Salmon Unlimited Inc of Illinois | Salmon Fishing Reports & Club Information

The Salmon Unlimited Open tournament is held annually in August at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois. Presented by the oldest and largest salmon fishing club on the great lakes, this event is open to everyone; you do not need to be a member of Salmon Unlimited to join in the fun.

The tournament rules are geared toward making the contest fun for everyone, while giving all participants a chance at a share of the prize money and bragging rights. No observers are required and the majority of the rules are the same as the DNR regulations. With a “catch 15, weigh your best 10” format, even a two-person team can weigh a limit of fish.

In addition to paying the top 10 places, we also offer a $1000 bounty for the biggest fish and $250 bonus prizes for the largest fish in each of the other species. Finally, there is a $250 bonus prize for the top scoring small boat (21’ and under). Each team receives a captain’s bag with products donated by our generous sponsors, as well.

After the fishing is over, stick around for the Crew Party. Meet your fellow fishermen and compare tactics while enjoying FREE food and soft drinks. This is where the winners are announced and the prizes are awarded. There are raffles and other give-aways, too.

As in previous years, 85% of the entry fees will be returned as prizes, with 15% going to benefit the Salmon Unlimited Conservation Trust. The trust is used to help maintain the world-class angling opportunities we all enjoy. So come on out and have some fun while helping support our great salmon fishery.

We hope to see you there!

SU Open Rules and Registration Form

The 5th annual Salmon Unlimited Open fishing tournament took place on Saturday, August 20th, 2011 at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois. This year, we had 60 boats, our biggest field ever, each competing for a share of over $9000 in cash and prizes. This event is also the final leg of the Southwest Lake Michigan Challenge Series, so for some of the contestants, even more was on the line.

This year, the best fishing was found north of the marina, as all of the top finishers were fishing Wisconsin waters. First place went to Seanile Too, who brought a tournament limit of 10 fish weighing a whopping 143.0 lbs to the scale.

2011 SU Open tournament – 1st Place: Seanile Too

Second place went to Stormtrooper and third place was won by Hawg Gone. Stormtrooper and Hawg Gone also managed a tie for the Full Throttle Marine $1000 Big Fish Award. Both boats weighed in identical 23.0 lb king salmon. The biggest fish in each of the other species won $250 bonus prizes, along with a case of XL Energy drink, for the lucky crews who reeled them in. The top scoring small boat (under 21’) this year was an 18’ Smokercraft named Reel Guilty. They also won $250 for their effort. The Big Weenie “Back of the Pack” Award (a back-pack full of Big Weenie merchandise) went to the boat Patient Pursuit. Unbelievably, there was also a tie for the smallest fish, with a pair of 0.5 lb coho salmon weighed in. The Smallest Fish Award trophy and $100 prize went to Days Off, based on the tie-breaker of lower total score.

Following the weigh-in, the anglers gathered to enjoy the free pizza and congratulate the winning captains as they accepted their prizes.

Proceeds from this tournament go to benefit the Salmon Unlimited Conservation Trust, which is dedicated to protecting and promoting the world-class salmon fishery we have in Lake Michigan.

Salmon Unlimited is looking forward to hosting its 6th annual Open tournament in 2012. We hope to see you there!