* * We are fishing out of Edward C. Grace Memorial Harbor in Elk Rapids for 2025, great fishing and less than 20 minutes away from Traverse City!
Welcome to Pure Angling! We are fortunate to operate our fishing charters here on the beautiful Grand Traverse Bay. The bay is 32 miles long and is separated by an East and West bay with depths up to 620'! With fishing in the bay, we are protected on 3 sides from the wind and have calmer waters compared to most ports
Tactics: Trolling or Jigging/Casting
What is trolling?
Trolling is a relaxed fishing trip where the boat moves at 2-2.5 mph. We set the lines, and you reel in the fish. It’s the most popular choice for families (90% of our charters), offering an easy and fun experience. Typically more action when we troll (more fishing rods out & cover more water)
What is jigging/casting?
On a casting trip (May & June - lake trout/cisco), we'll be near the shoreline casting and retrieving jigs back to the boat. For vertical jigging (July - September, lake trout), we drop a lure straight down into deeper waters (80-120') and move it up and down to attract fish. This trip is for novice to experienced anglers that want to be more hands-on (best for 1-4 people)
When is the best bite?
Lake trout: great all season
Cisco: April - June 15th & October
Salmon: August 15th - September 20th
The boat:
2016 Cobia 28' Center Console with twin 200 HP 4 stroke engines. The boat has all the latest and greatest technologies that help us find and stay on fish. We also have a flushable toilet and sink inside the console
All bait, gear, and fish cleaning is included on every fishing trip
What should you bring? Have a valid Michigan fishing license by the time we meet, snacks, drinks (alcohol permitted, but in moderation), sunglasses, a cooler to take your bagged catch home, and dress in layers as you never know what Michigan weather will bring
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send a message. We look forward to having you!
Captain
Tyler Smith
Most popular features:
In demand! Last booked: 5 days ago
Rating summary
Photos & videos by reviewers (288)
Angler rating
Anglers claimed
Good experience
99%
Appropriate for children
99%
Friendly captain
100%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Recommend this charter
99%
Caught fish
99%
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
12 PM - Trolling, GT Bay on July 18, 2025
I booked this trip to take my 10 year old nephew fishing. He was visiting from Chicago and had never fished before. We limited out within the first two hours. The boat was amazing, spacious, organized, and even had a nice bathroom. Captain Tyler knew exactly what he was doing. His setup was extraordinary, but he made it look easy. I would highly recommend this charter. My nephew and I both had a blast!!
I booked this trip to take my 10 year old nephew fishing. He was visiting from Chicago and had never fished before. We limited out within the first two hours. The boat was amazing, spacious, organized, and even had a nice bathroom. Captain Tyler knew exactly what he was doing. His setup was extraordinary, but he made it look easy. I would highly recommend this charter. My nephew and I both had a blast!!
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
12 PM - Trolling, GT Bay on July 1, 2025
2 kids, 4 adults with Captain Tyler on our fantastic fishing adventure!!! We caught SO many great fish and he helped every step of the way. Tyler is friendly, professional and his boat is beautiful! He knew right where to take us. Equipment was excellent and we truly enjoyed ourselves. Thanks Tyler!!
2 kids, 4 adults with Captain Tyler on our fantastic fishing adventure!!! We caught SO many great fish and he helped every step of the way. Tyler is friendly, professional and his boat is beautiful! He knew right where to take us. Equipment was excellent and we truly enjoyed ourselves. Thanks Tyler!!
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
5 PM - Trolling, GT Bay on August 11, 2024
We booked with Tyler of Pure Angling as a last minute thing. It started out as a windy day and we had an evening time slot to start. Tyler kept in contact with us all day long on wind and where the best place would be to start from due to the choppy water. We ended up fishing from the E Grand Traverse Bay boat launch and we had a great day. Winds calmed down later in the evening. We Reeled in a bunch of lake trout. And at the end trolled for Salmon. Tyler didn’t give up on us trying to snag a Salmon! It was almost dark and they still hadn’t bit but all of a sudden we got one and within minutes another! it was the end to a great day! One of them was a 40” and 26.3 lb-er. A beast! Tyler was very personable. He knew what he was doing and had the whole boat set up with poles to ensure the most chances to snag the big one! We caught consistently throughout the day and can’t thank Tyler enough for the memories made! Not to mention a freezer full of delicious fish! We already told him we will be back next year for him to give our 14 yr old who was unable to join us a great experience as well!
We booked with Tyler of Pure Angling as a last minute thing. It started out as a windy day and we had an evening time slot to start. Tyler kept in contact with us all day long on wind and where the best place would be to start from due to the choppy water. We ended up fishing from the E Grand Traverse Bay boat launch and we had a great day. Winds calmed down later in the evening. We Reeled in a bunch of lake trout. And at the end trolled for Salmon. Tyler didn’t give up on us trying to snag...
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
12 PM - Trolling, GT Bay on July 2, 2025
We gave our dad this charter for Father's Day and we all had a blast! We caught a bunch of lake trout and cooking it tonight. We brought our twin three year olds and they were able to sit in the captain's chair while we reeled and they snacked. Thanks Captain Tyler for a fun day!
We gave our dad this charter for Father's Day and we all had a blast! We caught a bunch of lake trout and cooking it tonight. We brought our twin three year olds and they were able to sit in the captain's chair while we reeled and they snacked. Thanks Captain Tyler for a fun day!
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
6 AM - Trolling, GT Bay on July 18, 2025
This was our second time out with Capt.Tyler. My son and I caught our limit of large Lake Trout jigging in short order! Then we switched tactics to target Cisco and Smallmouth for the remainder. Great time just like before! Highly recommend!
This was our second time out with Capt.Tyler. My son and I caught our limit of large Lake Trout jigging in short order! Then we switched tactics to target Cisco and Smallmouth for the remainder. Great time just like before! Highly recommend!
Pure Angling – Lake Trout, Salmon (Troll/Jig) offers the following trips to customers:
When you book a trip with Pure Angling – Lake Trout, Salmon (Troll/Jig), you can expect the following amenities onboard:
Trips booked with Pure Angling – Lake Trout, Salmon (Troll/Jig) include:
Pure Angling – Lake Trout, Salmon (Troll/Jig) offers the following type of fishing:
Pure Angling – Lake Trout, Salmon (Troll/Jig) offers the following fishing techniques:
Top targeted fish species with Pure Angling – Lake Trout, Salmon (Troll/Jig) include:
Elk Rapids, Michigan, United States
Captain Tyler Smith here and I am a Northern Michigan native. With a river running through my back yard, I basically learned how to walk, talk, and fish at the same time. This childhood hobby later became a way to have income while attending college. I worked as a first mate for another charter here in Traverse City during the summer months, but it was time to venture out and start a charter business of my own. I started out here on Grand Traverse Bay running charters during the warmer months with success, but a few people have been asking about ice fishing as well. I'm happy to say that we can now offer fishing trips year round here in Northern Michigan! Let's go fishing and make a life long memorable experience with your friends and family!
Lake Fishing
Light Tackle
Heavy Tackle
Bottom Fishing
Trolling
Spinning
Jigging
Drift Fishing
Toilet
With sink
GPS
Fishfinder
Humminbird Solix 15" at helm & 10" at the bow
Live Bait Well
Multimedia System
FM radio w/ Bluetooth capability to connect phones
Wireless Trolling Motor
Minnkota 72" 36v lithium powered
Rods, reels & tackle
Live Bait
Lures
Catch cleaning & filleting
Free cancellation up to 7 days prior to trip
You can cancel or modify your booking up to 7 days before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.
Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
Child Friendly
You Keep Catch
Catch and Release Allowed
Book with 10% deposit, pay rest to captain
When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 10% deposit to guarantee your reservation.
The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:
Cash
Visa
Mastercard
PayPal
When paying the remaining balance with a credit card, an additional 3% charge will apply.