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Introduction
to Fishing Offshore in Depths of Over 200 Feet of Water
By: Jonathan Hemb
Great Lakes
fishing has evolved in the past decade and the most significant change
in targeting salmon and trout on the Great Lakes has been the exploration
of the offshore frontier that exists on these bodies of water. During
the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s most anglers targeted salmon and trout in
depths of under 140 feet of water. However, in the late 1990s and more
specifically the early 2000s, anglers have found the need to target fish
in depths of over 200 feet of water due to the invasion of the zebra mussels
and similar organisms that have made the water much clearer and the fish
much spookier than in past decades. Many anglers look at the horizon with
fear and trepidation. However, a slight change in attitude can result
in coolers full of fish if anglers are patient and know when to target
fish in deep water.
Some
anglers may ask what kinds of fish they can expect to find offshore in
over 200 feet of water. The answer is simple: Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon,
Rainbow Trout and Lake Trout. Other anglers may ask when they can find
those fish in those waters. Again, the answer is simple: winter, spring,
summer and late fall. What fish and when depends on water conditions of
course, but anglers should not be afraid of probing deep water for fish
if their normal hot spots are not producing.
Spring
is one of the best times to probe deep water for a mixed bag of salmon
and trout on the Great Lakes. The species named above typically spend
most of the winter months in deep water where stable water temperatures
can be found. Zoo plankton and alewife winter in deep water as well, providing
salmon and trout a quick, easy, high protein meal. As the water warms
in the spring, alewives move into the shallow water to spawn and the predators
follow. If anglers are fishing in mid-May or early June and not finding
the water temperatures they prefer and are not marking fish on their sonar,
chances are the baitfish and predators are still roaming deep water over
200 feet deep. Lake Trout, King Salmon and Coho Salmon can be found in
abundance under these water conditions.
Summer
months can also be great times to target salmon and trout in deep water.
The most important characteristic of offshore fishing during the summer
months is the thermocline, the depth at which the temperature of water
drops between 5 and 10 degrees in 5 to 10 feet in the water column. If
warm water is present top to bottom in 100 feet of water, active game
fish will not be present. However, if the thermocline is present 80 feet
down in 220 feet of water, you have a recipe for success. King Salmon
and Lake Trout can be targeted below the thermocline and Steelhead can
be targeted above it.
Lastly,
offshore fishing can also be very productive in the fall months for various
species. Steelhead begin their migration toward shore in the fall and
can typically be found in the top 50 feet of water while they make their
way towards shore. Late-maturing adult King Salmon can also be found over
deep water if a thermocline is present and they are not yet ready to spawn.
However, immature King Salmon dominate the catch during offshore fall
fishing. Two and three year old salmon typically congregate around baitfish
and the thermocline at this time of year in deep water.
Articles
discussing how to catch these fish will follow. In those articles you
will learn in depth rigging techniques and specific tackle to use while
targeting these fish that many anglers overlook. An open-mind will be
required for anglers who do not believe that salmon and trout can be had
by the box-full in these waters. A slight change in attitude towards the
horizon can mean full coolers on certain days when near shore fisherman
can not get a bite. One last consideration: there is something special
about fishing 8, 10, 15 or even 20 miles offshore and loading the cooler.
For Great Lakes fisherman, this is something we see on TV during the winter
months when we watch ESPN shows highlighting billfish and marlin in the
ocean. You too can probe the horizon for big fish out of your port if
you follow the articles that will be posted with in-depth, how-to information
that is yet to come on all of these topics.
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