Spanning multiple states and two countries, North America’s Great Lakes are the country’s largest freshwater fisheries. The lakes have an important history in American sportfishing and commercial fishing. But, being the size of small oceans, each lake provides its own unique fishing challenges. Whether it be finding the species you’re targeting, deciding the proper tackle, or navigating storm systems that have been known to sink ships; the Great Lakes aren’t a place to fish without experience and knowledge.
Luckily, the FishAngler app has the tools to help you navigate and explore these vast bodies of water. Below is a comprehensive list of the app features FishAngler offers for fishing the Great Lakes.
Focus on Species
Each lake holds pike, musky, brown trout, steelhead, king salmon, coho, sturgeon, lake trout, walleye, sauger, smallmouth, and bluegill, just to name a few!
The vast size of the lakes, however, can make targeting a particular species difficult. FishAngler gives you the power to follow specific species by refining all fishing posts and information to your species of choice. If pike is your goal for the day, all you need to do is follow pike on the Fish Species page to see an assortment of catches from your area.
Catches may provide detailed information on tactics, lures and baits. They can even show the exact spot on the map where each fish was caught! That way you maximize your time fishing and minimizing your time searching.
Track and Forecast the Weather
The Great Lakes have a history of storms capable of sinking ships. From the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot, anyone?) to the Freshwater Fury, or the Huron Hurricane, which had all the attributes of a tropical hurricane; the weather on the lakes can change quickly and with devastating effect.
At FishAngler, we take pride in providing the most up-to-date weather forecasts available. Sure, there are weather forecasts spanning sites, apps and digital devices, but there’s only one forecast in the palm of your hand, with all the other fishing information and tools you need for a successful and safe day on the water.
Find the Local Tackle Shop
Fishing on the Great Lakes is a tradition spanning many years. From local, native tribes subsistence fishing, to today’s sport and commercial fishing industries, that experience has been passed down through the generations. And in no other place is this information more readily available than in your local tackle shop. FishAngler may have the tools you need to succeed, but nothing can compare to the infinite wisdom that comes from local fishing shops.
If you’re new to fishing the Great Lakes, you can find a wealth of fishing knowledge in these establishments. Unlike the “big box” retailers, your local shop usually has a selection of lures and baits that are handpicked and specific to your local waters. The owners and employees of these shops have a lifetime of experience on these waters and are far more likely to share that experience with their customers.
Finding these shops is easy with FishAngler Pages. Pages allows you to search for local shops, guides, charters and other businesses within your area. When you find that local shop, the page should have an address, the shop’s exact location on the map, a link to their site, hours and more.
Tools For Every Weather Pattern
As previously discussed, the shear size of the Great Lakes gives them a myriad of weather patterns, as well as individual atmospheric conditions. Much research has been done on the effects of conditions like barometric pressure, wind velocity, and solar and lunar phases on fish. But angling circles still debate which conditions make for the best fishing! These debates can be even more contentious when winter sets in and anglers start fishing beneath a thick sheet of ice. On the other hand, many anglers love a falling pressure system. Some wait for the perfect directional wind to blow in the bait fish, while others swear by a solunar calendar, or temperature. Whichever pattern you swear by, we have you covered.
On the FishAngler app, simply select the Forecast icon on the menu at the bottom of the screen. Choose from an entire list of weather patterns to monitor, like Solunar forecast, wind velocity, barometric pressure, wave forecast, and more! All this data is provided through NOAA and can be tapped on individually for an hour-by-hour breakdown of each pattern’s daily movement for an information-fueled perspective on where and when to make your next cast.
Find or Join a Fishing Group or Club
The fishing heritage of the Great Lakes can also be found within the company of dedicated fishing club members. Fishing clubs line the shores of each of the Great Lakes and if you’re looking for camaraderie and experience, you need not look any further. Regardless of which lake you’re looking to test your fishing skills on, check FishAngler’s list of fishing clubs across each Great Lake.
Each club has contact information and offers members a feed of recent catches, specific information on successful tactics, bait and lures, as well as marked spots on the maps where the catch took place. Members can also write and share reports for a day of fishing and share information regarding club meetings, fishing days and the date of the local fish fry.
FishAngler is the perfect place to advertise your club, share information and attract new members to keep the tradition alive and well.
Regardless of whether you are targeting pike, musky, kings, or steel, the Great Lakes are one of the greatest fisheries North America has to offer. These vast freshwater oceans have endless opportunities for anglers and with a little preparation, and FishAngler at your side, a lifetime’s worth of memories can be caught on their crystal waters.
Don’t have FishAngler yet? Make sure to check out the free app for Android and iOS.
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