SUPERTRAMP

Glad you found some Mike. A little far for me to go but at least I know there are some out there. Definitely a looooong ride!

Thanks for the report.

Paul C.

Definitely a long trip, but there are fish to be had. Still looking for the Steelhead bite to kick off.

It sounds like there's more to address than trolling speed. Your engine shouldn't be stalling at idle, assuming the idle speed is set correctly. It may be true that the boat moves too fast at idle requiring a plate, bags or whatever, but the engine should not stall.

my thought exactly.

By the time you get your equipment deployed you should slow down to 2.5 or less. Depends on what you are targeting for Salmon that is rite in there.

Left the slip in a gentle rain and ran out to 180 on a NW heading and set lines. Trolled out to 305 with 2 hits, landed a small Lake Trout about 16" on a free slider rigger set at 55, and had 1 other get off. Turned around and started back in, the tne action started. Ended the day with 12 coho 2 Lakers (1 released), 5 misses. The Coho were gorged on alewives, and all came in the top 50. Bloody nose, glow Christmas and orange killer, speed 2.8 to 3.0 and lots of flies. Fog was prevalent all morning. We dodged the big ship coming in to St Joe out in the fog. The set up was 2 colors off riggers set at 45 and 40, riggers at 38 and 36. 4 color, and 6 color both took hits with stinger jawbreaker. Wire dipsys on 2 out 48 and 56 both took hits. Fun morning. We ended our morning North in the 18's about 24 miles from the piers.

Thanks for the report Supertramp. Hoping it turns around some. Wondering if we're starting to see the results of fewer fish plants? Really wanted my son in law and daughter to reel one in on our trip.

Keep at it.

Paul C.

Take it easy Paul Dave Niswonter on the Pleasuretyme smoked em in 300 to 350 Sunday. I just wish I had followed him out there. But No I stopped in 75 and started trolling. There will be fish later in the summer. I will be out Tuesday and post my results when I get back home.

So a standard dipsy rod will run run wire? Without damage to guides? Also what are the requirements for reels? Anything special? Ive got 2 magna pros just collecting dust... Would they work?

Yes any standard dipsey rod with the hard ceramic guides and a Twill tip will work. If you want me to I will post a pic of the set up when I get back from my trip Tuesday. As for reels that is where u should spend you money. Good line counters are critical and put the whole 1000' of line on with suffiecien backer to fill the spool. I use Diawa Line counters. Magda pro 20's should work, but be sure you keep checking the line counters.

Jim,

Just go with a standard trolling rod and add a twill tip and your wire problems are solved. I tried roller rods, and went back to the Okuma Dipsy rod with the twill tip. I no longer have wire skipping and hanging up.

The fishing is tough in St.Joe right now. Check out my report. I struggled too.

We left the slip at 6AM, and set lines straight out in 75 FOW, My buddy Dave on the Pleasuretyme was just in front of us and Kept going out. We trolled SW to 240 FOW with out a hit and then we finally got a Steelhead on a 4 color. Jawbreaker Stinger. Next fish was a Lake Trout (big fatty) on a slider, rigger was set at 90. Last fish was a Coho on the wire dipsy out 40. That was all we ,managed for the day, Really foggy but visibility was about 1 mile. Dave in the meantime kept going out and ended up out in 350FOW and was 11 for 25 he didn't know how many got off. I wish I had gone out to 250 to start the day. Slow day, but that's June fishing. When the cotton wood is flying the fishing is dying.

I have to agree with Ed, we seldom target Lake Trout, but if we do 1mph or less and bounce the rigger ball off the bottom, keep it no more than 1 ft off if you can. When you are seeing fish laying on the bottom you have to hit them in the head with the bait to get a strike. I haven't run my cowbell for a long time, because I hate trying to troll slow enough to keep them from spinning. But with trolling bags out we can get down to .7 to 1.0 if need be. Just a really boring way of catching the grease.

Tuesday out of St Joe Michigan we were trolling 3 mph at the probe and took a 15lb lake trout 71 down on a D&R spoon. If you are trolling Trash Cans and Spin n glow's or wobble glows (aka Peanuts you need to slow down so you don't spin the dodger. Speed is determined more by the bait or attractor you are running than by the fish. Lakers will hit at the same speed as Steelhead of you get a bait in front of them.

Thanks for the update Matt. As always you hit the nail on the head and gave us great info.

An old time Charter Captain I know has always said the he runs a full spread of the same baits when working shallow water. When he moves off shore he starts adding variety. I checked him out the first time in 1983 and he was running Lucky lures, all with chartreuse paint. Funny he filled the box.

Nice job Josh

Being in the Car business, I see this on vehicles people buy from private parties all the time. Makes sense to me that you would investigate a used Motor like you would a used car. It would be a help if a buyer could look up all of the service records on a motor like they can on Car Fax.

Do you plan on going out this Sunday & if so could you use some riders?

Jon Crouse

Jon, Not fishing Sunday Family gathering for Fathers Day, so won't fish until Next Tuesday. You are more than welcome any time we have room on board.

Good job Kevin. The cold water always comes in when you have an offshore breeze, We found fish Tuesday in 75 to 85 FOW in ST JOE. Surface temp was 48 and temp at the deep rigger was 42.

How were the waves? Lol

Andy we had calm to a foot and a nice Easterly 5 knot wind. If the offshore blow continues, there won't be much swimming this weekend.

Ran over to St.Joe Tuesday morning for a quick trip out onto the lake Just my buddy Mike and I. Set lines at about 6:45 in 65 FOW and stated heading NNW. Water temp was 48 degrees on top and 41 at 55 ft down on the Fishawk. We trolled out to 90FOW and turned around. Fish were active for about an hour and a half. What worked All stingers, Glow Bloody nose, JawBreaker, Glow Christmas and Blue Monkey Puke with Glow tape. Hits on 4 Color 10 Color , Power Pro dipsy on 2 out 100, riggers at 48, 55 and 67 all took hits. We ended up with all kings 7 for 12, short strikes were the norm. Rips on the leadcore and pounding releases that came off before we could get to the rods. No big fish just some nice 7 to 8# kings. Quit at 9:30 had to get back to Kalamazoo.

Nicely done Joe. Dominic posted the pics on FB Sunday.

My friends Mike and Jeff met up with myself and Andy(Darkmind) at the slip in a driving rain. We waited until well after 6 to head out and found 4 footers at the piers but decided to head on out and start in 70 FOW. Trolled out to 90 and back in then turned and went back out to 90 again. We took 4 fish, 3 kings and 1 lake trout. Had 1 other King to the back of the boat and it got off as we were about to net it. Rigs were riggers at 55, 48, 61 and 46 feet, Full cores, 300 coppers and 4 color and 6 color rigs. All Stingers, Glow bloody nose, Glow Christmas and copper Glow pink with green tape. ( cant remember the name. Only had 6 hits in 2 1/2 hours, conditions were marginal and for a smaller boat impossible. When we came the lake was rolling 6 feet or more. What a difference a day makes.

Nice job Kevin!

Good luck, they are calling for thunderstorms and rain. Hope it holds out for you guys.

If weather holds, I may be looking for riders Sunday, Terry had to cancel both of his boys had to work.(They are sheet metal workers.) Let me know if u r interested in fishing.

The best presentations right now are 4 to 7 colors of lead core, any 30 or 40 Okuma reel will work for these, you don't need line counters on the leadcore as you put it all in the water and then attach a board. let the board out to the side and wait. Be sure to let the shortest core out furthest to the side creating a V from deep to shallow going out. Set your drags light enough with the clicker on so that a strike takes line and you can detect it before it gets off. Be sure to bring the board to the boat with the rod tip low, and you won't have problems with the board diving.

You're going out this Sunday?

yeah I have my best friend and his family that want to go fishing. If weather permits we are going. My Schedule just got changed again ad my week day off went from Thursday to Tuesday.

With what you mentioned I'd go out and find where the warm water and cold water meet like DarkMind said. You're best bet is to just run the riggers high down 25-45 feet early and maybe a little deeper later in the day. Then with the dipseys an RV Moonshine Agent orange has been hot and so has an RV bloody nose 110 back. The fish are all scattered so you'll have to get lucky to find a pod of nice kings. If you had leadcore then you'd be able to find a lot of steelhead out 220-250 FOW. It's tough out there right now. You really are going to have to work to get some a nice box.

What he said, I am hoping that the fish will get a break from the rapid weather changes, 3 to 4 days of constant pressure and wind direction, will set up some temperature lines and the fish will be active along those temp breaks. I agree also that the Lead core presentations have be hot all spring. Last sunday all of our fish came on 4 color and 10 color leadcore and 300 copper rigs . I Have been running all spoons and those are fishermans choice. I usuall stick with stinger and stingrays. Glow bloody nose and glow Christmas have been on fire all spring and the glow jaw breaker has caught a lot of steelhead on 4 and 6 color leadcore. Watch the currents and find the troll direction that works and stay with it.

Welcome to the site.