SUPERTRAMP

The key Thursday was to stay in the muddy water of the river plume 2 to 3 degrees warmer than any where else and the fish were really active. The boats that went further South did run in and out of active schools but it was spotty. The weekend looks like it is going to be a wash out, I dont mind rain but 2 to 4 footers when u r fishing on the beach is not a good recipe for success. I may try to get out Sunday PM if the lake looks good in near the piers. Nice job with the kids, always a hoot to get the younger ones on coho.

WTG Terry U gotta Love April Coho fishin. And the eating is superior. They are the steak of the Lake.

Good job Phil, Hope we can get back out Sunday but the weather say NO.

As per my previous thread regarding what's the big deal with wire line, I am ready to make the switch over to wire for my dipseys but I have one thing holding me back. I don't think I want to switch over to wire if i have to buy two new rods, because all of the designated wire rods seem to cost a lot, at least to me and I've been trying to really up my savings.

So, what I want to know is what rod do you use for your wire dipseys, and what is the best copper rod for the money?

I currently run 10'6" Daiwa Heartlands Dipsey Rods.

They will work fine u only need to install a twill tip and they will do the job. I had the Okuma blue diamond roller rods and they were a pain in the but. I went to 10' Okuma classic dipsey rods installed the twill tips and they work like a champ. I prefer the 10 to 10' 6" rods so I can get the rod ends out past my long arm riggers.

This is a question I have had as well. So are you guys saying you've had better luck trolling into, with or across the currents?

You should never troll across current! You are asking for trouble if u do. The best indicator of trolling direction is get all of your spread to run straight of the back, your boards should be out equally not swinging across the back, same with dipsys and the riggers should not swing across. It can take a while to get the direction but like has been said on southern Lake Michigan a SW direction will usually get you into the current, then it is a matter of tuning the direction by degrees until everything is running straight.

The best explanation I have ever heard was by Best Chance Too Charters at one of their seminars several years ago. They run up to 18 rods off their boat and never tangle because they are very observant of current and trolling direction. Another good thing to remember is to keep your spread in a V configuration the outside lines being shallowest and going deeper as you come in toward the boat. You can usually count on a 2.7 mph at the ball being a great place to start for speed.

The Storm Thin Fin is the original but they went out of business and quit making a lot of their baits, ie Hot n Tot, Wiggle Wart and Thin Fin. Rapala bought the company and started making the baits again. However they do not make the most sought after colors for Salmon and trout. Brads started making the Thin Fin several years ago and still produces the colors u want. Red Coachdog(black squiggly lines) Gold Red back and some other really good producers. The original Thin Fins work well, but I havent bought any new ones by Rapala. I do use a lot of Brads in the afor mentioned colors, and they do work.

Good luck and good fishing.

Took the boat over to St Joe to get the season started, We got to the launch about 2:00 PM had to go to the Marina befor we headed for the Lake, got the Slip all set and headed out about 2:45.

We cleared the piers, turned south and started to set lines. Had the first board out, J13 gold rapala out 100', started to set out the next and the rapala ripped, while my companion reeled in the first fish I set a rigger Red 000 dodger with a Siggs rig Coho candy Fireball, dn 5 25 back, only ran 6 rods no time for more, ended up the day 11 for 13, the last was a dead dragger on an SWR Red 000 dodger back 80.

The key was stay in the dirty water between the piers and the end of the steel seawall. We took fish on Brads Thin Fin Red coachdog, the Rapala, fly and dodger and Brads thin fin gold red back. The 2 riggers were set at 4 and 5' the long lines on boards were all back between 60 and 100'.

Off the lake and back in the slip in 1 hour and 30 Minutes from the time we cleared the piers.

Weather permitting will be over there Sunday afternoon again.

I will be fishing St Joe this weekend, weather permitting. It doesnt look too good for Saturday, but u can contact me on my cell 269 929 4221 I will let u know what we do and what program works best. The coho are all up and down the lower lake right now, best bets shallow with long leads on riggers and boards. Jointed Rapalas J 13 and J 11 reg gold and any other body baits with red on them, Brads thinfin red coachdog and 4" red or orange dodgers with coho candy or peanut flies speed 2.5mph or less. 12 to 20 fow and just keep trying. My boat is the MC2 and we stand by on channel 68 on the radio.

Mike (Supertramp) Chamberlin

Gonna put the boat in the water tomorrow. The MC2 will be at Brians Marina in St Joseph this year. Give us a bump will pass along any info we can cell# 2699294221 or call on channel 68. Finally ready to go for another season of Silver slabs.

3 man limit in about 2 hours Friday. All coho. Just south of pier, never went more than 3/4 miles south, or deeper than 19 feet. Most fish in 14 to 16 fow. Talked to another boat that did go further south, didn't catch how far, they limited. Looked like people were doing well on the pier too.

U R killin me Mike cant get the boat out of the fairgrounds until Wednesday then 1 day to get ready to go. Will be in the slip in St Joe by Thursday afternoon or Friday Morning.

Great job on the Ho's.

Mike (supertramp) Chamberlin

Boat name (MC2)

There are always people here at GLF that will help u out, just fire off a question here and the local fishermen will give u some really good info. There aren't any secrets out there, more than enough fish to go around. I was however watching Babe Winkleman on Saturday and he was in Milwaukee harbor in late September and the guide was saying that the returners dont reproduce, but in Michigan we get good reproduction in a lot of our rivers.

good job on the steel.

I'm going to go a little against the grain here. I don't use copper yet because I just started last year for this big lake stuff and have heard that copper can be a real PIA for beginners. I also bought the zboards too and have been disappointed in how they run (or lake thereof). I'm going to give it this spring to figure them out though. Seems that they need to be adjusted alot before they run well. When pulling heavy weights, bend the arm up so it's about even with the top of the board. Be sure you only bend the part of the arm that's supposed to be bent. Put a piece of wood with a cut in it against the board so the arm doesn't bend at the board. 1Maniac gave me those tips on here, so if you search his postings, you'll find them.

As to drags, yes set them so they barely hold. That way when you hear the clicks you'll know. Just FYI, it's much easier to read the boards when there's 3 of them on a side so you have a reference. That's what the big boats do, but you probably can't so adjust your drags.

Hope this helps

I started using copper 2 years ago and have found it to be more productive in late june thru the end of the season than Lead core. It is no more trouble than lead core and u can run less length to get the depth. 300' of copper will get down 80 to 90 ' depending on speed, a 27# full core wont get past 50. Copper works period and I would not start the season without at least a couple of 300 footers and I added a 450.

Hi guys,

Last year I tied all my cranks and body baits directly to my line, I learned at a young age to always tie, but that was for bass fishing. I just didn't know if I should be doing this for the early coho or not worry about. Do you tie or just use smaller swivels then you would for the summer season?

Ilike a cross lock snap for crank baits it is quick for changing and they run better than with a snap swivel. If the bait has a split ring on it I tie direct but it does slow down changing baits. I guess it comes down to what u r comfortable with I really like to do whatever makes the job easier and gets it done.

I run Okuma CV45's for my full cores, plenty of room for backer, I use Walleye boards and move the weights to get them to run correctly. I have 2 full cores 2 color 5 color and 7 color rigs for the cores, for deeper I prefer 300' of 45# copper which I also run off the walleye boards. U can run anything off the boards but the 450 copper and that I got Z boards for but only 2 I already had 12 walleye boards. So being scotch and English I am cheap and make do. The copper I use CV55's and 8' rods the Okuma dipsey rods work well.

Hit it right at day break and went south of the pier in 12-23 FOW, went 6 for 11, 5 coho and 1, 7lb, steelie. Lost 4 of the 5 on busted lines, needless to say I'll be modifying my equipment as this was my first time out. Everything we used was orange and something else but they all had orange, mostly Rapala's so yea, it bites losing $50 in lures but at least it was on fish and not on snags.

re spool every year and be sure to ck your knots, I use a double uni knot and it is nearly foolproof. But u got some fish and had a good day. See you out there next weekend boat goes in Thursday or Friday. Look out for us at the Joe.

Mike (Supertramp) Chamberlin

Boat MC2

I dont and wont use wire on my boat, and I Guess I'll be the one oddball that has NOT noticed wire being any better than PPro or braid when it comes to getting a fish to strike. I probably can say that ive seen more of the bigger fish of a days catch taken on a wire dipsey tho and it is fun to catch fish on. However what I have also noticed is alot more LOST fish on wire than on braid and alot more (Uht theres a fish,Nope its off).

A perfect more on the lose than tight set drag is a must. It will take some getting used to for sure.

While we are on the subject of metal lines..Im not a big fan of copper either. I know im crazy..but you just dont get or feel much of a fight out of fish on copper, one or two runs (if your lucky) then have fun reeling in dead weight.

Dont get me started on how often it gets tangled up in something and how long it can take to deploy.

Your metal line h8ter,

Mikey

That is why everyone says light drags and easy does it with wire , the same goes for copper, dont horse the fish and u will boat them.

u dont need a long lead for coho, about 3x the length of your flasher, ie 4" flasher use a 12 to 16" lead. Just be sure to use red or orange flashers and early u dont need to go very deep, 5 to 8' . The 000 4" luhr jensen dodger in coho red on an SWR rig on a yellow bird is killer for early coho. I like the siggs coho candy gold christmas or silver christmas and the peanut fly in copper and red silver is killer too.

Josh is absolutely right if u want to run dipseys wire is the way to go. Less fuss when the fleas are around and the cottonwood if it sticks comes off easily.

U guys are killin me I cant get the boat out of storage until the 30th but thats ok will catch up as soon as we can. Meantime looking forward to snow and 20 degrees this week.

Yep just another retailer trying to get your business by telling u the lie. Had a sport shop tell me that the slugs I buy at Gander mtn are not the same as the ones he is selling for 3 dollars more per box.

The Convector is a great reel I use the CV 45 CV 55 for my Lead cores and "Copper" rigs exclusively. They arent as fast on the retrieve but they are tough and hold up well with less experienced fishermen. The drags are good too.

Nice job on the Ho's the boat comes out of storage on the 30th should be in the slip in St Joe by the 2nd or 3rd. Then is Coho city and we will get after it.

Now thats spring fishin! Steak of the lake there jarod wtg. I cant get the boat out of storage until the 30th so i am just dreamin for now.

Mono every Year and I never leave the rods out in the sun when the boat is in the slip. I also cut a few feet off a couple of times a year, it enables me to have new knots to my Swivels. I have never changed my Power Pro, It is about 5 years old now, and is going away in favor of 7 strand wire. I will be asking a lot of questions about wire soon.