An angler fishing on a charter boat in Algoma last Sunday reeled in a rarity out of Lake Michigan – a salmon that dwarfed the 40-pound mark.
Brian Sollars of East Bethel, Minnesota, was fishing aboard the “Midnight,” part of Kinn’s Sport Fishing’s fleet of boats, when the fish struck about 40 minutes after sunrise.
It hit a spoon dipped about 50 feet deep in about 160 feet of water.
“It was funny — I didn’t feel anything but weight at first,” Sollars said in an interview published by Algoma’s outdoor writer Kevin Naze. “I told (the charter captain and first mate) it was weed, but then it diminished in the long run.”
As with many large chinooks, also known as king salmon, the fish took almost all of the line off the reel.
“Only when I watched this line disappear did it seem like it would disappear,” Sollars told Naze. “I was hoping that eventually the fish would stop walking, and it did, and I’ve been able to make some progress.”
This 40-pound chinook topped the 2022 award winners
Fifteen minutes later the trophy was online.
It weighed 40.40 pounds, was 44 inches long and 28.5 inches in circumference. Its adipose fin was not clipped, suggesting it was likely a wild fish.
The fish could have earned Sollars a five-figure check if he had caught the catch earlier in July and if he had played in either of Lake Michigan’s two major tournaments.
A 34.94 pound Chinook caught off Port Washington on July 12 won the $21,250 grand prize at the 2022 Salmon-A-Rama in Racine.
And a 32.76-pound king that landed off Kewaunee on July 23 won the $15,000 top prize at the 2022 Kewaunee/Door (K/D) County Salmon Tournament.
Like the fish, it has etched itself a place in the modern annals of big-pond sport fishing.
It is the heaviest trout or salmon caught in the waters of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin and weighed on a certified scale since July 12, 2010, when Roger Hellen of Franksville off Wind Point in Racine County weighed 41.5 pounds -Caught brown trout.
This fish set state and world records for the species.
Sollars’ fish is also likely the heaviest Chinook landed in Wisconsin waters since the state record of 44.92 pounders was caught near Sturgeon Bay in 1994.
Troy Mattson, co-owner of Kinn’s Sport Fishing, told Naze it was the heaviest salmon the company had caught in its 49 years of existence. Kinn’s is operating 10 boats this year.
Why Wisconsin Cut DNR Chinook Stocking A Decade Ago
While fish in excess of 40 pounds are extremely rare, the number of Chinooks in excess of 30 pounds has increased in recent years, according to most sport anglers and charter captains.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and other state agencies cut Chinook stocks about a decade ago in response to concerns about reports from the US Geological Survey of declining Alewis biomass in the lake. Alewives are the main food source for Chinook.
Although controversial among many fishermen, the moves appeared to help ale female numbers stabilize and possibly increase.
Many point to the recent catches of very large salmon as evidence that the fishery has plenty of food for predatory fish.
Another huge Chinook catch set a record in the Great Lakes last year
In addition to the 40-pounder caught off Algoma last week, a 47.86-pounder was caught off Ludington, Michigan on August 7, 2021. This fish set the records for Chinook salmon in the Michigan and Great Lakes.
Wisconsin fisheries managers have increased Chinook stocking in recent years and are considering further changes. A review of storage plans, planned later this year, will help set goals for the future.
Racine Instinctive Bowmen Club Anniversary is coming up
The Racine Instinctive Bowmen Club of Racine County will mark its 70th anniversary this weekend with a public archery and celebration.
The event will include food and novelty shoots such as the 100 yard elephant target. Registration is Saturday from 8am to 4pm and Sunday from 8am to 3pm. Visit the RIB Facebook page for more information.
The club is located at 14403 50th Road, Sturtevant.
Antlerless bonus stamps for sale in Wisconsin
The DNR will begin selling antlerless deer hunting bonus permits for the 2022-23 hunting season on August 15th.
The authorizations, commonly referred to as tags, will be available online through the Go Wild licensing portal and at licensing outlets.
Bonus entitlements will be sold at the rate of one per person per day until sold out or until the 2022 deer hunting season ends. Bonus Authorizations are $12 each for Wisconsin residents, $20 each for non-residents, and $5 each for youth under 11 years of age.
Hunters need to know the game management zone and unit in which they intend to hunt. They must also decide whether to hunt on public or private land in order to make their purchase.
The sales plan is:
August 15, 10am – Forest Zones (North and Central).
August 16, 10am – Central Farmland Zone.
August 17, 10 a.m. – Southern Farmland Zone.
August 18, 10 a.m. – All zones available.
As a reminder, with every purchase of a Deer Hunting License, at least one Antlerless Farmland Harvesting License is included with units offering it. Some units offer more than one antlerless deer capture license with each deer license.
Visit dnr.wi.gov for more details.