Free charter salmon fishing trip

[Mgderf]

I received a call from a long time customer the other day and the sole purpose of the call was to offer me a free charter boat fishing trip on Lake Michigan for coho salmon!

This is a long-time customer who has given me a lot of work over the years.
She owns a handful of apartments that need regular upkeep and she also has a coffee shop project in the works that has been a source of fill in work.

Anyway, it seems this lady's husband and son go on this trip annually with at least one other companion.
This year the companion has to back out due to a funeral and they were not able to fill the spot so they offered it to me free of charge!
Limit is 5 salmon, but that's a lot of fish.
I have all of the required licenses and stamps and I was told I don't need to bring anything other than what I want to eat or drink.
I am humbled beyond description that a customer would even consider their contractor for such a gift.
She knew I would enjoy the trip, and when she suggested my name I guess the husband's response was, " yeah, he would fit right in".
I've met her husband and son, but never dreamed I was so highly regarded in their eyes.

Trip is next week so I hope to have a freezer full of fish soon.

[markiver54]

That's awesome...good luck.

[Hatchdog]

Fantastic, what a great opportunity. What species of salmon so you expect to catch?

[Mgderf]

Coho from what I have been told

[markiver54]

Coho from what I have been told

When I lived in the Chicago area, a good friend of mine went Coho fishing on Lake Michigan every year. They caught an occasional Brown trout as well. Both species get pretty big. He would have most of his catch smoked. Wow! is that good.

[Mgderf]

Minimum keeper size is 14".
Daily catch limits are 5 fish of either salmon or trout, of which no more than 3 may be trout.

[dave77]

I love smoked salmon (and trout but rarely see it) but the price of it is getting outrageous. I have access to a smoker and I occasionally see whole salmon at a decent price but not sure if it's wild caught, I won't waste my money on farm raised salmon, sometimes it's just ok but the time I cooked it and took one bite and it was so mushy and tasteless I threw the rest away and it was the last time I bought farm raised.

[cooperhawk]

Wild caught salmon is definitely the best, but we have smoke farm raised as well and it's still good.
Every Christmas we go to Costco and buy several large filets. Carol cuts them into portions about 4x4 inches,
brines them, and then dries them in the fridge. When they're nice and dry I put them on for a cold smoke.
It doesn't take long. When the fat starts collecting on the surface we take them off and vacuum seal them
into separate bags. Then they go into holiday gift baskets for friends and neighbors. They love them.

Most smoked fish you buy is so dried out the shelf life in counted in decades. These need to be refrigerated
and will last for a long time that way. We also have frozen them with good results.

The brine is mostly salt and brown sugar with a few spices thrown in.

[markiver54]

I love smoked salmon (and trout but rarely see it) but the price of it is getting outrageous. I have access to a smoker and I occasionally see whole salmon at a decent price but not sure if it's wild caught, I won't waste my money on farm raised salmon, sometimes it's just ok but the time I cooked it and took one bite and it was so mushy and tasteless I threw the rest away and it was the last time I bought farm raised.

Agree!

[Hatchdog]

I love smoked salmon (and trout but rarely see it) but the price of it is getting outrageous. I have access to a smoker and I occasionally see whole salmon at a decent price but not sure if it's wild caught, I won't waste my money on farm raised salmon, sometimes it's just ok but the time I cooked it and took one bite and it was so mushy and tasteless I threw the rest away and it was the last time I bought farm raised.

Dave, keep an eye out for Copper River Salmon out of Alaska. I see it in our local grocery stores when in season. It’s awesome on the grill.

https://aksalmonco.com/blogs/learn/what ... er-salmon/

[dave77]

I've had it a couple times and it is very good but the only store around here that carried it has closed down.

It was around $20 a pound when I tried it years ago, hate to think what it costs now.

[Ernie]

Coho from what I have been told

Where are you putting in at? I am about 12 miles from the lake in SW Michigan. Good luck, Coho on the line is a hoot. First part of next week is supposed to have highs in the 40s -50s but no rain. Temps up to 70 by Thursday.

[Mgderf]

Putting in at Portage.

[Ernie]

Have a great time

[Mgderf]

I was told today that the boat I'm going out on will be taking 6 fisherman.
The charter boat I went on in the Gulf of Mexico had 50 people on board.
I have a feeling that this one could be a lot more fun.

[Ernie]

Depends a lot on the wind and lake conditions. Smaller boat can be a little rough sometimes.

[dave77]

Depends a lot on the wind and lake conditions. Smaller boat can be a little rough sometimes.

Ages ago when I was in my early teens my dad, older brother and I went salmon fishing on a boat out of Westport on the WA coast. The swells in the morning on the way out were pretty impressive, when you were at the bottom of one it was like being in a bowl of water, didn't bother me but some people got a little queasy.

All I caught was a couple of what they called sea bass, no fight at all, was like hauling in a dead weight. My brother caught 3 nice salmon and hooked a king. It got off the line when it was close to the boat, one of the crew saw it and said it was at least 40-50 pounds.

[dave77]

Coho from what I have been told

When I lived in the Chicago area, a good friend of mine went Coho fishing on Lake Michigan every year. They caught an occasional Brown trout as well. Both species get pretty big. He would have most of his catch smoked. Wow! is that good.

Was fishing at Lake Wenatchee which is a medium size glacier fed lake, we took our small boat a little ways up the mouth of one of the rivers that feed it. Salmon were spawning further up the river, the river where we were at was around 10 feet deep and crystal clear. We could see dozens of Lake Trout (some were huge) that were feeding on the Salmon eggs that broke loose and floated down the river. Unfortunately we had no eggs with us and you could run a lure right past their nose and they wouldn't even touch it.

[Mgderf]

Keeping my fingers crossed that this trip even takes place now.
Forecast for this weekend is 25 knot winds and more than 7' swells to start the day

I guess with those conditions we may not even go out.

[Hatchdog]

Keeping my fingers crossed that this trip even takes place now.
Forecast for this weekend is 25 knot winds and more than 7' swells to start the day

I guess with those conditions we may not even go out.

Dang, that’s’ too bad. Hope the weather takes a turn for the better. Wouldn’t want to be out in a smaller boat in those conditions.