Bobinmich:
I fished the south end of Lake Michigan for many years until I moved away about 5 years ago. Depending on the weather pattern in any given year the possibilities would vary. Usually one might find shallow fish from mid Sept. to May. Summer was mostly time for trolling, but on quiet evenings fish might be suspended shallow and could be caught on flies. They might be as far as 20 miles out then. I always carried a 7 to 9 wt rod along, no matter where I might be planning to fish.

I liked a Micky Finn or the Skunk as examples of flies to use. The McNally Smelt was a very useful fly. Later, I used anything white and silver to emulate the alewife. The Rapala "hatch" also lead to excellent results. A 3-4 inch orange bucktail tied sparsly to make casting easier was my favorite. This seemed to be my best bet in early may. Fish this about 3 to 5 ft down.

Look for clubs such as a chapter of TU or local fly clubs. Visit tackle dealers and check your maps. Maps are your best friend.

Power plants are your best location during the colder part of the year. Watch the direction of the outfall flow. Also look at beaches, parks and rip rap. By the way, there are huge SM bass along the rip raps and break walls. You will find litle comfort from the average fisherman you meet if you ask him for fly fishing advice. He will, in all probability, think that a fly rod is best used for beating rugs. This info should keep you occupied for a year or so. You are now in a good time for doing some of the lab work for Great Lakes fly fishing 101. I wish I could tag along.

Gerry L.