Jolly Time

First I want to thank all of you for posting and sharing your successes and occasional fails. The network we share helps so much and I appreciate all of you a bunch. We went 6 for 11 tonight. We went out to 125 and trolled north slipping out to 140. We found most fish in 125-130 early. North troll was better interms of current. We fished back going south and personally I think we were stalling our presentation. What went. Riggers 3 times per side. Raspberry Carbon with a stranglehold Hulk Smash was a great combo tonight. Hulk on bottom and raspberry cabon free slide. Both took hits and caught fish. Low diver 124 deeper on setting 1 with white paddle/pickle sunshine worked. 350 copper early took a fish with a 11" slick/pickle sunshine with short lead on fly 34". High diver late setting 3 150 back had 3 rips all with different flashers w/ flies white paddles with green/UV and howey green crinkle fly. 300 copper w/stranglehold bloody knuckles went late and bloody knuckles on high dipsey 160 back late took fish. We had fly by hits and a couple crossed lines which messed up our catch number but we never got bored tonight. The boys let me fish tonight which I don't get to do much. It was weird no buddy was out fishing tonight? I counted 6 boats.

Well, this was a tough three days of fishing but in so many ways so special. The lake started to flip again and then flipped completely by Sunday morning. On top of that the waves were unreal. We saw nice conditions Friday with my Wife and two daughters doing the ladies tournament during the Big Red all catching fish. Pretty sweet and just special spending time with family. The Saturday and Sunday tournament was tough! Waves, wind and 58 degree water just wow. If you wanted to find silver you had a short window for an hour in tight and then you better know how to catch lake trout or be willing to go DEEP. That's all I can say and oh...I am very poor at catching lake trout. We did catch a few silvers in 140fow +/- 20feet. Green hulk rv was good on a 275copper. OG Raspberry Carbon on 200 and 225 took fish. Yeck green jeans mag on a dipsey contributed out a meer 100feet on setting 3. The highlight of the weekend was setting up outside the pierhead Sunday at 6:15am with a 3 color and DW carbon rv in 45fow south troll. We caught our biggest brown trout ever. 13lb 4oz! A whopper! I hope things change quick out there. We did find good water out 220+fow but the wind and waves just made

Well, this was a tough three days of fishing but in so many ways so special. The lake started to flip again and then flipped completely by Sunday morning. On top of that the waves were unreal. We saw nice conditions Friday with my Wife and two daughters doing the ladies tournament during the Big Red all catching fish. Pretty sweet and just soecial soending time with family. The Saturday and Sunday tournament was tough! Waves, wind and 58 degree water just wow. If you wanted to find silver you had a short window for an hour in tight and then you better know how to catch lake trout or be willing to go DEEP. That's all I can say and oh...I am very poor at catching lake trout. We did catch a few silvers in 140fow +/- 20feet. Green hulk rv was good on a 275copper. OG Raspberry Carbon on 200 and 225 took fish. Yeck green jeans mag on a dipsey contributed out a meer 100feet on setting 3. The highlight of the weekend was setting up outside the pierhead Sunday at 6:15am with a 3 color and DW carbon rv in 45fow south troll. We caught our biggest brown trout ever. 13lb 4oz! A whopper! I hope things change quick out there. We did find good water out 220+fow but the wind and waves just made it so difficult. IMG_20260802_203727.heic IMG_20260802_203722.heic IMG_20260801_185314 (4).heic IMG_20260801_185314 (1).heic IMG_20260801_185314.heic

Also, l8vescope had fish coming into the spread and then hanging out by the ball. When they took off, they went up and away. So, we ran lures tight to the ball 15' and ran 15' lead free sliders. It seemed to be the trick later in the evening.

Most fish came 50-60 down.

Any time I made a speed change we got hit. I would slow to 2.5 at the ball cruise for 5 minutes or so then increase speed to 3.1-3.2 and wham.

87feet. The last three came in 79 and 35-40 down.

I had the honor of taking out the winning bidder for a cancer fundraiser earlier this spring. Tonight was the night. Jon had not fished the big pond in more than 6 years. My first mate Keagan and I found some fish through the smoke and I am certain wore John's arms out in the process. We ended up 11 for 17. Some dandy fish in the mix. Pretty slow until 8:30pm and then it was game on. Here is what worked 2.7-3.1 at the ball south is troll though we did catch a couple when we did about face to come home. We fished straight out and trolled past Saugatuck. Half way to Saugatuck was when things switched on. High dipseys had flasher flies early and took four rips but did not stay on. Had a free slider rip we lost as well. Switched everything to spoons. Both high dipseys went multiple times after 8pm with Stanglehold "bloody knuckles" "Raspberry Carbon" OG and Dreamweaver "Bloody Nose RV". 120-130 out on setting 3. Never had a hit on inside/deep diver anywhere from 70-140out. Ran meat, white 11" paddle fly and eventually spoons Riggers 50 and 60 down with free sliders produced. Blue flounder pounder, Happy Meal, Dancing Anchovy and many other spoons went swimming tonight. 275 copper, 250 copper 225 copper rods all took fish. It was a great night. Once again, speed was the key. The fish were out of temp and we were taking fish between 30 and 60 feet down. 60' down was 49 degree water. 35-40' 54-55 degree water.

This happened before. Be careful out there. It can be bad and it can actually act worse than fog if there is moisture in the air.

Fished a lot better tonight. 10 for 13. 18lb 2×12lb and the rest 7-8lbers. Tried 100-110fow at first south troll. Not much happening. 7pm hit a pod of fish and had a triple and landed 2. 8-9:30pm was pretty fun with something happening most of the time. What worked... Happy meal 3× on 275 copper Blue Flounder pounder on high dipsey and rigger Flasher fly early worked white paddle dragon slayer twice on high dipsey back 120 setting 3. Did not land either Other high dipsey out 160 setting 3 uv salmon candy green paddle with Docs custom tackle green glow fly. Great hit did not land it. Riggers with sliders did damage. One set at 50 the other set at 60 took multiple fish both fixed and slider. Green flounder pounder rv. Bad Toad rv. Bloody knuckles spoon 300 copper with happy meal and dancing anchovy took fish. Speed was the key. 2.7-3.1 at the ball. Depending on direction of troll we were 2.6-3.4 sog. Best depth was 78-90fow. On south seast troll. North troll was easier but did not produce much action. IMG_20260715_005712.heic

Always best to be safe. You caught a couple and the dinner will be great. The fishing is only going to get better from now to late September. Keep after it.

Well, I didn't fish real well tonight. I tried something and it didn't work great. I ran meatrigs and flasher/fly on riggers, high and low divers and spoons on coppers. We went 3 for 7. 6 solid hook ups but couldn't get them all in the boat. What worked... Inside dipsey went twice with meatrig (green set up). Landed one. High dipsey with salmon candy flasher and money shot fly went twice landed one. 300copper had a nice fish and fought for about 10 minutes. Lost it when it charger boat and slack in the line. Shelly Snack mag rv. 225 copper went once with moonshine bad toad rv. Hit hard jumped a few times and gone. Late in the evening rigger with stacked spoons. Mongolian beef mag 59 feet down on bottom spoon. Biggest fish of the night. Fished 75-90fow. 2.3-2.7 at ball. Fish were on screen most of the evening 35-65 feet down. South troll had to run two bags to control speed. No bags coming back to the north. I never found a good angle. Talked to a couple guys after fishing. Both had really nice boxes. They were in 80-90fow and only ran spoons and plugs. 200-250 coppers high divers and riggers were there hot lines. 2.7-3.3 sog was what worked for them. Flounder pounder and blue stuff.

Thanks for the report. You always put together great information that helps a bunch.

4 for 4 tonight. 3 kings and one laker. Flies were crazy bad. It was calm and hazy earlier and then the fog came in big time at last light. All fish came late in the evening. We started in 140fow and didn't mark much. Pushed out to 160 and still not much. Angle in towards shore on a north northeast troll. Then turned and went south to end the evening. Finally found fish and bait inside 100fow. High dipsey out 210 and 260 on setting 3 took to small kings. Alien breath mag and parrot something green and blue. Laker rig bouncing the bottom took the laker. An earlier bite on a 5 color with fireball with dingles started our evening's catch. 2.7-3.0 at the ball was what worked for us. IMG_20260610_000322 (1).heic

Well, you were in fish. I think the fishing is just tough right now. 4-6 hook ups is pretty good right now. Getting them in the b8at is always the trick. Glad you had a n8ce night out on the water.

Quite an evening! Very sporty out there this evening. 13 for 16. 12lb steelhead to start the evening 130fow 100 copper w/fireball gold with dingles. We tried a little bit of everything tonight. Blue ladder back mother of pearl ace high plug on 10 color. Green Meat rig on rigger down 85'. Riggers stacked later in the evening 75 down and 65 down. Both bottom and free sliders took fish. Dancing Anchovy, Parrot, Yellow goby, Shelly Snack, RV bloody nose, RV wonderbread, 225 copper took fish 5 color took fish. West troll worked best with the wind. Into the wind and waves was tough. Most fish came in 120-150fow. 75-35 down.

Thanks for the report. I am going to drop the boat in for the first time this season tomorrow afternoon. Tons of work on the boat in the off season. Hopefully everything works as it should. I will report if we get into some fish.