It was a perfect summer afternoon. The hot sun was shining, and the breeze was calm. Everything was lining up for a great fishing trip on the FishBilly Charters out of Fishtown, captained by Bill Stephenson and his wife, Barbie. I was joined by my amazing colleagues from the Fishtown Preservation team, Amanda and Summer. We set out on Lake Michigan with our rods ready and spirits high for a beautiful day on the water fishing. We could not wait to hook some fish!
The boat was well equipped with rods, nets, and a crew that was prepared to work alongside us as we ventured on Lake Michigan. Captain Bill took us north of Fishtown on the boat close to Clay Cliffs. The scenery on our trip was tranquil and the pretty turquoise water gave off a comforting glow like what some may find on the Caribbean. Some of this color comes from sediment and sand that gets mixed up by the current, but I learned that it also is because invasive species of mussels consume the microorganisms, leaving the water clearer than it used to be. Being out on Lake Michigan started to feel like I was on an ocean looking out towards an endless body of water, with some sand-edged tropical islands on the horizon.
Once we arrived at a prime fishing spot, we cast our lines. It didn’t take more than ten minutes before I had a fish on the line. The fight with the fish was great, I spent about five minutes wrestling with the rod as I pulled each fish up from the depths. By the end of the trip, we stood victorious, all three of us had the opportunity to bring in lake trout. After a successful time on the water, we brought in a total of five lake trout which were then delivered to Carlson’s Fishery for processing.
Carlson’s Fishery took our fish and fileted, deboned and packaged them for us to bring back home and enjoy. Carlson’s plays a significant role in the Fishtown community as it’s a place that processes the fish from not only charters but also from tribal commercial fishermen and the state commercial fishermen that then gets sold at their retail counter, including whitefish brought in on the Joy.
This trip was an amazing experience, and we all learned lots about the fishing world and what it takes to be a charter captain. I took my fish home and grilled it for a delicious dinner with my family. Fishtown’s fishing spirit is alive and well with plenty of opportunities for everyone to experience many types of fishing and fish, whether it’s dockside angling, heading miles out on the water in a charter boat, or a enjoying a fresh fillet purchased from Carlson’s. There truly is something for everyone. I would recommend that all who are curious or have a passion for Great Lakes fish and fishing try them all!
