July 7th Fishing Report Waukegan and Winthrop Harbors

Hey ya’ all, school is out and its time to take the kids fishing. Don’t forget that girls (women fish too). Our heaviest hauls (one is pictured here) of the season so far came on the 3rd of July with both kids and women aboard. Yesterday was a blow day, but the report for the week is still strong. There’s 3-5 big 4 y.o. kings getting caught in every trip with catches ranging between 10 - 28 fish per trip. There is a caveat to catching the kings… we’re shoving off at 4 a.m. with our clients to get that morning king bite. The bite shuts down around 7a.m. each day. We are fishing Waukegan Harbor and North just a bit, while the recreational boats we network with are fishing from Northpoint south toward the hotel. They are taking their big kings in the early morning 4a -7a and evening between 7p - 10:30pm. A Racine Charter did very well yesterday in 50-70’ foot of water before the winds came up. Here’s the best of the best for the week:

Fishing has been best in 80’ - 120’ foot of water out of Waukegan or Northpoint. Speeds between 2.2 - 2.6 mph been best. pretty much fishing east/west trolling patterns with variation up to 15 degrees. Catches are a mixed bag of everything but browns. Coming off the NNE wind we’ll be starting tomorrow in 60’ and Trolling NE from the Stacks until we find the sweet spot.

• Rigger 1 - Still running the 3 color SWR with a Michigan Stinger UV NBK Starting at 25’ first out then moving it down in the column as the light comes up to 55’
• Rigger 2 - Running a stubby dodger with a Rapture Trolling fly Green/Mirage 2” slider on sunny days and Black/blue/purple 2” slider on cloudy days down 33’
• Rigger 3 Running a 2 color SWR with a Michigan Stinger Battalion 1 Spoon down down between 30' early - 50’ as sun comes up.
• 5 color lead core with Michigan Stinger Gold spoon with Raspberry chevron has been our top performer  for steelhead this week taking steelhead and (1) 4 y.o. king early
• 6 color lead core with Michigan Stinger Jordo on gold blank. Steelhead like gold!
• 10 color leads on each side with Michigan Stinger UV Blue Dolphin and the other with a UV Killer Dolphin
• 200’ Copper with a Moonshine RV Bloody Nose. Yes, were back to running this again.
• 300’ Copper with a Michigan Stinger Mag Kavorkian
• Starboard Standard Dipsy Braid on 2.5 setting back 90’ - 160’ with a Blue Killer Dolphin Flasher and an Aqua fly
• Port Mag Dipsy on Wire 2.5 setting with Glow White and Lead flasher w/ a Rapture Trolling Fly Silver Hypnotist back 80’ - 130’ dropping both dipsys back as the sun comes up.

Ready, Set, Good luck anglers!