The fishing remains excellent out of Grand Haven this week.  Todays catch was a nice mixture of Kings, Coho, big Steelhead, and Lake Trout.  We had an excellent group on board from the Environmental Conservation class of Fowler High School, and they proved that they knew what they were doing !  Boating over two dozen fish, all the while their teacher was quizzing them on characteristics and species identification, as well as techniques used to catch them .  We need more teachers and classes like this one if we are going to continue recruiting new anglers into the sport !

Great job guys and girls, you did Fowler HS proud !  You are welcome back anytime.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE GALLERY TO SEE YOUR PICS !

Capt. Tom

This is must reading for anyone who fishes the great lakes ! 
See why its difficult to change the species composition and numbers of fish raised in Michigans hatcheries.

Why Can’t More Yearling salmon and trout be reared?
By Jan VanAmberg, Ed Eisch, Martha Wolgamood, Gary Whelan and Jim Dexter, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

This past fall significant reductions were agreed upon by the fishery management agencies for both Lakes Huron and Michigan in terms of the number of Chinook salmon that will be stocked in the future. Anglers often question why we can’t produce more steelhead or coho salmon yearlings (or for that matter brown and rainbow trout) if we are producing less Chinook salmon. The reason we can’t make this switch is based on the hatchery life cycle of these species and the rearing abilities of our hatcheries. Chinook salmon are reared indoors for six months and they don’t typically use outside raceway space that could be used by coho salmon and steelhead. Producing fewer spring fingerling Chinook salmon does not, contrary to belief, open up more rearing space for the other yearling species because they don’t occupy the same space at the same time. Hatchery fish are a lot like people. Some like it hot, some like it cold. Some prefer crowds and some like to be by themselves. Fish are also similar to people in that they have a wide range of tolerance for disease. The environmental preferences that fish have, as determined by their life history, determine the best hatchery for them to be reared in. The goal of any good hatchery management program is to match the species to be reared with the optimal environment. If the right environment is provided for in terms of temperature and space the species will generally do well and the fish produced will be healthy.

Hunting and Fishing License Package Development Work Group

Book 'Em Dano Charters is based in Grand Haven, Michigan on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River.  Book a trip with Book 'Em Dano Charters to experience the world's best salmon and trout fishery, and take a shot at catching the following species:

• Chinook Salmon (King)
• Coho Salmon
• Steelhead
• Lake Trout
• Brown Trout

Charters depart from Chinook Pier, located right in downtown Grand Haven within walking distance of lodging, restaurants, and shopping.  Bring the family for a charter fishing trip and also visit Grand Haven's parks with world-class all sand beaches or stroll along the water front and enjoy this bustling waterfront community.