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zgrinder on Fin Warrior

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  1. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    That Steelie is impressive. Worth the trip !
  2. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Attached is a one page article from GLA in 2013 authored by Capt. Greg Mariuz of Profishient Charters, Saugatuck MI containing CU and Pb core data trolling at 2.5mph. For comparative purposes, the data I collected used a depth raider to calibrate speed to 2.5mph down 45' at the ball (typically reads 3.3mph SOG on GPS). A mag spoon was on the business end of a 70' Fluorocarbon leader and the probe was attached a few feet prior to the Cu-Fluorocarbon union. 10 passes of Power Pro backing (~70') were let out after the Cu union left the rod tip to get the Cu fully underwater. I did not experiment with letting out more backing which might place the bait deeper. My Penn 330 GTIs will only hold 370' of 30lb Power Pro backing prior to the initial 4 passes of dacron on the spool so I stick to 10 passes to get things submerged. I spooled up the Cu reels in 2014 and could not find a receipt or empty spool so my best guess is I used 45lb Cu. Cu and Pb Core Depths from GLA Aug-Sep 2013.pdf
  3. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Got down to the harbor at 4:00pm just as a North wind started to kick up. Worked on some rigging and chatted with dock mates wondering if the wind was going to continue to pick up or lay down. Then it occurred to me, it will not be so stinking hot with a North wind and no flies so I pushed off solo at 6:30pm. Decided to fish North of the harbor, not as deep (100-140 FOW) with a 2-dipsey, SWR on rigger program. Kept the SWR rig down 65-70 on the LC and ran the dipseys a bit deeper, 46-58' down via Smart Troll probes. Finished the night 4 for 6 with an additional tip-up. All 4 kings were 5lb or less - I released them all to catch them when they are bigger. Right at sunset, SWR got hammered with a very acrobatic fish. I could not budge it after the initial run. I decided to clear the two dipseys as a precaution in between fighting the fish, which the only ground I could gain was by running up to the helm, dropping into neutral, reeling fast, and engaging the motor again. Did that 8-10 times. After 35 minutes, got the first of two colors onto the reel, fish visible at the top of the water, got net down, engaged the motor once again and up goes the tip - gone. I went from heart pounding to no pulse! Thinking about it after my great loss, the fish might have been foul hooked since it was so hard to budge - had that happen before. Secondly, this is what happens when fishing solo. Having another mate on board would have made things easier but I do like the challenge of fishing solo knowing there will be more losses. Finally, marked only one bait ball in 137 FOW in the 30' range. Good luck and tight lines. Data below.
  4. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    This is my third year with the Smart Troll system. The software upgrade made to the app mid-2022 really helped the stability of the temp & depth readings. Prior to that, the data would wander out of range or update at a very slow rate. In my opinion, the prior issues are fixed. I have 4 probes. Battery life handles a 6 hour float. I typically run a 6 or 9 rod spread based on the number of people I have aboard. I am not a fan on running a bunch of junk (i.e. long lines) on boards - bait doesn't get deep enough and a tangle can take 30min or more to recover from. I always run my red & green probes on each dipsey or the inside ones if I run a pair on each side. What ever the diver is, accuracy the charts from the mftr' are best if running 2.0mph or less. Running 2.5-2.7mph has the bait much, much higher. Today, I cannot imagine running dipseys without a Smart Troll probe. If I am running a 4-rigger spread, I will put another probe down on the deepest rigger with the paddle wheel attachment. Out of the box, the paddle wheel speed is not accurate. My system, it typically runs about 1.0mph faster. The app allows you to calibrate the speed to another system (e.g. SOG, Fish Hawk, Depth Raider). I mainly use my Depth Raider for speed at the ball (miss the Fish Hawk on my former boat but to run electrical from the sensor unit to the dash is a night mare on my Rampage, so I have learned to embrace the Depth Raider). The 4th probe is a back-up in case I lose one or to check the depth of another line, such as lead core, weighted steel or copper. I don't leave the probe on junk lines when I am fishing. I place an OR16 center pin clip at the front and the back of the probe and attach both clips to the line just in front of the dipsey, not between the dipsey and the bait - less chance of a break off loss in this positioning. I believe the instructions call for attaching the probe to the line with only one clip at the front of the probe. I feel greater security using two clips. The app is written for an Android platform so if you only have an i-Pad, it will not work. I picked up a used Samsung S2 on the internet with the bigger screen. The S2 has a 4-5 hour battery life so it is best to plug it in to a 12V receptacle or connect it to a battery pack I just purchased an INIU 10,000 mAh portable charger for just this application on Amazon for $30. Bottom line, the system is pricey but being the data geek I am, I am happy I made the investment.
  5. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Fished south of the harbor mouth from 5:30pm to past sun set in 130 to 175 FOW. Ran 2 downriggers, one SWR and one dodger/UV blue Salmon Candy fly in the range of 55'-75,; 2 dipseys on a 2-set in the range of 43'-57' (Smart Troll); 2 outriggers with 300' and 200' weighted steel - both clipped with a 12oz torpedo diver (about 60' and 50' down based on past Smart Troll measurements). Finished the night 1 for 4. Ran one rigger with a clean spoon down 140' on the counter for about 45 min but no action. Ran into 120'-90' after sunset but no action. Only marked bait on the final run in closer. Data below.
  6. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Smart to put a 12oz torpedo diver on the 300 Cu. I was collecting data on Monday night with my Smart Troll. 330' Cu was only getting down 44' at 2.5mph. Adding the 12oz torpedo diver or a 16oz lead ball brought the presentation down to 60'. The Smart Troll system is providing me a good education on depths of my baits.
  7. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    I participated in the Sep 20th Zoom call hosted by MI DNR with the proposed stocking plan for salmon beginning 2023. Unfortunately, salmon will no longer be stocked in Holland by DNR going forward due to the low natural reproduction coming out of this location. Saugatuck however will be increased by 25%.
  8. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    That is a real kick in the shin. I lost one years ago on my former boat and this year, lost a Smart Troll probe but not the ball when the Cannon auto stop was not zeroed out at the surface. I keep a good watch on the cables as I am confident you do as well but they will show up unannounced and when you are least looking. Hate when a costly passion is made more costly by my own doing.
  9. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Agree, a gentle bump in the stocking in the southern part of the lake would improve the fall runs. This past Monday I was impressed at the number of fish stacked on the bottom just outside of Saugatuck and not what I have observed in the Holland/Saugy area the prior couple of years.
  10. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    The information below came through on my feed: [email protected] After decades of fish stocking decreases to balance the alewife and Chinook salmon populations, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is seeing good indicators that a modest stocking increase may be warranted in Lake Michigan. To discuss this proposal and receive public feedback, the DNR will host a virtual meeting Monday, Sept. 19, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. “We have seen several years of good Chinook salmon growth and have a slight increase in the alewife biomass, or abundance of those fish,” said Jay Wesley, the DNR's Lake Michigan basin coordinator. “Although the alewife biomass is a fraction of what it was historically, we have a good 2021-year class and have seen up to six-year classes of alewives in our fisheries surveys – that means there are up to six different age groups in the current population of alewife." A "year class" refers to all of the fish of any species hatched, either through natural reproduction or through fish-rearing efforts, during that year's spawning period. Wesley said that a recently run predator-prey model also suggests that Lake Michigan has a good ratio of Chinook to alewife biomass, which is one of many indicators used to inform stocking decisions. “The proposed 54% increase from 650,000 to 1 million spring fingerlings is a modest increase compared to the estimated 4.5 million wild Chinook salmon in Lake Michigan,” said Wesley. “It will allow us to increase numbers at sites like Charlevoix that contribute to the entire lake fishery and reinstate stocking sites like Ludington State Park and Fairport.” Meeting details Michigan Sea Grant will assist with the Zoom meeting: Save the date: Monday, Sept. 19, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Passcode: 2022 Or join via telephone: 646-876-9923 or 301-715-8592 Webinar ID: 994 1124 7153 Questions? Contact Jay Wesley LINK BELOW - or Google 'MI DNR proposes to increase salmon stocking' https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/about/newsroom/releases/2022/09/12/dnr-proposes-increase-to-chinook-salmon-stocking-in-lake-michigan
  11. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    For one, my freezer is full and I am in the giving fish away mode. Second, if it was bigger I would have kept it for the smoker. Third, we now spend 2-3 months in WY skiing at the turn of the year. Its Janet's passion and I am committed to support it. And she let me buy my retirement boat before I retired, so per the Continental (John Wick series), she holds more coins then I do. So there is less time to eat fish out of the stand up freezer. Fourth, I want to catch those fish when they have 10 more pounds on them, are looking for a good fight and break all my gear so I can buy more.
  12. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Took some friends out last night leaving the Holland pier heads just before 4:00pm and headed south setting up in 95FOW in front of the Saugatuck harbor entrance. Had a steady drum beat of large hooks sitting off the bottom to about 75' down. First hit was @ 5:48pm, a heavy dipsey tipped with a mag foil watermelon spoon, 70' down in ~100FOW on a south troll. ~5lb king we let go. Next hit came @ 6:22pm on the same rig down 74', and depth but in 88FOW on a NE troll back into shallow water. After a 10min battle, a sheephead over 20lbs was laying on the swim platform. It quickly became gull food. At 6:50pm, the same rig went off again in 83FOW on a SE troll. Another small king that spit the hook at the back of the boat which was fine cause it would have been released anyway. At 7:17pm, one more time for the deep dipsey rod in 79FOW on a south troll. It ran hard for a while but the fish came off before we could get it to the surface - hook got bent open. All the time, as long as we were centered around the harbor entrance latitude, we continued to mark fish and an occasional small bait ball. I did pass by a red planer board in that area but it was too far starboard to get it. Marked the spot and came back for it but another boat was in the area and I assume they picked it up. Hope it gets returned to the owner. Just after 8:00pm and the sun was getting behind the clouds low on the horizon we had our final three hits, all in about 78FOW heading north. The stud deep dipsey got wacked on final time. There was actually a decent battle with line pulling and neutral drops to gain ground before it came unbuttoned. Next up was the blue fly on a 9" blue flasher down in the 70' range on a downrigger. Same action and same result. Did not quite get that gear in the boat when the opposite deep dipsey 63'down tipped with bloody nose got struck. Minor tangle with the flasher but just as we got that undone, the line went slack. We had 3 of the 4 rods up by that time so we called it a night as my guests had a 90min drive home. SWR tipped with white and then dark J-Plugs run right off the bottom to my surprise never got touched all night long. Finished the night 2 for 7 (counting the sheephead). There was a lot of fish sitting on the bottom all night long but not the success I had hoped for getting one of them into the boat. Hope I can find favorable weather this coming week to explore that area again.
  13. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Thanks for sharing your report and glad you bagged one nice king for the effort. I sure looked nice out there today but I had other stuff to attend to. Taking a friend and his daughter out Saturday night and hope we can get a fish on for each. BTW - I know exactly that feeling after a king goes on a big run and can't be budged . . . are my knots good . . . did the line get nicked during the strike . . . how much pressure should I put on the drag . . . crap, the line is dead. Thanks for reminding me how painful that is.
  14. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Nice king. Sorry about the Sheephead. If I was out I would have stayed in the water you were in. Not a bad strat.
  15. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Thanks a bunch. I did find the every other year 2018 & 2020 stockings but didn't catch that more were dropped in 2022 likely cause I ran the search earlier in the year. Do you know where the Holland Pen is located? There was a time when they were dropped in at Eldean just off of A-dock but I have not seen a pen there for a while.
  16. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Wow, that is a boat load of kings. They may be staging in greater numbers off of Saugy since DNR is stocking there, unlike Lake Mac.
  17. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Great story FBD. Thanks for sharing. Glad your wife didn't add to her foot injury and happy you were able to land a nice fish after a hard night of fishing.
  18. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Fished north of the pier heads again, this time in just under 100 FOW - absolutely no boat traffic. Two rips on a diver 55' down with a bloody nose spoon in 95FOW on a north troll not long after I set up the 3 lines. Should have landed the first one but I was screwing around with my Drift Camera, resulting in no fish and no video. Long trolling pause with no action, and I tried to get action. Ran across a pod of bait in 83FOW up near PS. Doubled back on that pod late in the evening and of course it moved. Found it in 78FOW further north. Then one by one, each of the three rods I had down fishing solo got bit. The high diver retooled with an alewife spoon down 43' got hammered and boated a 12lb king. The hook was buried and after much work I got that out then the meat rig went off. It was a small fish so I released it. As I am doing that worked out, the hand painted J-Plug is bouncing hard off the downrigger about 65' down. Set the meat rig set-up on the floor, pull the live rod out and I am trying to work the rod without stepping on the other two on the floor, plus the net, plus a spoon and the meat rig set up. Too much too fast, it was crazy. I started to try to move stuff around with one hand, the fish ran towards the boat, I pulled the tip of the rod up quickly but . . . . . dreaded slack. Well at least I didn't step on anything and break good gear. And luckily I noticed the dipsey leader from the first catch broke in the fray, which is lucky cause I would have tossed it over the side thinking it was hooked up and good to go. So there are benefits to loosing a fish. Not the EPIC night from the posts earlier in the week but it finished with a bang.
  19. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Great pic and thanks for the report.
  20. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    The fish look like they get progressively bigger in your pics. Nice steady action makes for a fun night.
  21. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    There must be a fortune in BN spoons at the bottom of the lake. I know I have contributed my fair share. Hope you get your board back.
  22. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Those SH must have been especially fun to bring in on a sunny day. Nice catch!
  23. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Sorry, the date should be 8/21 not 8/11
  24. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Went 2 for 3 plus a small coho that never tripped the downrigger when final lines were pulled. Pushing off at 4:15am was not in the cards as there was barely a moon out and getting out of the slip and dock area was tough at about half past 5:00am do to the lack of light. Set two dipseys 45-50' down with Moonshine glow Bloody Nose and Green Flounder. The Bloody Nose got hit 6:26am in 103 FOW, 47' down on a SW troll almost straight out of the harbor producing ~ 10lb king. The third rig, SWR with a glow Bloody Nose J-Plug got hit 30min later in 108 FOW, down 71' producing another 10lb king. That one I sent back successfully. I stayed on a north troll between 100-120 FOW through 10:00am swapping out the glow with some high dark spoons and alewife patters and a deep rigger (J Plugs and SD/white flies) but had not further action. I did not run meat with a 11" paddle due to the strong current dragging lines around during the turns. Turned west, headed out to 180FOW in search of SH. Put foil type spoons down on the dipseys as the sun came out and immediately got a rip on a dipsey 50' down but could not keep it on. And then nothing through 12:00 when lines were ripped. Marked zero bait and very few fish. Stayed just north and just south of the Holland harbor mouth hoping to find some staging kings but it was slim pickings. Other than the strong undertow from the blow the previous day, the lake was great and bug free.
  25. zgrinder on Fin Warrior
    Steady action throughout the morning with a double thrown in the mix. That makes for a great float. Thanks for all the pics and data and congrats on your catch!
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