Solo Trolling Lake Michigan

Everyone was busy but the weather looked good so I decided to go fishing out on Lake Michigan solo. The King Salmon have been just starting to show up in Milwaukee so I decided to run all natural color flasher fly combos in my 3 rod spread. I hooked into a nice King Salmon. Did I land it by myself?.... Guess you will have to watch the video and find out. New Videos every week!

[@jayrobertson232]

73 yr old retired charter Captain here (we’ve met!). Where’s your Mustang PFD? You are not immortal.

[@CaptainDominick]

You are definitely correct sir. I should really be wearing at least a co2 Inflatable with a radio, light and whistle on it just incase. I'm going to look into some today and piece something together.

[@z.p.3707]

Great job. When I'm solo, I tie a rope connecting me to the boat. Just enough rope to work, but not fall in. You'd never catch that boat bud. Tight lines

[@CaptainDominick]

Yeah I'm super careful but that is a good idea. I wish there was a wireless kill switch for the kicker motor. Like a wrist watch style button you could push to kill the kicker motor.

[@chadhein892]

Hey Dominick love watching ur videos. Ur dad is my dad's half brother Greg Hein. Don't no if you do any guiding. Fishing is my number 1 hobby. Summer or winter I'm on the water, inland lakes. Ive never done any great lake fishing. If struggling to find company any day I've got vacation. Hope to here back from u.

[@Highway-uk7md]

I fished solo last week on other side of lake. Couldn't get anyone to go with me. Great vid.

[@CaptainDominick]

I definitely try to always have people to go out with but every now and then it is an adventure to go out and catch them solo.

[@BigLakeLittleBoat]

Let’s gooooo!!

[@robertlivingston1634]

Solo trolling is easy, Solo boat control and netting is a bitch, nice job especially on that king I had a hell of a time with a smaller one.

[@sinfulbeliever7083]

How do you determine when to drop your lines? Do you mark fish first, find the temperature break, etc?

[@CaptainDominick]

I go out a few times a week so I basically just follow the fish around. I use wind direction, weather and temperature to take try to make educated guesses on where to start. Also what the fish were doing previous years give me a starting point as well. If I haven't been able to get out In like a week or 2 weeks I use my little network of fishing buddies and check internet groups to get an idea what happening. The best thing you can do is be friendly and make friends. There is plenty of lake and plenty of fish out there so no need to keep secrets at all. Then you can use their info and your own info to get a better idea of what is going on. If you can't do any of that the best would be to look for local info online then start zig zagging between shallower water and deeper water around the depth people have been talking about. Say a guy says 100 feet or water was hot. I would probably start in 75-80 then angle out and troll out to like 135 feet. I would watch my locator and look for clouds of bait and or marks from fish. Every mark is another piece of the puzzle. Let the locator tell you how deep you need to fish. Other than that time on the water, fishing with other people and experience will help you to just keep getting better and better. If you are just getting started the early spring Coho and the Fall runs of Kings and Coho would be the best place to start learning. The fish are closer to shore and you can start with a simple set up and have alot of success. Nothing wrong with just trolling 2 or 4 rods with a friend or two when you're just getting started to learn the ropes and avoid tangles as well as head aches.

[@Smoothjaswi]

Very cool. Cant wait to get enough gear to go hit some big lake fish myself.

[@johnluznicky]

Next time you want someone to skip work for Salmon fishing let me know. Been watching your videos and learning. I've done 3 trips in my own boat under and eager to learn more.

[@jeremyimes6734]

Made me nervous.

[@wiscowalleye7954]

Awesome video. Is that a Lund Alaskan?

[@CaptainDominick]

Yes that's a 20 foot Lund Alaskan. I have the all Poly floor option so there is zero wood in the boat and no carpet. I just scrub/ pressure wash it out now and then and it will look like new again. I have the sport top and side curtains too so you will see me fishing all the way till ice up. I get out right away again in March as well. It's a great do it all boat. I take it on small lakes and into shallow places but it will also do well out on the Great Lakes. No fluff just tuff. MW Marine has them in any configuration and are experts at getting the boat all rigged up.

[@wiscowalleye7954]

@@CaptainDominick awesome! How’s it handle rough water.

[@clarkpiper6007]

Awesome video, if you want me to come from Madison and net fish for you, I'd be glad to join. I can bring two trolling rods and we can put up some meat rigs. Beauties!

[@sudawxj]

did you need to constantly keep eye on other boats when trolling solo?

[@CaptainDominick]

Yeah you are always looking around. I put my electric bow trolling motor in on a 3.5-4 setting with autopilot on. The kicker pushes the boat and the trolling motor steers/ acts like a rudder and holds course for you so you keep going nice and strait. You always want to be looking around though. A tangle or a big fish could distract a boat so its always good to keep an eye out and make turns early and obvious so that everyone has plenty of space.

[@jgierczak3]

What speed were you going at?

[@CaptainDominick]

2.5-3.0 Mph. I let my diver rods and down rigger blow back tell me how fast to go. I am trolling a little faster than normal though as the Kings are around but seem to be spread out a bit right now. So the best Idea for me was to cover water and find the active Kings. If I am trolling faster than 2.6 MPH I prefer to run longer 30-36 inch leader from my flasher to my fly.

[@jgierczak3]

Thank you CD!

[@Lukas2003s]

Captian Dom does it again!!!

[@CaptainDominick]

Hahahaha heck yeah man

[@TheTrueStreetShow]

Nice video!

[@CaptainDominick]

Glad you enjoyed it