Michiana Angler Turns His Fishing ‘Freakness’ into a Career

Michiana Angler Spotlight

By Louie Stout

Mike Jones is a fishing freak who loves fishing, especially on the St. Joseph River for trout and salmon.

And while bass anglers may dream of someday fishing professionally, Jones is fulfilling his lifelong dream as a full-time fishing guide, which he began five years ago after spending years building boats at Bennington and saving the cash to pursue his dream.

“I’d fish 365 days a year if I could,” says the 1990 Mishawaka Penn grad and Osceola, Ind. resident.

He spends his winters guiding on the river and summers on Lake Michigan. And when time permits, he’s fishing for big catfish below river dams or dinking for the plentiful bluegill in the Indiana waters of the St. Joe.

“I guide all winter,” he says. “I won’t have a day off until Jan.14, and that’s only because I have a doctor’s appointment that day.”

His MJ’s Charter Service runs winter charters on his 23-foot enclosed Starcraft boat and summer charters on his 36-foot Trojan.

Here’s a Q&A I did with him:

MON: Is it hard finding clients to fish in winter weather?

Jones: Not for my boat. I keep the inside heated and we catch fish. If my trip doesn’t produce 15-20 steelhead bites I’m not happy. I love fishing for steelhead, but after about 6 months, I’ve got the itch to get out on the big lake and fish out there. The nice thing about river fishing is the clients can feel the bite and hook their own fish as opposed to trolling on the big lake. But both can be fun.

MON: Where do you guide this time of year?

Jones: Most of my winter trips are in Michigan waters of the St. Joe because it fishes bigger than Indiana. Indiana can be good, but the water was so low and got so cold so early that the fish didn’t move up like they normally do.

MON: Does line size matter when you’re fishing winter steelhead?

Jones: Definitely. And I’ve learned that fluorocarbon lines make a difference in how many bites you get because it’s less visible. That’s critical when the river is clear, but maybe not a big deal if it’s dirty. I run 12-pound monofilament as my main line and add a 7-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon leader.

MON: What do you do differently than other steelhead anglers?

Jones: I’m not a hole sitter. I’m moving all the time and will cover miles of the river. Conditions can change daily so you gotta hunt for them and not sit and wait for them to come to you. I have two rules: Have fun and try to hurt the fishes’ feelings.

MON: But you also guide for other fish, too, right?

Jones: I did six nighttime St. Joseph River catfish trips last summer, but they wear me out. I get off the water at 3:30 a.m. and then have to get to my big boat on Lake Michigan. Last year we caught cats up to 44 pounds and the smallest was 18 pounds. We use suckers and circle hooks.

MON: What about walleye?

Jones: I’ve done a few, but I usually tell clients who want to walleye fish to go to Lake Erie. I’ll take you on the river for walleyes, but you’re fishing for a few bites and you better be good at feeling the bites. Those river fish bites are soft and mushy and most people don’t even know they’re getting bit.

MON: What’s the most overlooked fish in the river?

Jones: The Indiana bluegill fishing on the river is incredible and underfished. I do a few bluegill trips but tell clients I won’t clean their fish. You can catch 150 keepers in four hours.

MON: What are you calling a “keeper?”

Jones: Anything from 7 to 9 inches. But these fish are thick from fighting that current. The biggest I’ve caught was an 11 incher and that came on the Memorial Park stretch. I’m not kidding you, it’s a phenomenal bluegill fishery.

MON: You used to be a pretty good bass tournament angler. Why did you give it up?

Jones: I fished those things when I was working at Bennington, but it interfered with my steelhead fishing. By doing what I do, I can fish for what I want and when I want, but I can’t do that when fishing bass tournaments. Shoot, I still go fishing for carp and suckers on days off. I’ve found that all fish will teach you something about fishing and I just love being on the water and trying to figure them out.

MON: What’s the best way for anglers to find you?

Jones: They can visit my website (mjsportfishingchartersllc.com), but I prefer them to call me because I can talk to them directly to see what they want and let them know how I work. His number is 574-607-1978.