This will be the first year in 5 that we haven’t been up there fishing for them during the July 4 week. I miss it already…. FWIW, I always felt I was a little late to the party. We always got some. Some years better than others. But if I could choose, I’d go mid June. On average.

 

I'll be up for the week of the 4th too, but I can't make it in mid-june. I'll probably give it a try next weekend, at least for a quick morning trip.

 

I'm heading up on June 9th for 10 or so days. I stay on Paddlers point, probably 5 or so miles NW of DeTour, and will be trolling for them in this little rig. It's a 12 ft Zodiac with a 20 on it that skips right along. I'll be flat lining out in front of the house for them. From what I've read on here seems like orange is the color? Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

I'm curious if you have been out yet and how you did. I'm considering a trip to DeTour one of the next three weekends. I'm experienced trolling big water from my Hobie PA14 and have fished the passage once before in September of 2023. I'd hope to target atlantics in June of 2024 but the trip didn't materialize. Because my range is limited, I'm wondering whether you or anyone else would be willing to share an opinion on places to launch from. The one time I've launched in the area in 2023, I launched at Malette Park in Olmstead Bay just south of DeTour and made it to the south beyond buoy #3. That's a nice launch and I'm happy to do that again.

I've not launched from the DNR site at the marina in town and fished that area around the Ferry Line (and to the north).

Any recommendations on which of the two areas to target atlantics from? I typically troll flatlines but am equipped to run a leadcore setup and/or mini-downrigger.

Recent reports from the area would be welcomed.

 

With the cooler weather we been having this Spring, fish might be running later than usual.

 

Went 1 for 1 last night. Beautiful evening but slow fishing.
2-color with an orange/black spoon.
There are 2 sets of nets to look out for, south and east of the lighthouse.

 

That sucks. On both accounts. Have always been nets in that area but I don’t remember them E of the lighthouse…. Channel comes up really quick to the E…. Thanks for the report.

 

I am a newbie to the area so maybe the nets are old news. I wasn’t aware of them so I was caught off guard.

 

Was up 2 weeks ago and did ok. 15 alantics a few lakers a 1 king. 3 color was the hot line

 

On one trip? I got 2 in 2 trips. One on a 1-color the other on a 2-color. I’ll be back up in late June to try again. They were delicious btw!

 

I mentioned in my earlier post that I would be using a 12 ft Zodiac. Incorrect. It's a 10 footer. Even though the weather has been beautiful, I'm just reluctant to go more than a few miles. These SSE winds make travel on plane kind of spooky as the bow lifts like a paper airplane if the breeze gets underneath.

That being said, I have trolled the channel and channel edges for countless hours north and west of DeTour. I have bottom bouncers to get spoons down and I can tick bottom at about 45 feet at 2mph. My 2nd rod has had thunder sticks shallow to deep. I had 1 savage strike on a deep thunderstruck. I even tried vertical jigging all over the channel. Nothing.

I am having the best success on pike using shad raps and flicker shad between 8 and 18 feet of water right in front of the house from Maud Bay to GR 13. Rarely do I go more than 45 minutes between strikes.

Also tried walleyes from shallow to 30 ft with crawler harnesses. More pike.

Gonna try something different tonight. Maud Bay is very serene with what looks to be some decent shoreline structure. I'm gonna go all the way in and cast the shore.

The watercraft I am using is just too small to venture very far. I went to Pipe Island and it was a slow ride home to stay dry.

I hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the prompt reply and thorough report. Glad you're finding at least some pike to put a bend in the rod.

I imagine you sure have to pick your days carefully in the 10ft zodiac.

It seems like most people report success on Atlantics with spoons this time of year yet I'd like to think that they'd show interest in plugs such as flicker shad/minnow, deep thundersticks/husky jerks, or kwikfish/maglips. I can use spoons, but when peddling I prefer flatlining plugs that will float or at least stay neutral if I stop.

I'm wondering whether anyone jigs for lakers this time of year anywhere near DeTour. Sounds like you gave that a good try as well.

 

I will be up for the week of the fourth chasing Atlantics if they are still around and Cisco if they decide to show up while we are there.

 

FWIW, I had one violent rip on a deep diving fire tiger thunderstick in the shipping channel. I'm guessing I was in 50 fow and the lure was down 15 ft or so. Didn't mark the time but the sun was high in the sky. I assume it was an Atlantic but there is no way of knowing.

The most surprising thing was that I didn't hook the fish. That lure should give them a mouthful of trebles.

Maud Bay last night was beautiful. I stayed within casting distance from shore for pretty much it's entire length. One 10" smallie came out of a brush pile but the biggest rush was a follow by a real nice pike that I watched from the moment the lure landed till about 10 feet from the boat.

This is some pretty spectacular fishing. Numbers not great but scenery not to be beaten. And I can't say enough about the Garmin electronics where I can stay on a contour line and my left rod in in 6 ft and my right is in 12 ft.

 

Thanks so much. Last June I watched that video (very cool) and scoured a few years worth of forum posts on Detour (thanks to the small group of you that posted those reports). I learned a lot and felt I had a pretty good game plan (locations/depths/lures, etc) for a 4th of July weekend trip but then my schedule changed and I couldn't go. Hoping to be out there this Thurs/Fri as the wind/wave/weather forecast looks conducive to fishing from the Hobie. Exploring is half the fun so I'll likely launch a few places and see what happens.

 

Completed my trip to DeTour last Thursday and Friday. Winds and waves cooperated and I was able to fish the passage and eventually worked my way well past the lighthouse and out into the 'flats' region. Tried numerous techniques but never got a hit. 'Lightfoot' (from the forum) joined me one morning and went 1 for 2 using a four-color leadcore/spoon combo. Decent number of boats and not many nets in the water that I saw. Fun to see a few freighters go by. Enjoyed my conversations with Lightfoot who is very knowledgeable about the Eastern U.P. I'd love to fish that area more if I lived closer. Might be a year before I can get back up there. We'll see.

 

Plenty of boats out for a monday morning, so i guess the fish are there. I took the kayak and fished by the lighthouse, 2 and 4 color with pink/orange/yellow spoons. Landed a small laker and had another fish on at the same time that was peeling line before it came unbuttoned. Roughly 90 feet of water with lots of baitfish marked but not that many larger fish, mostly 20-40 feet down with a few hugging bottom.

 

Thanks for the report! I'm heading up for 9 days starting Thursday. I hope to find a few atlantics and maybe ciscos. I'll be sure to report back.

 

Check your PMs Thill. We will be up also, more than glad to share info while up there.

 

Heard it's been really slow in detour for atlantics. We head up to the soo Friday for our annual trip. As always we keep detour in mind as a backup.

 

I was hopeful for atlantics to be a bit behind schedule this year so I could get into them again. Last couple years we have moved our trip a week ahead to spend the 4th on the rock. It has negatively affected the number of lantys we boat.

 

I got solid info today its been dead for Atlantics in the channel lately. Maybe they will arrive when with me.

 

Everything and the kitchen sink, one problem with fishing this area. Far too many options so you must bring all tackle.

 

I hear ya!

Plus another 12 in rod lockers.
Gotta be ready for anything and everything!

 

Go get em, Jake! Gonna miss the island this year…. Hope to see some pics of the kids with some fish!

 

 

Some beauties in there! Nice work!

 

Fished end of may. Didn't do to bad. Nothing hot and heavy but did ok

 

Report from the local shop in detour
Fishing Reports
for the week of June 26th
In Store Report

Anglers are reporting Atlantic Salmon around the lighthouse, trolling around 2.5 to 3, depths of 20 or less. Most have reported 1 to 3 color, althought several had said 5. Lure color is orange with silver backs. Fishing has been difficult for Salmon

Lakers are being caught on the flats around 90 to 120 fow. Most reported catching on the bottom. Anglers have been jigging lake trout as well. Our predictor tubes have been a popular lure for this activity.

We have heard reports of mayfly hatches and will look forward to the CIsco making their appearance. We currently have wax worms in stock. We had a report of a pod in Whitney Bay near Drummond. Seems they are moving up the river.

We have heard reports of Walleye being caught to the East of Lime Island trolling harnesses. Walleye in Caribou lake as well in the 12 ft hole with dark jig heads and a worm.

 

1 Atlantic and a laker on a 5 color with a UV jordo super slim, 1 Atlantic on a 3 color with snap weight to mimic 5 color depths with greasy chicken wing SS. And a walleye on a 3 color with a standard jordo ss. Not a bad morning, sounds like the kids want to hunt for some cisco this afternoon.

 

Kept 6 ciscos in a short trip followed by beach time. My 12 year old daughter filleted all but the first one and is already better than half of my adult fishing buddies with a knife, couldn’t be more proud. Hopefully the trend of her wanting to clean fish continues 😎. It took all of us longer than it should have to remember how to set the hooks on these psychotic little beasts. Soft lips and a light bite mixed with walleye jigging rods makes for an interesting combo. Also watched some old timers and realized why they play these fish for so long. Much like a big king, you do NOT want a green spunky cisco in your net or your boat. They terrorize everything. Play them out until they roll over and your quality of life improves instantly. Back at it tomorrow if the weather allows.

 

Back at it tomorrow if the weather allows.

Atlantics or cisco tomorrow?

 

Hopefully both, waiting for some weather to pass by right now before we run over to the passage.

 

We slept in this morning also. Will say, not many atlantics in the soo

 

Just got back from a quicky cisco fishin trip. Raining again and my kids melt. Caught 2 real decent fish but we didn’t have a very hot bite. Some of the old boys were hauling them in hand over fist. Hopefully run out for Atlantics this evening.