By Tom Pink
Surrounded by three Great Lakes and the St. Mary’s River, Cloverland members have an abundance of opportunity for enjoying the outdoors, especially if fishing is on the docket.
But with all that big water, it might be daunting for some to tackle it. If that’s the case, then try doing what so many tourists do when they want to fish in this neck of the woods: book a guided fishing trip with one of the many licensed captains who are experts at following the fish around here.
According to the Michigan Wildlife Council, charter fishing nets nearly $30 million annually in economic impact statewide, and about 75 percent of the people who book charter fishing trips are visitors to the area.
“For sure, most of our clients come from out of town,” said Captain Greg Lipple of Island Charters, based in Les Cheneaux, a region that sees an annual influx of seasonal visitors who stay for the entire summer.
Lipple founded his fishing business with his brother, Jeff, nearly 10 years ago after hunting and fishing in the area for years with family who have been coming here for generations. Now he and his wife, Cari, take clients trolling primarily for salmon and lake trout on northern Lake Huron, from St. Ignace to Drummond Island. They also fish around Les Cheneaux, where the targets are usually perch and pike.
Captain Jason Carstens of True North Guide Service in Sault Ste. Marie takes people fishing along the entire St. Mary’s River, as well as northern Lake Huron out of DeTour, and occasional trips as far west as Munising on Lake Superior. He specializes in fly fishing. He said most of his clients are from out of town, but he has a fair number of locals too.
Both Carstens and Lipple take out clients who want to see the area from the water, no fishing involved, and they both said they get many requests for that type of service.
“It may sound funny, but many people are just interested in going for a ride,” Lipple said.
What should a person expect from a chartered fishing trip?
“The biggest thing is to let your guide know ahead of time what you’re looking for,” Carstens said. “Do you want to learn a technique? Are you going for a trophy? Are you looking to get limits of fish?”
Lipple agreed, especially when it comes to keeping fish for dinner, as he said large salmon and trout can quickly add up to a surprising pile of fillets at the cleaning station. He encouraged potential clients to be up front with their expectations.
Both Lipple and Carstens said they enjoy introducing their clients of all ages to our area’s abundant natural resources.
“My favorite thing to do is take those who haven’t done it before, to show them different techniques so they can do it on their own,” Carstens said. That includes lifelong Yoopers who want to learn something new.