# Jigging for lakers on Lake Michigan or Lake Huron



## Levelpebble Angler (Jan 21, 2021)

Best location and time of year to target lakers jigging.


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## ThreeDogsDown (Jan 19, 2018)

Year round in GT Bays. Spring they are more shallow. Fall they spawn shallow (season closes 1OCT). Winter they school nicely as as well. 


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## 101thwacK (Sep 7, 2017)

Hopefully some good info finds its way into this thread. I have been looking into the same thing. One guy who seems to be knowledgeable about this is Bob Hinds at Central Coast Angling. He focuses on grand traverse bay from my understanding. He has been on MOOD and a couple Freshwater Bite podcast episodes as well. Travis White of Keweenaw Charter Fishing Co. also seems to be knowledgeable about doing it in lake superior waters, seems many of the tactics are similar.


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## John Hine (Mar 31, 2019)

Jig anything in East or west grand traverse bays, big generic pimples usually do the trick. I usually start at the 100’ drop, shallower spring & fall, maybe deeper in the summer. They’re everywhere really. You’ll catch some cisco too!


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## Swampbuckster (Nov 28, 2010)

Levelpebble Angler said:


> Best location and time of year to target lakers jigging.


After running into a pod with a downrigger release or two, I've always thought about if I only brought along a lead head or jigging spoon and whipped around and started jigging what may happen.....


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## GATORGETTER (Jan 31, 2008)

I don’t have a lot of experience doing it yet but I will say it’s the most fun I’ve ever had vertical jigging. I’ve been too Grand Traverse bay (East) twice the past two seasons vertical jigging. Each time I caught fish. The first time I was using white jigs and tails 1.5-3oz and caught two Lakers in less than two hours. The next summer I was using a gold blade bait and caught one laker and two Cisco. What we did is focused around the drops, idle around on the main with the I-pilot ready to spot lock. When I would mark a school of fish I would immediately engage the spot lock and drop down to them. This was in 80-120 foot of water in July and August. I also just used my walleye jigging rod and reel. What a rush.


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## John Hine (Mar 31, 2019)

GATORGETTER said:


> View attachment 755553
> I don’t have a lot of experience doing it yet but I will say it’s the most fun I’ve ever had vertical jigging. I’ve been too Grand Traverse bay (East) twice the past two seasons vertical jigging. Each time I caught fish. The first time I was using white jigs and tails 1.5-3oz and caught two Lakers in less than two hours. The next summer I was using a gold blade bait and caught one laker and two Cisco. What we did is focused around the drops, idle around on the main with the I-pilot ready to spot lock. When I would mark a school of fish I would immediately engage the spot lock and drop down to them. This was in 80-120 foot of water in July and August. I also just used my walleye jigging rod and reel. What a rush.


Nice one!


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## Zeboy (Oct 4, 2002)

This one (14 lbs) came from Southern Lake Michigan last summer. 100 fow with a blade bait on my walleye jigging rod. One of the most vicious strikes I have ever had. With the underwater currents "spot locking it" didn't work well. It was better to "chase your line " like you would in a river.









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## Levelpebble Angler (Jan 21, 2021)

Like the Detroit river?


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

GATORGETTER said:


> View attachment 755553
> I don’t have a lot of experience doing it yet but I will say it’s the most fun I’ve ever had vertical jigging. I’ve been too Grand Traverse bay (East) twice the past two seasons vertical jigging. Each time I caught fish. The first time I was using white jigs and tails 1.5-3oz and caught two Lakers in less than two hours. The next summer I was using a gold blade bait and caught one laker and two Cisco. What we did is focused around the drops, idle around on the main with the I-pilot ready to spot lock. When I would mark a school of fish I would immediately engage the spot lock and drop down to them. This was in 80-120 foot of water in July and August. I also just used my walleye jigging rod and reel. What a rush.


Great info. Thanks. I'm also in the boat of wanting to target lakers a couple of times this year. 

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## Botiz (Oct 21, 2010)

I’m an idiot and have caught them jigging on multiple occasions. Get a big pimple, find a drop and whether you see fish or not just drop it down and jig. You might very well catch one.


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## Zeboy (Oct 4, 2002)

Levelpebble Angler said:


> Like the Detroit river?


Yes. Same concept. The few times I tried it in Southern Lake Michigan. If you spot locked, your lure got way away from you. If you used your electric and followed your line you could keep it under you. The current was quite consistent, just like a river. When I have jigged Traverse Bay, spot locking worked well there.

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## 7mmsendero (Dec 2, 2010)

I jigged GT Bay for whitefish a ton between 2000-2010. I always caught more lake trout than whitefish. Big, pearl Swedish pimples and fire line. I always thought the daylight bite was best.

For what it’s worth I’m pretty sure I hooked up with a sturgeon once, that or there was a tree in 100’ feet of water that started coming up. I saw a sturgeon in the shallows near that drop off once, they’re out there.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

So GT Bay is a large piece of water. I'm assuming that the gt east and gt west descriptors are using that peninsula as the dividing line. If I break it up into quadrants in this pic, are there certain zones that are better for lakers during different times of the year? I'm not looking for anybody's honey hole, just some guidance as it's a long drive from southern Jackson County.









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## ThreeDogsDown (Jan 19, 2018)

I mostly hit 3&4. 


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## John Hine (Mar 31, 2019)

Macs13 said:


> So GT Bay is a large piece of water. I'm assuming that the gt east and gt west descriptors are using that peninsula as the dividing line. If I break it up into quadrants in this pic, are there certain zones that are better for lakers during different times of the year? I'm not looking for anybody's honey hole, just some guidance as it's a long drive from southern Jackson County.
> View attachment 756535
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


your best bet would probably be 1 or3. Easy launch & fishing is not far out there. I don’t fish west bay much, it’s good fishing too, I just grew up fishing East bay so I stick with it. Time of year will move the fish around some but with so many age classes of fish they seem to always be around. You’ll mark them on bait pretty easy with your graph. I always suggest starting in 100’ & work in till ya mark em. I always jig with a big white pimple but I’m an old guy, I’m sure others have their favorites. East bay you’ll have a shot at some Cisco also. Give a shout if you get around, lotsa guys with good info around here. In fact if you go to the NWMI fishing club web site it’s cheap to join & lotsa good fishermen in that group. I did


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## Levelpebble Angler (Jan 21, 2021)

John Hine said:


> your best bet would probably be 1 or3. Easy launch & fishing is not far out there. I don’t fish west bay much, it’s good fishing too, I just grew up fishing East bay so I stick with it. Time of year will move the fish around some but with so many age classes of fish they seem to always be around. You’ll mark them on bait pretty easy with your graph. I always suggest starting in 100’ & work in till ya mark em. I always jig with a big white pimple but I’m an old guy, I’m sure others have their favorites. East bay you’ll have a shot at some Cisco also. Give a shout if you get around, lotsa guys with good info around here. In fact if you go to the NWMI fishing club web site it’s cheap to join & lotsa good fishermen in that group. I did


Really appreciate the great info. Me and the wife were born and raised just south of Detroit and we've been jigging up walleyes for our whole lives pretty much. We want to try our favorite style of fishing on other species like trout and salmon.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

John Hine said:


> your best bet would probably be 1 or3. Easy launch & fishing is not far out there. I don’t fish west bay much, it’s good fishing too, I just grew up fishing East bay so I stick with it. Time of year will move the fish around some but with so many age classes of fish they seem to always be around. You’ll mark them on bait pretty easy with your graph. I always suggest starting in 100’ & work in till ya mark em. I always jig with a big white pimple but I’m an old guy, I’m sure others have their favorites. East bay you’ll have a shot at some Cisco also. Give a shout if you get around, lotsa guys with good info around here. In fact if you go to the NWMI fishing club web site it’s cheap to join & lotsa good fishermen in that group. I did


Thanks John and @ThreeDogsDown . I'll definitely jot these notes down.

Generally speaking, in the bay, what time of year is the fishing hot? 

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## John Hine (Mar 31, 2019)

Macs13 said:


> Thanks John and @ThreeDogsDown . I'll definitely jot these notes down.
> 
> Generally speaking, in the bay, what time of year is the fishing hot?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


That’s a tough one, lakers are always around. I rarely target them but catch them often. Cisco are always there & hungry too. I can’t really pick a specific time frame, just about anytime is good


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## naterpM-37 (Jan 18, 2008)

Lakers and Cisco’s can be readily caught from now until end of July. As the water warms they head deeper. We normally fish east bay or from bowers harbor. Jigging spoons on the drop offs. Started fishing up there a few years ago and always do well. 


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