Ludington Fishing Report: Redemption, Shitstorms, and Two Full Fish Boxes

5/10/20264 min read

Ludington fishing lake trout limit with salmon

Good juju Saturday was officially complete and it was time to bust a move on these fish. I know I’m wrong for thinking this way, but after the ugly little quick troll Friday and chickening out on Saturday’s forecast, I kinda felt like the fish owed us one. And honestly? I think they agreed.

Saturday ended up being wildly productive without ever leaving the dock. Started with Logan handing me a giant bag of maitake mushrooms like some sort of woodland drug dealer. Naturally we turned that into soup. Maitakes, asparagus, potatoes, all the healthy WFPB goodness needed to properly fuel a 5 man hammer mission.

Then we headed to Captain Chuck’s to “support the fundraiser for Randy” which of course translated into buying things we absolutely did not need. Still somehow didn’t feel like enough spending, so we rolled over to Charlie’s Bar in Scottville for the big Randy fundraiser soiree. That place was PACKED. Randy is apparently extremely popular.

We bought a pile of raffle tickets for ourselves and another pile for Logan, who of course was too busy pike fishing to attend and that makes total sense to everyone. Important detail though…there was a Pull Hard sticker perfectly positioned on the condom machine. I’m calling that elite level good luck.

Logan ended up winning a filet knife and meat package. I won a Yeck spoon package. Exactly what we both needed!

Those mushrooms were so good I traded Logan a computer for another bag. I don’t even think Logan fully realizes it yet, but one of my summer goals is teaching him how to build and maintain websites. He’s going to be dangerous. If any Ludington charter guys want to volunteer as the guinea pig website project, reach out immediately.

Alright, enough prep nonsense…Onto the fishing.

The hot bite was supposedly north, so naturally we headed north. Set up just north of the blinking tribal nets and worked from 60 out to 140 FOW. Result? One mark…maybe. No fish. No happiness.

Pulled lines at 7am and made the run south just below the Project nets that have out lures in it. Set up in 55 FOW on a south troll and immediately knew this felt different. Two kings right out of the gate. Hail to the Chubster. Oh and important update…Chubster now has a brand new Trokar hook and he’s VERY proud of himself.

At some point during the morning somebody used the perfect word to describe what was happening…“Shitstorm.” Honestly maybe it’s technically two words, but not today. Today it’s one word. Because this was a full blown Ludington fishing Shitstorm. At one point I think we had five fish on simultaneously. Another moment we had seven fish laying on the deck before we could even breathe long enough to throw them into the fish box…Actually…both fish boxes. That’s how you know it’s a good morning…when you need both fish boxes.

Final count: 15 lake trout for the full 5 man limit. Biggest lake trout was 18 pounds…absolute hogs…absolute hammers. Whatever we’re calling them this week. Plus 6 kings including one mini. 21 fish total on 34 bites. 14 bites on the starboard side, aka Surgeon Jenn’s side. 20 bites on the port side, aka Logan’s side. I’ll give Logan credit…that dude can absolutely conjure bites out of nowhere. BUT…I think starboard had the better hookup/boat deck percentage…Maybe?

Hot Bites:

Gold UV SS Captain Gary’s Michigan Dolphin on 3 Color – 1 bite
Logan prototype on 7 color – 2 bites
Mr Chrome Yeah Mon mini on 200 copper – 1 bite
Custom Spin Doctor with yellow/green UV spin-n-glow high diver – 5 bites
Logan style lake trout rig on low diver – 3 bites
Toosami lake trout rig on out-and-down – 2 bites
Logan prototype on out-and-down 38 down – 2 bites
Mag Fuzzy Bear Soda out-and-down 39 down – 1 bite
Netminder’s UV Showtime Spinny with Showtime meat rig on high diver 100 back – 1 bite
Stinger RV Mixed Veggies on 5 color – 2 bite
Yeck Chubster on 3 color – 1 bite
Stinger Modified Coyote on 5 color – 1 bite
Moonshine mini Half Moon JJ Mac on 7 color – 2 bites
Yeck Irish Fireball on 10 color – 2 bites
Brown trout spin-n-glow lake trout rig tied Logan style high diver back 130 ticking bottom – 3 bites
Wonderbread Whirly Gig lake trout rig on downrigger on bottom – 2 bites
Pink/yellow lake trout rig tied Logan style on chute rigger – 1 bite
Charlie Special Money Shot on low diver 75 back – 2 bites

What I learned today:

Don’t go on a wild goose chase when you already know where the fish are. We wasted a PRIME hour doing that nonsense.
During one of the fish flurries…sorry…Shitstorms…Logan got super fired up and yelled something like “I’m back baby!” – It’s important for the boat mojo to keep him happy!
Pretty sure he was talking about redeeming himself after the Friday skunk side performance.
Asher and Elise are becoming spoiled fish brats. Heavy limits. Constant chaos. Master Angler patches piling up. This is not normal fishing.
Surgeon Jenn officially has everything dialed on a fishing boat now. Setting lines. Reeling in hammers. Tying rigs. Fixing tangles. Everything except the surgeon knot oddly enough.
When Logan says “REEL REEL REEL” you reel. The dude somehow predicts exactly when spring kings are about to sprint toward the boat and he is correct every single time.
Another week eating salmon and lake trout tails and I’m starting to fully embrace the “L” word…Lake trout!

Welp. Busy week ahead. Need to turn my normal 3 hour drive home into 4 hours with a stop at the Grandville Cabela’s. Need to pick up a trailer tomorrow. Need to haul two giant elk heads to Captain Chuck’s. Need to meet people. Sell stuff. Oh, yeah, and do work work. Then head right back to Ludington Thursday for another weekend adventure.

Next weekend is fishing Saturday and the Run Ludington 5K Sunday. Of course if Saturday weather stinks and Sunday weather is perfect…there’s a very good chance the Ludington Run Club is mysteriously missing a few participants. Need to make hay while the fish are stacked in tight.

PS: Thank you Alison for sending the super cool "Door Sticks Pull Hard Please" photo. Gotta love the people that can't fix their door!