For more information on lodging, charters and accommodations in the area, contact the Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-542-4600 or go online to www.ludingtoncvb.com.

MANISTEE
The Big Manistee River and its tributaries are a huge attraction for spawning chinooks.

“It usually takes a big blow to bring the fish into the pierheads,” suggested Capt. Paul Schlafley of Riverside Charter Service. “That can happen in July. When it does, you’ll have a mix of chinooks and summer-run steelhead at the pierheads. But usually it’s mid-August before the real run of kings shows up.”

Schlafley said the kings can be difficult to catch in the warm water, and you need to keep an eye on the wind. Offshore winds can cool waters quickly and turn indifferent fish on. He also said kings stack up in a hole just outside the south pierhead. The hole is 40 feet and the surrounding water is 28 feet, and the salmon congregate in the depression. Competition and traffic can be keen from everyone trying to fish the same location. Pier-anglers find good sportfishing at the inside of the south pier by casting spoons while fishing a bottom rig with live alewives.

Another option is the shallows along the Manistee beach. “Beach fishing was awesome last year,” Schlafley declared. He said a hot combination was a three- or four-color lead-core line trailing a glow plug or spoon. Shallow-set Slider Divers take fish in the skinny water, too.

Anglers also chase kings up the river. “The river is about 28 feet in the middle,” Schlafley said. “Generally, we fish from 15 to 18 feet down. You can go up as far as the marinas, but I usually turn around at the boat launch. In front of the Coast Guard Station is usually good.” Schlafley indicated that a hodgepodge of plugs, flashers and spoons works when the salmon are in the river. Experiment to find the choice for the day.

To book a charter, call (231) 723-4901 or go to www.riversidecharter. com. For area info, call 1-888-584-9860, or go online to www.mansitee. com.

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The kings of Lake Michigan are definitely not at big as they were just a few years ago, but what they lack in size, they more than make up for in numbers. And catching a cooler full of 14- to 18-pound chinooks is not a bad thing!

Find more about Michigan fishing and hunting at: MichiganSportsmanMag.com