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I'm pretty new to salmon, been doing it only 2.5 seasons. Last year sucked for kings in st joe - they were only around in numbers for like a day (May 12). Then it went to onesy twosy the rest of the season.

We talked about it on this forum and there were some good theories, such as the dry weather and low river flows being to blame. Well, we have had great flow this spring. It's been colder too (we're 3 degrees cooler than this day last year). 

What has me a bit concerned is the number of kings I'm seeing caught around grand Haven & Holland. The #1 boat at schu's tourney last weekend ran to saugatuck. On may 7! 

Can someone fill me in on what's going on? Does this happen typically with some fish hitting north before they hit south? As soon as I think I'm learning something about these fish movements, I get taught I don't really know anything.

Thanks

What you describe is what keeps us coming back, the chase. No matter how long you've been fishing lake m its always changing. To me it seems the weather is to blame for the kings so far, the bait just finally started to show up. Where theres bait the kings will find them. Im hopeful for some kings still this yr. Last yr I caught 1 mature king in the spring, only 1. Hard to get much worse so im hopeful. Anyways the coho are real big right now for the time of year and that makes me happy. If the coho stick around like last yr till mid july this summer will be a lot of fun. As long as the wind stays away.

Our weather sucks this year.  It is what it is.  We never had a good warm up, thus the bait didnt show up and neither did the kings.  With that said, there are kings around, just not in high numbers.  It may get a touch better at times in the next few weeks off and on.  The big numbers we saw over the past few years are just hot happening this year.