DKuiper

Thanks Frank! Looks like just the info I was looking for. I'll be running the test procedure sometime this week and hopefully isolate my problem. Looks like ebay will be able to provide a replacement if that is what I need. Great help like that is really appreciated. Duane

The voltmete on the dash reads about 14 volts when the engine is running. I have not seen any big fluctuation in this. When the batterys are charged, it reads 12 volts when not running. Batterys do not run down if I make sure I shut the ignition off, turn it on and then off again. The VR looks like a white metal casting with an epoxy fill, with 5 wires coming out of it. About 2 1/2 X 2 1/2 X 3/4 inch thick. I have found similar looking VRs on iboat, but nothing that has five wires coming out of it? I would have thought that the charging of the batterys while running would come from the flywheel. Doesn't seem to me that the starter can be the charger once the bendix is disengaged. I will be checking the batterys for dead cells and tight connections. Thanks for the ideas. Duane

Thanks for the info and website, Frank. But, my mercury is an outboard, which is a different set up than a MercCruiser. I am a decent mechanic, airplane engines used to be what I worked on, but I am not sure how to go about this problem. Sure would be glad to solve my problem for $75! D&R wants $99 to just test to see if if is the VR! Leaders Marine will do it for $89! What a deal, huh? Any ideas that might be helpful I'd appreciate. Duane

I am possibly having voltage regulator problems with my 2001, 90 hp, 2 stroke mercury outboard. The symtoms: 1. Erratic tachometer readings. When cruising it will fluctuate between 2000 rpm and 4000 rpm. 2. When I shut her down the tach will still read 1200 rpm. When I turn the key on, without starting the motor, and then turn it to the off position the tach will go to 0. 3. I have forgotten to do that a couple of times and ended up with a dead battery. I took the tach to D&R sports in Kazoo and was told that they seldom went bad and that I probably had a bad regulator. They can not, or will not, check out the regulator until July 14th. Any one have advice on how I might get this checked out before then. Hate to be sidelined that long. I have been gill fishing with this problem with some confidence that I'll be able to back to ramps if the battery goes dead out there. Just hesitant to get out on the big lake without this problem being fixed. Any info is appreciated. Duane

I have 2 Bert's rod holders on each side. I made a 2' extension to fit into one of the Bert's on each side. I can run two boards with no interference on each side plus divers and the downriggers. It does get a bit crowded back there with a 9 rod spread but has worked fine for me and saved a nice amount of cash. Trees would be nice if you want the best set-up and have the $. Duane

Good report and sounds like a decent catch and a nice day on the lake. Thanks. Duane

Stopped at Gander Mountain in Kalamazoo today. They were having a sidewalk sale and had Daiwa line counters and others on sale at 40% off. Picked up a SG47LCA for $59.99. Lots of other stuff out there also, but not much else in the way of Lake Mich fishing. Duane

Set lines at 8 AM, had a fish on before we got the 2nd line in. Never did get our whole spread out. Most rods we ever got in was 5. Several triples on. Used my basic Coho setup. 4 flatlines off big boards back 75 to 100' and tried to get 4 riggers down, managed only 2 because of the activity on the other rods. Did catch 2 off the riggers down 4' and back about 50. Thinfins did almost all the damage, red/black squiggles and gold/orange. Did catch one off the rigger on a small stinger spoon gold back orange/red dots on the other side. Had our limit of 15 by 9:30 AM. Fished from about the pump station down to the wall. Great weather, good fisherman on board (think we only missed one fish) and hot fishing. 20 to 28 FOW. 2 to 2.4 mph. Duane

I do not change out the hooks. Never had one break off but some need little bending to get back in shape after the ho's do their rolling thing. Have had a few come right off, split ring and all. Duane

Bought two releases that looked exactly like Blacks releases. Lost the tension retaining nut on them when they were in the boat hooked up to the cannonballs. Plus the spring and tension screw. Called Blacks and found out that they are a Chineese knockoff. They do not have the end of the tension screw peened over like the Blacks do. Managed to get some hardware at Bob's to make them work, but they are going back to D&R sports as soon as I get a chance. Blacks releases have their name on the side of the release. Duane

Brads thinfish in red/squiggle black and orange/gold. 2.0 to 2.8 mph 100 back from big boards or 50' back and 3-8' down on riggers in the spring. Once the coho slow up the Thinfish go back in the box until next spring. I've still got some of the originals but the Brads seem to work just as well. Duane

Way to go Steve! We got about 1/2 mile south of power plant and did catch one coho down there. Were you fishing further south than that? We didn't see any boats south of us and the fishing didm't seem any better there further north so we just trolled on back. Sure is a pain trolling around the Keep Out bouys by the nuke plant. Saw quite a few boats who just didn't see the bouys or just ignored them and went right on through. Duane

That was my question too. Where did they go? High winds and wave action must have scattered them from shoreline to the deep seas I guess. We fished nine lines from the piers to south of the power plant and back from 6' to 50' of water and ended up with 3 out of four. 2 off riggers down 6' and 40 back with gold/orange thinfish and 1 off flat line back 75 from big boards. Also the one we lost came off the flatlines. Red/black thinfish. Saw one boat land a real nice fish, guessing in the 10-12# range, right in front of Deer Lick. Did not see many nets in the water the whole day. Maybe they will regroup soon. Saturday sounds fishable right now. Duane

I always have two nets on board, one really large size and one medium. Both have a length of foam pipe insulation taped around the shaft so they would float if it went overboard. Lost one that way and that was enough of that aggravtion. Duane

12 for about 20. Had two hitchhikers on the riggers when we pulled lines so since they seemed to be in good shape they went back in the lake. Both swam away. Only had one other guy with me and we had a few fire drills and tangles in the net, with two or three fish on at once. Lucky the lake was flat. Thinfins and tadpollys mostly red/black did the job. Most fish came off the big board flat lines back 100', although the riggers set at 3' with the lure back 60' did have some action. 10-12 FOW worked best for us from the second dune south to the power plant. Fished 3 hours. Weather doesn't look good for the next couple of days so I guess its time to get the honey do list caught up. Duane

Set lines just south of piers at 9:45, 20 FOW. Trolled down to Concrete retaining wall with two hits and one fish in the box. From there south about 1/2 mil and back and around a few times we boated 20 more. Picked up six of those trying to get lines out of the water after #15 was in the box. Gave the extra fish away since they were in pretty sad shape. Must of have hit a big school just as we were wrapping up, had four on at once. Fished from 10 FOW to 22 FOW. 4 flat lines back 100' off big boards and 4 riggers back 50'. Most fish came on thinfin red/black squiggles but gold/red thinfin took some, red/black hotntot took a couple and a tadpolly with red with black dots took a couple. Wrapped 'em up at 1:00 PM. Water temp was between 33.8 and 35. Sure wish I could get back out there tomorrow! No ramps yet at the BH DNR launch. Duane

Set lines just out of piers at 9:30. Trolled west in 10-30 FOW for 45 minutes, turned back and trolled back to piers. Not a bump. Picked everything up and ran almost to Michigan City out to 55 FOW. Set lines and went 3 for 4 in the next half hour. Then we lost the fish and not a bump and pulled lines at 1:15 PM. Thinfins back 100' off big boards. Gold and red took one fish and we lost one on that color, red with black squiggles took the other two. Nothing on any of the four d/rs. Nice day to be out for the first time. Sounds like South Haven may have been a better choice though! A lot closer and with the price of gas, than means something nowdays! Way to go Jarod! Duane

Any one have any info on NB as far as fishing and ice out on the lake. I'm ready to go after seeing those coho that Mark did down in Hobart! Duane

Great mess of fish. Looks like a great time. What port are you fishing out of down there? Thanks for any info you can share. Duane

I have run 4 Scotty Pro-Packs for five years and not a problem yet. Work fine for me! Duane

Never have used meat rigs but this is the year we try the program described by Captain John! What weight cannonballs would be best for a meat rig and how far back of the ball might work best? Also was wondering how close together they could be run before getting a big tangle down there? Sounds like they might be making a pretty big roll? Thanks for any info. Duane

I was at D&R Sports this AM in Kazoo, and lo and behold, Church tackle must have been listening to someone. At least on their TX44 x large in line board the releases are reversed just as we have been talking about here! Duane

I'm in the market for about 6 of those stainless pins if you get to the stage where you can sell a few. Great idea Mark. Also like the idea of turning the release 180 degrees. Looks like that should work great. I'll be switching mine around before the first trip out! Thanks for the great info. Duane

Fishing out of Racine in April has been great for us! Running mostly shallow diving Reef Runners. Ghost, Naked and Rainbow patterns have worked best for us. Wind Point just north of Racine has been our best area. We usually fish 4 days in the middle of April and the fishing has been fantastic with practically no other boats out there. Maybe we'll see if we can get in touch with you and Josh in 2011? Duane

Saw is no longer available. Duane