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cliftp

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Posts posted by cliftp

  1. Well, had such a great trip out of St. Joseph two weeks ago, planned on doing a repeat. (best laid plans I guess). Cleared the piers and set out six lines for the two of us, all Thin Fins on boards, just like last time. Nothing. Finally moved out to 40 feet of water trying to find some clean water and picked up one nice coho on a Thin Fin with lots of gold. Started mixing things up, put the down riggers out and tried some spoons, peanut fly, some Hot N Tots etc. Ended up with just the one, which we released after giving it a free ride most of the day. At least with the water so cold the fish stayed healthy and swam like a bullet away from the boat. Maybe next trip. Sure was a beautiful day!

    Paul C.

  2. I switched 3 years ago, it was refreshing buying a product from someone who understood fishing. Plus he talked me through a replacement value policy, which makes me feel better. My prior policy and my policy through Bob were both with the same company but he was able to get more coverage for a little less money. It is worth the phone call for sure.

    Paul C.

  3. Fished in front of the pier heads this morning putting 8 in the cooler. We took 4 coho, 2 steelhead, one king at 16 pounds and 1 splake. All fish came in 26 to 32 feet of water. The steelhead came in the clean water and the rest in the mud. The steel head came on a red thin fin and a green jointed rapala. Two coho came on red thin fin and two on a coho dodger with a white fly on a 2 co;lor lead. The king came on a mixed veggie stinger and the splake came on watermelon stinger. The lake temp was 39 and the river water coming out was 49 It was our first trip out for the year and all equipment worked great which is always a plus!!!

    Thanks for the report salmonslammer! We have not been on Lake Michigan yet, but headed over to Erie in the morning. Glad you found some. How was the ice?

    Thanks.

    Paul C.

  4. Hello Fisherman,

    I have a 'new to me' boat that has to be geared up, starting with electronics.

    I really like the price point on the Hummingbird Helix 5 SI at $500.

    I was talking with a sales rep at Cabela's and was surprised to hear him say that he has a lowrance with 'structurescan' but never turns it on. We both fish walleye on Saginaw Bay, and his contention was that it is mainly for finding structure, and there isn't any on the Bay.

    While I won't argue the fact that the bay is largely open flats, I normally fish under 20 of water and often much less than that, which makes sonar rather limited when looking at that little cone under the boat.

    If any of you have experience with Side Scan Sonar and would be willing to share your opinion I would greatly appreciate hearing it.

    Hi Paul,

    Dr. Jason Halfin does a lot of training stuff and here is a little snippet of some of it:

    http://www.thetechnologicalangler.com/Catching-early-spring-walleyes-rivers-part-1.html

    I do have side imaging and find myself using 2 D sonar more then the side imaging. Not necessarily walleye related, this last summer, I was using the side imaging to mark schools of bluegills suspended in the deep water in my favorite bluegill lakes and putting way points on the schools and then going back and fishing them. The fish were suspended over 30 feet of water and around 15 foot down, roughly at the thermocline. I'd suspect if I'd use side imaging it would certainly show suspended walleye. I realize he is more of the Humminbird slant but it would certainly relate. Also, I'm still learning every trip, and I expect it to get more useful.

    Here is a little video with the actual structure scan unit:

    I've seen some info from Lance Valentine, www.walleye101.com, regarding structure scan also, but couldn't find it. Lance is certainly the smartest Lowrance guy I know. He could probably give you some sound advise.

    Guess all I'm trying to say is I'd prefer not to limit myself by not having it.

    My thoughts anyway.

    Thinks spring!

    Paul C.

  5. Fellow Fishers, I would like to buy a few DJH's and need some advice on size and hot colors. I see that the DJH10 runs 7'-16' trolling and the DJH12 runs 8'-19', If I purchase DJH10's and need to go alittle deeper can I just add some in line weights? Am I correct in buying the 10's and what colors seem to work the best? Any help is deeply appreciated. Thanks

    Hi Moldman,

    I have a pretty good selection of DHJ12's and agree with you, depth is often an issue. I watched the following video from Mark Romanack:

    I rigged the Tadpoles like he shows in the video, and with that info, you can get a lot more depth options. I have used them walleye fishing on Lake Erie and they work fine. Actually caught some fish.

    Also tried them on Lake Michigan. I'm convinced I'm jinxed. We've had a tough year out of St. Joe and South Haven. Anyway, if you go with the smaller DHJ's the Tadpoles give some great options and they have a good depth chart. I felt it was easier to control depth with them then inline weights.

    Just a thought.

    Paul C.

  6. Fished again this morning. Just 3 of us 6-10, 5 12-15lb kings 1, 8ish lb steelie, all fish lost were big kings. Everything was on meat, low diver 95 and 115 back, and 15 colors with spinnies and meat were hot. Took fish from 90-110 south troll was best. 2.2-2.4 down speed. Good Luck

    Thank you Sparky30!

  7. Tried South Haven again today after the big blow. Had a great time, the lake was a little bumpy but it sure was pretty out. HOWEVER, 0 for 1. Yup, that's what we had. Tried:

    Five color, 10 color, 150 copper, 300 copper, downriggers, dipsy's, Thin Fins, Jointed Rapalas, magnum spoons, regular spoons, flashers and flies, spin doctors and flies, different colors enough to create a color wheel. All up and down the water column. Generally below 60 feet the water was in the 40's, although some pockets were warmer in places.

    The one hit was on the 150 copper with a jointed Rapala. On for a very short time.

    Started out in 90, marked some bait balls, trolled out to last weeks marks in the 160's. Pretty sterile out deep, picked up and moved back to the 90's, started marking bait balls again but very few arches.

    Finally said uncle.

    Not many perch boats out either.

    Hopefully the lake will settle down after the blow.

    Good luck all.

    Paul C.

  8. Not bad at all, got a few on the wire dipsy lines but not any more than an inch or so .The rest of the lines were clean. I am going to order some of the Bloodrun sea flea, I still have a spool of Flea Flick'r but don't like it. I think it costs me strikes.

    Hopefully their going away. Couldn't even reel in the braid dipsies with out pulling some of them off in South Haven last Thursday.

    Good deal on the fish too!

    Paul C.

  9. Got a late start, left the slip around 7AM and ran out to 90 and started setting lines, my buddy told me there were trout on the bottom there. I decided to try to avoid them. We got to 130 and first fish came on 4 color nice coho, on a stinger glow Christmas. We played around and got out to 190 taking a fish here and there all the fish came on 4 color, 6color and 10 color with stingers. We ended the day with 2 Coho, 1 Steelhead and 2 lakers, and 1 laker released too small. Had no hits on dipsy's and only one on a rigger. Water is about 66 on the surface out in 170, and 43 down 36. Before we started I changed out reels because of all the Sea Flea talk and should have stayed with the regular mono.

    Thanks Mike. Glad you found some. So the sea fleas weren't bad today?

    Paul C.

  10. We went 8 for 12 with 6 Lakers and 2 kings fishing 80 to 90 fow. Magnum lemon ice on 100 copper took a king and a laker. A mixed Veggie spin doctor and no see um fly on a low diver out 170 took a Laker. That same set up on a rigger down 80 ft. took three lake trout.A white spin doctor with a green and gold fly on a low diver 175 back took a king. A magnum warrior spoon lime with a pink dot down 80 on a rigger took two Lakers.

    Thanks for the report. The 80 to 90 feet of water sounds so much better the the 150 to 160's too. Hopefully the next few days weather doesn't get things mixed up again.

    Paul C.

  11. Hey guys,

    My son and I were out this am,fishing 115 fow. We were 3 for 11.We got into a school of Coho and only managed to land one.We landed a laker as well as a pink.

    I was trolling around the 2.3-2.5 mph mark. A chilly Willy was the hot spoon on a cheater,rigger was down 75'.We lost all the fish about 40' behind the boat when the fish surfaced.The coho we did land was foul hooked.

    I'm assuming all the ones we lost where fouled hooked as well.We watched them do a couple of rolls then they were gone.

    What am I doing wrong?I tried varying the speed,added a trailer hook on the spoon,all no luck.

    Thanks

    Dave

    Hi Dave, good job on the having the hits anyway. We have started sharpening hooks more frequently, but on the last trip, 6 for 11, so as was stated earlier, sometimes it just doesn't work. Sure is a beautiful lake thought isn't it!

    Keep at it.

    Paul C.

  12. HI Mike,

    Hope you find some. We went out to the 160's, the lake was sooooo nice, we were able to run. At South Haven, it was only around 7 miles, I'm thinking its farther at St. Joe to get to that much water. Deepest fish for us was the 300 copper. We tried running deeper but the water was 40 ish on the Fish Hawk nearer the bottom. Cold, Cold, Cold! Dipsies did nothing either. Hope the winds cooperate for you.

    Paul C.

  13. Tried South Haven today, ending up 6 for 11. Two steelhead, one king, two coho and one lake trout.

    Two came on a five color with a red thin fin, one on a three hundred copper, (the laker), on a Moonshine with a good bit of orange on it, I think just one on the downrigger and one on the 150 copper with a jointed Rapala with a bunch of orange on it.

    Best water was out in the 150's and 160's, and the north troll seemed best, although it was kind of a wash. Must say it was nice having a fish cleaning station, no mess at home!

    Also noticed the perch flotilla down toward Deerlick on the way out, but were gone when we came it so not sure how much catching was going on. The lake was beautiful as was the day. We really didn't get any lines set before 10:30 AM or so. (no biting flies!)

    Paul C.

  14. got two trolling bags and its really difficult to steer. is it better to have them towards to bow or back by the motor for control? just curious.

    On my boat, and on others I've been on, the bags are positioned just a little to the rear of the midway point, or around 2/3 rds down from the front. On my boat, I attach them to the cleats positioned about a third of the way from the front of the boat.

    Once you get them adjusted for your boat you'll love the stability they provide.

    Paul C.

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