Typically we catch 20-30 Coho per trip in the early spring with fish weighing in at 1.5 to 3 pounds. We still caught the numbers, but in 1999 the average fish weighed in at 4 to 7 pounds each.

What are the reasons? We believe it is because of the mild winter with little to no Lake Michigan ice. Coupled with warm water and the biggest forage base of alewives we've seen in 15 years. So all the Coho had to do all winter was swim, eat and get mean! Now we're catching them, and they seem to have a hell of an attitude.

By the third week of May, experienced anglers found it difficult to get the fish into the cooler. The fish are breaking hooks, snapping leaders and breaking lines. We are now regularly bringing in fish in the 8 to 12 pound range.

Fishing techniques during April through the third week of May put the charter boat captains in close to Waukegan at around 20 to 60 foot of water. They used downriggers, Dipsey Divers and Yellow Birds tipped with small tinsel and hair flies behind OO dodgers at trolling speeds of 2 to 2.5 MPH.

Moving into early June the captains found themselves in deeper waters (75 ft. to 100 ft.) still within the Waukegan area north and south. The fish seem to like faster trolling speeds from 2.5 to 3 MPH and are favoring Pro-Shiner Spoons and larger, shaggier flies behind larger O dodgers.

The report for June continues to be fantastic. The fish are bigger and stronger and so is their attitude about getting off the hook. Just take a look at some of these catches.