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- Yesterday
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Fished 6:00 to 12:00 and went 1 -2. Started in 80 fow out to 200 fow on a NW troll. 2.5 to 2.7 sog. Had the first fish hit in the 132 fow on the way out, on the way back in hit 1 fish 147 fow. 1st fish steelhead 7 lbs on a 7 color standard watermelon spoon 132 fow heading NW. Heading back in on a SE troll in 147 fow lost second steelhead on a 3 color captain Gary’s double uv. Funny thing, we lost the second steelhead after a good fight about 80 ft behind the boat. The fish stayed on top of the water barely swimming. Watching the fish, we turned the boat around as fast as the long lines would allow and got the bow right up to it, my friends son went to net it and it suddenly came back to life and took off. It was awesome to watch, even though it got away, we have a great memory and an overall fun day.
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Holland Evening 5/31
ZachEno replied to zgrinder on Fin Warrior's topic in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout
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This is my third year with the Smart Troll system. The software upgrade made to the app mid-2022 really helped the stability of the temp & depth readings. Prior to that, the data would wander out of range or update at a very slow rate. In my opinion, the prior issues are fixed. I have 4 probes. Battery life handles a 6 hour float. I typically run a 6 or 9 rod spread based on the number of people I have aboard. I am not a fan on running a bunch of junk (i.e. long lines) on boards - bait doesn't get deep enough and a tangle can take 30min or more to recover from. I always run my red & green probes on each dipsey or the inside ones if I run a pair on each side. What ever the diver is, accuracy the charts from the mftr' are best if running 2.0mph or less. Running 2.5-2.7mph has the bait much, much higher. Today, I cannot imagine running dipseys without a Smart Troll probe. If I am running a 4-rigger spread, I will put another probe down on the deepest rigger with the paddle wheel attachment. Out of the box, the paddle wheel speed is not accurate. My system, it typically runs about 1.0mph faster. The app allows you to calibrate the speed to another system (e.g. SOG, Fish Hawk, Depth Raider). I mainly use my Depth Raider for speed at the ball (miss the Fish Hawk on my former boat but to run electrical from the sensor unit to the dash is a night mare on my Rampage, so I have learned to embrace the Depth Raider). The 4th probe is a back-up in case I lose one or to check the depth of another line, such as lead core, weighted steel or copper. I don't leave the probe on junk lines when I am fishing. I place an OR16 center pin clip at the front and the back of the probe and attach both clips to the line just in front of the dipsey, not between the dipsey and the bait - less chance of a break off loss in this positioning. I believe the instructions call for attaching the probe to the line with only one clip at the front of the probe. I feel greater security using two clips. The app is written for an Android platform so if you only have an i-Pad, it will not work. I picked up a used Samsung S2 on the internet with the bigger screen. The S2 has a 4-5 hour battery life so it is best to plug it in to a 12V receptacle or connect it to a battery pack I just purchased an INIU 10,000 mAh portable charger for just this application on Amazon for $30. Bottom line, the system is pricey but being the data geek I am, I am happy I made the investment.
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Holland Evening 5/31
ZachEno replied to zgrinder on Fin Warrior's topic in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout
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Fished south of the harbor mouth from 5:30pm to past sun set in 130 to 175 FOW. Ran 2 downriggers, one SWR and one dodger/UV blue Salmon Candy fly in the range of 55'-75,; 2 dipseys on a 2-set in the range of 43'-57' (Smart Troll); 2 outriggers with 300' and 200' weighted steel - both clipped with a 12oz torpedo diver (about 60' and 50' down based on past Smart Troll measurements). Finished the night 1 for 4. Ran one rigger with a clean spoon down 140' on the counter for about 45 min but no action. Ran into 120'-90' after sunset but no action. Only marked bait on the final run in closer. Data below.
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Ludington 5/29
zgrinder on Fin Warrior replied to jdh's topic in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout
Smart to put a 12oz torpedo diver on the 300 Cu. I was collecting data on Monday night with my Smart Troll. 330' Cu was only getting down 44' at 2.5mph. Adding the 12oz torpedo diver or a 16oz lead ball brought the presentation down to 60'. The Smart Troll system is providing me a good education on depths of my baits.- 1 reply
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- Last week
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St. Joe 5/27
snaggg replied to phantom17's topic in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout
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SoHa 5/29
BlueEye replied to dan agnello's topic in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout
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Fished the evening bite, left piers about 7:15. Headed SW on a 240 heading hit 70 FOW and started setting lines. First fish came on a Dipsey set on 2.5 back 110 Moonshine bloody nose. 15lb King, in 93 FOW headed on out to 110, and picked up a small king on the same spoon on rigger Set down 57. Number 3 came on that same rigger, and came unbuttoned behind the boat. #4 Was another King on 300cu you guessed it Moonshine bloody nose. Had another hit on the other rigger down 43 on a Moonshine bloody nose. Lost another on the same rigger, and lost 1 on the 300cu. Ended up 5 for 8 all kings big one 18lbs others 8 to 14 lbs. no pics as the daylight left us before we got back to the marina. Fished until 9:30 so not bad for 2.5 hours. SOG was 2.7 to 2.9. We marked tons of bait balls, and the further south the more fish. When we finally pulled lines we were marking a lot of fish up off the bottom to about 40ft.
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SoHa 5/29
Bigbones replied to dan agnello's topic in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout
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St. Joe 5/27
Bigbones replied to phantom17's topic in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout
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Fished 7-12:30. Went 8 for 9 with 3 nice kings, 2 coho, and 3 lake trout. Started in 100’ and worked out to 200’. Most fish seemed to be hanging out in the 135’ range about 50’ down, but got hits along the whole way. Trash can dodger with pickled sunshine fly down 65’ was by far the best although everything else got hit too. Frog meat rig with watermelon dodger down 50’, 300 copper with buffalo bill super slim, and raspberry carbon all took fish. Southwest troll at 2.5 sog was the best troll. Overall a really great day on the water. Sent from my iPad using Great Lakes Fisherman
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SoHa 5/29
WRENCHED 4 IT replied to dan agnello's topic in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout
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Slow. Fished from 6:30 until 1:30. Fished from 100-200 fow a bit north of Pentwater then moved straight out of Ludington into 400 fow. Then moved close to big point. Got hits at 12:30 and 1:30, both decent kings. 160 fow a few miles north of port. 300 copper with a torpedo diver to get extra depth. So like a 400/450 copper? A blue Lake Shark spoon took both hits. Tried spoons flashers flies meat slow fast zig zags etc.
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Ended up 2/4; 18 lb king on rigger slider spoon (similar to bl dolphin) w/main down 70’. 5 lb king on 300cu on jordo spoon All hits in 90-95’ fow of water about mile or two north n south of pier heads. Quite a few boats out in 85-110’; don’t know where rest of boats at launch went. Waves, dead calm, trolled 2.6-3.1Sog.
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Don’t know what I was missing, but had one hit on rigger in 168 fow but nothing but that. Started at 80 fow and went as far out as 240. Marked some around 200 but no takers. I moved everything around. I know a lot a boats were inside of 90 fow, but no one was really saying much on the radio. Just when I thought I was on to something after Saturday morning. Sent from my iPhone using Great Lakes Fisherman
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Soha 5/21-5/24
Bigbones replied to dan agnello's topic in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout
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Soha 5/26 , 5/27
Bigbones replied to Dutch mafia's topic in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout
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Soha 5/26 , 5/27
WRENCHED 4 IT replied to Dutch mafia's topic in Michigan Waters Fishing Reports - Salmon and Trout
Great catch Scott. I agree it’s so helpful for guys to post. I once was a weekend only fisherman and depended on any information I could get, time was a premium, you don’t have time to waste figuring out where to go and what was working. Now that I’m retired I’m on the water much more and I’m able to do scouting and try different lures. I enjoy posting what I’ve learned week to week. After all I hope it helps others to put fish in the box.