Summer is almost as good as fall….beaches, boats, fishing, warm weather, trail cameras, food plots…..

and King Salmon.

So far in July of 2015, Outdoor Devotion’s good buddy Nick Van Heest has been slamming the fish off the piers in West Michigan.

There are a bunch of places where one can target these Salmon/Lake Trout on the West side of the state.  Piermichigan.org has a great mapping feature showing each spot while giving a few details of each location.

When fishing, there are 2 techniques that we use:

1. Alewife or Shrimp sitting off the bottom
2. Casting with Spoons

If you have the time, bring a casting net and cast for alewife off the piers.  Salmon love alewife.  This or cooked/uncooked shrimp can be used as a “live bait” technique.  You cast the bait out and let it sit.  Visual and auditory indicators can be used to help see/listen for the strike.  There are a few different places to hook alewife…some prefer behind the dorsal fin and others prefer nose hooking.

Casting with casting spoons in the 3/4 oz. size works as well.  Flashy spoons or glow spoons like a Green Glow KO Wobbler work well, especially if you flash them first.  Before dark or just after dark is the prime time.

No matter which technique you use, be sure your hooks are sharp and your knots are tough.

Sun and wind direction can determine your outcome as well.   We use Michigan Sportsman Forums for updated fishing reports, as well as the DNR website.

FYI – The piers can get busy.  Many fisherman will be reserving their “spot” around 3-4 a.m.

If you have some time, get out there before it’s too late!  Some of the best eating fresh fish, can be caught in West Michigan without using a boat or a charter.

If you have any questions or comments or want to share your success, please don’t hesitate to contact us!  We would love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading!