of the harbor, but it's not as sharp as it is down by Ludington," said Capt. Mark Chmura. Chmura's 36-foot Tiara Pier Pressure is a regular at the top of the leaderboard during Great Lakes tournaments on the west side of our state. Chmura's knack for finding schools of kings that others ignore or can't catch had helped him cash big checks in the most prestigious tournaments around.

"Structure and temperature are key," advised Chmura, and he said he normally finds that in 100 feet of water out of Manistee. The first drop-off produces hot action for kings from mid-July through early September. Once boat traffic and sunlight spooks edgy kings, Chmura said there's a second shelf out of Manistee in 240 to 400 feet of water that holds midday kings. Anglers target the shelf off the First, Second and Third Claybanks to the south, and off Orchard Beach State Park all the way to Onekama to the north.

Chmura cautioned to watch the wind direction though. "Sometimes a north blow will turn the lake over and put the fish right in on the beach in 40 feet of water," he claimed. When that happens, Chmura relies on a spread of shallow-set lead core, divers, flashers and plugs to target spooky kings. Chmura used the tactic to win the Manistee Salmon Splash tournament two years in a row.

Chmura sees big things for Manistee and West Michigan anglers in 2005.

"We were catching 3-year-old fish at the end of the season that were bigger than the adult fish," claimed Chmura. "I'm expecting we'll see some big fish again this year."

To book a charter with Capt. Mark Chmura, contact him at (231) 864-4051. Information on lodging and other amenities can be had by contacting the Manistee Area Visitors & Convention Bureau at 1-888-584-9860.

Expect big things at Michigan's top three ports again this season.