Jolly Time

I kI know. know. I just can't put it away. The weather has not given up to fall. I used to hunt by this point in the year but that doesn't work at all in 80 degree weather. Every time I have been out these two weeks I have said that this is it. And then the weather decides to be fabulous and 1 footers.

Thanks. It is crazy nice out there. I haven't experienced Lake Michigan like this in October. Wild!

What could be better than finishing a week of work, calm seas, a buddy that wants to go out fishing and catching some nice fish. I submit...not much! We went 4 for 6. As last week, fish turned on the last half hour before sunset and for an hour after. Fished 120fow and worked our way in. Sweet spot was 105-98fow. A little different bite this week. We didn't take a fish on our dipseys. All bites came on coppers and rigger. Water temp still pretty warm. 51-54 degree water was 70-75'ish feet down. 350 copper Megatron flasher with white/blue fly/green beads took nice steelhead early Bad Toad mag RV spoon on rigger free slide with bottom spoon down 74'. 300 copper Bad Toad mag RV took king 325 copper Dancing Anchovy mag took a couple of bites and one king landed. We trolled from straight out hung a right and went north towards Port Sheldon. Just a nice night out there. There were only three other boats and they were much deeper.

Well, I decided I just couldn't hang it up. I pulled the rods back out and headed out this evening. Ended up 7 for 8. Big Laker high diver 235 back green Icon flasher with krw money shot fly. Both riggers took fish. 65' down green flounder pounder 80' down free slider free slider took fish. UV crabface mag 325 copper dancing anchovy mag big king but went into prop and got completely chewed up into pieces. Never had that happen 250 copper little king with spoon I believe a flounder pounder. High diver 225 back took two kings white slick SD with Riverside fly Tried south troll towards Port Sheldon started in 110 and trolled out to 140fow. Took the Laker in 119fow. Nothing else. Turned at Port Sheldo stacks and worked our way in. All the rest of the fish came between 105-90fow right at sunset and later after sunset. 1.9-2.5 worked the best.

I saw a wonderful sunset this week and it just spoke to me and how lucky we all are that we live in such a beautiful place and have such a wonderful gift to enjoy the great out of doors. I decided to put stuff away tonight. I am sort of bummed like most years but what a great summer of fishing! I want to say thank you to all of you that contributed to this forum and shared their successes and fails. You helped make me a better fisherman and more successful each and every time I went out. I hope I helped you as well. All the best to you all and I can't wait for next season.

We went out of Holland and ended up just south of Saugatuck. We turned and went into the wind and waves. All our fish came on south troll. I honest think we may have been able to catch fish in tighter.

Snuck out last night just because it was nice out and the wind stayed down. I wasn't sure what we wanted to do and honestly I didn't care. It was just nice to be out on the water. Here is a quick summary. Started in 150. Nothing on screen. Worked our way in and like last week 100-105fow worked. The water actually was cooler in tighter than out deeper. Thermocline seemed to be around 60'. 48-50degree water was down around 75'. 350' copper nice coho on white/green uv paddle krw money shot fly 325 copper nice steelhead on dancing anchovy mag Spoon Rigger down 100' with free slider. Free slide took the hit. Nice coho. One of those new bent spoon things from moonshine. Had yellow and green dots on it. Had a couple other smacks but no hook ups. It's getting to be that time of year. I didn't see many sizeable hooks all night on the screens.

A friend snapped these pictures from the pier head accident last night. It sounds like one person was ejected on impact with south break wall. He landed in/on the rocks. He was bleeding and nonresponsive. What a shame. So sad. I hope and pray this person will be alright. Holland's break walls and channel are so poorly lit. Once again, I believe Big Red and the opposite side green light where the channel used to end confuse people. It's still sad that yet another person was hurt.

I hope pug can up with a good plan for tomorrow. I might try out deeper than we did. Now with that said when we pulled lines after sunset we were in 95fow and we had the best hooks of the evening right on the bottom. I posted our evenings fish. I hope you get into them.

Got a late start tonight. Went out and to the south. Set up in 150fow and trolled south southeast. Very warm water from surface down to 70' then it got cold. The sweet spot for us was just north of Saugatuck in 120fow. Ended 4 for 5 Rigger down 69. 50 feet back RV bloody nose 13lb king. High dipsey 220 back with salmon candy white paddle green UV with ladder. KRW moneyshot fly. Took two smaller kings. 100 copper with Fireball spoon with digles. Nice steelhead. Had some other drive-by hit and misses on 250 copper with plug, low diver back 110 spoon, 325 copper spoon. Beautiful night out there on the water. After we got in all heck broke out with sirens heading out towards state park. I heard that someone hit the south pier. It sounded like it was bad.

Got a late start tonight. Went out and to the south. Set up in 150fow and trolled south southeast. Very warm water from surface down to 70' then it got cold. The sweet spot for us was just north of Saugatuck in 120fow. Ended 4 for 5 Rigger down 69. 50 feet back RV bloody nose 13lb king. High dipsey 220 back with salmon candy white paddle green UV with ladder. KRW moneyshot fly. Took two smaller kings. 100 copper with Fireball spoon with digles. Nice steelhead. Had some other drive-by hit and misses on 250 copper with plug, low diver back 110 spoon, 325 copper spoon. Beautiful night out there on the water. After we got in all heck broke out with sirens heading out towards state park. I heard that someone hit the south pier. It sounded like it was bad.

Heading out this evening. Thank you for the report. I appreciate the intel. I haven't been out for over a week because of the big blow and then that work thing. I will make sure to post how we do after we get in tonight. It's totally a crap shoot this time of year. I think I will start in 150fow and work my way in until we find that sweet spot.

Fished the Sportman's Ministries Salmon Showdown this morning. A lot of boats went north i had three people that were novice to big lake fishing. I had luck last week south so south was where we went. Boat traffic wasn't bad which was nice. We went 10 for 14 and a first...I caught freshwater drum trolling on a plug in 100' of water. Wild! 101-103fow water was money. Troll speed was quick. 2.7-3.2 and most hits came on turns either inside stall or outside speed up. Hot rods th8s morning. 300 copper w/ salmon candy white paddle with green uv ladderback & krw money shot fly (3 fish all on turns on inside of turn), 325 salmon candy white paddle green icon uv w/ money shot fly (2 fish on outside turns so faster) , 250 coppers took 1 fish on both sides both with plugs. One mother of pearl with blue ladderback and the other no ladder. Both glow and rattle 5 ace high. Rigger with some blue and Green Mr. Chrome spoon on bottom 90' down w/ free slider above it with green with dots Mr. Chrome spoon. High diver port side 2X with plug early mother of pearl black ladder 130 back and then white paddle dragon slayer with laser uv white fly at about 9:30am 240' back. We lost one on 150 copper early with mini plug. All the hooks were literally bent straight. Oops, bad idea... and, the hooks are junk! 350 copper with meat rig ( black paddle crush glow with green dots. A green moo moo rig with a white glow head had a monster on and we never turned it. The board went under which is cool but never good. Fought the fish for 20 minutes and then gone. Two on starboard inside dipsey. Black 11" paddle with my custom go teasers and uv head. Had one rip 200+ feet and off. And the other right at the back of the boat and really poor net job. Oops. Great day out on the water with friends from work.

It is so nice to see a good weather and wave report for tomorrow. It has been a rough go lately. Yeh, I just said that... Totally spitballing what to do tomorrow? Hopefully there are still some fish around. Good luck everyone.

Isn't fun getting new equipment! The new technology is crazy especially the cycling up and down. I believe it will truly help with getting more strikes. I have heard it works really well when coupled with a 1 or 2 color SWR rigger rod. It creates a whip motion. Did you try in tight this morning or just blast out to 120fow? What was the surface temp out there? What was the temp at the ball? It had to be cold. I can't wait for the work week to end and get out on Saturday. Thank you for the report.