Rick Morley, Rich Shannon and Matt Gnatkowski with three-fifths of a Great Lakes grand slam. Photo by Mike Gnatkowski.

Without question, one of the most exciting plays in baseball is the grand slam home run. The bases are loaded, there's no room for more runners, the game is on the line, and the pressure is on. When the batter connects and the ball sails over the fence, the crowd goes nuts and it's complete euphoria.

The Great Lakes version of the grand slam isn't met with as much fanfare. There are fewer spectators in attendance, but it's no less exciting for the participants. Like baseball, it takes a certain amount of skill to hit a Great Lakes grand slam and much more luck.

The Lake Michigan version of the slam consists of catching five species of salmonids -- brown trout, steelhead, coho salmon, chinook salmon and lake trout in a single outing.

One of the most exciting things about fishing in the Great Lakes is you never know exactly what you're going to catch. Certain trolling tactics, baits and techniques may target one species against another, but you really never know what is waiting at the end of the line. That's what makes it fun. But there are certain times of year and certain ports where your chances of pulling a slam increase.

Here are some locations, tactics and techniques to enhance your odds of catching a Lake Michigan grand slam.

LUDINGTON, MICHIGAN
"The catch at Ludington has been about 90 percent chinook salmon the last few years," veteran charter skipper Bill Warner said. "We still get a variety of fish though at certain times of the year. It's not uncommon to catch three species. Quite often, we'll catch kings, steelhead and lake trout in the same trip. To get the other two species though, you have to be a little lucky."

Warner said two of the best times to catch a grand slam at Ludington is in late spring, from late May through early June, and then again in early to mid-July.

"The spring kings usually show up around the middle of May just as the water is starting to warm up," Warner said. "The key is to find the warmest water you can. That's where you're going to find the baitfish that are around and the trout and salmon won't be far." (Continued)

Lake trout are often mixed with kings and an occasional steelhead will be found patrolling the surface in the 100-foot depths. Brown trout can still be caught in the shallows and occasionally in deeper water. The odd coho salmon can be found in late May and June on its northward migration.

Warner said spoons typically catch the widest variety of species.

"Spoons seem to appeal to just about everything," Warner said. "I think spoons do a better job of imitating the baitfish that the salmonids are feeding on. When everything is eating alewives, you can't miss by using spoons."

Warner said his favorite brands at Ludington are locally made Dreamweavers, Yeck's and Pro Kings. There are a variety of colors, but they all usually have a strip of glow tape on them.

July presents a good chance of catching a smorgasbord of trout and salmon at Ludington.