Fishing Report: The Mojo Awakens (Sort Of)

6/14/20253 min read

After last Sunday’s humble little two-fish outing, the vibes were due for a reset. And friends, the mojo prep this weekend? Chef’s kiss. We’re talking jalapeño popper soup and sourdough sandwich from Trail’s End Baking Company — possibly the greatest meal I’ve ever had. From there it was a little Meijer wandering, scratch Mark's Captain Chuck's itch, 9 lbs of Gourmet Mushrooms for Diane & Timmy, some farmer’s market browsing, a touch of boat putzing, and the all-important opening lure lineup ceremony.

Then, the big event: the Ludington Charter Boat Association meeting…right at the end of my dock. My first one ever! What a crew: Micah, George, Todd, Shane, Joe — basically the Justice League of Ludington fishing. They talked important business like state vs. fisherman license politics, and fish guts disposal logistics (spoiler: don’t clean fish where you’re not supposed to or you might be exiled from town).

Honestly, I mostly sat there smiling and nodding like a guy who just wants to know: How many lines can I run? Where can I clean the fish? And can someone tell me if the “Chubster” is still hot?

Fast forward to this morning — it’s Father’s Day Weekend (Obviously missing Euge!), and I’ve got the dream team: my daughter Riley, Mark, Christian, and Mark’s buddy Jim, who we didn’t realize yet was about to become the official line detangler of the trip. Everyone was up and ready — even Mark, who tried to exit the truck while still buckled in. Bold move, didn’t work. We figured it out.

We pushed off around 5am, headed north, and set up in 180 FOW, outside a horde of boats that apparently also thought “north” was the move. And just like last week — no morning bite. Not cool!

Also, WIND. The forecast said “light breeze” and Lake Michigan said “here, hold my beer.” We had waves, we had Dramamine requests, we may have even had a chummer – not sure.

Finally, we slid into 150 FOW, which — surprise! — is where I was told to go in the first place. Naturally, that’s where we hooked our first king.

From there we stuck around 140–170 FOW, from the point to about 2 miles north, and managed to scrape together: 4 kings, 1 steelhead, 1 lake trout, & 2 mystery escapees

Final score: 6 for 8. Pulled lines at 12:30pm, hungry and a little wind-whipped.

Now, when I fish with Mark, he insists on running his own side of the boat. So naturally, it becomes a friendly competition. Let’s just say the scoreboard was not in his favor today: 2 out of 8 bites on Starboard Side. To be fair, though, he did bring Jim, who turned out to be absolutely elite at untangling twisted copper/leadcore disasters. Tall guy too — top rod holders were no problem and just a great dude to have in the boat – fit right in!

Meanwhile, Riley was reeling like a boss. Zero complaints. Focused. Couple White Claw thingys. She might be entering her “tournament-ready” era.

Hot Lures:

Silver Streak Mag Carmel Dolphin – 95' rigger (2 bites)
Silver Streak Mag Carmel Dolphin on 10-color (1 bite)
Yeck Chubster (our 2025 MVP) on 3-color (2 bites)
Moonshine ½ Moon Burnt Bread – 110' rigger (1 bite)
ITO Meat Rig – low diver, 150' back (1 bite)
Mr. Chrome Radioactive on 200 copper (1 bite)

What I Learned Today:

When someone says “start in 150 FOW,” just do it. Don’t make it weird.
Jim = untangle king, tall rod-grabber, unsung MVP.
Riley = born to reel. Future boat captain energy. Expert napper!
Mark’s side of the boat may be cursed, but his boat energy game is strong.
Satellite radio variety does not equal fish luck. Today’s playlist was chaos: Riley’s reggae, Mark’s heartbreak country, some weird Jimmy Buffet concert, and zero T-Swift. We need that Taylor Swift station back, stat.

Now off to handle important post-fishing business:

Re-organizing the lure arsenal
Keeping Mark fed
Taking Riley wine tasting
Convincing Christian not to move into the Tiki Bar
Peter Pan Land? Pomorski's?
And chasing the sunset?

Tomorrow’s game plan TBD. But one thing remains true in Ludington: you can only go north, south, or straight out. Which way will the fish be? Stay tuned.